But God is present there. There are many occasions that call for this hymn of thanksgiving, not the least of which is a Thanksgiving Service. This hymn could be used as a closing hymn for a service based on Genesis 28. “Nearer, My God, to Thee” is also used for memorial services. It could be used for a service focusing on the theme of Creation or the power of God. Note the cosmic scope of the text: human beings (st. 1), saints and angels in glory (st. 2), and all creation (st. 4) praise the name of the Lord! Though God’s holiness, love, and purity are cloaked in mystery, we can still experience God’s mercy and mighty power, and we can participate in praising God. To avoid monotony, try a longer setting of the Doxology text to original music such as the choral arrangement by David Hedrick titled “Alleluia, Praise God! For a postlude, try the setting of BETHANY found in the organ collection “My Jesus, I Love Thee.” A handbell arrangement of all three tunes associated with this text is “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” which is dedicated to the members of the Titanic’s band.

Nevertheless, all three tunes associated with this text have been featured in films about the Titanic. In undergoing the transformation, the person becomes something they fear and have no way of escaping. Jewish theology states that God is not a person. The historical person Jesus of Nazareth was a remarkable individual. Through, faith in Jesus we can have new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). The undeserved kindness of Christ (Romans 7:6) gives us all the chance to accept Him and through faith be saved. The majority of unaffiliated Americans were raised religiously but have since left religion. HORBURY, written in 1861, is one of John B. Dykes’s hymn tunes that is relatively obscure to Americans. PROPIOR DEO, written in 1872, is one of Arthur Sullivan’s lesser-known tunes. This hymn has two tunes in common use. OLD HUNDREDTH is by far the most common tune to which this text is sung. The original version of this tune was in a 6/8 meter, but by 1874 a common time version of the rhythm was also in use. It is sometimes called SAVOY, or GENEVAN 134 after its original text in the Genevan Psalter. This psalm tune is often attributed to Louis Bourgeois, who edited the Genevan Psalter of 1551, in which it first appeared.

The tune became associated with William Kethe’s version of Psalm 100 in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter of 1560, from which the name OLD HUNDREDTH is derived. Psalm 34:10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. It was the second song in the collection, under the title “Praise for Creation and Providence.” In his preface, Watts wrote, “the Children of high and low degree, of the Church of England, or Dissenters, baptized in infancy, or not, may all join together in these Songs. Two years ago Harold Camping thought the world would end 21st May but got the end of the world wrong. He taught widely before joining Regent College, including at Wheaton College (5 years) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (12 years). The second verse hints at the sickness and disease of the Thirty Years War. Another example of this very short text as part of a larger work is in “Thanks and Blessings Flow,” in which “Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow,” set to original music, is the bridge before the last verse of “Now Thank We All Our God.” Optional brass, percussion, and congregational participation are included. Let the music swell and build, but to keep it from becoming a bit dull (even big and majestic can be boring when done too often), start big, pull back on the second verse and build into the final verse again.

It is important that one must not just know the major ones; rather even the smallest religion in terms of adherents should be learned and understood as well. People from every corner of the globe, from all walks of life, from a wide spectrum of religions, from a rich diversity of cultures all get it: God is bigger than any religion, God is bigger than any book: even yours, even mine. The Kurdish people are not Arabs, but rather historically identify with the Medes, an ancient people described in the Bible. There are two versions of the tune with respect to rhythm. Usually, when the tune is used with “All People That on Earth Do Dwell,” the original rhythm is maintained. Sometimes it is set to original music, and at other times, the traditional tune is used. FOREST GREEN was originally set to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” in the English Hymnal (1906). This simple tune is repetitious (the first, second, and fourth lines are identical) and easy to learn.