Father We Praise You Now the Night is Over
Father, we praise you, now the night is over
As a morning hymn, it embodies the Lutheran practice of consecrating daily work to God and seeking His blessing and protection. It connects the night's rest to God's sustaining grace and the day's labors to Christian vocation.
History & Background
This Latin morning hymn originated in the early medieval church, likely used in monastic offices. Henry Baker's English translation appeared in the 1854 Hymnal Noted, becoming standard in Lutheran and Anglican hymnals.
Hymnal Appearances
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 568
- The Hymnal 1982 — 1
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 267
- Lutheran Service Book — 875
- Lutheran Worship — 482
Translation
Bulletin Note
A Latin morning hymn from the sixth century, this text embodies monastic tradition of consecrating daily hours to God. It anchors the Reformation's doctrine of vocation: all honest work glorifies the Creator.
Preaching Connection
This hymn transforms the Law's demand that we work into Gospel freedom: our labor is not burden but blessing, sustained by the God who neither sleeps nor abandons us.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: Trinitarian invocation moving from individual divine attributes (mercy, redemption, comfort) to unified corporate worship, culminating in doxological affirmation of eternal divine constancy
Themes
Morning praise Divine protection Thanksgiving for rest Petition for guidance Daily consecration