God has an amazing palette of colors at His disposal in nature, doesn’t He? White and pink dogwoods, lime green citrus leaves, brilliant yellow marigolds, multi-colored zinnias, bright red roses, stunning pink azaleas, shockingly blue hydrangeas, not to mention the white snows piled up on spruce branches. But now in the fall, He brings out every color in the rainbow as He paints the fall leaves of aspens, oaks, birch, and especially the glorious orange/red sugar maples. And it’s not only the colors on the hills. It’s also the amazing variety and interdependence of animal life through the forests. On and on we could go.
Christians, more than any other people, should find joy in singing of this magnificence since we know the Creator personally, not only as our Maker but even more wonderfully as our Redeemer. Most hymnals have a section on “Creation” that includes such hymns as “I Sing the Almighty Power of God,” “For the Beauty of the Earth,” “This Is My Father’s World,” and “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah” (Psalm 148). Here’s one that you may not know as well: “God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory” (number 122 in the “red” Trinity Hymnal).
It was written in 1960 by David Clowney when he was just sixteen years old! His father, Edmund Clowney, was for many years president of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. This seminary was founded in 1929 by such men as J. Gresham Machen as the continuation of the legacy of Princeton Seminary after that school capitulated to “modernism.” It continues today as one of the best schools for studying classical reformed theology and pastoral leadership.
The elder Clowney did an excellent job of training his son! In fact, the senior Clowney was commissioned to write several new hymn texts for the “red” Trinity Hymnal, including one for infant baptism (419, “In Your Arms, Lord Jesus Christ”), one for diaconal mercy ministry (596, “You Came to Us, Dear Jesus”), and a setting of Psalm 18 to be sung to the chorale tune from Saint-Saëns famous organ symphony (620, “O Lord, I Love You, My Shield, My Tower”). And his wife, Jean, served on the hymnal revision committee.
David’s hymn text quickly became popular through inclusion in an early paperback songbook printed by and used widely in Inter Varsity campus groups. His hymn begins with the glory of God’s creation (including the creation of man in God’s image), but then proceeds to man’s sin, salvation, and his glorious praise of God through all eternity. It captures not only the glory of God in creation’s beauty and design, but also His glory in the restoration work underway after mankind’s sin has so distorted the grandeur of God’s handiwork, included the anticipation of the ultimate perfection in the new creation.
We sing it to the tune most often associated with the hymn “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.” That music comes from Beethoven’s enormous Ninth (“Choral”) Symphony. In the final movement, Beethoven used a text from the German Enlightenment poet, Friedrich Schiller. Its title, “Ode to Joy,” became the name for the music drawn from the symphony and set as a hymn tune. Schiller’s text has nothing at all to do with Christian theology. It is at the very least deistic, if not actually pantheistic.
The hymn text, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” was written in 1907 by Henry van Dyke while serving as a professor of English literature at Princeton University. At the height of classical “Old Liberalism” (believing in the goodness of man) he sided with “Modernists” (like Harry Emerson Fosdick) in their controversy with “Fundamentalists” (like Benjamin Warfield) over such things as the virgin birth and biblical inspiration. When he wrote in stanza 3, “Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are Thine,” he was espousing a form of universalism (and moralism) that believes everyone will be saved simply by living a life of love. And when he wrote in stanza 4, “Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man,” he was expressing the common conviction among modernists of the universal fatherhood of God, the universal brotherhood of man, and the inherent goodness (not sinfulness) of human nature. Such theology leaves us with no need of a Savior to redeem us from our sin; simply an example for us to follow in good works.
For those reasons, many find it impossible to sing van Dyke’s hymn. David Clowney’s hymn “rescues” the wonderful music by giving us a marvelous text that is devotionally uplifting as well as theologically acceptable.
In stanza 1, we sing of the magnificence all around us. And we acknowledge that all creation, even inanimate objects and creatures, as well as seasons (like fall) sing the praise of their Creator, a common theme in the Psalms.
God, all nature sings Thy glory, and Thy works proclaim Thy might;
Ordered vastness in the heavens, ordered course of day and night;
Beauty in the changing seasons, beauty in the storming sea;
All the changing moods of nature praise the changeless Trinity.
In stanza 2, we move from “General Revelation” in creation to look at man, made in God’s image and assigned to rule over creation. Clowney acknowledges that it is from Gods hand that we have such creative gifts as music, art, and gardening.
Clearer still we see Thy hand in man whom Thou hast made for Thee;
Ruler of creation’s glory, image of Thy majesty.
Music, art, the fruitful garden, all the labor of his days,
Are the calling of his Maker to the harvest feast of praise.
In stanza 3, we face the sad reality that God’s creation has been spoiled by the sin that now infects not only the human heart, but even nature itself. While we deserve God’s wrath, He holds out to us the hope of salvation through faith in the shed blood of Jesus.
But our sins have spoiled Thine image; nature, conscience only serve
As unceasing, grim reminders of the wrath which we deserve.
Yet Thy grace and saving mercy in Thy Word of truth revealed
Claim the praise of all who know Thee, in the blood of Jesus sealed.
In stanza 4, we have a marvelous climax, that having been redeemed and promised a new creation, we join our voices with all creation to adore this God of glory, power, and mercy, and we will continue to do so for all eternity. It is for this that we were created!
God of glory, power, mercy, all creation praises Thee;
We, Thy creatures, would adore Thee now and through eternity.
Saved to magnify Thy goodness, grant us strength to do Thy will;
With our acts as with our voices Thy commandments to fulfill.”