now thank we all our God

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms, hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is our today.
 
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills in this world and the next.
 
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns with them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God, whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
 
                                                                        Martin Rinkart, 1636
 
 
I wonder if it is only coincidence that Thanksgiving and Christmas are so close together. In fact, some years we may object to how quickly we move from one to the next. The holiday called Thanksgiving is hardly finished – and we gather for worship only to discover that it is already the First Sunday of Advent.
 
On the other hand, what could be a better entry point for Advent? A thankful heart is perfect preparation for this season when we celebrate God’s most wonderful gift. Gratitude will surely be our response at the end of the season – but gratitude is a great way to begin the season as well.
 
I’m told that there are at least 138 specific Bible passages that deal with the giving of thanks.  Some of them are boldly worded. “In EVERYTHING give thanks!” Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
 
And Pastor Martin Rinkart took Paul at his word.
 
The hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God,” was written by Pastor Martin in 1636. He was a Lutheran pastor in a small town in Saxony. He began his ministry at the very beginning of the Thirty Years’ War.  It was a desperate time – a time of plague, famine, fear, and death. 
 
Hundreds of homes were destroyed and lives were shattered. Eventually, the pastors themselves became ill and died – and Pastor Martin was the only minister left in the entire town. It is said that some days he conducted as many as fifty funerals. Imagine that: fifty funerals in a single day!
 
Over time, the suffering lessened – and Pastor Martin wrote this hymn, a hymn of thanksgiving.  Today, this hymn is especially loved in Europe and is sung with the same affection that we might sing the “Doxology.” It is clearly a Thanksgiving hymn – and it is a perfect attitude for Christmas!
 
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done, in Whom this world rejoices!