God, Whose Almighty Word

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Instrumental version

1. God, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard
And took their flight:
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And where the Gospel-day
Sheds not its glorious ray,
Let there be light!
Let there be light!

2. Saviour who came to bring,
On your redeeming wing,
Healing and sight,
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind:
Oh, now to all mankind
Let there be light!
Let there be light!

Let there be light!
Dawning today
Give the blind sight
Hear us, we pray

Let there be light!
Let us honour your word
Obey with delight
Christ Jesus, the Lord!

3. Spirit of truth and love,
Life giving, holy Dove,
Speed on your flight;
Move on the water’s face,
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And in earth’s darkest place
Let there be light!
Let there be light!

Let there be light!
Dawning today
Give the blind sight
Hear us, we pray

Let there be light!
Let us honour your word
Obey with delight
Christ Jesus, the Lord!

4. Gracious and holy Three,
Glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, love, might!
Boundless as ocean’s tide,
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the earth, far and wide,
Let there be light!

Words by John Marriott (1780-1825): Praise Version, adapted by David Rowbory.

Score for God Whose Almighty Word
Download PDF Score for God Whose Almighty Word (Rowbory tune)

About this song and the tune

This is a song we have sung quite frequently at The Tron Church, Glasgow, often in Praise! number 158. The interesting metre – 664 66 64 – seems to upset a number of tunes with the short lines bringing things to a halt. It’s such joyous, delightful prayer in verse about God and the way he reveals himself to us that I felt a more obviously upbeat and exciting tune was warranted. The refrain I added from the subject matter of the verses, and it seems to work best with 2 refrains after verses 2 and 3. The main tricky feature for congregational singing is going to be getting everyone to wrap up properly with the tune descending NOT repeating the final line, as at the end of verses 1, 2 and 3.

If this tune enables you to rush through the whole song too quickly, maybe singing it twice is in order, so you still have time to consider the weight of the words without recourse to a dirge-like pace.