San Francisco Central Seventh-day Adventist Church

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8 We Gather Together

Today we sing for our Hymn of Praise, the traditional Dutch hymn, We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's Blessing. It was written about 1625, during the struggles between the Protestant Netherlands and the Catholic kingdom of Spain that had conquered them. The hymn is based on Hebrews 13:6 - The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me!

The tune, KREMSER, was written by Eduard Kremser, a Viennese director of a male-voice choir: he adapted a Dutch folk tune transcribed by Adrian Valerius in 1626.

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our defender wilt be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!