For the Beauty of the Earth

lyrics by folliott s. pierpoint, music by conrad kocher

For the Beauty of the Earth Lyrics

 

For the beauty of the earth

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For the wonder of each hour,

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

Sun and moon, and stars of light.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For the joy of ear and eye,

For the heart and mind's delight,

For the mystic harmony

Linking sense to sound and sight.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child,

Friends on earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For Thy Church that evermore

Lifteth holy hands above,

Offering up on every shore

Her pure sacrifice of love.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For the martyrs' crown of light,

For Thy prophets' eagle eye,

For Thy bold confessors' might,

For the lips of infancy.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For Thy virgins' robes of snow,

For Thy maiden mother mild,

For Thyself, with hearts aglow,

Jesu, Victim undefiled.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

For Thyself, best gift divine,

To our race so freely given,

For that great, great love of Thine,

Peace on earth and joy in heaven.

 

Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

 

 

For the Beauty of the Earth Guitar Chords

 

G   D7  D      C  D7  G

For the beauty of the earth,

C   D   G   C G  D   G        

For the glory of the skies,
G   D7  D    G     C    D7  G 

For the love which from our birth

C D  G   C G    D  G   

Over and around us lies:

G     D  G       D    D7 G  

Lord, of all, to Thee we raise

C    D   G    C  G    D7  G 

This our hymn of grateful praise.


Scripture References

  • Psalm 107:8 -Give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds.
  • 2 Samuel 7:22 - How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

The Story

Not much is known about Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, the author of this hymn who was born on October 7, 1835 in Bath, England. We do know that he graduated from Queens College at Cambridge and taught at Somersetshire College, and spent most of his life in Bath and the southwest of England. He was a prolific hymn writer in his day, having published a compilation of poems called The Chalice of Nature and Other Poems.

 

This, his most famous hymn, was written when he was 29. As he walked along the countryside on a beautiful day in spring, he saw the vast ocean, the blue skies, and the Avon river winding through beautiful wildflowers. Inspired by the beauty of creation, he wrote down this poem, originally intended for communion services in his local Anglican Church, but soon it found a life of its own worldwide across Christianity everywhere.

 

In this day and age where so many of us exist in our own cramped confines in cities and suburbia and find ourselves spending most of our times cramped between four walls, it's sometimes easy to forget how beautiful this earth that God created is. On a beautiful spring or summer day, why not take some time to get away from the bustling humanity and rediscover the beauty of God's creation? And while you're admiring it, don't forget to close your eyes and just say a quick thanks to the One who made it for you.

 

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