Hymn of the Week: May 17, 2021
Hymn of the Week: Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
#645 in Glory to God
Text Johann Jacob Schutz 1675 translated Elizabeth Cox 1864
Music Bohemian Brethren’s Kirchengesang 1566 Harmonized by Maurice F. Bell 1906
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
Sing praise to God who reigns above,
the God of all creation,
the God of power, the God of love,
the God of our salvation.
With healing balm my soul is filled
and every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory.
What God’s almighty power has made
God’s gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning glow or evening shade
God’s watchful eye ne’er sleepeth.
Within the kingdom of God’s might,
Lo! All is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory!
The Lord is never far away,
but through all grief distressing,
an ever present help and stay,
our peace and joy and blessing.
As with a mother's tender hand,
God gently leads the chosen band:
To God all praise and glory.
Thus all my toilsome way along,
I sing aloud thy praises,
that earth may hear the grateful song
my voice unwearied raises.
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart,
both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory.
This stately hymn has many events in history that have helped shape it into the hymn we know and continue to sing today almost 400 years later. Two major events occurred. One was the Protestant Reformation around 1517. There was much excitement around this time for the church, but like all things, the fire reduced to glowing embers of what became the traditions of Lutheranism. The other event was the Thirty Years War from 1618-1648. Germany was the battleground of this conflict between Catholic and Protestant forces from various countries around Europe. The German population dwindled from 16 million to 6 million. Out of this terrible epoch, however, were wrung some of the noblest expressions of praise in all hymnody. As often happens, it took a great tragedy to draw people’s attention back to God.
One of the events the blossomed during and after this period was the Lutheran Pietist movement. The leader of this movement was a Lutheran pastor named Philip Spener (1635-1705) Spener taught his congregation the meaning of inner personal faith in Christ and the demands that such faith makes upon the believer for holy Christian living.
One of the characteristics of the Pietist movement was involvement by Laymen in the ministry of the church. One such layman was the author Johann Schutz who penned the poetry for today’s hymn. He wrote a total of 5 hymns and other writings but only this hymn has survived to today.
The music for this amazing hymn comes from the Bohemian Brethren hymnal Kirchengesange. The Moravians are a subject unto themselves and we will look at them in greater detail over the summer months!
As with all German hymns, it wasn’t until the 19th century that there began to be translations of these hymns. Many thanks to Elizabeth Cox and finally to Maurice Bell in the 20th century for harmonizing the tune to be the hymn we know and sing today.
Enjoy the Presbyterian Church in Lincoln Nebraska’s singing of this jubilant hymn
