Hymn of the Week: October 9, 2022

by Ed Hanson,
Calvary Episcopal Church, Columbia

Featured Hymn: “Now Thank We All Our God”
Hymnal 1982, #397

I love the fall, with the cooling temperatures and the holiday season just around the corner. As I was out walking on one of our local trails this morning, most people I encountered were smiling and enjoying the beautiful weather. I was greeted by strangers with a confident “good morning!” and there was a real sense of positivity and gratefulness in the air.

That sense of thankfulness permeates much of our music in the church. One of my favorites is a sturdy German chorale tune, Nun danket alle Gott, written by Johann Cruger (1598-1662), paired with words originally by Martin Rinckart (1586-1649). As you can tell by their dates, these two men were contemporaries, and although I didn’t find hard evidence that they knew one another, the simple fact that the poetry and the tune have the same name can’t possibly be a coincidence! The words were later translated to English by the amazing Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), who I mentioned in an article I wrote last year. Wonderfully poetic and yet very true to the original German text, her translations are well-known to Episcopalians, with ten references in our hymnal. According to hymnary.org, Nun danket alle Gott is found in more than 650 hymnals across Christendom!

The marriage of tune and text here provide a stirring hymn, very positive in nature, that conveys our thanks to God for everything we are and everything we have. It’s often “saved back” for use at Thanksgiving, but it truly is appropriate for any service that would focus on our relationship with God.

1 Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

2 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
and keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world in the next.

3 All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven
Eternal Triune God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be, evermore.

This will be my final hymn article, and I’ve enjoyed sharing what I know with all of you. I hope you continue to explore our wonderful hymnal on your own and find out more about your favorites!

Here’s a stirring version for you to enjoy on YouTube, arranged by John Rutter for choir and orchestra!