One of my all-time favorite hymns is “The Day thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended.”

I first sang this hymn during Evening Prayer in a small chapel in downtown Minneapolis. I was tremendously moved by the words and music.

The day Thou gavest, Lord, is ended,
The darkness falls at Thy behest;
To Thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.

(I’m using the original version of this hymn since I dislike the way it has been “modernized” in Evangelical Lutheran Worship #569.)

What’s surprising is that it’s not just an evening hymn, but a celebration of the global nature of Christianity.

As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.

As the dawn moves across the face of the earth, Christians rise and thank God for another day. It is almost like heaven where the worship of the Almighty is eternal. I’ve said it several times in these blogs that it’s important to me to think of my poor acts of worship on this earth being caught up the ceaseless cosmic praise of the Lord.

Recordings of this hymn often have a soaring descant sung over the last verse to underline the hope of all people being under the everlasting rule of God.

So be it, Lord; Thy throne shall never,
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away:
Thy kingdom stands, and grows forever,
Till all Thy creatures own Thy sway.

May it be so, Lord, forever and ever.

Read Revelation 5:11-14 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Wayne