Today’s Thanksgiving hymn is “We Gather Together,” a 1625 anonymous song, translated from the Dutch anthem “Wilt heden nu treden” by Theodore Baker. The melody is a popular sixteenth-century Dutch folk tune.
“… for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory” (Deut 20:4 ESV).
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing; He chastens and hastens his will to make known; The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing. Sing praises to his name; he forgets not his own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining, Ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine; So from the beginning the fight we were winning; Thou, Lord, wast at our side; all glory be thine!
We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant, And pray that thou still our defender wilt be. Let thy congregation escape tribulation; Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
Today’s hymn is a new one from the great Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. “My Heart Is Filled with Thankfulness” was completed in 2003. The video above is a 2020 evensong version. The lyric is still copyrighted, but it is displayed in the video.
“I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High” (Ps 7:17 ESV).
For an All Saints hymn today, let’s meditate on “Shall We Gather at the River” by Philadelphia-born minister Robert Lowry (1826-189). The Biography of Gospel Song and Hymn Writers praises his musical work.
“His melodies are sung in every civilized land, and many of his hymns have been translated into foreign tongues. While preaching the Gospel, in which he found great joy, was his life-work, music and hymnology were favorite studies, but were always a side issue, a recreation.”
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:1–2 ESV)
1 Shall we gather at the river, Where bright angel feet have trod; With its crystal tide forever Flowing by the throne of God?
Refrain: Yes, we’ll gather at the river, The beautiful, the beautiful river; Gather with the saints at the river That flows by the throne of God.
2 On the margin of the river, Washing up its silver spray, We will walk and worship ever, All the happy golden day. [Refrain]
3 Ere we reach the shining river, Lay we ev’ry burden down; Grace our spirits will deliver, And provide a robe and crown. [Refrain]
4 Soon we’ll reach the shining river, Soon our pilgrimage will cease; Soon our happy hearts will quiver With the melody of peace. [Refrain]
This classic hymn comes from the London Baptist minister Edward Mote (1797-1874). It was first published in 1836 under the title, “The immutable Basis of a Sinner’s hope.” The tune in the video above is not familiar to me, but I assume it’s traditional in some circles. It’s not the most common tune, which was written for the hymn in 1863.
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4 ESV)
1 My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness; No merit of my own I claim, But wholly lean on Jesus’ Name.
Refrain On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
2 When long appears my toilsome race, I rest on His unchanging grace; In every rough and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. Refrain
3 His oath, His covenant and Blood Support me in the raging flood; When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay. Refrain
4 When the last trumpet’s voice shall sound, O may I then in Him be found, Robed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. Refrain
Today’s hymn comes from the Bavarian preacher Nicolaus Decius (1485-1546). He was teaching at the Church of St. Nicholas in Brunswick at the time he wrote this translation of the ancient Latin text Gloria in excelsis Deo, “common in doxologies used in the Greek liturgies of the early Christian church,” according to the Psalter Hymnal Handbook. The translation comes from the great Catherine Winkworth.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14 ESV)
1 All glory be to God on high, Who hath our race befriended! To us no harm shall now come nigh, The strife at last is ended. God showeth His good will to men, And peace shall reign on earth again; O thank Him for His goodness!
2 We praise, we worship Thee, we trust, And give Thee thanks forever, O Father, that Thy rule is just And wise, and changes never. Thy boundless pow’r o’er all things reigns, Done is whate’er Thy will ordains: Well for us that Thou rulest.
3 O Jesus Christ, Thou only Son Of God, Thy heav’nly Father, Who didst for all our sins atone And Thy lost sheep dost gather. Thou Lamb of God, to Thee on high From out our depths we sinners cry, Have mercy on us, Jesus!
4 O Holy Ghost, Thou precious Gift, Thou Comforter unfailing, O’er Satan’s snares our souls uplift And let thy pow’r availing Avert our woes and calm our dread. For us the Saviour’s blood was shed; We trust in Thee to save us.
Today’s hymn is adapted from a poem by the American Quaker poet John Greenleaf Whittier. In that poem, “The Brewing of Soma,” Whittier describes a Hindu drinking ceremony over several verses before contrasting it with Christian repentance. “Our foolish ways” are both old pagan practices and the Christianized versions we may have replaced them with. Instead, may we hear the quiet voice of the Living God speaking through Scripture and natural disaster.
“For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, ‵In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.‵ But you were unwilling . . . ” (Isaiah 30:15 ESV)
1 Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways! Re-clothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find, in deeper rev’rence praise, in deeper rev’rence praise.
2 In simple trust like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea, the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow thee, rise up and follow thee.
3 O Sabbath rest by Galilee! O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity, interpreted by love! Interpreted by love!
4 Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of thy peace, the beauty of thy peace.
5 Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm; let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind and fire, O still small voice of calm! O still small voice of calm!
Today’s hymn comes from the great George Herbert (1593-1633). He wrote many poems, which were well received at first, but as hymns few found popular acceptance despite the encouragement of John and Charles Wesley in 1739. Above is an arrangement of “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” by the great Ralph Vaughan Williams, not really congregational singing but it fits the grandeur of the piece.
“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Ps 96:3 ESV)
1 Let all the world in every corner sing, “My God and King!” The heav’ns are not too high, God’s praise may thither fly; the earth is not too low, God’s praises there may grow. Let all the world in every corner sing, “My God and King!”
2 Let all the world in every corner sing, “My God and King!” The church with psalms must shout: no door can keep them out. But, more than all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in every corner sing, “My God and King!”
Events of this week put me this hymn in mind. “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” was written by William Whiting in the 1860s. In 1879, Charles Jackson Train, then Lieutenant Commander and director of the Midshipmen’s Choir, took up singing this hymn at the close of Sunday services at the U.S. Naval Academy. In this way, it became the Navy’s traditional hymn.
“And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26 ESV)
1. Eternal Father, strong to save, whose arm doth bind the restless wave, who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep its own appointed limits keep: O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.
2. O Savior, whose almighty word the winds and waves submissive heard, who walkedst on the foaming deep and calm amid its rage didst sleep: O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.
3. O sacred Spirit, who didst brood upon the chaos dark and rude, who badd’st its angry tumult cease, and gavest light and life and peace: O hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea.
4. O Trinity of love and pow’r, our brethren shield in danger’s hour; from rock and tempest, fire and foe, protect them wheresoe’er they go; and ever let there rise to thee glad hymns of praise from land and sea.
Edmund P. Clowney (1917-2005) taught practical theology and was the first president of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He wrote this adaptation of Psalm 18 in 1989 using a tune by the great French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
It’s not a common hymn. Perhaps it’s completely new to you.
“I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:1-2 ESV)
The text is still under copyright, but I think I can copy the first verse here to help our understanding.
O Lord, I love you, my shield, my tow’r, my stronghold, my rock, my saving pow’r, I worship you! Bless your holy name! What unceasing praise your mercies claim!
Today’s hymn comes from a lawyer and poet from Brandenburg-Prussia, Johann Franck (1618-1677). A biographer praises his hymns as “distinguished for unfeigned and firm faith,” avoiding the objectivity and congregational character of the older German hymns” for “a more personal, individual tone.” Originally “Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele,” our hymn “Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness” was published in Johann Crüger’s Geistliche Kirchen-Melodien (1649) to the tune heard above.
“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” (Psalm 36:7-9 ESV)
1 Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness, leave the gloomy haunts of sadness; come into the daylight’s splendour, there with joy thy praises render unto him whose grace unbounded hath this wondrous banquet founded: high o’er all the heavens he reigneth, yet to dwell with thee he deigneth.
2 Now I sink before thee lowly, filled with joy most deep and holy, as with trembling awe and wonder on thy mighty works I ponder: how, by mystery surrounded, depth no mortal ever sounded, none may dare to pierce unbidden secrets that with thee are hidden.
3 Sun, who all my life dost brighten, light, who dost my soul enlighten, joy, the sweetest heart e’er knoweth, fount, whence all my being floweth, at thy feet I cry, my Maker, let me be a fit partaker of this blessed food from heaven, for our good, thy glory, given.
4 Jesus, Bread of Life, I pray thee, let me gladly here obey thee; never to my hurt invited, be thy love with love requited: from this banquet let me measure, Lord, how vast and deep its treasure; through the gifts thou here dost give me, as thy guest in heaven receive me.
