Two hymns, two nations, two languages, two centuries and
one God the Father Almighty to be praised; this is the continuity of Christian
worship and hymnody. It begins in
Geneva, Switzerland and continues in England.
It ties together two different denominations and national churches. It ties together two distinct musical
traditions, psalms and hymns. OK, what
is it?
It is the tune used for the Old Hundredth and the
Doxology. The Old Hundredth is an
adaptation of Psalm 100 from the Geneva Psalter of 1551. In the Reformed Churches only the psalms were
sung. They very idea of introducing
hymns was poorly received. This is why,
while early Lutheran hymns are rich and many, early Reformed hymns are nearly
non-existent. The music for the Old
Hundredth was written by Louis Bourgeois. The rich melody was easy to sing and
adapt to other various lyrics.
One hundred and twenty years later Thomas Ken, minister
in the Church of England, spent several years writing prayers and hymns for
contemplation and worship. Two of these
hymns were “Awake My Soul and with the Sun” and “Glory to Thee, My God, This Night”. The lyrics of both hymns fit very comfortably
with the tune by Bourgeois. Each of
these two hymns had the same ending which is now known as the Doxology. It follows the same tune as the verses. Of all three of the hymns, the Old Hundredth and
Ken’s two hymns, the Doxology, the chorus of Ken’s two hymns, remains the most often
sung and best known.
One other thing binds all these together. It is not just their tune. It is their theme. Praise is the essence of each one. Confidence in God and His care marks them
all. That is the recurring theme that
God wants us to grasp each day. Each
morning and night I begin my prayer time with this one wonderful song of
praise, written for just that occasion.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him all creatures here below,
Praise Him above all heavenly hosts,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
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