It’s another beautiful fall day and another hymn sing. We continue to feature hymn stories, each week having a different hymn story about the song’s composition and the author. We hope you enjoy learning more about these songs of our faith!

Romans 15:13 – “May the god of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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For “littles” and “young at heart”

Prayer of Christian Living:

(Feel free to say each line and have your child repeat what you say or say it as you pray together.)

Dear God,
I talk to you and you talk to me.
I hear you in the pitter-patter of the rain and the whistle of the wind.
I hear you in the water in the stream and the laughter of my friends.
I smile at you and you smile back.
I see you in the sunny sunflowers, the smile of my puppy and the man in the moon.
I sing to you and you sing back.
I hear you through the robin, the lark and the cooing dove.
I dance for you and you dance for me.
I see you in the swaying of the trees and the rainbow after a big rain.
I pray to you.
You hear and answer my prayers.
Amen.

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This Little Light of Mine

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For the Beauty of the Earth
Lyrics: Sabine Baring-Gould

Hymn Background:

““How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, as we have heard with our own ears.”
2 Samuel 7:22 (New International Bible)

Folloit Sandford Pierpoint – that’s the unusual name of the author who created this great hymn. He was born October 1835 in Bath, England. One spring day while walking in the countryside he saw the ocean green, the blue dome of the heavens, and the winding Avon River cutting through the flowery landscape. Overwhelmed with God’s creative brilliance, he wrote this poem. He intended it for Communion services in the Anglican Church but when it came to America it quickly became associated with the Thanksgiving holiday.

Little is known about Pierpoint. He resigned from his teaching position at Somersetshire College in Bath, England, and apparently moved from place to place, teaching some, writing hymns, and publishing his poetry. He died in 1917.

“For the Beauty of the Earth” is one of the few hymns devoted purely to giving thanks. One of the strange things about the “attitude of gratitude” is that we tend to exhibit it in reverse proportion to the number of blessings received. The more we have the less thankful we tend to be.

Among the lessons Viktor Frankl learned in the Nazi death-camp, Auschwitz, was to take time to be thankful and to count your blessings. He wrote that prisoners in the camp dreamed about certain things more than others. Bread, cakes, warm blankets and warm baths – the very things we take for granted every day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson observed that if the constellations appeared only once in a thousand years, imagine what an exciting event it would be. But because they’re there every night, we barely give them a look.

God wants to make us who exhibit a thankfulness in proper proportion to the gifts and blessings we’ve received. Have you thanked your Heavenly Father lately?

LYRICS

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 thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind’s delight.
For the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

4. 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 thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For thy church that evermore lifteth holy hands above.
Offering up on every shore one pure sacrifice of love.
Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

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Give Thanks