Navigation for Hymns on Sunday

Lamp Washington National Cathedral
Lamp, Washington National Cathedral (Caroline Lena Becker, July 2012)

SONG: IMMORTAL, INVISIBLE, GOD ONLY WISE

Artist: Cantus Choro
Words/Music: Smith/Roberts
Recording: Move MD 3032

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.

To all, life thou givest, to both great and small.
In all life thou livest, the true life of all.
We blossom and flourish like leaves on the tree,
and wither and perish; but naught changeth thee.

Great father of glory, pure father of light,
Thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
Of all thy rich graces this grace, Lord, impart
Take the veil from our faces, the veil from our heart.

All laud we would render; O help us to see
’Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee,
And so let thy glory, almighty, impart,
Through Christ in his story, thy Christ to the heart.

SONG: FIRMLY I BELIEVE AND TRULY

Artist: Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Newman/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Conifer 551249

Firmly I believe and truly
God is Three, and God is One;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.

And I trust and hope most fully
In that manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.

Simply to His grace and wholly
Light and life and strength belong,
And I love supremely, solely,
Him the holy, Him the strong.

Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and Heaven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

SONG: NEARER MY GOD TO THEE

Artist: Cathedral Choral Society, Washington National Cathedral
Words/Music: Adams/Mason
Recording: Gothic G 49112

Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
still all my song shall be,
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,
darkness be over me, my rest a stone;
yet in my dreams I'd be
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;
all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;
angels to beckon me
nearer, my God, to thee;
nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!

SONG: WONDROUS LOVE

Artist: Kansas City Chorale
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: Nimbus NI 5568

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul,
what wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul,
to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

When I was sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down, sinking down,
when I was sinking down beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul, for my soul,
Christ laid aside his crown for my soul!

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing,
to God and to the Lamb, I will sing;
to God and to the Lamb who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing;
while millions join the theme, I will sing!

And when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing on;
and when from death I’m free, I’ll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity, I’ll sing on, I’ll sing on;
and through eternity I’ll sing on.

SONG: SAINTS BOUND FOR HEAVEN

Artist: Kansas City Chorale
Words/Music: Trad
Recording: Nimbus NI 5568

Our bondage it shall end, by and by, by and by,
Our bondage it shall end, by and by;
From Egypt's yoke set free;
Hail the glorious jubilee,
And to Canaan we'll return, by and by, by and by,
And to Canaan we'll return, by and by.

Our deliverer he shall come, by and by, by and by,
Our deliverer he shall come, by and by;
And our sorrows have an end,
With our threescore years and ten,
And vast glory crown the day, by and by, by and by,
And vast glory crown the day, by and by.

And when to Jordan's floods, we are come, we are come,
And when to Jordan's floods, we are come;
Jehovah rules the tide,
And the waters he'll divide,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come, we are come,
And the ransomed host shall shout, we are come.

Then with all the happy throng, we'll rejoice, we'll rejoice,
Then with all the happy throng, we'll rejoice;
Shouting glory to our King,
Till the vaults of heaven ring,
And through all eternity we'll rejoice, we'll rejoice,
And through all eternity we'll rejoice.

SONG: ANGEL VOICES EVER SINGING

Artist: Choir of St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh
Words/Music: Pott/E Monk
Recording: Priory PRCD 376

Angel voices, ever singing
Round Thy throne of light,
Angel harps, for ever ringing,
Rest not day nor night;
Thousands only live to bless Thee,
And confess Thee
Lord of might.

Thou who art beyond the farthest
Mortal eye can scan,
Can it be that Thou regardest
Songs of sinful man?
Can we know that Thou art near us,
And wilt hear us?
Yes, we can.

For we know Thy love rejoices
O'er each work of Thine;
Thou didst ears and hands and voices
For Thy praise combine;
Craftsman's art and music's measure
For Thy pleasure
Didst design.

In thy house, great God, we offer
of thine own to thee;
and for thine acceptance proffer
all unworthily’
hearts and minds and hands and voices,
in our choicest
psalmody.

Honor, glory, might, and merit,
Thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Blessèd Trinity:
Of the best that Thou hast given
Earth and heaven
Render thee.

SONG: GOD BE IN MY HEAD

Artist: Cambridge Singers
Words/Music: Trad/Rutter
Recording: Collegium 801100

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.

SONG: I HEARD THE VOICE OF JSEUS SAY

Artist: Choir of Westminster Abbey
Words/Music: Bonar/Trad arr Vaughan Williams
Recording: Hyperion 712801

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Come unto me and rest;
lay down, O weary one, lay down
your head upon my breast.”
I came to Jesus as I was,
so weary, worn, and sad;
I found him in a resting place,
and he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
stoop down and drink and live.”
I came to Jesus, and I drank
of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
and now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
“I am this dark world’s light;
look unto me, your morn shall rise,
and all your day be bright.”
I looked to Jesus, and I found
in him my star, my sun;
and in that light of life I’ll walk
till traveling days are done.

SONG: GLORIOUS THINGS OF THEE ARE SPOKEN

Artist: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Words/Music: Newton/Taylor
Recording: EMI 948306

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
he whose word cannot be broken
formed thee for his own abode;
on the rock of ages founded,
what can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
thou may'st smile at all thy foes.

See! the streams of living waters,
springing form eternal love,
well supply thy sons and daughters
and all fear of want remove.
Who can faint, when such a river
ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
never fails from age to age.

Saviour, if of Zion's city,
I through grace a member am,
let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
all his boasted pomp and show;
solid joys and lasting treasure
none but Zion's children know.