Yesterday's service ended with us singing 'Great is Thy Fathfulness' in the BPW version. It makes a good harverst hymn, reminding us of God's fidelity and providence. In the version we used it has these words:
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
These are the blessings your love will provide
I think I prefer that to 'blessings all mine with ten thousand beside' as it feels, in the 21st century, that the original is a bit materialistic (far from its author's intent I'm sure). Strength for today, hope for tomorrow - what more is needful? Blessing enough for me to have these two.
It is a shame that this wonderful hymn seems largely consigned to the box labelled 'funeral hymns' and I'm glad that we employed in the context of celebration yesterday.
Comments
Yes, that's a lovely hymn indeed. My husband's favourite and we had it at our wedding two years ago - we've never thought of it as a 'funeral hymn'.
Must have been the Sunday for GITF... I chose it too last night. And while I know we must sing the newer version, I do prefer the old. What's more, I cant see why we had to change 'manifold witness' to 'eloquent witness'. Grrr
Aargh - that should have been GIYF!!!
LOL, about half my folk sing 'Thy' and I lapse when I'm not reading the words.
Yes, I prefer 'manifold' to 'eloquent' - no equivlaence there what so ever. Maybe the editorial committee were all amateur car mechanics and thinking exhaust manifolds....?!!
One of our favourites, too. As to the materialism - depends on whether you read it as 'with 10,000 extra blessings for me as well' or as 'blessings for me (and 10,000 other people too!)'
Never really counted it as one mainly for funerals, although it does get chosen for those.
Thanks Bob, that's exactly right. I'm not sure how it is meant to be 'heard' and maybe it's my innate materialism or fear thereof that shows through.
Maybe it says a lot about the churches we are in how we perceive the role of this hymn? Either that or our age... ;-)
It is of course possible to count your blessings in many denominations other than pounds sterling (or their equivalent).
Though I do tend to fall asleep before I get to 10,000.
(Note to self - must count blessings earlier in the day).
On which note, I'm enjoying all your descriptions of rain, squirrels and all things praiseworthy.
I was running across the courtyard in LKH one rain-sodden Manchester afternoon when I saw one of my South African friends, David, taking shelter under the eaves. I was about to utter one of my usual British imprecations upon the filthy weather, but David beat me to it. He looked at the sky, grinned with appreciation and said: "I love that sound!"
Hmmm. I recall a different SA student with a very different response!
I arranged to take Vusi up the JRU Library and when I met him at LKH it was raining. "So we won't be going then" he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Because in Africa we don't go out when it rains..."
"... Then you won't get out much in Manchester..."
He learned...