11

We Worship You, Whose Splendor Dwarfs the Cosmos (Psalm 104)

Scripture References

Further Reflections on Scripture References

Refer to Genesis 1 as the background for the perspective in this song.

Romans 1:20 tells us we can expect to see God’s “power and divine nature” revealed to us through the cosmos.

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

While God’s splendor is revealed in his Word, it is also revealed through his creation. Belgic Confession, Article 2, professes that “the creation, preservation and government of the universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book...to make us ponder the invisible things of God: God’s eternal power and divinity...”

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We Worship You, Whose Splendor Dwarfs the Cosmos (Psalm 104)

Words of Praise

Creator God,
we praise you for this world.
As we continue to learn more of the vastness of your cosmos
and the smallest particles of each atom,
we stand in awe that you created all things
in a great harmonious design.
Open our eyes and ears that we may take delight
in the beauty and variety of sky and sea,
of desert and mountain, of plants and flowers,
of birds and fish, of creatures large and small,
and of humankind, the crown of your creation.
We praise you for the world you made, maintain,
and give to us to care for and enjoy. Amen.
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

God who spoke creation into being,
astonishing the angels with galaxies and sunsets,
all your creatures proclaim your majestic power and playful wisdom.
Send forth your renewing Spirit, that we might discover your purpose for us
and live for your glory and delight. Amen.
— Psalms for All Seasons (http://www.psalmsforallseasons.org)
A Prayer of Acclamation
God of glory, you dwell in unapproachable light. You are a holy God, a blazing fire of perfect purity. And yet you are the God of nesting birds and burrowing rabbits. You are the God of 
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
Lord, you make a pink flower from a gray seed,
an ear from a kernel,
a carrot from a seed the size of a pinhead,
an oak tree from an acorn.
You have programmed your soil to provide food for your plants,
wooden trees to make apples, feathered hens to lay eggs,
grass-eating cows to give milk.
And you, grand Creator, you have us take care of your grand creation.
In your mercy, Lord, send rain to water our crops and gardens.
Let your sun shine on our fields so that seeds will produce abundantly,
so that vines and stalks and trees will hang heavy with fruit and grain.
And Lord, let your grace be as rich to our cattle as it is to us;
let it keep our hogs free of disease,
our hens laying eggs, and our cows giving milk.
May our animals be fertile;
may our lambs and calves and pigs frolic in your green pastures
so that even in their play we may see your grace.
Help us to live on your good earth—
preserving and caring for the life and soil you bless,
ever thankful that for our good
you gave your laws of nature and your law of love.
Help us for our good and your glory to see those laws as you see them
and as the psalmist saw them—as good and perfect, pleasant to think about.
And Lord, teach us to share the abundance you have given us,
never gloating in our excess
but always giving our first bushels to feed the hungry in your name.
Enlighten our hearts, Lord,
so that our thank-yous ever rise in a crescendo to your throne.
See and hear us through the blood of your Son, Jesus. Amen.
[Reformed Worship 14:39]
 
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two
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We Worship You, Whose Splendor Dwarfs the Cosmos (Psalm 104)

Tune Information

Name
TIDINGS
Key
B♭ Major
Meter
11.10.11.10 refrain 9.11

Recordings

Musical Suggestion

When singing all the stanzas, the refrain may be sung only after sts. 2, 4, and 6. Odd- and even numbered stanzas may be sung antiphonally by two different groups, with all joining on the refrain. It is intentional that “We Worship You Whose Splendor Dwarfs the Cosmos” (#11) and “O Come, My Soul, Sing Praise to God” are set to the same tune. There is a close connection between these two psalms, which are both framed by the exclamation “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”
— Psalms for All Seasons (http://www.psalmsforallseasons.org)
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We Worship You, Whose Splendor Dwarfs the Cosmos (Psalm 104)

Hymn Story/Background

The tune TIDINGS was first matched with Psalm 103 in the 1912 Psalter, as it was again a century later in Psalms for All Seasons. But in that newer collection and again in Lift Up Your Hearts, Psalm 104 was also set to TIDINGS. Both Psalms 103 and 104 are begin and end with the words “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” 
— Emily Brink
James Walch compsed TIDINGS in 1875 for Frederick W. Faber’s hymn text “Hark, Hark, My Soul! Angelic Songs Are Swelling”; the tune was first published in The Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer (1877). TIDINGS is often associated with Mary A. Thomson’s “O Zion, Haste, Thy Mission High Fulfilling”; in fact, the tune name derives from the word “tidings” in Thomson’s refrain. 
— Bert Polman

Author Information

Martin Leckebusch (b. Leicester, England, 1962) was educated at Oriel College before going on to study Mathematics at Oxford and Numerical Analysis at Brunel University. He and his wife, Jane, have four daughters; their second child, a son, died in 1995. The family live in Gloucester and belong to a Baptist church.
 
Martin’s work in hymnody over the past twenty-five years has resulted in almost 400 hymn texts, of which around half have so far been published by Kevin Mayhew. These include the ever-popular More than Words and Songs of God’s People – books which have cemented his status as a talented and accomplished hymn writer.
 
Martin is keen to see the church equipped for Christian living, and believes that well-crafted and wisely-used contemporary hymns and songs have a vital role to play in that process.
— Kevin Mayhew Publishing (http://www.kevinmayhew.com/)

Composer Information

James Walch (b. Edgerton, Lancashire, England, 1837; d. Llandudno, Caernarvon, Wales, 1901) received a musical education from his father and from the famous organist and organ builder Henry Smart. He served as organist at Duke's Alley Congregational Church (1851-1857), Bridge Street Wesleyan Chapel (1858-1863), and St. George's Parish Church (1863-1877)—all in Bolton, England. He conducted for the Bolton Philharmonic Society from 1870 to 1877 and near the end of his life was a music dealer in Barrow-in-Furness, England. Walch composed a number of hymn tunes and other church music.
— Bert Polman
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