O Praise our Great and Gracious God

This is a hymn of praise to God the Father. It is sometimes called "O Praise Our Great and Glorious Lord."

The words are based on a poem written by English minister's daughter, devotional author and poet, Harriet Auber (1773-1862) - which is in turn based on Psalm 78.

With meter 8.6.8.6 D, tunes it has been set to include:

ST. URSULA by Frederick Westlake (1840-1898)
MAOZ TSUR (Hebrew), composer unknown, a traditional German Ashkenazic melody for Hanukkah
ST. MATTHEW (Croft) by William Croft (1678-1727)
ELLACOMBE, composer unknown, from Gesangbuch der Herzogl. Hofkapelle, Würtemberg, 1784
KINGSFOLD, a traditional English / Irish tune, composer unknown.

Hymn-books that this song is published in include McCrimmon's Celebration Hymnal for Everyone 2012 edition, which is still in-print.

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PowerPoint slides

Examples

Choir with organ, professional recording:

Lead singer and congregation, with piano, tune ELLACOMBE

Choir with organ, professional recording, tune ST. MATTHEW (Croft)

Singer with piano, tune KINGSFOLD

Congregation, unaccompanied:

Instrumental - organ, tune MOAZ ZUR

Instrumental - organ, tune ST URSULA

Instrumental - piano and flute. Tune MAOZ TSUR

Instrumental - piano, tune ELLACOMBE:

Lyrics

O praise our great and gracious Lord,
And call upon His name;
To strains of joy tune every chord,
His mighty acts proclaim.
Tell how He led His chosen race
To Canaan's promised land;
Tell how His covenant of grace,
Unchanged shall ever stand.

He gave the shadowing cloud by day,
The moving fire by night;
To guide His children on their way,
He made their darkness light.
We also have a sure retreat,
A Saviour ever nigh;
And clearest light to guide our feet,
A Word from God on high!

We, too, have manna from above,
The bread that came from Heaven;
And Jesus, from His hand of love,
Has living waters given.
A Rock we have, from which a spring
In rich abundance flows;
That Rock is Christ, our Priest, our King,
Who life and health bestows.

O Lord, we lean upon Thy Word,
And Thee our heavenly Guide;
So shall we find death's fearful flood
Serene as Jordan's tide;
And safely reach that happy shore,
The land of peace and rest,
Where we shall worship and adore,
In God's own presence blest.

He gave the shadowing cloud by day,
The moving fire by night;
To guide His Israel on their way,
He made their darkness light;
And have we not a sure retreat,
A Saviour ever nigh,
The same clear light to guide our feet,
The day-spring from on high?