This Morning's Hymns

We sang three of my favorite hymns this morning:

All Creatures of Our God and King

All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Oh praise Him! Oh praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
Oh praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice;
Ye lights of heaven, find a voice!

Oh praise Him! Oh praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
Oh praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.

Oh praise Him! Oh praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
Oh sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!

Oh praise Him! Oh praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
Oh praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

Oh praise Him! Oh praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

This hymn together with Let Everything that has Breath Praise the Lord and a responsive Call to Worship from Psalm 150 filled the first part of our service as we focused on our theme, The Universe Exists to Praise You, Lord God!

As we considered the exhortation, May We Spur Each Other on to Praise You More! we sang Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. I treasure so many lines from this hymn:

Streams of mercy never ceasing call for songs of loudest praise….Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I’m come…O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be! Let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to Thee…Prone to wander, Lord I feel it....Here's my heart, O take and seal it....

And the last verse which I don’t remember singing as a child but love now as I cling to the precious hope of my salvation:

O that day when freed from sinning,
I shall see Thy lovely face;
Cloth`ed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace;
Come my Lord, no longer tarry,
Take my ransomed soul away;
Send thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless day.

As I sang our final hymn, May the Mind of Christ My Savior, I was reminded of how desperately I need to be transformed by the indwelling presence of Jesus:

May the mind of Christ my Savior, live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling all I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea,
Him exalting, self abasing; this is victory.

May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

As I reflect on the morning, I am filled with gratitude for those at DGCC who week in and week out lead us with undistracting excellence, grace, creativity, energy and humility in God-centered, Christ-exalting, Joy-pursuing worship.