Children of the Heavenly Father

Children of the Heavenly Father

Text written in 1858 by Carolina Sandell Berg (1832-1903), translated in 1925 by Ernest W. Olson (1870-1958)

Sung to TRYGGARE KAN INGEN VARA L.M., a Swedish Folk Melody

Psalm 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

V. 1 Children of the heavenly Father

Safely in His bosom gather;

Nestling bird nor star in heaven

Such a refuge e'er was given.

Isaiah 40:11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young.

V. 2 God His own doth tend and nourish,

In His holy love they flourish;

From all eveil things He spares them,

In His mighty arms He bears them.

Romans 8:38, 39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

V. 3 Neither life nor death shall ever 

From the Lord His children sever;

Unto them His grace He showeth, 

And their sorrows all He knoweth.

Psalm 121:4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

V. 4 Praise the Lord in joyful numbers,

Your Protector never slumbers;

At the will of your Defender

Every foeman must surrender.

Job 1:21 Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.

V. 5 Though He giveth or He taketh, 

God His children ne'er forsaketh;

His the loving purpose solely

To preserve them pure and holy.

We Love Thy Sabbath, Lord

We Love Thy Sabbath, Lord

Text written by Myrtle H. Dorland (1920 -    )

Sung to TRENTHAM, composed by Robert Jackson (1842-1914)

V. 1 We love Thy Sabbath, Lord,

And worship at Thy will;

Oh may these hours sweet peace afford

And deeper faith instill.

Job 38:7 ...while the morning stars sang together

and all the angels shouted for joy?

V. 2 Thine angels sang for joy

Creation's work to see;

We too, this day, would raise our hearts

In grateful praise to Thee.

Exodus 31:13 Say to the Israelites, "You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy."

V. 3 Praise for Thy wondrous love,

That sealed this sacred day,

A sign that all may understand

We own Thy sovereign sway.

V. 4 O great Creator King,

Through Thy redeeming grace,

Renew and sanctify our hearts

That we may see Thy face.

Revelation 7:9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

V. 5 And with the white-robed throng,

Upon Mount Sion be,

And joyful sing our Sabbath song

Through all eternity.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Eternal Father, Strong to Save (The Navy Hymn)

Text written by William Whiting (1825-1878)

Sung to MELITA, composed by John B. Dykes (1823-1876)

Job 38:11 ...when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

Psalm 107:28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and he brought them out of their distress.

! Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

V. 1 Eternal Father, strong to save,

Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,

Who bid'st the mmighty ocean deep

Its own appointed limits keep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in peril on the sea.

Matthew 14:25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, 

walking on the lake.

Mark 4:38, 39 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

V. 2 O Christ, whose voice the waters heard,

And hushed their raging at Thy word,

Who walkedst on the foaming deep,

And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in peril on the sea.

Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

V. 3 O Holy Spirit, who didst brood

Upon the waters dark and rude,

And bid their angry tumult cease,

And give, for wild confusion, peace:

Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee

For those in peril on the sea.

Psalm 37:31 The law of their God is in their hearts;

their feet do not slip.

V. 4 O Trinity of love and power,

All trav'lers shield in danger's hour;

From rock and tempest, fire and foe,

Protect them wheresoe'er they go;

Thus evermore shall rise to Thee

Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Breathe on Me, Breath of God

Text written in 1878 by Edwin Hatch (1835-1889)

Sung to TRENTHAM, composed by Robert Jackson (1842-1914)

Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; 

the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

V. 1 Breathe on me, Breath of God, 

Fill me with life anew,

That I may love what Thou dost love,

And do what Thou wouldst do.

V. 2 Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Until my heart is pure,

Until with Thee I will one will,

To do and to endure.

V. 3 Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Till I am wholly Thine,

Until this earthly part of me

Glows with Thy fire divine.

V. 4 Breathe on me, Breath of God,

So shall I constant be,

And live with Thee the perfect life

Of Thine eternity.

And Have the Bright Immensities

And Have the Bright Immensities

Text written by Howard C. Robbins (1876-1952)

Sung to FOREST GREEN, a Traditional English melody arranged in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Job 9:7, 9 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars.  He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

V. 1 And have the bright immensities

Received our risen Lord,

Where light years frame the Pleiades

And point Orion's sword:

Do flaming suns His footsteps trace

Thro' corridors sublime,

The Lord of interstellar space

And conqueror of time?

Matthew 18:20  For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

V. 2 The heavn' that hides Him from our sight

Knows neither near nor far;

A little candle sheds its light

As surely as a star.

And where His loving people meet

To share the gift divine,

There stands He with unhurrying feet;

There heavn'ly splendors shine.

O for That Flame of Living Fire

O for That Flame of Living Fire

Text written in 1831 by William H. Bathurst (1796-1877)

Sung to the hymn tune MENDON, which is a German melody and was arranged in 1825 by Samuel Dyer (1785-1835)

Acts 2:3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 

V. 1 O for that flame of living fire

Which shone so bright in saints of old;

Which bade their souls to heaven aspire,

Calm in distress, in danger bold!

V. 2 Where is that spirit, Lord, which dwelt 

In Abram's breast, and sealed him Thine?

Which made Paul's heart with sorrow melt,

And glow with energy divine?

V. 3 That spirit which from age to age

Proclaimed Thy love, and taught Thy ways?

Brightened Isaiah's vivid page,

And breathed in David's hallowed lays?

Exodus 34:29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 

Job 1:22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

V. 4 Is not Thy grace as mighty now

As when Elijah felt its power:

When glory beamed from Moses' brow,

Or Job endured the trying hour?

Acts 2:17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.'"

V. 5 Remember, Lord, the ancient days;

Renew Thy work, Thy grace restore;

And while to Thee our hearts we raise,

On us Thy Holy Spirit pour.