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Saturday, October 12, 2013

Same song....different post


Same song....different post

      "O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us, But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation Of honor, and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord!

Tie in a living tether The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together, Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation, A single sword to thee. Amen."

- O God of Earth and Altar, Hymn 521 in the Anglican Hymnal. Lyrics by by G. K. Chesterton (1906.) In England, this hymn is most commonly sung set to a tune from Gustav Holst's The Planets. In modern times, it is perhaps best remembered as being sung at the funeral of Princess Diana. It is also a favorite at a well-known American Redoubt church and college, in Moscow, Idaho, sung to a different tune.

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