God Only Wise

 

Verse: 1 Timothy 1:17

Hymn: Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

  
                  We are studying creation for a few weeks as a family and our children have been amazed to see so many attributes of God. This hymn is packed full of attributes that you can teach your children about God. As we continue to focus on hymns of praise as the weather cools and the leaves change, let's help our children turn their eyes towards their great Creator! 

 

    My children know the first stanza very well of this hymn, so we are going to focus on learning the rest of it just as well this week.
   



                                                                  Fun Facts

Text: Walter Chalmers Smith, 1867 (1824-1908)

• pastor, scholar, author
• published his own hymnal in 1867, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life

Tune: Traditional Welsh Hymn Melody, ST. DENIO

• St. Denio is the name of a French patron saint
• tune is based on a traditional Welsh melody
• the tune is perfect for a text that speaks of the greatness and power of God
• the three-note chords in the melody (descending triads) reinforce the polysyllable words with the strong beat falling on the accented syllable - "Im - MOR -tal, In - VIS -i-ble." There is so much strength in that writing.

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

    Things to think about ...

• You can have a grammar lesson this week and talk about "polysyllables." Not only do the words in this particular hymn contain many syllables, but they are also stuffed full with meaning - just like words describing God should be!!!! There are 8 of these words in the first stanza. How many others can you and your family find? It is impossible to describe God with words, but hymns like this help us and give us better words to use!