30 December 2008

The Greatest New Year's Eve Hymn of All

Across the sky the shades of night
This New Year's Eve are fleeting;
We deck Your altar, Lord, with light
In solemn worship meeting;
And as the year's last hours go by,
We raise to You our earnest cry,
Once more Your love entreating.

Before the cross subdued we bow,
To You our prayer addressing;
Recounting all Your mercies now,
And all our sins confessing;
Beseeching You this coming year
To keep us in Your faith and fear
And crown us with Your blessing.

We gather up in this brief hour
The memory of Your mercies;
Your wondrous goodness, love, and pow'r,
Our grateful song rehearses;
For You have been our strength and stay
In many a dark and dreary day
Of sorrow and reverses.

We now remember, as we pray,
Our dear ones in Your caring
Who brightly shine in endless day,
Past death and all despairing.
At our life's end, Lord, as Your own,
Bring us with them around Your throne,
The joys of heaven sharing.

Then, gracious God, in years to come,
We pray Your hand may guide us
And, onward through our journey home,
Your mercy walk beside us
Until at last our ransomed life
Is safe from peril, toil, and strife
When heaven itself shall hide us.

LSB 899 - Hymn of the Day appointed for New Year's Eve

5 comments:

Becky said...

Pastor Weedon,
Thank you! Why have I never thought of doing this before? New Years in Japan, nearly everyone goes to the Shinto shrines to make their wishes for a good new year. Tonight, I can introduce my family to a HYMN!

So, today as I cook the traditional Japanese new year foods, I will figure out one that is good for tonight, and one that is good for tomorrow.

I'm praying that my husband will not want to go to any shrine this year. Actually, he never went to "pray" until year before last.

Thank you for putting this seed into my mind.

William Weedon said...

Wonderful! I do pray that this year will be a blessed one for you, B!

Anonymous said...

No mention in this hymn about the circumcision of our LORD --rr-- of the Holy Name of Jesus.

Why is this the "Hymn of the Day"?

William Weedon said...

Jeff,

We celebrate Circumcision and Name of Jesus tomorrow morning.

William Weedon said...

P.S. The hymn of the day for Circumcision is "Jesus, Name of Wondrous Love."