Singing through the Hymnal: week 32

Verse: Psalm 145:10

Hymn: All Creatures of Our God and King

       
   
    Continuing with our theme of praise, we will sing All Creatures of Our God and King. You can start by teaching your children the refrain at the end and reminding them that all creation joins to praise our great God! Read verses like Psalm 98:7-8 or Luke 19:40 this week - the stones cry out, the skies declare, and the hills sing for joy! Use this week to find examples in nature that praise God.

                                                                  Fun Facts

Text: St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

• Giovanni Francesco Bernardone suffered from an illness and turned to God, devoting himself as a monk to serve the poor
• He took special care of animals (he would later be called "the patron saint of animals")
• He knew that all creatures were created to praise God
• Francis wrote this at the end of his life almost blind
• this may be the oldest religious poem in the Italian language "Canticle of the Sun."
• Translated into English around 1899 by William Draper for children

Tune: Geistliche Kirchengesänge (Cologne, 1623) - LASST UNS ERFREUEN

• arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906 (Gloucestershire, England)
• LASST UNS ERFREUEN means "let us delight"
• in 1620 this was a popular tune for an Easter hymn in the German Catholic church
• It was Vaughan Williams who arranged it to put to St. Francis of Assisi's lyrics

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

    Things to think about ...

• Psalm 145 is a great Psalm to read to your children every day this week
• Take your children out into nature - listen to a stream and ask them if it sounds like a song of praise to God. Tell them to look around and discover other sounds and sights that magnify our Creator. See how many things you can find together.
• The 4th stanza helps us remember that praising God will help us care for and forgive others and even trust God in difficulty.
• The last stanza is a song of praise to the Trinity - you may have even sung this tune to the doxology ( I did all growing up ).