choir

Notes from Holly

God of Our Fathers
God of our fathers, whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past;
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast;
Be Thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war's alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way;
Lead us from night to never-ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud and praise be ever Thine.
Daniel Crane Roberts (1841-1907)

Daniel Roberts, a country parson, penned this hymn while he
pastured a small rural church in Brandon, Vermont. Written in
1876 to commemorate the one-hundredth birthday of the
Declaration of Independence, it was sung for the first time
at Brandon's Fourth of July celebra-tion. The hymn was sent
to the organist at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in New York
City who composed an original tune complete with a dramatic
trumpet fanfare. To this day it is a be-loved hymn and
certainly one of my favorites.

We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have told us
what you did in their days, in days long ago. With your hand
you drove out the nations and planted our fathers; you
crushed the peoples and made our fathers flourish. It was not
by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring
them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light
of your face, for you loved them. You are my King and my
God, who decrees victories for Jacob.

Psalm 44:1-4

Be refreshed!