Singing Hymns Together
Friends, over the next months, we plan to sing the same hymn once every Sunday at each service for a month. I believe this will be a unifying experience across our congregations. It also affirms our great musical heritage and encourages younger generations to enjoy the biblical and musical riches from former generations (For the inspiration and most of the information in this article visit http://www.covlife.org/static/hymns.)
January’s hymn is “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”. It was written by Joachim Neander in c.1665. Neander was a German preacher in the Reformed (i.e. Calvinist) Church. He came from a family of musicians, and is one of the finest German hymn since the Reformation. Neander died in 1680 at the young age of 30 from tuberculosis. (You might notice this means he wrote his most famous hymn when he was a teenager!)
One interesting footnote in Neander’s history is the later use of his name. Nature was the inspiration for some of his poetry and he liked to go walking in a valley of the Düssel River, near where he lived. He also held church services and preached in this valley. Over 100 years after his death, the valley was named after him. Later, it was in this valley that humanoid bones were found, from which we get the name “Neanderthal Man”!
Apparently, the hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-6 (very free in English). It’s a triumphant expression of rejoicing to God for his sovereign care over his creation and for his people. It calls God’s people and all creation to praise God for his mercy towards us. A fine thought at the start of a New Year!
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear, brothers and sisters draw near;
Praise him in glad adoration.Praise to the Lord, above all things so mightily reigning;
Shelters you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all you have needed has been
Met by his gracious ordaining?Praise to the Lord, who shall prosper our work and defend us;
Surely His goodness and mercy shall daily attend us.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with his love will befriend us.Praise to the Lord, who when darkness and sin is abounding;
Who, when the godless do triumph, all virtue confounding,
Sheds his pure light, chases the horrors of night;
Saints with his mercy surrounding.Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the ‘Amen’ sound from his people again,
Gladly with praise, we adore him.
(The text was translated into English by Catherine Winkworth and others)
Warmly in Christ,
Sandy Grant