Hymn: “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” – Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847)
Various Tunes: My favorite is ANDREWS
This hymn text is a bit unusual because it is structured in a way that the singer is speaking to himself/herself. As we sing these words, we are reminding ourselves to praise God, the King of heaven… to acknowledge his greatness (bring tribute).
In THIS line, we remind ourselves that we are the ransomed, the healed, the restored, the forgiven ones – and that we should sing his praises as long as we have breath to do so. Because we sometimes consider our redemption, our healing, our restoration and forgiveness to be in the past, we may not praise him for these anymore. In reality, all these activities of God on our behalf are ongoing; therefore, we need to be more appreciative as part of our continuing praise.
The remainder of the text highlights God’s grace and favor, his faithfulness, and his enduring changeless qualities over against our frail, perishable human nature.
Interestingly, the final stanza turns from this introspective urging as it speaks to the angels and the triumphant saints in heaven, calling on them to praise God because they have the privilege of beholding him face to face.
Okay, it’s time we take up the song, merging our praise with the everlasting “Alleluias” of the ransomed, healed, restored, and forgiven ones who have gone before us and who will come after us. It is up to us to keep the song alive. No pressure!
ANDREWS tune arrangement sung by Mormon Tabernacle Choir
No comments:
Post a Comment
You are welcome to comment on any of the posts. They are sent to ME directly. Thanks for any feedback you would like to make.