Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty

Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty

Text written by Benjamin Schmolck (1672-1737), translated by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878)

Sung to UNSWER HERRSCHER, composed by Joachim Neander (1650-1680)

Psalm 119:19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.

V. 1 Open now Thy gates of beauty,

Zion, let me enter there,

Where my soul in joyful duty

Waits for God who answers prayer.

Oh, how blessed is this place,

Filled with solace, light, and grace!

1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

V. 2 Gracious God, I come before Thee;

Come Thou also unto me;

Where we find Thee and adore Thee,

There a heav'n on earth must be.

To my heart, oh, enter Thou,

Let it be Thy temple now!

V. 3 Here Thy praise is gladly chanted,

Here Thy seed is duly sown;

Let my soul, where it is planted,

Bring forth precious sheaves alone.

So that all I hear may be

Fruitful unto life in me.

Luke 17:5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” 

V. 4 Thou my faith increase and quicken,

Let me keep Thy gift divine;

Howsoe'er temptations thicken,

May Thy Word still o'er me shine

As my guiding star through life,

As my comfort in all strife.

1 Samuel 3:10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 

V. 5 Speak, O God, and I will hear Thee,

Let Thy will be done indeed;

May I, undisturbed, draw near Thee

While Thou dost Thy people feed

Here of life the fountain flows;

Here is balm for all our woes.

God of Our Fathers

God of Our Fathers

Text written in 1876 by Daniel C. Roberts (1841-1907)

Sung to NATIONAL HYMN, composed in 1892 by George W. Warren (1828-1902)

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength,

not one of them is missing.

V. 1 God of our fathers, 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.

1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

V. 2 Thy love divine hath led us in the past,

In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;

Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay,

Thy word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

Psalm 59:17 You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

V. 3 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.

Revelation 21:25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.

V. 4 Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,

Lead us from night to neverending day;

Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,

And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Text written in 1758 by Robert Robinson (1735-1790)

Sung to NETTLETON, from John Wyeth's "Respository," 1813

1 Samuel 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

Psalm 36:9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

Matthew 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.

V. 1 Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me ever to adore Thee,

May I still Thy goodness prove,

While the hope of endless glory 

Fills my heart with joy and love.

V. 2 Here I raise my Ebenezer,

Hither by Thy help I've come,

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed His precious blood.

2 Corinthians 9:14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 

V. 3 O, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be!

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind me closer still to Thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here's my heart--O, take and seal it;

Seal it for Thy courts above.

Shalom

Shalom

The text is an Ancient Hebrew benediction

1 Samuel 25:6 Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!

V. 1 Shalom, my friends, shalom, my friends,

Shalom, shalom.

May peace be with you, God's peace be with you.

Shalom, shalom.

V. 2 May blessings attend you, angels defend,

Shalom, shalom.

God's mercies befriend you unto the end.

Shalom, shalom.

V. 3 Till we meet again, till we meet again,

Shalom, shalom.

May God be with you, His peace be with you.

Shalom, shalom.

Lead Them, My God, to Thee

Lead Them, My God, to Thee

Sung to the tune ROBINSON, composed in 1886 by F. E. Belden (1858-1945)

1 Samuel 1:27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 

V. 1 Lead them, my God, to Thee,

Lead them to Thee,

These children dear of mine,

Thou gavest me;

O, by Thy love divine,

Lead them, my God, to Thee;

Lead them, my God, to Thee,

Lead them to Thee.

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

V. 2 When earth looks bright and fair,

Festive and gay,

Let no delusive snare

Lure them astray;

But from temptation's power,

Lead them, my God, to Thee;

Lead them, my God, to Thee,

Lead them to Thee.

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

V. 3 E'en for such little ones,

Christ came a child,

And in this world of sin

Lived undefiled.

O, for His sake, I pray,

Lead them, my God, to Thee;

Lead them, my God, to Thee,

Lead them to Thee.

Luke 18:16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

V. 4 Yea, though my faith be dim,

I would believe

That Thou this precious gift

Wilt now receive;

O, take their young hearts now,

Lead them, my God, to Thee;

Lead them, my God, to Thee,

Lead them to Thee.