All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voices, let us sing:
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beams,
u silver moon that gently gleams,
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 morn, in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
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:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
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:
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Words by St. Francis of Assisi, ca. 1225
Music by Peter von Brachel, 1623
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
“Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”
Psalm 19:1 – 4
“When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:
“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”
“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
Luke 19:37 – 40
There is nothing like singing in worship with other. Whether it is Sunday morning or sitting around a campfire. I had the opportunity a few years back to attend a Christian event at Soldier Field. That was quite an experience to sing in worship with more that 50,000 other people. But that is why we are here, to glorify God. We read in 1 Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” And Colossians 1:6 tells us “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” And additionally in Isaiah 43:6-7 God says, “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” We were created to glorify God.
But we are not the only ones created to glorify God. This is what all of creation does. Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” And Psalm 19:1 declares, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Nature glorifies God through its very being, and we are no different.
He concludes his writing by declaring that our worship is to the whole Godhead, that is the Trinity (Matthew 28:19) when he writes, “Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, Three in One.” It is worship of God is His entirety.
So St. Francis calls us to truly glorify God, when he write “All creatures of our God and King, Lift up your voices, let us sing.” So let us join with all creation, declaring the Glory of God.
Read more about “All Creatures Of Our God And King.”
Bonus video version by Fernando Ortega