A pastor who reads the Hope Blog wrote to me recently and said that he and his wife sang through the hymn I had posted, “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” and that it had blessed them to worship the Lord through that hymn. That is what hymnody should do—draw our hearts upward in praise to the Lord. But our canon of hymnnody is increasingly gathering dust in churches today.

Who will sing these grand hymns in another 20 years? If we don’t teach them to our children, will all of these be forgotten? The hymn text in the video is in Dutch, but the tune is familiar. English words below.

 

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
perfect in power, in love and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.