Scripture Verse

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. James 1:17

Introduction

portrait
John Dykes (1823–1876)

Words: Os­bert W. Warm­ing­ham, 1929, alt. Ap­peared in The New Hym­nal for Am­eri­can Youth,ed­it­ed by H. Au­gus­tine Smith (New York, & Lon­don: D. Ap­ple­ton-Cen­tu­ry, 1930), numb­er 64.

Music: Alms­giv­ing (Dykes) John B. Dykes, in the mu­sic­al edi­tion of The Ho­ly Year, 1865 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Osbert Warmingham
(1885–1970)

Lyrics

Spirit of God, for ev­ery good
Granted in sac­ra­ment­al mood,
We raise our song of gra­ti­tude—
Alleluia.

For wood­ed hills in ver­dure dressed,
For jew­eled wa­ters, wind ca­ressed,
For am­ple skies with glo­ries stressed—
Alleluia.

For beau­ty’s be­ne­dict­ive moods,
For friends­hip’s pure bea­ti­tudes,
For truth’s eter­nal rec­ti­tudes—
Alleluia.

For child­hood’s lur­ing po­ten­cies,
For youth’s in­vi­go­ra­ting dreams,
For man­hood’s full­er pro­phe­cies—
Alleluia.

And for Thy­self, O Spir­it Lord,
Creative Truth and Liv­ing Word,
We sing to­day in deep ac­cord—
Alleluia.