The Feast of the Epiphany

January 6 is the "official" date for the Feast of the Epiphany, though your church may celebrate it on Sunday. In some parts of the world, it is better known as Three Kings Day, but by any name it marks the visit to the infant Jesus by people of distant countries (whether they were indeed kings, or magi, or whatever), as opposed to the nearby shepherds. It signifies the eventual importance of this baby who was to be known around the world, not just in Bethlehem or Galilee.

This hymn was written by William Chatterton Dix, whose work we have seen before, and appeared in his first collection, Hymns of Love and Joy (1861). Reportedly he wrote it on the feast day, January 6, 1856.

As with gladness those of old

Did the guiding star behold;

As with joy they hailed its light,

Leading onward, beaming bright;

So, most gracious Lord, may we

Evermore be led to thee.

As with joyful steps they sped

To that lowly manger-bed;

There to bend the knee before

Christ, whom heaven and earth adore;

So may we with willing feet

Ever seek the mercy seat.

As they offered gifts most rare

At that manger rude and bare;

So may we with holy joy,

Pure and free from sin's alloy,

All our costliest treasures bring,

Christ! to thee, our heavenly King.

Holy Jesus! every day

Keep us in the narrow way;

And, when earthly things are past,

Bring our ransomed souls at last

Where they need no star to guide,

Where no clouds thy glory hide.

In that heavenly country bright,

Need they no created light;

Thou its light, its joy, its crown,

Thou its sun which goes not down;

There for ever may we sing

Alleluias echoing.

William Chatterton Dix, 1856; alt.

Tune: DIX (7.7.7.7.7.7.)

Conrad Kocher, 1838; adapt. William H. Monk, 1861

This well-known tune was altered slightly from its German original form by William Henry Monk, editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern (1861), where it was first matched to this text. It was probably also Monk who named the tune for this text's author.

P.S. You may have thought that after three years (beginnning a fourth later this month) that we have run out of familiar hymns, but as you can see we're not done yet.

Three Years Ago: Saw you never, in the twilight

Two Years Ago: Earth has many a noble city

One Year Ago: What star is this, with beams so bright

P.S. You may have thought that after three years (beginnning a fourth later this month) that we have run out of familiar hymns, but as you can see we're not done yet.

Three Years Ago: Saw you never, in the twiligh

Two Years Ago: Earth has many a noble city

One Year Ago: What star is this, with beams so bright

Our Hymn of Grateful Praise

Rogation Sunday, a time to mark the changing season and our thanks for the good things of the earth is celebrated in some churches on the last Sunday of the Easter season. Today's hymn is probably still found in nearly every modern hymnal, as it has been for the last century and longer.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,

Refrain:
Source of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight,
Refrain

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Refrain

For each perfect gift of thine
to all people freely giv'n,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of heav'n,
Refrain

Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, 1864; alt.
Tune: DIX (7.7.7.7.7.7.)
Conrad Kocher, 1838

Folliott Pierpoint, a native of Bath in England, reportedly wrote this text after returning from a walk on a fine spring day. Though the hymn is widely used, it is also widely altered; it almost seems that every hymnal editor who has chosen to include it has changed something in the text. Even the well-known last line of the refrain, which I used above as the title, was originally "this our sacrifice of praise." There are also three additional stanzas:

For thy Bride that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Off'ring up on every shore
This pure sacrifice of love,

For the martyrs' crown of light,
For thy prophets' eagle eye,
For thy bold confessors' might,
For the lips of infancy,

For thy virgins' robes of snow,
For thy maiden Mother mild,
For thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesus,Victim undefiled,

The first of these is sometimes used, altering "Bride" to "Church," but the other two have disappeared completely. I suppose the assumption is that they don't go with the theme of God in Nature, though that wasn't really Sandford's original theme.

DIX is a German tune that was named at some later date in English hymnals when the tune came to be widely matched with an Epiphany hymn by poet William Chatterton Dix.


Two Years Ago: Kindly Earth with Timely Birth

One Year Ago: Earth Feels the Season's Joyance

The Feast of the Presentation

Forty days after Christmas comes the Feast of the Presentation (or Candlemas) for some, the true end of the Christmas season. Some churches will celebrate today; some probably already did this past Sunday.

The story is told in Luke 2:22-40, of Mary and Joseph bringing their baby son to the temple forty days after his birth. The prophet Anna and the old man Simeon had waited there for many years in expectation, and were rewarded by seeing the ancient prophecies fulfilled. Simeon and Anna are seen here with the child Jesus in a window from the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire.

The feast of Candlemas actually predates Christianity, with various rituals observed at this time of year. Apparently you can even trace the origins of Groundhog Day to this ancient festival, but that's rather outside the scope of this blog.

This hymn by Christopher Wordsworth comes from his hymnal The Holy Year (1862) which, like several nineteenth century hymnals, gives specific hymns for each Sunday of the church year as well as for other feast days and saints' days. It's a bit grand for a midweek observance with its long stanzas, and might work better with a larger Sunday congregation.

O Jerusalem beloved,
Joyful morn has dawned on thee;
Sing with joy and exultation,
Sing a song of jubilee!
Jesus Christ, whom thou art seeking,
Christ for whom the nations pray,
Now in human flesh appearing,
To the temple comes today.

Glorious and bright the temple
With its gold and silver shone,
Which by royal hands was builded
Of the peaceful Solomon;
But thy latter House is brighter,
Dwelling there this heav'nly Guest,
Child of God, the everlasting
Rose of Sharon manifest.

Light, the entire world to lighten,
And thy glory, Israel,
Shines in Christ the heav'ly dayspring,
God with us, Emmanuel;
Now the entire world receives him
in its arms with faith's embrace
And with Simeon rejoices
In the light of Jesus' grace

May we, Christ, with holy Anna,
And with Simeon, wait for thee
In the solace of thy temple,
May our hearts thy temples be;
So, with saints and holy angels,
May we all forevermore
In Jerusalem the heav'nly,
Thee the Lord of all adore.

Christopher Wordsworth, 1862; alt.
Tune: ST. HILARY (8.7.8.7.D)
Ganther (?), 19th cent.

The tune ST. HILARY, which appeared in a few nineteenth century hymnals, was traced back at far as an 1855 German collection, Zionsharfe, edited by Conrad Kocher. The name of "Ganther" appeared with it there, apparently as composer, but nothing further has been uncovered about the bearer of that name.


One Year Ago: Hail to the Lord who comes

Two Years Ago: O Zion, open wide thy gates