Always and Ever

Representative Text

1. Always and ever, God reigns eternal,
Ceaseless, unchanging, Ancient of Days.
From choirs below and angels supernal
Alpha-Omega hears endless praise.

2. In the beginning, ere the first star birth,
There was the Father, Spirit and Son.
Maker, Creator, Heaven and earth
Sprang from His will—the plan was begun.

3. Down through the ages, secrets unlocking,
To save a people fettered with sin,
He sent the Word. He’s tenderly knocking:
Open your heart and let Him come in.

4. Always and ever, you can be with Him
In paradise, there no more to grieve.
Praising forever, Savior and Sovereign
Through endless ages—only believe!

Dedicated to my parents, Jim & Betty Adams,on their 50th wedding anniversary, September 20, 1997.May they be together always and ever.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #142

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Author: Richard W. Adams

Born: 1952, Mis­souri. Adams grad­u­at­ed from the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Mis­sou­ri, Co­lum­bia (BA 1974, cum laude, Phi Be­ta Kap­pa). Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: Always and ever, God reigns eternal
Title: Always and Ever
Author: Richard W. Adams (1997)
Language: English
Notes: "I wrote this hymn in July 1997, at the YMCA of the Ozarks, near Potosi, Missouri, during a family reunion to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I had felt an urge to record the theme of God's eternal kingdom, but the words weren't forthcoming. One morning I woke at 5:30 and couldn't get back to sleep (the only day that I week I rose so early). In the morning silence, I prayed that if God wanted this hymn written, He would give me the words. Following that prayer, the lyrics gushed out, and the hymn was finished in minutes. Afterward, I walked along the shore of Sunnen Lake, marveling at the beauty around me: a quiet mist shrouding the water, the bright orange sun climbing over green hills, Canada geese flying low across the lake. I mused about how long nature had been like this, compared to man's short stay on earth. God's perspective and time span are so much larger than ours, it is awesome to contemplate." The first known public performance of this hymn was at United Methodist Church of the Servant, Overland Park, Kansas, February 24, 2009.
Copyright: © 1997 Richard W. Adams. Reproduce or publish freely for Christian worship or devotions.
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Tune

BUNESSAN

BUNESSAN is a Gaelic tune that was first published (melody only) in Lachlan Macbean's Songs and Hymns of the Gael (1888) as a setting for Mary Macdonald's carol "Child in the Manger." The tune is named after Macdonald's birthplace on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. BUNESSAN is also well known as the set…

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The Cyber Hymnal #142

The Cyber Hymnal #142
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