Heavenly Father, Send Thy Blessing

Representative Text

1 Heavenly Father, send thy blessing
on thy children gathered here,
may they all, thy name confessing,
be to thee for ever dear;
may they be, like Joseph, loving,
dutiful, and chaste, and pure;
and their faith, like David, proving,
steadfast unto death endure.

2 Holy Saviour, who in meekness
didst vouchsafe a child to be,
guide their steps, and help their weakness,
bless and make them like to thee;
bear thy lambs, when they are weary,
in thine arms and at thy breast;
through life’s desert, dry and dreary,
bring them to thy heavenly rest.

3 Spread thy golden pinions o’er them,
Holy Spirit, from above,
guide them, lead them, go before them,
give them peace, and joy, and love;
thy true temples, Holy Spirit,
may they with thy glory shine,
and immortal bliss inherit,
and for evermore be thine.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #648

Author: Christopher Wordsworth

Christopher Wordsworth--nephew of the great lake-poet, William Wordsworth--was born in 1807. He was educated at Winchester, and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A., with high honours, in 1830; M.A. in 1833; D.D. in 1839. He was elected Fellow of his College in 1830, and public orator of the University in 1836; received Priest's Orders in 1835; head master of Harrow School in 1836; Canon of Westminster Abbey in 1844; Hulsean Lecturer at Cambridge in 1847-48; Vicar of Stanford-in-the-Vale, Berks, in 1850; Archdeacon of Westminster, in 1865; Bishop of Lincoln, in 1868. His writings are numerous, and some of them very valuable. Most of his works are in prose. His "Holy Year; or, Hymns for Sundays, Holidays, and other occ… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Heavenly Father, send Thy blessing
Title: Heavenly Father, Send Thy Blessing
Author: Christopher Wordsworth (1869)
Meter: 8.7.8.7 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

BETHANY (Smart)

BETHANY, named after the village near Jerusalem, is a suitably dramatic tune for the song text. It was composed by Henry Smart (b. Marylebone, London, England, 1813; d. Hampstead, London, 1879), a capable composer of church music who wrote some very fine hymn tunes (REGENT SQUARE, 354, is the best-k…

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CPWI Hymnal #648

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