Verse 1
OUR Father, by whose servants Our house was built of old, Whose hand hath crowned her children With blessing manifold, For thine unfailing mercies Far-strewn along our way, With all who passed before us, We praise Thy Name to-day.
Verse 2
The changeful years unresting Their silent course have sped, New comrades ever bringing In comrades’ steps to tread; And some are long forgotten, Long spent their hopes and fears; Safe rest they in thy keeping, Who changest not with years.
Verse 3
They reap not where they labored; We reap what they have sown; Our harvest may be garnered By ages yet unknown. The days of old have dowered us With gifts beyond all praise; Our Father, make us faithful To serve the coming days.
Verse 4
Before us and beside us, Still holden in thine hand A cloud unseen of witness, Our elder comrades stand: One family unbroken, We join, with one acclaim, One heart, one voice uplifting, To glorify Thy Name.
Background: Our Father By Whose Servants Our House
The phrase you've quoted, "Our father by whose servants our house hymn," is very close to lines from the hymn **"O Holy City, Seen of God"** (sometimes known as "O Holy City, Seen of John" or "O Holy City, Seen of God, And Where His People Stand").
Here's the history and context:
1. **Author:** The hymn was written by **Walter Russell Bowie** (1881-1969).
2. **Date:** It was written in **1909**.
3. **Original Context:** Bowie was an American Episcopalian priest and later a professor of homiletics. He wrote this hymn for the dedication of a new building for St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Virginia, where he served.
4. **Meaning of the Lines:** The hymn is a powerful affirmation of the Church (the "Holy City") as a living, growing community built and sustained by God's grace, working through His people.
The first stanza, which contains the essence of your phrase, often reads:
"O Holy City, seen of God,
And where His people stand,
**By whose rich grace, and through whose Word,**
**Our house, our work, our daily bread,**
**Our servants, and our sacred dead,**
**Are held within Thy hand.**"
While your exact wording ("by whose servants our house hymn") isn't a direct quote, it perfectly captures the spirit and theological thrust of the hymn:
* **"Our father"**: Refers to God, the divine source and sustainer.
* **"by whose servants"**: Points to God's people (the congregation, clergy, all who serve) through whom His work is done and His church is built.
* **"our house"**: Symbolizes the church building, the community of faith, the spiritual home.
* **"hymn"**: Represents the act of worship, praise, and collective spiritual expression within that "house." The hymn itself is a form of worship that takes place in the "house" through the "servants."
The hymn celebrates the enduring nature of the Church, not just as a physical structure, but as a living body of believers across generations, all held in God's hand and working for His glory. It's often used for church anniversaries, dedications, or general themes of the Church's mission and community.
Contents is generator by AI and may contain errors
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