Wedding Hymns

350 O God of love, to thee we bow

O God of love, to thee we bow,
and pray for these before thee now,
that closely knit in holy vow,
they may in thee be one.

Whatever comes to be their share
of quickening joy or burdening care,
in power to do and grace to bear,
may they in thee be one.

Eternal love, with them abide;
through change and chance be thou their guide,
let nothing in this life divide
those whom thou makest one.

351 May the grace of Christ our Savior

May the grace of Christ our Savior,
and the Father's boundless love,
with the Holy Spirit's favor,
rest upon them from above.

Thus may they abide in union
with each other and the Lord,
and possess, in sweet communion,
joys which earth cannot afford.

352 O God, to those who here profess

O God, to those who here profess their vows of life-long love,
grant joy and peace; their marriage bless with gladness from above.

Christ, grant that neither grief nor place nor life nor death may part
those who, enjoying your sweet grace, in you are one in heart.

Spirit of God, whom we adore: preserve, protect, defend,
increase, rekindle, and restore their love till life shall end.

353 Your love, O God, has called us here

Your love, O God, has called us here,
for all love finds its source in you,
the perfect love that cast out fear,
the love that Christ makes ever new.

O gracious God, you consecrate
all that is lovely, good, and true.
Bless those who in your presence wait
and every day their love renew.

O God of love, in spire our life,
reveal your will in all we do;
join every husband, every wife
in mutual love and love for you.

482 Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy

Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever childlike, no cares can destroy,
Be there at our waking, and give us, we pray,
Your bliss in our hearts, Lord, at the break of the day.

Lord of all eagerness, Lord of all faith,
Whose strong hands were skilled at the plane and the lathe,
Be there at our labors, and give us, we pray,
Your strength in our hearts, Lord at the noon of the day.

Lord of all kindliness, Lord of all grace,
Your hands swift to welcome, your arms to embrace,
Be there at our homing, and give us, we pray,
Your love in our hearts, Lord, at the eve of the day.

Lord of all gentleness, Lord of all calm,
Whose voice is contentment, whose presence is balm,
Be there at our sleeping, and give us, we pray,
Your peace in our hearts, Lord, at the end of the day.

657 Love divine, all loves excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling, all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.

Come, almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never, never mre thy temples leave.
Thee we would be alway blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

214 O perfect Love

O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne,
that theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
whom thou forevermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance,
of tender charity and steadfast faith,
of patient hope and quiet, brave endurance,
with childlike trust that fears nor pain nor death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife,
and to life's day the glorious unknown morrow
that dawns upon eternal love and life.

360 Immortal love, forever full

Immortal love, forever full, forever flowing free,
forever shared, forever whole, a never ebbing sea!

Our outward lips confess the name all other names above;
love only knoweth whence it came, and comprehendeth love.

We may not climb the heavenly steeps to bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps, for him no depths can drown.

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet, a present help is he;
and faith still has its Olivet, and love its Galilee.

The healing of his seamless dress is by our beds of pain;
we touch him in life's throng and press, and we are whole again.

Through him the first fond prayers are said our lips of childhood frame,
the last low whispers of our dead are burdened with his Name.

O Lord and Master of us all, whate'er our name or sign,
we own thy sway, we hear thy call, we test our lives by thine.