Last night I went to sleep singing – not out loud, of course, but I simply could not get a certain worship song out of my head. Even when a noise awakened me in the middle of the night, my mind was singing. I’d like to think my dreams were impacted by the song, but I suppose I’ll never know. I can attest, however, that my morning was most definitely impacted. Shortly after I arose, the familiar melody found its way to my lips, and I caught myself singing, “Wonderful Savior, my heart belongs to Thee…”
What a difference immediate worship was to my usual morning grumblings! My mind began to dwell on things of Lord instead of the annoyances of the world, and it was such an unexpected blessing.
But this concept is nothing new.
Thomas Ken, chaplain of Winchester College in 1674, taught his pupils the value of worship in song from dawn to dusk. Although English hymns had not yet appeared at that time, Ken wrote three hymns for the boys to sing in private to encourage their daily devotional habits.
One hymn was to be sung in the morning, another at bedtime, and the third in the middle of the night if he could not sleep. Each hymn had multiple stanzas, but they all ended with the same:
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
What simple yet profound words the boys were encouraged to sing each morning and night. Undoubtedly their days were impacted greatly by repetition of worshipful acknowledgment of the God from Whom all blessings flow!
How would our lives be different if we began and ended our days with singing? I think I’ll try it again tonight, and I hope you will too.
Greetings from Wordwise Hymns. Thanks for sharing a bit about Thomas Ken’s hymns. He died 300 years ago this March. The words were written at a time when there was no hymn-singing in the established English church (they only used the Psalms). Ironically, the Doxology has become the most sung words of worship ever!
Thanks for that insight Robert! It is very interesting to know where liturgies as a whole were during different points in history when certain songs were penned.