The 250th Celebration of America: Highlighting Her Hymns of Praise
Jun 24
Hymn #1: My Country ‘Tis of Thee
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen as His heritage!
Psalm 33:12, ESV
The lyrics of My Country ’Tis of Thee were written by Samuel Francis Smith in 1831. At the request of the musical composer, Lowell Mason, he wanted Smith to change the words to the British anthem, God Save the King, but keep the tune. My Country ‘Tis of Thee was performed for the first time on July 4th, 1831. It remained as one of several of America’s national anthems until the adoption of The Star-Spangled Banner in 1931. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
I’ve sung, accompanied, and conducted My Country ‘Tis of Thee countless times in church, school, and in community settings. My absolute favorite arrangement was a choral piece we performed in high school under the direction of Frances Maddox. We had to memorize every piece we ever performed, and this one was no different. The lyrics were adorned with a genius score. Each time I accompanied or sang with the choir, I felt like taking flight by the time we finished the last verse. It stirred something deep in the well of my soul and left a lasting impression on my heart.
Recently, I’ve come across another arrangement of this great patriotic hymn performed by Millennial Choirs & Orchestras. I not only had chills listening to this massive choir of all ages, but also tears. The last verse is highlighted, which brings the hymn to its climax and dramatic ending—Amen! The conductor is even caught up in the majesty of it all as he waves his baton and mouths the words through each exaggerated motion.
My heart swelled like a breeze while their voices rang out, Great God our King! As the last verse masterfully transitions from describing “thee” (America) to addressing “Thee”, our God, it offers a sobering prayer: Long may our land be bright with freedom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King.
By the end of the performance, I was worshipping, filled with overwhelming gratitude.
American patriotism extends an invitation for the Church to worship Jesus Christ, our King of kings and Lord of lords. With the unifying gift of music through the Holy Spirit, we all can come together with humble hearts and genuine praise before the throne of God. Who, in His sovereignty ordained the miracle of America.
Do you remember the last time you sang this hymn? Have your children ever sung these words? Does your church include this hymn at any time during the year? If so, allow your heart to lean in closer to the lyrics next time. And if you answered “No,” maybe it’s time to ask, “Why not?”
For the 250th celebration of America, let’s return to the stirring up of our souls in worship unto God with America’s hymns of praise, grateful for the freedom to live out our faith in Jesus in this great land.
Happy birthday, America!
Click the link to listen to the Millennial Choirs & Orchestras excerpt of verse 4.
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My Country ‘Tis of Thee
My country, 'tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty,
of thee I sing:
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside
let freedom ring!
My native country, thee,
land of the noble free,
thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills
like that above.
Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees
sweet freedom's song:
let mortal tongues awake,
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break,
the sound prolong.
Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our king.
Words: Samuel Francis Smith, 1808-1895
Music: Thesaurus Musicus, 1744