All Creatures of Our God and King

All Creatures of Our God and King
Story \| Bible Verse \| Desktop Background
Date: Author: Music:	1225 Francis of Assisi Ralph Vaughan Williams
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! Refrain O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou rushing wind that art so strong Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice, Ye lights of evening, find a voice! Refrain Thou flowing water, pure and clear, Make music for thy Lord to hear, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou fire so masterful and bright, That givest man both warmth and light. Refrain Dear mother earth, who day by day Unfoldest blessings on our way, O praise Him! Alleluia! The flowers and fruits that in thee grow, Let them His glory also show. Refrain And all ye men of tender heart, Forgiving others, take your part, O sing ye! Alleluia! Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, Praise God and on Him cast your care! Refrain And thou most kind and gentle Death, Waiting to hush our latest breath, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou leadest home the child of God, And Christ our Lord the way hath trod. Refrain Let all things their Creator bless, And worship Him in humbleness, O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, And praise the Spirit, Three in One! Refrain Story: From the grateful heart of a devoted Italian monk in the year of 1225 came this beautiful message. As a great lover of nature, Saint Francis of Assisi saw the hand of God in all creation. He demonstrated through his own life all the tender, humble, forgiving spirit and absolute trust in God that his hymn urges others to have. At the age of 25, St. Francis left an indulgent fife as a soldier, renounced his inherited wealth, and determined to live meagerly and to imitate the selfless life of Christ. Throughout his life Saint Francis appreciated the importance of church music and encouraged singing in his monastery. He wrote more than 60 hymns for this purpose. The beautiful expressions of praise in All Creatures of Our God and King have endured throughout the centuries. Bible Verses Psalm 69:34 - Let Heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and all that move in them. Desktop Backgrounds (Click on picture to view full-size)