How Does the Hymn "Lord of All Hopefulness" Reveal God's Plan for Our Lives?
In this era when messages of gloom and doom are regularly broadcast in the media, it is inspiring to consider the positive words and tune of the hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness.” The classic hymn beautifully reassures us that God is present in every phase of our lives, and our faith in Him allows us to pray to the Lord for joy, strength, and love along our journey.
Who Wrote the Hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness”?
The lyrics to the hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness” were written by Jan Struther, a British writer who lived from June 6, 1901, to July 20, 1953. In addition to the twelve hymns she published in Songs of Praise in 1931, Struther published comic and serious poetry, essays, short stories, and, most notably, a novel, Mrs. Minverva, which was made into a movie that won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture in 1942. Her family rallied support for the allies in World War II. In a similar vein, her lyrics to the hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness” have inspired hope in Christian pilgrims since the hymn’s publication.
Struther wrote the lyrics to “Lord of All Hopefulness” for Percy Dearmer, with whom she prepared the hymnal Songs of Praise. Dearmer arranged Struther’s lyrics with accompaniment from a traditional Irish tune, called Slane. According to Frank Colquhoun, Struther’s text "is a work with a warm human touch, a healthy spiritual tone, and well merits its popularity." The hymn is an example of an “all-day" narrative, with times of day representing phases of a person’s life.
The hymn’s popularity in Christian worship is due to its heartfelt lyrics and lively folk tune. The Slane melody is credited to Patrick W. Joyce and appears in his collection of ballads, Old Irish Folk Music and Songs (1909). David Evans arranged the Slane tune as a hymn and published it with the lyrics to “Be Thou My Vision” in the Church Hymnary of 1927. A few years later, Struther’s lyrics to “Lord of All Hopefulness” were set to the same Slane tune.
Slane is described as an attractive tune with a variety of melodic patterns in the Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988. The name of the tune, Slane, comes from the name of a hill in County Meath, Ireland, where St. Patrick lit an Easter fire that gave him freedom to preach the gospel in Ireland.
What are the Key Themes of the Hymn?
The lyrics to “Lord of All Hopefulness” focus on hope, strength, and love throughout the passage of time in life’s journey. A person’s life journey is represented by three times of day: morning, noon, and evening. Morning represents childhood happiness; mid-day represents middle age struggles and career work; and evening represents finding love at the close of life. Here are the lyrics to “Lord of All Hopefulness.”
Lord of all hopefulness,
Lord of all joy,
Whose trust, ever child-like,
No cares could 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 labours,
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.
The lyrics follow a consistent literary structure throughout all three stanzas. Each of the three stanzas opens in the first line by addressing God in terms of one of His attributes: in order, they are hopefulness, eagerness, and kindliness. The speaker of the hymn then asks the Lord for specific blessings in the human endeavors carried out in symbolic morning, noon, and evening of life. In the middle of each stanza, the phrase “Be there” implores the Lord will be with the believer throughout each phase of life. In the first stanza, the line is “Be there at our waking.” The second stanza requests the Lord to “Be there at our labours.” And deeply touching is the request in the third stanza for the Lord to “Be there at our homing.”
The gifts requested in each stanza reflect the close journey of faith as a person travels with the Lord through life. Struthers lyrics express how hopes is important early in life, eagerness for success is crucial to mid-life, and finding love is the most important experience at the end of life. In the hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness,” the Lord is present at all times of a person’s life, from childhood to work responsibilities, to old age, if we call on his presence. This hymn is a prayer for faith that the Lord will accompany us in our journey, guiding and directing our actions.
How Does the Hymn Reflect Christian Faith?
The hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness” reminds us of God’s presence throughout our lives, from early childhood through the trials of mid-life, and on to the blessings of the end of life. The guiding presence of the Lord gives us hope in every phase of life. The hymn mentions “cares” in the first stanza, when young people need God’s guidance to meet new challenges. In the second stanza, it asks for “Your strength in our hearts” to meet the rigors of mid-life. Richest of all blessings is found in the last stanza: the hope for “Your love in our hearts, Lord,/At the eve of the day.” The last stanza brings fulfillment to a life lived with the Lord at our side.
Why is “Lord of All Hopefulness” Significant in Worship?
The Psalter Hymnal Handbook (1988) states that, as a worship song, the hymn’s “all day” theme allows for individual stanzas to be used in worship for specific purposes in expressing our faith. Each verse emphasizes a different time of life and role of the Lord in our Christian walk. For example, the first stanza, which states, “Whose trust, ever child-like,/No cares could destroy,” could be sung by the congregation at the baptism of a baby. The last stanza’s lyrics, “Your hands swift to welcome,/Your arms to embrace,/Be there at our homing,” would be appropriate for a funeral hymn. The entire hymn could be a reflective piece played at a wedding, alluding to the variety of experiences ahead for the couple getting married.
What Can Christians Learn from Singing this Hymn?
The hymn “Lord of All Hopefulness” speaks for itself in this exquisite recording by Peter Anderson.
The traditional Irish melody and evocative lyrics create a truly rich performance. The hymn elegantly brings comfort and reassurance of God’s presence throughout our Christian lives.
The hymn artistically represents for us how God is the same God from our childhood days, through the struggles of mid-life, and on to the end of our lives. God is with us, unchanged in his love for us, as our lives evolve. We grow and learn virtues from the Lord—hopefulness, eagerness, and kindliness—as we travel the road of life with the “Lord of All Hopefulness.”
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/ShotShare
Originally published December 10, 2024.
