INVOCATION and PSALM
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near,
join me in glad adoration. (UMH #139, st.1)
Psalm 150
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
Glory to God, my creator, my King!
HYMN REFLECTION
The hymn “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (UMH #139) is considered one of the great hymns of praise to God. With some 60 hymns to his credit, this hymn was penned by Joachim Neander (1650- 1680), and first published in the year of his untimely death (1680) from tuberculosis. Neander was a German Reformed (Calvinist) Church teacher, theologian, and hymn writer. He set his text to a variation of an existing tune now known as LOBE DEN HERREN – likely of secular origin.
It would be nearly 200 years before this German hymn was translated to English in 1863 by hymnwriter and teacher Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878). Stanzas 1, 3, and 5 of her translation remain intact in our hymnal.
This jubilant hymn brings to life the attributes and nature of God: creator, sovereign, defender and befriender, refuge, and protector. We can feel the vastness of God’s power and the closeness of His love all at once. We can also strengthen our bond with others around the world as this hymn is a mainstay in some 361 hymnals. (https://hymnary.org/text/praise_to_the_lord_the_almighty_the_king#instances)
Please find God’s greatness at work in your lives as you listen to the Choir of St George’s Chapel, Windsor sing:
PRAYER
Holy Lord, There is none like You and Your greatness is unsearchable. Thank You for writing Your love on the fabric of humanity and on all that is created by Your hands. Thank You for expressing Your love to me in the intricate, design details of my life. I stand in awe and bless Your great name.
In Jesus’s Name I pray, Amen.
Gwen Smith
Joachim Neander
Catherine Winkworth
Offered by Joche Wilmot, Director of Music Ministries