CHRISTIAN HOME >> LOVE IN THE HOME
SDAH 654
Lord, bless our homes with peace and love and laughter,
With understanding and with loyalty.
May we together follow Christ the Master
And know the blessing of His sov’reignty.
Get the hymn sheet in other keys here
For Worship Leaders
Make each hymn more meaningful with these helpful tools: Short, ready-to-use hymn introductions for church bulletins, multiple ways to introduce a hymn based on your worship theme and in-depth history and insights to enrich your song service.
📖 Reference: Feel free to share but please cite hymnsforworship.org when reproducing.
Introductions for Sabbath School Song Service (based on specific lesson quarterlies):
This text was written by Presbyterian minister Frank von Christierson (1900-; see SDAH 556) to be sung to the tune O PERFECT LOVE (SDAH 656). The Hymnal of the United Church of Christ was the first book to wed it to the tune CHARTERHOUSE. It is a thoughtful prayer that can be sung in family worship, and it would be appropriate for the congregation to sing at weddings. Not many hymns call for more laughter in the home, and most will agree that we need more of that. His third stanza brings us face to face with the embarrassing fact that we hurt those we love most; “Forgive the hurts our selfishness inflicted on those we love and those who love us best.”
CHARTERHOUSE was composed by David Evans (1874-1948; see Biographies) for the text “O Son of Man, Our Hero Strong and Tender.” It was printed first in the English Church Hymnary, 1927. The name comes from Charterhouse School, London, which moved to Godalming, Surrey, in 1872. The headmaster at the time, Frank Fletcher, wrote the above- mentioned text. In 1611 one Thomas Sutton bought the old Carthusian Monastery of 1371 and endowed a hospital and school to take care of 80 pensioners (“decayed gentlemen”) and educate 42 poor boys. Among several who went to school here and later attained fame were John Wesley and Joseph Addison.
The broadly sweeping melody found its place in many English hymnals and was brought to America in the Episcopal The Hymnal 1940.
📖 Reference: Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal by Wayne Hooper and Edward E. White. Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1988.
Text
1
Lord, bless our homes with peace and love and laughter,
With understanding and with loyalty.
May we together follow Christ the Master
And know the blessing of His sov’reignty.
2
May every heart receive His loving spirit
And know the truth that makes life truly free;
Then, in that spirit may we live united,
And find in God our deep security.
3
Forgive the hurts our selfishness inflicted
On whose we love and those who love us best.
Christ, heal the scars and draw us all together
In Him whose will is peace and joy and rest.
4
Father, in gratitude for homes and loved one,
We open now our hearts to all mankind.
Grand us Your spirit love for one another
So in Your peace may we our concord find.
Hymn Info
Biblical Reference
(b) John 8:32, 17:21
Author
Frank von Christierson (1900-1996)
Year Published
1957
Performance Suggestions
Unison
Copyright
Words reprinted y permission of the publisher from The Hymnal of the United Church of Christ. Copyright 1974 United Church of Christ. Music from the Revised Church Hymnary 1927 by permission of Oxford University Press.
Hymn Tune
CHARTERHOUSE
Metrical Number
11.10.11.10.
Composer
David Evans (1874-1948)
Year Composed
1927
