Heavenly Shepherd, Thee we pray

1 Heavenly Shepherd, Thee we pray,
For Thy servant here to-day:
By the cross upon his brow,
By his ordination vow,
By the prayers which we have prayed
For the Holy Spirit's aid,
By the deep and fervent love
Owing to his Lord above,
Heavenly Shepherd, Thee we pray,
For Thy servant here to-day:
Grant him faithful watch to keep,
Tend Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep.

2 From the silent power of sin
Lurking secretly within,
May the grace that flows from Thee,
Heavenly Shepherd, set him free;
By the blessing on him breathed,
By the charge on him bequeathed,
Thou the Way, the Truth, the Life,
Gird him for the sacred strife,
Aye his faithful watch to keep,
Tend Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep.

3 Speed him on his life-long way,
Speed him whom we speed to-day;
Thou, the gracious, loving Lord,
Give him souls for his reward:
Till he win the promised crown,
When he lays his burden down
Humbly at his Saviour's feet,
Low before the mercy-seat:
Give him, Lord, Thy grace to keep,
Tend Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep.

4 To the blessèd Trinity
Now let praise and glory be,
In Whose Name we meet to-day
For our guidance, as we pray
That we may, in all we do,
Pastor, and his flock, be true;
True to man in heavenly love,
True to Thee, our God, above,
Till we, sheep and shepherd, meet,
Ransomed at Thy judgment seat.

Amen.

The Hymnal: revised and enlarged as adopted by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the year of our Lord 1892