Monday, October 2, 2023

at the Name

 Speaking of singing, we sang At the Name of Jesus in church yesterday:


At the Name of Jesus

'tis the Father's pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

At his voice creation sprang at once to sight,
all the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
cherubim in heaven, stars upon their way,
all the heav'nly orders in their great array.

Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it, spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious when from death he passed;

Bore it up triumphant with its human light,
thro' all ranks of creatures to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead, to the Father's breast,
filled it with the glory of that perfect rest.

In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
all that is not holy, all that is not true;
crown him as your captain in temptation's hour;
let his will enfold you in its light and pow'r.

Christians, this Lord Jesus shall return again
in his Father's glory with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.

- music by Ralph Vaughn Williams


The order of verses is a bit different in the link, and there's another verse there, but I liked this version best. There are lots on youtube!





7 comments:

  1. I learned that hymn at summer camp when I was about eleven years old. We never sang it at my Presbyterian church back home, and I've rarely sung it, but always like it! The tune comes right back for me just seeing the first line. So glad you posted it <3

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    1. Yes, it's a very nice melody - Vaughan Williams was good at that.

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  2. I've never sung that hymn to that tune before; in fact I don't think I have ever sung that melody at all in church. When we sing At the Name we use either 'Camberwell' or 'Evelyns', the first tune a little more modern and syncopated than the second.

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    1. That strikes me as strange, Clare, because it's Vaughan Williams, and his hymns seem so quintessentially English to me. So Anglican.

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