Sing to the Lord of Harvest
Sing to the Lord of harvest
The hymn expresses Lutheran confidence in God's providential care for creation and gratitude for divine blessing. It reflects the Third Article of the Creed regarding God's sustaining work and calls the faithful to joyful stewardship of the created order.
History & Background
Written by John Alden Carpenter in 1961 for harvest and thanksgiving worship. The text has become a standard harvest hymn in Lutheran hymnals since its composition.
In simple, vivid language derived from biblical images in the Scripture References second half of Psalm 65, this text thanks the Lord for the harvest all st. = Ps. 65:9-13 (st. 1-2) and offers to God the harvest of our lives (st. 3). Written byJohn S. B. Monsell in four stanzas, this text was published in Monsell’s Hymns ofLove and Praise in 1866. John Samuel Bewley Monsell (b. St. Golomb’s, Londonderry, Ireland, 1811; d. Guilford, Surrey, England, 1875) was educated at Trinity College in Dublin and served as a chaplain and rector of several churches in Ireland after his ordination in 1835. Transferred to England in 1853, he became rector of Egham in Surrey and was rector of St. Nicholas Church in Guilford from 1870 until his death (caused by a construction accident at his church). A prolific poet, Monsell published his verse in eleven volumes. His three hundred hymns, many celebrating the seasons of the church year, were issued in collections such as Hymns and Miscellaneous Poems (1837), Spiritual Songs (1857), Hymns ofLove and Praise (1863), and The Parish Hymnal (1873).
Hymnal Appearances
- Chalice Hymnal — 718
- Evangelical Lutheran Worship — 710
- Lutheran Book of Worship — 412
- Lutheran Service Book — 893
- Lutheran Worship — 493
- New Century Hymnal — 518
- Psalter Hymnal — 458
- United Methodist Hymnal — 694
Liturgical Use
Harvest thanksgiving and similar services; offertory hymn; hymn of dedication; stanza 3 is fitting for dedication of our gifts and our whole lives for kingdom service/missions.
Bulletin Note
Composed by John Alden Carpenter in 1961, this hymn to the tune 'Nun Danket' expresses Lutheran confidence in God's providential care and calls the faithful to joyful stewardship of creation.
Preaching Connection
This hymn anchors the Third Article of the Creed in concrete gratitude, moving from the Gospel of God's sustaining grace to the ethical call for stewardship—a bridge between what God gives and how we live.
Catechism & Confessional Connections
- The Fourth Petition Small Catechism — The Lord's Prayer
Themes
Gratitude and thanksgiving God's providence and blessing Creation stewardship Joyful praise Harvest and abundance