GOD THE FATHER >> Majesty & Power of God
SDAH 90
Eternal God, whose power upholds Both flower and flaming star,
To whom there is no here nor there, No time, no near nor far,
No alien race, no foreign shore, No child unsought, unknown:
O send us forth, Your prophets true, To make all lands Your own!
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Eternal God, Whose Power Upholds
Chosen from over 1,000 submissions in the Hymn Society of America’s 1929 search for a new missionary hymn, this hymn took first place. It was first sung at Riverdale Presbyterian Church, New York, in 1930, and has since been widely included in hymnals. The text, by Henry Hallam Tweedy (1868–1953), highlights the majesty and power of God while also serving as a prayer for the church to clearly see and fulfill its mission in the world.
The tune FOREST GREEN is an English folk melody, collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958) in a village of the same name in Surrey, England. Originally a folk song called The Ploughboy’s Dream, it was adapted for hymns and remains a well-loved melody.
As we sing, may we be inspired to recognize God’s power and embrace our calling in His mission.
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Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
The lyric says, “O God of truth, whom science seeks and reverent souls adore, illumine every earnest mind of every clime and shore. Dispel the gloom of error’s night, of ignorance and fear, until true wisdom from above shall make life pathway’s clear”. Notes for SS Lesson 4th Quarter 2020 “Education.” Lesson 10 -Education in Arts and Sciences (Thursday)
The child mentioned in Isaiah 9:6 is a child greater than any human being and that child is no other that Jesus. He is the Eternal God, whose power upholds. (Lesson 5, 1st Quarter 2021 -Monday, A Child for Us, 1/25/2021)
From more than 1,000 manuscripts submitted in the Hymn Society of America’s 1929 search for new missionary hymns, this one took first place. It was first sung at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church, New York, in 1930, and since then has found favor with the editors of many hymnals. The first part of each stanza extols the majesty and power of God, and the last of each is a prayer for clear vision to see the mission of the church in the world. This is an example of a number of hymns that could be placed under more than one topic.
The first half of stanza 2 and the last half of stanza 5 have been omitted.
Henry Hallam Tweedy was born August 5, 1868, at Binghamton, New York, and educated at Andover Academy and Yale University. After graduate study at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and Berlin University, he was ordained a Congregational minister and served churches in Utica, New York, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. For about 30 years, until 1937, he was professor of practical theology at Yale Divinity School, where he emphasized the importance of hymnology in the work of the minister. His study of the theology and poetry of hymns led him to try his hand at the art, but this is the only one of his hymns that has been used extensively. He wrote The Minister and His Hymnal and compiled a hymnal entitled Christian Worship and Praise in 1939. He died April 11, 1953, at Brattleboro, Vermont.
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), noted for his research in and use of folk hymns, found FOREST GREEN in a small village of that name only five miles from Kingsfold (see SDAH 144), in Surrey, England. The original song was The Ploughboy’s Dream. He used it with O Little Town of Bethlehem (which at SDAH 135 is suggested as an alternate tune for that text) in English Hymnal, 1906, for which he was musical editor.
SDAH uses the tune again at SDAH 168, And Have the Bright Immensities.
Stanza:
1 – Hebrews 1:3
2 – James 3:17
3 – Psalm 29:2
4 – John 14:9
John 4:34
Text
1
Eternal God, whose power upholds Both flower and flaming star,
To whom there is no here nor there, No time, no near nor far,
No alien race, no foreign shore, No child unsought, unknown:
O send us forth, Your prophets true, To make all lands Your own!
2
O God of truth, whom science seeks And reverent souls adore,
Illumine every earnest mind Of every clime and shore:
Dispel the gloom of error’s night, Of ignorance and fear,
Until true wisdom from above Shall make life’s pathway clear!
3
O God of beauty, oft revealed In dreams of human art,
In speech that flows to melody, In holiness of heart:
Teach us to ban all ugliness, And all disharmony,
Till all shall know the loveliness Of lives made fair and free!
4
O God of righteousness and grace, Seen in the Christ, Your Son,
Whose life and death reveal Your face, By whom Your will was done;
Help us to spread Your gracious reign Till greed and hate shall cease,
And kindness dwell in human hearts, And all the earth find peace!
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Heb 1:3 (b) Jam 3:17 (c) Ps 29:2 (d) John 14:9; 4:34
Author
Henry H. Tweedy (1868-1953)
Year Published
1929, 1972
Copyright
Music from The English Hymnal by permission of Oxford University Press.
Hymn Tune
FOREST GREEN
Metrical Number
C.M.D.
Arranger
Arr. by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906 (1872-1958)
Tune Source
Traditional English Melody
Theme
MAJESTY & POWER OF GOD
