George W. Frazer, author of the first, second, and fourth stanzas published a total of sixteen hymns in his lifetime. Born in Ireland in 1840 as the son of a police investigator, Frazer later began working in the banking industry. At about age twenty, he was urged by his brother to hear the evangelist Grattan Guinnes in Dublin. Because of the crowds attending the meeting, Frazer and his brother were unable to enter the hall so they climbed the building to perch in an open window where they heard the message of the gospel. As a result of this evangelistic meeting and his subsequent conversion, Frazer eventually left his employment at the bank to commit his full attention to evangelism. A third stanza focusing on the work of the Holy Spirit appeared later and was written by Alfred S. Loizeaux (1877–1962)¹. Enjoy this Trinitarian hymn!

God, our Father, we adore Thee!
We, Thy children, bless Thy name!
Chosen in the Christ before Thee,
we are “holy, without blame.”
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Abba’s praises we proclaim!
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Abba’s praises we proclaim!

Son Eternal, we adore Thee!
Lamb upon the throne on high!
Lamb of God, we bow before Thee,
Thou hast brought Thy people nigh!
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Son of God, who came to die!
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Son of God, who came to die!

Holy Spirit, we adore Thee!
Paraclete and heavenly guest!
Sent from God and from the Savior,
Thou hast led us into rest.
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
by Thy grace forever blest.
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
by Thy grace forever blest.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Three in One! we give Thee praise!
For the riches we inherit,
heart and voice to Thee we raise!
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Thee we bless through endless days!
We adore Thee! we adore Thee!
Thee we bless through endless days!

¹medium.com/congregational-song/hymn-reflection-god-our-father-we-adore-thee-c5f6fdc12585

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Michael Perry (1942-1996) was born in Beckenham, Kent, England and was a Church of England clergyman and one of the leading British hymnodists of the 20th century. He worked as editor and director of Jubilate Hymns until an inoperable brain tumour led to his untimely death in December 1996. Perry used the tune for the British stately song “I Vow To Thee My Country” (which is often sung at Remembrance Day services, and Princess Diana requested it for her wedding in 1981) and created a majestic hymn of praise that is biblically rooted¹. I really love the words to this hymn, and you could easily use it to begin your church services, or your time of devotion with the Lord.

O God, beyond all praising,
We worship you today
And sing the love amazing
That songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder
At every gift you send,
At blessings without number
And mercies without end:
We lift our hearts before you
And wait upon your word,
We honour and adore you,
Our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
Accept the love we bring,
That we who know your favour
May serve you as our king;
And whether our tomorrows
Be filled with good or ill,
We’ll triumph through our sorrows
And rise to bless you still:
To marvel at your beauty
And glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty
Our sacrifice of praise.

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-o-god-beyond-all-praising

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This hymn was written by Horatius Bonar in 1866, and was published in his Hymns of Faith and Hope in 4 stanzas of 6 lines, and entitled “Praise.” It is included in several collections in Great Britain and America, in its original form. The last stanza is sometimes used as a doxology distinct from the hymn itself¹. The hymn was written for an English Presbyterian Church hymn book. It is based on the 4th-century ‘conclusion’, Gloria Patri, known as the ‘Lesser Doxology’, sung at the end of psalms and canticles².

Glory be to God the Father,
Glory be to God the Son,
Glory be to God the Spirit:
Great Jehovah, Three in One!
Glory, glory while eternal ages run!

Glory be to him who loved us,
Washed us from each spot and stain;
Glory be to him who bought us,
Made us kings with him to reign!
Glory, glory to the Lamb that once was slain!

Glory to the King of angels,
Glory to the Church’s King,
Glory to the King of nations;
Heav’n and earth your praises bring!
Glory, glory, to the King of glory sing!

Glory, blessing, praise eternal!
Thus the choir of angels sings;
Honour, riches, pow’r, dominion!
Thus its praise creation brings.

¹hymnary.org/text/glory_be_to_god_the_father_glory_be_to
²music.churchofscotland.org.uk/hymn/110-glory-be-to-god-the-father

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Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), blind at the age of six weeks, began composing hymns at age six. She became a student at the New York Institute of the Blind at age 15 and joined the faculty of the Institute at 22, teaching rhetoric and history. In 1885, Crosby married Alexander Van Alstyne, also a student at the Institute and later a member of the faculty. An author of more than 8,000 gospel hymn texts, she drew her inspiration from her own faith. When the tune composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp (1839-1908) played a melody to Fanny and asked, “What does the melody say to you?” Crosby replied that the tune said, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” and proceeded to recite the entire first stanza of the now-famous hymn¹. I’m sure you have heard lots of versions of this hymn, but below is my favourite! What’s yours?

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

Perfect submission, all is at rest
I in my Saviour am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Saviour, all the day long.

¹umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-blessed-assurance

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Folliott Pierpont was born in the city of Bath, England on October 7, 1835. It’s a popular holiday destination dye to the Avon River running through the rolling hills allowing warm springs to come from the ground. He left his home to study at Cambridge University, and wrote this poem on returning home at age 29, whilst walking the rolling hills. It was used for communion services in his Anglican church, which is why each stanza ends with “Christ, our God to Thee we raise this our sacrifice of praise”, which later evolved to “Lord of all, to Thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise”¹.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

Refrain
Christ, our God to Thee we raise,
This our sacrifice of praise.

For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

Refrain

For the church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

Refrain

For Thyself, best Gift Divine.
To our race so freely given,
For that great, great love of Thine,
Peace on earth and joy in Heaven.

Refrain

¹ page 212 – Leeman, D. and Leeman, B., 2022. Our Hymns, Our Heritage: A Student Guide to Songs of the Church

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In 1885, Carl Boberg, a Swedish editor and future politician, was walking home in the bayside town of Mönsterås. A thunderhead appeared on the horizon and ightning flashed. Thunderclaps shook the air, sending Boberg running for shelter. When the storm began to relent, he rushed home. He opened his windows to let in the fresh bay air, and the vision of tranquility that greeted him stirred something deep in his soul. The sky had cleared. Thrushes sang, and in the distance, the resonant knell of church bells sounded. With the juxtaposition between the roaring thunderstorm and such bucolic calm as background, Boberg sat down and wrote “O Store Gud”—the poem that, through a winding series of events would become “How Great Thou Art.”¹

“How Great Thou Art” Lyrics

O Lord my God, When I, in awesome wonder, 
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made; 
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, 
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee, 
How great Thou art, How great Thou art! 

When through the woods and forest glades I wander, 
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Refrain

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing; 
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; 
That on a Cross, my burdens gladly bearing, 
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Refrain

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, 
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration, 
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Refrain

¹americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-carl-boberg-how-great-thou-art/

We’re starting off the week with this song of adoration, written and performed by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell. This song is filled with so many wonderful references to John’s vision in Revelation of angels and people praising Jesus, as well as explicit gospel theology. Enjoy this one to have your eyes set on Christ for the rest of the week!

O lift your eyes to heaven, see
The Holy One eternal
Behold the Lord of majesty
Exalted in His temple.
As symphonies of angels praise
Now strain to sound His glory.
Come worship, fall before His grace
The King in all His beauty.

Refrain
How worthy, how worthy, how worthy
The King in all His beauty/

Now see the King who wears a crown
One made of shame and splinters.
The sacrifice for ruined man
The substitute for sinners.
As earth is stained with royal blood
And quakes with love and fury.
He breathes His last and bows His head
The King in all His beauty.

Refrain

Now see the Saviour lifted up
The Lamb who reigns in splendour
The hope of every tribe and tongue
His kingdom is forever!
Bring praise and honour to His courts
Bring wisdom, power, blessing
For endless ages we’ll adore
The King in all His beauty

Refrain

This hymn is written by another prolific hymn writer, John Newton. I love the call to worship and sing to the Lord. This hymn is full of the gospel and would be a great song to meditate on today. Below is the traditional tune labelled “ALL SAINTS OLD”. as well as modern retune by Indelible Grace… Enjoy!

Let us love, and sing, and wonder,
Let us praise the Saviour’s name!
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.

Let us love the Lord, who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies;
Called us by his grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes.

Let us sing, though fierce temptations
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqueror’s crown,

Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When we trust in Christ our fortress,
Justice smiles, and asks no more.

Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky.

Taken from a collection of new hymns sung by Nathan Clark George, and written by Greg Wilbur and Douglas Bond, these songs are written particularly for congregational singing and intentionally have well-crafted tunes that reflect the theological content of the lyrics. This one is one of my favourite from the collection, and sure will be yours too.

We rise and worship you, our Lord,
With grateful hearts for grace outpoured,
For you are good—O taste and see—
Great God of mercy rich and free. 
                                                       
A chosen son of God on high,
I trembling bow and wonder why
This Sovereign Lord—O taste and see—
In love stooped down and rescued me.
 
Your Son obeyed the Law for me,
Then died my death upon the tree.
O Jesus Christ, I taste and see
And marvel that you purchased me.
 
In might, your Spirit drew me in,
My quickened heart from death to win.
O Holy Spirit—taste and see—
My comfort, hope, and surety.
 
With thankful praise our hearts we give;
By grace alone we serve and live.
O Trinity, we taste and see
Your sovereign goodness full and free.