CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST
January 16, 2005
LIFTING UP TO GOD:
Our congregation Various friends, relatives and co-workers
David and Leon in the Navy Our nation, military and leaders
Our college students
NOW THANK WE ALL OUR GOD
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4).
Songs are composed for many reasons. Some are inspired by poems and events. Others just come to mind to the song writer. For instance, Amazing Grace was written by John Newton reflecting on his life as a slave trader and his becoming a Christian. It Is Well With My Soul was written after a family tragedy. Historical events prompt some songs. Such is the case with this song, Now Thank We All Our God. We have two tunes in our songbook (#457, 458). It is usually sung around Thanksgiving reflecting our thanks to God for His blessings.
The background of the song is anything but thanksgiving. One writer said that Martin Rinkart, the author, was “either incredibly foolish or wonderfully important” in composing the song (Jill Caranttini in Weighted Praise, from RZIM, 11/23/04). Martin Rinkart was a German pastor. He lived during and through the Thirty Years’ War in Europe. It is said that he “buried nearly five thousand fellow citizens and parishioners in one year, including his young wife.” He conducted as many as fifty funerals a day and the church where he preached was ravaged by war, plague, famine, and economic disaster. During this one horrible year of many he sat down with his children for an evening meal and composed what became this song.
Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices;
Who wondrous things hath done, In Whom His world rejoices.
Who, from our mother’s arms, Hath led us on our way
With countless gifts of love And still is ours today.
In the midst of all the suffering that he and his children saw, he wrote of thanksgiving in the blessings of God. He reminds us of the wondrous things God has done, typical of the Psalms especially. The Psalmists often reminded themselves and others of the miracles of deliverance that God did for His people. We can recall the Exodus, the fall of Jericho, and the defeat of hostile and overwhelming armies. But more than that, in the midst of suffering God continues to lead with His great love. This reminds us of Lamentation 3:22-24. “The steadfast of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.” That was said by Jeremiah in the midst of loss and pain.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us still in grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next.
One might think that Rinkart has cracked up. Or one might think he is desperate to comfort his children, which may be true. When we think of this we recall Paul’s words. Rejoice always (Philippians 4:4). Rejoice in suffering (Romans 5:5). How can anyone say that? First, God gives us a peace that passes all understand (Philippians 4:6-7). That peace leads us to look beyond the present world with its momentary difficulties to an eternal future in the presence of God (see 2 Corinthians 4:16). We have a confident expectation of the future, which we call hope, that God will deliver us from the suffering, pain and anguish we now face. With this in mind, we can thank God in the midst of horror. That does require preparation, a knowledge of and relationship with God that turns into trust in the Almighty. It comes through study, experience, and sharing among God’s people.
Martin Rinkart added a third stanza. Made into a powerful hymn, it was sung at the end of the war.
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest heaven;
The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven alone;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
It is God who reigns. We often forget that in the midst of suffering. God rules. That was the message God gave to Job. When Job understood that, he was comforted in his dust and ashes (see Job 42:6). He could then live with his situation. A simple prayer of grace is turned into a powerful song of thanksgiving.
We haven’t faced such horror that Rinkart faced. Even the recent tsunami is still far off from our experience. Yet in other ways we have suffered. It might have been a death in the family, or disease, or some type of loss. In the midst of that can we be thankful knowing that God continues to be merciful? Will we recognize that God still reigns in the midst of pain and suffering? The book of Revelation answers that question. Paul writes that we are to be thankful in all circumstances. When our schedule is thrown off, or we have a “hard” day at work, or the traffic is at a stand still, can we be thankful? Maybe we need to learn this song and keep in mind the background when we sing it.
George B. Mearns