Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation

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Father eternal, Ruler of creation

Author: Laurence Housman (1919)
Tune: LANGHAM (Shaw)
Published in 47 hymnals

Audio files: Recording

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Representative Text

1 Father eternal, Ruler of creation,
Spirit of life, which moved ere form was made;
Through the thick darkness covering every nation,
Light to man's blindness, O be Thou our aid:
Thy Kingdom come, O Lord, Thy will be done.

2 Races and peoples, lo! we stand divided,
And sharing not our griefs, no joy can share;
By wars and tumults Love is mocked, derided,
His conquering cross no kingdom wills to bear:
Thy Kingdom come, O Lord, Thy will be done.

3 Envious of heart, blind-eyed, with tongues confounded,
Nation by nation still goes unforgiven;
In wrath and fear, by jealousies surrounded,
Building proud towers which shall not reach to heaven:
Thy Kingdom come, O Lord, Thy will be done.

4 How shall we love Thee, holy, hidden Being,
If we love not the world which Thou hast made?
O give us brother love for better seeing
Thy Word made flesh, and in a manger laid:
Thy Kingdom come, O Lord, Thy will be done.

Amen.

Source: The Hymnbook #486

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Author: Laurence Housman

Housman, Lawrence, author and artist, was born July 18, 1867, at Bromsgrove, Worcs. His devotional poetry is principally in his Spikenard, 1898, and Bethlehem, 1902. To the English Hymnal, 1906, he contributed eight translations (142, 188, 191, 228, 229, 230, 231, 234); also three original hymns, with a fourth previously published, viz.:— 1. Lord God of Hosts, within Whose hand. St. George. 2. The Maker of the sun and moon. Christmas. From Bethlehem, 1902, p. 75. 3. The Saint who first found grace to pen. St. Mark. 4. When Christ was born in Bethlehem. Holy Innocents. [Rev. James Mearns, M.A.] --John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology, New Supplement (1907)… Go to person page >

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Related Texts

First Line:	Father eternal, Ruler of creation
Title:	Father Eternal, Ruler of Creation
Author:	Laurence Housman (1919)
Meter:	11.10.11.10.10
Language:	English
Refrain First Line:	Thy kingdom come, O Lord, thy will be done
Copyright:	Public Domain in the U.S.

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Tune

LANGHAM (Shaw)

OLD 124TH

GENEVAN 124 (also known as OLD 124TH) was first published in the 1551 edition of the Genevan Psalter. Dale Grotenhuis (PHH 4) harmonized the tune in 1985. One of the best known from the Genevan Psalter, the tune is published in most North American hymnals. By 1564 it was adopted in English and Scott…

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