What a week! January 20, 2025

What an incredible week. Hostages were released to the arms of their family and country. Donald J. Trump is inaugurated for a 2nd term with hundreds of orders ready to go. Martin Luther King, Jr. is honored with a national holiday. Common sense makes an historic return to our capital.

The hymn I read this morning from Magnificat, January 2025, does not seem to have a title except Church--Worship--Morning (1958 Red Service Book and Hymnal, p 202)

"All praise to thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept:
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
Disperse my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with thyself my spirit fill." (Verses 3 & 4)

Good thoughts for anyone, but especially those taking on this heavy burden of wars, border invasion, inflation, devastation by fire in California and floods in North Carolina, dysfunctional government bureaucracy, party loyalties, divided families.

Verse 6 of this hymnal version (poem) is the "Doxology," so familiar to many Christians, and sung every Sunday by millions. If you ever need to sing a group hymn and don't know all the words, use this one--everyone knows the final verse. It was written by an Anglican Bishop, Thomas Ken. Bishop Ken had a great singing voice and used it to speak out against corruption in the British monarchy. He even spent some time in the Tower of London for treason. He wrote many volumes of poetry. This hymn is most often sung to the tune of "Old Hundredth" (for Ps. 100).