CHRISTIAN LIFE >> STEWARDSHIP
SDAH 636
God, whose giving knows no ending,
From Your rich and endless store:
Nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,
Costly cross, grave’s shattered door.
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For Worship Leaders
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📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
Robert Lansing Edwards was born August 5, 1915, at Auburn, New an M.A. from Harvard. After five years of army service as a captain in intelligence in World War II, he went to Union Theological Seminary, New York. Ordained in 1949, he was minister of the Litchfield, Connecticut, First Congregational Church, Hartford. He has been active in work for prisoners and for the blind. In 1968 he served as a the United Church of Christ to the World Council of Churches in Uppsala, Sweden. He has written three hymns and a book of Advent verse. Here are his own words concerning the writing of this hymn: “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending’ was written in the White Mountains of New Hampshire while we were summering at our cottage in the tiny town of Randolph in 1961. At that time the Hymn Society of America, of which my father was then president, was sponsoring a competition for stewardship hymns. In our family we were in the habit of listening to hymns on records from time to time during those days of leisure. One of them was set to the tune of HYFRYDOL [see SDAH 167, 204], a tune unknown to hymn text to that music me until that time. In some way, the idea of writing gradually slipped into my mind, and in about a month I had my hymn.”
So, here we have a case where the melodic architecture and accents of a strong tune inspired the writing of a strong text. Notice that, in addition to HYFRYDOL, it goes well with NETTLETON, SDAH 334 (“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”).
Edwards’ text was first published by the Hymn Society of America in Ten New Stewardship Hymns, 1961. It was included in The Mennonite Hymnal, 1969 (with HYFRYDOL); Hymns for the Family of God, 1976 (with NETTLETON); and the Lutheran Book of Worship, 1978 (with RUSTINGTON).
The tune name RUSTINGTON comes from a town in Sussex, England, where Charles H. H. Parry (1848-1918; see SDAH 20) lived for several years. It was first used in The Westminster Abbey Hymn-Book, 1897.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
God, whose giving knows no ending,
From Your rich and endless store:
Nature’s wonder, Jesus’ wisdom,
Costly cross, grave’s shattered door.
Gifted by You, we turn to You,
Off’ring up ourselves in praise:
Thankful song shall rise forever,
Gracious donor of our days.
2
Skills and time are ours for pressing
Toward the goals of Christ, Your Son:
All at peace in health and freedom,
Races joined, the church made one.
Now direct our daily labor,
Lest we strive for self alone:
Born with talents, make us servants
Fit to answer at Your throne.
3
Treasure, too, You have entrusted,
Gain through pow’rs Your grace conferred:
Ours to use for home and kindred,
And to spread the Gospel Word.
Open wide our hands in sharing,
As we heed Christ’s ageless call.
Healing, teaching, and reclaiming,
Serving You by loving all.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(a) 1 Tim 6:17 (b) Eph 2:13, Rev 22:3 (c) Matt 25:14, 9:35
Author
Robert L. Edwards (1915-1991)
Copyright
Words copyright 1961 by The Hymn Society of America, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129. Used by permission.
Hymn Tune
RUSTINGTON
Metrical Number
8.7.8.7.D.
Composer
Charles H.H. Parry (1848-1918)
Alternate Tune
NETTLETON, SDAH 334
