CHRISTIAN CHURCH >> COMMUNITY IN CHRIST
SDAH 351
Thy hand, O God, has guided
Thy flock from age to age;
The wondrous tale is written
Full clear on every page;
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided
Rooted in Ephesians 4:4–6, this hymn by Edward Hayes Plumptre celebrates the unity and perseverance of God’s church through the ages. First published in 1889, it affirms that the hand of God has faithfully led His people in one hope, one Lord, one faith. The stirring tune THORNBURY, composed by Basil Harwood for massed choirs, rewards congregations with its bold, confident lines. Together, text and tune inspire the church to stand firm in unity and mission, proclaiming with one voice: “One Church, one Faith, one Lord.”
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
The first publication of this hymn was in the 1889 supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern. The hymn recalls Ephesians 4: 4-6: “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.’’
Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891) was a minister of the Church of England. He is best known for SDAH 27, “Rejoice, Ye Pure Heart!” (see this hymn for further comment).
THORNBURY was composed for these words and was used at the twenty-fifth annual festival of the London Church Choir Association on November 17, 1898. It was printed in the festival booklet, and in 1905 in the composer’s Hymn Tunes Original and Selected.
Basil Hardwood (1859-1949; see SDAH 9) is known for writing tunes that are wide-ranging in unison melody; many of them were written to be sung by large congregations. While this one has a few melodic leaps of a fifth or a sixth, and one octave leap, yet they all use the notes of the chords. The persevering will find a rich reward when the tune is learned and sung with vigor and confidence.
Hardwood named many of his tunes after towns in the western country of England. This one, for example, commemorates the small town of Thornbury, north of Bristol.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Thy hand, O God, has guided
Thy flock from age to age;
The wondrous tale is written
Full clear on every page;
Our fathers owned Thy goodness,
And we their deeds record;
And both of this bear witness,
One church, one faith, one Lord.
2
Thy heralds brought glad tidings
To greatest as to least;
They bade men rise and hasten
To share the great King’s feast:
And this was all their teaching,
In every deed and word,
To all alike proclaiming
One church, one faith, one Lord.
3
When shadows thick were falling,
And all seemed sunk in night,
Thou, Lord, did send Thy servants,
Thy chosen sons of light.
On them and on Thy people
Thy plenteous grace was poured,
And this was still their message:
One church, one faith, one Lord.
4
Thy mercy will not fail us,
Nor leave Thy work undone;
With Thy right hand to help us,
The vict’ry shall be won;
And then by men and angels
Thy name shall be adored,
And this shall be their anthem:
One church, one faith, one Lord.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Eph 4:5 (b) Matt 22:10
Author
Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891)
Year Published
1889
Performance Suggestions
Unison
Copyright
Music used by permission of the Executors of the late Basil Harwood
Hymn Tune
THORNBURY
Metrical Number
7.6.7.6.D.
Composer
Basil Harwood (1859-1949)
Year Composed
1898
