Another favourite hymn

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/09/22/bmhymnsgavest122.xml

This was always a favourite of mine for the beginning of the evening service.

It talks about
God's control over time and space
our use of the day to worship him,
our rest, but the kingdom ( the church ) labouring on
about God's praise continually circling the earth
about God's worldwide family (I think of American friends)
about the spent empires of this world and God's continuing reign (particularly important for Brits and Frenchmen)
and about the triumph of the gospel.

Not bad, eh. And I think it's one of those hymns that defies modernising. The sun is setting in the west (fancy!) loses so much compared to the darkness falls at thy behest. After all, the word behest is still in use. A bit. Sometimes.

THE day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
the darkness falls at Thy behest;
to Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

We thank Thee that Thy church unsleeping,
while earth rolls onward into light,
through all the world her watch is keeping,
and rests not now by day or night.

As o’er each continent and island
the dawn leads on another day,
the voice of prayer is never silent,
nor dies the strain of praise away.

The sun that bids us rest is waking
our brethren ’neath the western sky,
and hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.

So be it, Lord! Thy throne shall never,
like earth's proud empires, pass away;
Thy kingdom stands, and grows for ever,
till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

John Ellerton, 1826-93

Comments

minternational said…
I used to think the arguments for modernising hymns trumped all else but a friend was quite persuasive in pointing out that the aesthetic value can sometimes trump the ultra-clear communication argument and also that the sense of historical continuity is important too: the old language shows we aren't the first generation of Christians. I hadn't engaged with either of those arguments before but felt that he was right to make them, that they had some value.
10:56 am
David said…
I'm normally a fan of modernising many hymns, but I would agree with you with this particular one. The other reason I love this hymn is because the tune fits so well in with the words. It's just one of the world's most beautiful hymn tunes.
9:18 pm
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