The Doxology

Every Sunday it was the same.  The offering plates were passed, the ushers gathered the collection at the back, walked in step to the front and placed the plates on the communion table as the congregation rose in unison and sang out The Doxology...

 

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

What a wonderful hymn!  I miss singing it each week in church.

The words actually date back to 1674, when Bishop Thomas Ken published “A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Scholars of Winchester College.”  His goal was to motivate the students in their devotions by writing a series of hymn prayers, one to be sung when rising in the morning, one to be sung at night, and then one to be sung at midnight, if still awake.  The doxology we know today was the last stanza of each prayer.  What a wonderful way to begin and end each day.

According to Merriam-Webster the word “doxology” comes from the Greek word doxa meaning “glory” and logia referring to “oral or written expression.”  The Doxology we sing is our expression of glory and praise to God for who He is and for what He has done in our lives.

This Thanksgiving season, no doubt your holiday will be filled with food, family, football, and Black Friday shopping.  But don’t let the day pass without your expressing praise to God for who He is and for the blessings He has bestowed on you and your family.

In fact, what a great idea Thomas Ken had to wake up every morning and lay down each night singing your God’s praise.  What an impact that would have on our lives as we bookended our day with praise to God.  Don’t let your thanksgiving just be on Thanksgiving, but make it a daily practice.  Acknowledge that all good things come from God in heaven [James 1:17] and that He is worthy of all our praise [Psalm 8].

Towards the end of his life, Thomas Ken was imprisoned by King James II because of his religious beliefs.  Upon his release from prison, he quietly went to live out his years with friends, but it didn’t stop him from praising his Lord.  He died on March 11, 1711, being buried at sunrise as the people gathered round to sing The Doxology.