"FATHER, WE PRAISE THEE"
"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD…to shew forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning…" (Ps. 92.1-2)
INTRO.: A song which expresses thanks to the Lord for the coming of the morning is "Father, We Praise Thee." The text is taken from the medieval Latin office hymn "Nocte surgente vigilemus omnes." It is often attributed to Gregory the Great, who was born at Rome, Italy in A.D. 540, of wealthy and pious parents. His father was Gordianus, of senatorial rank, and his mother was Silvia. Receiving a good education, he became a member of the Roman senate, but after his father’s death, he used his immense fortune for religious purposes and joined the Benedictine order. As a monk, Gregory began systematizing church music of his day, and the date of c. 580 is given for these words. Succeeding Pelagius as "bishop of Rome" in A.D. 590, he was known as Gregory I. It was Gregory who sent Augustine to Britain in A.D. 597, bringing Christianity to that island. Gregory also completed and authorized the liturgy of the Western church, thus giving his name to "Gregorian chant." He died at Rome in A.D. 604.
Although the hymn is usually ascribed to Gregory, there is no real evidence of his authorship. Some scholars credit it to Alcuin of York (A.D. 730-804). He was the leading intellectual at Charlemagne’s court. It is possible that Alcuin may have produced the Latin poem as we know it based on thoughts written earlier by Gregory. The tune (Christe Sanctorum) is an ancient plainsong melody that first appeared anonymously in the Paris Antophoner of 1681. It was adapted for congregational use in the seventh edition (1808) of a series begun in 1748-1750 by Francois de La Feillee known as Nouvelle Methode du Plain Chant. The editor for that 1808 edition was Francois David Aynes (1766-1827). The translation of the text and the modern arrangement of the tune were made by Percy Dearmer (1867-1936). It first appeared in his work The English Hymnal of 1906.
Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord’s church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, this song has not appeared in very many, possibly because of its "liturgical" nature. Today it can be found in the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann and published by ACU Press; and the 1992 Praise for the Lord edited by John P. Wiegand and now published by 21st Century Christian. However, I personally believe that, while we do not live in the times and circumstances of the Middle Ages which gave birth to hymns such as these, it adds something to our "repertoire" to be familiar with the great historical hymns of praise which obviously meant so much to worshippers of God in past generations.
The hymn is indeed one of praise to the Lord in the morning.
I. The first stanza praises God for His physical care
"Father, we praise Thee, now the night is over; Active and watchful, stand we all before Thee;
Singing, we offer prayer and meditation: Thus, we adore Thee."
A. When the night is over and we arise is an excellent time to offer praise to God: Ps. 5.1-3
B. One way that we offer praise to God, including in the morning, is by singing: Col. 3:16
C. In this way, we begin our day by acknowledging that we adore Him in worship: Jn. 4.24
II. The second stanza praises God for His spiritual care in preparing heaven
"Monarch of all things, fit us for Thy mansions; Banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;
Bring us to heaven where Thy saints uniting Joy without ending."
A. The Lord is preparing "mansions" or dwelling places for His people: Jn. 14.1-3
B. This hope of dwelling with the Lord is reserved in heaven: 1 Pet. 1.1-3
C. In heaven, the saints will unite in joy without ending because it will be eternal life: 1 Jn. 2.25
III. The third stanza praises God for His spiritual care in sending salvation to make the hope of heaven possible
"All-holy Father, Son, and equal Spirit, Trinity blessed, send us Thy salvation;
Thine is the glory, gleaming and resounding, Through all creation."
A. While some object to the term "Trinity" because it is not found in the Bible (of course, neither is the English word "Bible"), if it be used to describe the scriptural concept of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, then there need not be any problem with it: Matt. 28.19
B. All three of these divine personages in the Godhead worked together to bring us the great salvation: Heb. 2.1-4
C. Therefore, we should give glory unto God, even as Jesus taught His disciples to pray: Matt. 6.13
CONCL.: Albert E. Bailey said of this hymn, "The figure underlying the hymn is that of the faithful servant watching for the long-delayed coming of his Master (Lk. 12:35-40). The joy of his coming lies in release from weakness and sin and suffering, the attainment of wholeness and joy in the mansions above. This was the only possible attitude for a Christian to take in that dark age when the light of civilization had well-nigh been extinguished by ignorance and the reign of anarchy….Truly the world was very evil; the only hope an Apocalypse. The modern attitude toward an evil world is not to flee from it but to remake it. This approach to evil [i.e., that of the song] is the biggest problem in the history of mankind." Because God has sent His people out into the world to do His will, it should never be the desire of Christians to flee absolutely from an evil world, as the medieval monks did (Jn. 17.15-18, 1 Cor. 5.10). However, there certainly are some things that we must flee (1 Cor. 6.10, 10.14; 1 Tim. 6.11; 2 Tim. 2.22). The problem here is an "either-or" fallacy. Bailey suggests that we must either strive to remake an evil world or flee from it with the hope of heaven. The problem with the modernist is that he has completely lost his belief in the reality of heaven in the after a while, so the only thing he has left is to try to make a better life here and now. The fact is that the Christian can follow God’s plan to accomplish His will on earth, but knowing that things will never be perfect in a sin-cursed world, still hopes for eternal life in heaven. And for this, we can tell our God, "Father, We Praise Thee."
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