924

Come, All You Servants of the Lord

Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

To leave the security of worship and enter the world for service requires firm confidence in the faithful promises of God to be with us, to care for us and bless us. Our deepest assurance comes from the comfort we have that “I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Question and Answer 1). Because I belong to him, “he will provide whatever I need for body and soul, and will turn to my good whatever adversity he sends upon me in this sad world. God is able to do this because he is almighty God and desires to do this because he is a faithful Father” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 9, Question and Answer 26). We have the assurance that “our Lord speaks to us now through the inspired Scriptures. Christ is with us day by day” (Our Song of Hope, Stanza 1). How rich it is to carry such assurance of his blessing with us as we leave the service of worship!

924

Come, All You Servants of the Lord

Additional Prayers

O God, you have made and redeemed all that is,
and blessed your people in immeasurable ways.
We lift our hands and hearts to you in worship,
glorifying and enjoying you forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
— Psalms for All Seasons (http://www.psalmsforallseasons.org)
An Acclamation based on Ps. 103, RSV
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
And all that is within me bless his holy name.
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
And do not forget his benefits.
 
Who forgives my sins,
and heals my diseases.
 
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
And all that is within me bless his holy name. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
924

Come, All You Servants of the Lord

Tune Information

Name
GENEVAN 134/OLD HUNDREDTH
Key
E♭ Major
Meter
8.8.8.8

Recordings

924

Come, All You Servants of the Lord

Hymn Story/Background

The tune for this setting of Psalm 134 comes from the 16th century Genevan Psalter; was soon adapted in English Psalters for Psalm 100 (hence the frequently used tune name OLD HUNDREDTH), and then also became associated with Bishop Ken’s Doxology, “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.”  As a result, this tune is possibly being the most known and sung hymn tune around the world to this day. 
 
In 2012, The Psalm Project (www.thepsalmproject.com), a group of professional Dutch musicians under the leadership of Eelco Vos, released their first English-language CD, Psalms Unplugged, in which they provided fresh and contemporary settings of several Genevan psalms, including of Psalm 134 once again reconnecting the original match of text and tune.  The purpose of The Psalm Project has been to dress historical treaures from the Genevan Psalter in 21st century sounds, to engage contemporary culture with the biblical psalms, first of all in the Netherlands, but also in Germany, Canada, and the United States.  
— Emily Brink

Author Information

Arlo Duba was an administrator at Princeton Seminary and is professor of worship (emeritus) and former dean at the University of Dubuque (Iowa) Theological School. 
— Sing! A New Creation

Composer Information

Louis Bourgeois (b. Paris, France, c. 1510; d. Paris, 1561), in both his early and later years, wrote French songs to entertain the rich, but in the history of church music he is known especially for his contribution to the Genevan Psalter. Apparently moving to Geneva in 1541, the same year John Calvin returned to Geneva from Strasbourg, Bourgeois served as cantor and master of the choristers at both St. Pierre and St. Gervais, which is to say he was music director there under the pastoral leadership of Calvin. Bourgeois used the choristers to teach the new psalm tunes to the congregation.
 
The extent of Bourgeois's involvement in the Genevan Psalter is a matter of scholar­ly debate. Calvin had published several partial psalters, including one in Strasbourg in 1539 and another in Geneva in 1542, with melodies by unknown composers. In 1551 another French psalter appeared in Geneva, Eighty-three Psalms of David, with texts by Marot and de Beze, and with most of the melodies by Bourgeois, who supplied thirty­ four original tunes and thirty-six revisions of older tunes. This edition was republished repeatedly, and later Bourgeois's tunes were incorporated into the complete Genevan Psalter (1562). However, his revision of some older tunes was not uniformly appreciat­ed by those who were familiar with the original versions; he was actually imprisoned overnight for some of his musical arrangements but freed after Calvin's intervention. In addition to his contribution to the 1551 Psalter, Bourgeois produced a four-part harmonization of fifty psalms, published in Lyons (1547, enlarged 1554), and wrote a textbook on singing and sight-reading, La Droit Chemin de Musique (1550). He left Geneva in 1552 and lived in Lyons and Paris for the remainder of his life.
— Bert Polman
Eelco Vos (b. 1972) is a Dutch composer and pianist. He studied at the Conservatory of Music in Utrecht and obtained degrees in music education and classical piano. He studied under master pianist Alwin Bär, and took master classes from Ivan Moravec and Ferenc Rados. For several years Vos played with an acoustic band, and many of his songs were aired on the radio. Vos grew up playing the piano and singing the Genevan psalm settings at home, school and church. Hoping to revitalize the singing of the Genevan psalms, Vos founded The Psalm Project, a group of musicians from across the Netherlands who rework some of the older tunes or write new ones to fit the text. Vos is the composer and pianist. The Psalm Project has toured across the Netherlands, and come multiple times to Canada and the United States.
— Laura de Jong

You can view this hymn by purchasing it in our Lift Up Your Hearts mobile app.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Due to copyright restrictions, we cannot display this hymn on our website or provide printable copies of it.

Suggestions or corrections? Contact us