All Praise to You O Lord
All praise to you, O Lord
This hymn expresses Lutheran understanding of sola gratia through ascribing all glory to God alone and declaring Christ as mediator of divine peace. It reflects the reformational emphasis on Christocentric worship and the proclamation of the Gospel through congregational song.
History & Background
Luther's Gloria in excelsis paraphrase composed in 1524 for congregational singing during the Reformation. Published in early Lutheran hymnals as a central song of Protestant praise.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 385
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 78
- Lutheran Service Book — 816
- Lutheran Worship — 40
- With One Voice — 651
Translation
Bulletin Note
Martin Luther penned this hymn in 1524, grounding congregational worship in the reformational conviction that praise belongs to God alone. The sturdy tune ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HOH carries this message through centuries of faithful singing.
Preaching Connection
This hymn embodies Luther's sola gratia by moving from the majesty of God's law to the comfort of Gospel reconciliation—a musical proclamation that all our peace flows from Christ's mediation, not our merit.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- Of Justification Augsburg Confession
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Gloria in excelsis Deo structure: divine praise (1-2), christological redemption (3), pneumatological petition (4). Law→Gospel movement through acknowledgment of human insufficiency to grace received.
Themes
Doxology Praise and adoration Christology Trinity Reformation