Glad Adoration
On Sunday we’re singing the hymn ‘Praise to the Lord, the Almighty’, a song I’ve known since childhood. Do you know it? It’s a rich Psalm soaked hymn (especially Psalms 103 and 146-150). As I prepared for the service this week, I looked into the story behind the song and found it really encouraging. I hope you do, too. Take a few minutes to read the story and lyrics before Sunday, and come ready to “…join in glad adoration”.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (an article by John Gardner)
Joachim Neander (1650-1680) lived a short and turbulent life in Bremen, a town in northwest Germany. One day, as a 21-year-old student of Latin and poetry, Neander went with two friends to a local church service seeking to mock and criticize its new pastor. Instead, after hearing the preaching of the Gospel, Neander was converted to Christianity and devoted his life to the study of theology.
His prior education came in handy as well! He became Rector of the Latin school in Düsseldorf, a classical academy affiliated with the German Reformed Church. His poetic gifts were put to use in his composition of over 60 hymns before his tragic death from tuberculosis at age 30. Like many of his hymns, his most famous composition, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,” was inspired by his love of the beautiful Neander Valley (named after his family) in which he lived. The majesty he saw in creation evoked praise of its majestic Creator!
Interestingly, nearly two centuries after Neander’s death, skeletal remains were discovered in the valley which bears his name. As the German word for “valley” or “dale” is tal or thal, these remains became known as the “Neanderthal man.” For decades, the Neanderthal was heralded as a vital “missing link” in human evolution, thanks to an archaeologist’s use of carbon dating to conveniently place these remains into the period in history in which Darwin’s theory of evolution required an example of a hereditary link between apes and modern man in order to “prove” its validity. Despite the fact that this archaeologist and his methods were demonstrated to be fraudulent — leading to his resignation in disgrace in 2005—many science textbooks continue to sensationalize the Neanderthal Man as a human ancestor and a proof of macroevolution. In reality, these bones were simply and fully human.
How ironic that Neander’s name has come to be linked with a theory which stubbornly seeks to discredit the God of Creation, rather than as a man who deeply loved his Creator and all that He has made. As we listen to and sing this beautiful hymn, may we always give “praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation,” celebrating and thanking him for all his marvelous works.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (lyrics)
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
Oh, my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear: now to His temple draw near,
Join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee!
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with His love He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath: come now with praises before Him!
Let the amen sound from His people again!
Gladly forever adore Him.
