Musical Notes

Hello OCBC family,
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts! Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” (Psalm 148:1-4).

About this psalm, we don’t know who the author is or when it was written, but we know that the Holy Spirit, the real author of the psalm, is encouraging us to praise the Lord, not just to us, humans, but for the whole creation.

This psalm is the base for a very popular and very familiar hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” The author of this hymn is Francis of Assisi. We know that he was born in 1182 in central Italy, son of a rich merchant. He received some education, but he joined the army and was captured in war. After his release, he became Christian, and his desire was to preach the gospel, to every creature. Here is where legends and fiction started. Some people say that he took this commandment very seriously and literally, that he even preached to birds on the field.

“All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Before his death in 1225, he wrote a hymn called, “Cantico di fratre sole” – “Song of Brother Sun.” This hymn exhorts all creation to worship God. The sun, the moon, the birds, the whole earth, the man, must praise God the Creator.

The first English version that we have is from William H. Draper in 1919. He translated this hymn to be used in a children’s festival for Pentecost Sunday, fifty days after Easter Sunday.

Some people might say that Francis of Assisi was a catholic man, and it is true, but because of his life, his service, his ministry, and his desire to serve and love the Lord, Francis could be an evangelical Christian in our time.
The last stanza has a deep theological true; the God that we praise is a Triune God.

“Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humble-ness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!”
Halleluiah! Praise the LORD!
​
In His service,
Israel