HYMN OF THEÂ MONTH:
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
by Johann Jakob Schultz (1675); Translator: Frances Elizabeth Cox (1864)
Our theme for 2025 is "We Believe" and we're exploring core biblical doctrines we can pass to the next generation using hymns as a teaching tool.
This month we're looking closer at the Trinity, beginning with God the Father. Come join us anytime!
With Tender Joy
At the heart of every true Christian revival is Christ-centered joy. Martin Luther understood this when he encouraged Christ-centered hymn writing and singing during the Protestant Reformation.
A hundred years later, when God’s people began to shift their gaze away from Christ, a man named Philip Spener recognized it, too.
By God’s grace, Spener took action. Believing that revival begins with a personal love and devotion to Christ, he preached the whole counsel of God and called for repentance.
Many heard his message, were born again, and experienced transformed lives, leading to a revival now known as the Pietistic Movement. This movement emphasized holy living that flowed from a deeply personal relationship with Christ.
Because of this emphasis, hymn writing began to reflect a more personal tone, incorporating words like “I,” “my,” and “me” rather than “we,” “ours,” and “us.” Johann Schutz, an attorney and Bible study leader in Spener’s congregation, embodied this more personal style of hymn writing beautifully.
His hymn, Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, primarily focuses on praising God for His wonderful attributes, but it also includes personal pronouns like “me” and “I.” Today, many of our hymns incorporate both the congregational “we” and the singular “I,” reminding us that each of us must have a personal relationship with Christ before we can truly praise Him with joy in “the great congregation” (Psalm 35:18).
How fitting that the tune for this hymn is called Mit Freuden Zart, which means “with tender joy” in German.
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Read & Relate
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
Johann Jakob Schutz (1675); Translator: Frances Elizabeth Cox (1864)
Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation.
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul He fills,
And every faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory!
Ps. 47:8; Rom. 1:20; 1 John 4:8; Isa. 12:2; Ps. 30:2; 2 Thess 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:17
What God's almighty power hath made
His gracious mercy keepeth,
By morning glow or evening shade
His watchful eye ne'er sleepeth.
Within the kingdom of His might,
Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory!Â
Job 12:10; Acts 17:28; Ps. 121:4; Ps. 9:7; 2 Cor. 1:3
The Lord is never far away,
But, through all grief distressing,
An ever-present help and stay,
Our peace and joy and blessing;
As with a mother's tender hand
He leads His own, His chosen band:
To God all praise and glory!
Ps. 145:18; Ps. 46:1; Heb. 13:5; Isa. 26:3; Isa. 66:13; 1 Chron. 29:11
Thus all my toilsome way along
I sing aloud His praises,
That all may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises;
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart!
Both soul and body bear your part:
To God all praise and glory!
Hab. 3:17-18; Ps. 66:8; Phil. 4:4; Ps. 84:2; Rev. 5:13
