For the Beauty of the Earth

For the Beauty of the Earth

1.
For the beauty of the earth,
For the Glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to you we raise
This our gift of grateful praise.

2.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to you we raise
This our gift of grateful praise.

3.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to you we raise
This our gift of grateful praise.

4.
For your Church, that evermore
Lifts its holy hands above,
Off’ring up on ev’ry shore
A pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to you we reaise
This our gift of grateful praise.

5.
For Yourself, O Gift Divine
To our world so freely giv’n,
For that love from which will shine,
Peace on earth and joy in heav’n;
Lord of all, to you we raise
This our gift of grateful praise.

Uses: Creation, Thanksgiving, Gathering Song

Meter: 77 77 77

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

1.
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to all
From heav’ns all gracious King;”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

2.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heav’nly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hov’ring wing.
And ever o’er its Bable sounds
The blessed angels sing.

3.
And ye beneath life’s crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now! For glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

4.
For, Lo, the days are hastening on,
By prophets bards foretold;
When with the every circling years
Comes ‘round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth
It’s ancient splendor fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angles sing.

Text: Edmund H. Sears
Music: Richard S. Willis.
Uses: Christmas

Silent Night

1.

Silent night!

Holy night!

All is calm,

all is bright

Round yon Virgin

Mother and child!

Holy infant

so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Sleep in heavenly peace.



2.

Silent night!

Holy night!

Shepherds quake

at the sight:

Glories stream from heaven afar;

heav'nly hosts sings "Alleluia!

Christ the Savior is born,

Christ the Savior is born.



3.

Silent night!

Holy night!

Son of God,

love's pure light,

Radiant beams from thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.



Uses: Christmas



Hymn Tune: Stille Nacht

Meter: 66 89 66

Text: Joseph Mohr

Music: Franz X. Gruber

Now Thank We All Our God

Now Thank We All Our God

1.
Now thank we all our God,
With heart, and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hat done,
In whom his world rejoices.
Who from our mother's arms
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours today.

2.
O may this gracious God
Through all our life be near us!
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
Preserve us in his grace
And guide us in distress,
And free us from all sin,
Till heaven we possess.

3.
All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son and Spirit blest,
Who reigns in highest heaven
Eternal Triune God,
Whom earth and heavn'n adore.
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

Hymn tune: Nun Danket
Meter: 6 7 6 7 6 6 6 6
Text: Martin Rinkart (tr. Catherine Winkworth)
Music: Johann Crüger

About the photo:
This window that can be found just behind the organ
in Dearborn, MI at St. Sebastian Parish.