Thou Who Roll'st the Year Around
Thou who roll'st the year around
This hymn expresses trust in God's eternal governance of time and seasons, reflecting Lutheran confidence in divine providence and the sovereignty of God over human existence. It encourages meditation on mortality and the need for wisdom—key themes in Lutheran catechesis—while directing the believer toward repentance and godly living.
History & Background
Isaac Watts composed this hymn as part of his extensive hymnody work in the early 18th century, addressing the theme of God's eternal nature contrasted with human temporality. The hymn appeared in Watts' Psalms of David (1719) and has been widely used in Lutheran hymnals, particularly TLH (1941).
Hymnal Appearances
- Lutheran Worship — 34
- The Lutheran Hymnal — 111
Bulletin Note
Isaac Watts (1674–1748) wrote this meditation on divine sovereignty and human brevity in 1719. It has long served the Church on New Year and the Sunday following, anchoring the passage of time in God's unchanging rule.
Preaching Connection
This hymn crystallizes the Law's confrontation with human mortality and the Gospel's response: that eternal mercies sustain us through time's passage, inviting renewed petition for God's guidance in our numbered days.
Stanza Arc
The narrative or theological arc traced by this tune's stanzas: From human vulnerability and seeking aid (Law) to divine vigilance and protection (Gospel); movement from question to assurance
Themes
God's providence and sovereignty passing of time and mortality wisdom and petition for divine guidance dependence on God's grace