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In churches this Memorial Day,
voices rise in the well-loved hymn that begins:
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to thee
For those in peril on the sea.
The words of The Navy Hymn were written as a poem by William Whiting of Kensington, England in 1860. The stirring music was written a year later by John Bacchus Dykes, who has more than 300 hymn tunes to his credit. In 1937 two new verses appeared in A Missionary Service Book, adding entreaties for those who serve their nation on land and in the air.
The words of the original are extremely significant for anyone who has known the power of the sea. The more recent version is inclusive in the best sense. It concludes with:
O Trinity of love and power,
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to thee
Glad praise from air and land and sea. Amen.
Whichever version you sing in your parish church today or in memorial ceremonies tomorrow, Memorial Day, will honor our veterans and those who gave their lives in the service of the United States of America, and will ask the Holy Trinity to protect those who serve today.
“Eternal Father, Strong to Save” is Hymn 512 in the traditional 1940 Hymnal,
the companion of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.
Texas scene: bluebonnets, American flag, church
Photo by Erik H. Pronske, M.D.
Memorial Days
ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen.The 1928 Book of Common Prayer, page 42.
Prayers for the Army and the Navy are on pages 41 and 42.
Click on the Prayer Book image above (prayers are on pages 48 and 49 in this online version) and use these and other prayers in your personal devotions.
Print them and give or send them to your friends, asking them to join in prayer for those who serve.
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