Lift Every Voice and Sing

We honor, salute, and thank the past and present men and women who have served our country. Happy Veterans Day Weekend.

Lift Every Voice and Sing

Lift every voice and sing, till earth and Heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise, high as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod, bitter the chastening rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat, have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered;
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered;
Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears,
Thou Who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou Who hast by Thy might, led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee.
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee.
Shadowed beneath Thy hand, may we forever stand,
True to our God, true to our native land.

Words: James Weldon Johnson (1871 – 1938)

Music: J. Rosamond Johnson (1873 – 1954)

Audio: R. M. S. Irwin

Photo: Marge McCoy

God of Our Fathers

God of Our Fathers

God of the ages, whose almighty hand
leads forth in beauty all the starry band
of shining worlds in splendor through the skies,
our grateful songs before thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past;
in this free land with thee our lot is cast;
be thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay,
thy Word our law, thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
be thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
thy true religion in our hearts increase;
thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh thy people on their toilsome way;
lead us from night to never-ending day;
fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
and glory, laud, and praise be ever thine.

Author: Daniel C. Roberts (1876)
Tune: NATIONAL HYMN
Composer: George William Warren (1876)
Photo: Marge McCoy

spangled

The Star-Spangled Banner

O say, can you see
By the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hail’d
At the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d
Were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?

John Stafford Smith: The National Anthem of the USA
Photo: Marge McCoy

God, Our Help

On this Memorial Day Weekend we take time to remember, and say a prayer of gratefulness for the many who have been willing to pay a great price for our freedom. We also stop to thank God for the freedom He has given to us, and for the price that was paid by Christ so that we could live free. We remember today. The cost of it all. The great sacrifice for freedom

O God, Our Help In Ages Past

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home.

,

Lyrics: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)
Music: William Croft (1678-1727)
Photo: Marge McCoy

I Will Praise Him

The Sunday before Easter serves as a celebration of Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem, in which the Bible records that locals waved palm branches in his honor. Many churches decorate with palms on this special day. At some churches the service involves members (often children) taking palm branches and waving them during worship, especially the opening processional of the service.

During this national pandemic when we are not gathering together as congregations, we pray this week’s photo and hymn will bless you and be a reminder that we can praise Him alone or in a crowd.

I Will Praise Him

When I saw the cleansing fountain,
Open wide for all my sin,
I obeyed the Spirit’s wooing
When He said, “Wilt thou be clean?”

Refrain:
I will praise Him! I will praise Him!
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory, all ye people,
For His blood can wash away each stain.

Tho’ the way seems straight and narrow,
All I claimed was swept away;
My ambitions, plans and wishes,
At my feet in ashes lay. [Refrain]

Blessed be the name of Jesus!
I’m so glad He took me in;
He’s forgiven my transgressions,
He has cleansed my heart from sin. [Refrain]

Glory, glory to the Father!
Glory, glory to the Son!
Glory, glory to the Spirit!
Glory to the Three in One! [Refrain]

Hymn: Margaret J. Harris (1898)
Photo: Pam Evans

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne and Thy Kingly Crown

Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne and Thy Kingly Crown

Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown,
When Thou camest to earth for me;
But in Bethlehem’s home was there found no room
For Thy holy nativity:

Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus!
There is room in my heart for Thee;
Oh, come to my heart, Lord Jesus, come,
There is room in my heart for Thee.

Lyrics: E. S. Elliott
Music: Ira David Sankey
Photo: Marge McCoy

In Remembrance

In Remembrance

In remembrance of Me, eat this bread.
In remembrance of Me, drink this wine.
In remembrance of Me, pray for the time
When God’s will is done.

In remembrance of Me, heal the sick.
In remembrance of Me, feed the poor.
In remembrance of Me, open the door
And let your brother in.

Take, eat, and be comforted;
Drink and remember too,
That this is My body and precious blood
shed for you, shed for you.

In remembrance of Me, always love.
In remembrance of Me, search for truth.
In remembrance of Me, don’t look above,
But in your heart look in your heart for God.

Do this in remembrance of Me.

Hymn: Ragan Courtney (1972)
Music: Buryl Red
Audio: Stephen Sollars
Photo Marge McCoy

Day is Done

Day is Done
Taps

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.

Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.

*Note: there are no “official” words to Taps. There are many verses and versions.

The tune was arranged in its present form by Daniel Butterfield. It is thought to be a variation of an earlier bugle call which was used in the U.S. from 1835 until 1860. “Taps” became a standard component to U.S. military funerals in 1891. We use it today to honor all who serve this great nation and we especially remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Music: Public Domain
Photo: Marge McCoy

heroes proved

Here at About These Things we would like to honor all Veterans on this Veterans Day. We thank you for your service, sacrifice and patriotism. May God continue to bless the USA and the men and women who serve.

O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife
who more than self their country loved
and mercy more than life!
America, America, may God thy gold refine
till all success is nobleness and every gain devine.

Katharine Lee Bates
America the Beautiful Stanza 3
Photo: Marge McCoy

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown Him With Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon His throne,
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of Him who died for thee,
and hail Him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

Crown Him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o’er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
who died, and rose on high,
who died, eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of peace,
whose power a scepter sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease,
and all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end,
and round His pierced feet
fair flowers of paradise extend
their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown Him the Lord of love;
behold His hands and side,
those wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
throughout eternity.

Lyrics: Matthew Bridges and Godfrey Thring
Audio: Stephen Sollars
Photo: Diane Domigan