HOLY SCRIPTURES
SDAH 276
Thanks to God whose Word was spoken
In the deed that made the earth.
His the voice that called a nation;
His the fires that tried her worth.
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For Worship Leaders
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Hymn Spotlight: Thanks to God
Written in 1954 for the Triple Jubilee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, this hymn by Reginald Thomas Brooks—always known as “Peter”—has appeared in various hymnals across the UK, Canada, and the US. Brooks was born in 1918 in Wandsworth, London, and served as a Congregational minister before joining the BBC’s Religious Broadcasting Department in 1950. The unison tune WYLDE GREEN, composed by Peter Warwick Cutts around 1955, was named after his home church in Birmingham and is known for its sweeping melody and rich harmony. Let us give thanks for God’s Word and its enduring impact across generations and nations.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
Written in 1954 for the Triple Jubilee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, this hymn has been printed in 100 Hymns for Today, 1969; The Hymn Book, Canada, 1971; and the USA Presbyterian Worshipbook, 1972.
Reginald Thomas Brooks (always known as “Peter”) was born June 30, 1918, in Wandsworth, London, and studied at the London School of Economics, graduating with a B.Com. from the University of London. He then studied to be a Congregational minister at Mansfield College, Oxford, and was ordained in that church in 1942. He served in Skipton and Horton Lane, Bradford (both in Yorkshire). Since 1950 he has worked in radio and television in the Religious Broadcasting Department of the BBC (British Broadcasting Company).
The unison tune WYLDE GREEN was composed by Peter Warwick Cutts (1937- ;see Biographies) about 1955, and sung at the 1960 conference of the Hymn Society of Great Britain and Ireland at Cambridge. The tune’s first American appearance was in the Methodist Hymnal (now known as The Book of Hymns), 1966. The composer’s home church, Wylde Green, was in the northern suburb of Birmingham, England. The accompaniment is rich in harmony, and the melody has a wide sweep that is typical of the tunes written about this time for the boys’ private schools in Britain.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Stanza:
1 – Psalm 33:9
2 – John 1:14
3 – 1 Corinthians 10:11
4 – Acts 10:37
5 – Romans 8:16
Text
1
Thanks to God whose Word was spoken
In the deed that made the earth.
His the voice that called a nation;
His the fires that tried her worth.
God has spoken;
Praise Him For His open Word
2
Thanks to God whose Word incarnate
Glorified the flesh of man.
Deeds and words and death and rising
Tell the grace in heaven’s plan.
God has spoken;
Praise Him For His open Word
3
Thanks to God whose Word is answered
By the Spirit’s voice within.
Here we drink of joy unmeasured,
Life redeemed from death and sin.
God is speaking;
Praise Him For His open Word
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) Ps 33:9 (b) John 1:14 (c) 1 Cor 10:11 (d) Acts 10:37 (e) Rom 8:16
Author
R.T. Brooks (1918-1985)
Performance Suggestions
Unison
Copyright
Words copyright 1954. Renewal 1982 by Agape, Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Music copyright 1966 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Hymn Tune
WYLDE GREEN
Metrical Number
8.7.8.7.4.7.
Composer
Peter Cutts (1937-)
Year Composed
1956
