Singing through the Hymnal: Week 2

"The Whole earth is full of His glory." Isaiah 6

Verse:  Isaiah 6:3

Hymn: Holy God, We Praise Your Name

Text

Activity: Trinity Craft   *there are so many things that you can find to do on Pinterest. Check there for ideas.

Isaiah 6 would be a good chapter to read to your children this week as you sing this hymn. You could also talk about praising God because He is holy. Have them help you think of things they want to praise God for.

Like Holy Holy Holy, this hymn talks about Cherubim and Seraphim. Ask your children what story they have have heard recently where the angels fill the sky with praises (Christmas - shepherds).

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This week, I would actually suggest singing the 4th stanza of the hymn every day which affirms the Trinity and that every Person of the Trinity is God and worthy of worship. It is a beautiful text that is easy for children to remember. 

 If you need some ideas for explaining the Trinity to your children, check out the resource, The Ology.

Fun Facts

Text: Attributed to Ignaz Franz (1719-1770)

• This is based on an old text called Te Deum laudamus

Tune Katholisches Gesangbuch, Vienna, 1774

• You may notice this hymn is a little longer than most (8 measures)
• If you are wanting to learn about musical form of the hymn, start by seeing which phrases repeat musically. You could ask questions like, have you heard that part of the melody before? 

Remember to order you copy of the hymnal we are singing through if you still need a hymnal!

    Things to think about ...

• I will only work on the 4th stanza with my children this week, but I will sing or read the text of the other three stanzas to them. I will ask them to listen for all the different groups of people who are gathered to worship God - prophets, apostles, etc. 
• Keep explaining different phrases to your children by asking questions such as: Why are we bowing before God? What does it mean that we adore God? What is a mystery?
• I love that this is a creed set to music! I also love to think that thousands upon thousands of believers over centuries of time have been singing this text. It is a good and beautiful thing to remind our children that the church is more than our small group of local believers. We sing apart from one other - divided by time and space, but we will one day all praise God together with one voice - The Church Triumphant! 
• The Trinity can be a fearful thing to try to explain to a child. I confess that since I don't fully understand the Trinity myself, it can be difficult to know what to say. It is ok to not have all the answers. It is ok to not understand. We will one day have the all the puzzles pieces fitted together perfectly for us in heaven when we will fully understand this mystery! What a wonderful day that will be! 

In Addition
     Today, we remember Jim Elliot and his friends who died. In honor of their lives, here is a link to a hymn (new and old) that is missions oriented. It would be a good one to sing with your children.