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Encyclopedia > Eternal Father, Strong to Save

"Eternal Father, Strong to Save", is a hymn often associated with the Royal Navy or the United States Navy. Accordingly, it is often known as the Royal Navy Hymn or the United States Navy Hymn, and sometimes by the last line of its first verse, For those in peril on the sea. A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ... USN redirects here. ...

Contents

History

The original hymn was written by William Whiting of Winchester, England, in 1860. It was originally intended as a poem for a student of his, who was about to travel to the United States. In 1861, John B. Dykes, an Anglican clergyman, composed the tune "Melita" for this hymn. ("Melita" is an archaic term for Malta, the site of a shipwreck involving the Apostle Paul mentioned in Acts of the Apostles chapters 27-28.) William Whiting (1825 – 1878) was born in Kensington, England, and educated at Chapham and Winchester. ... Winchester Cathedral as seen from the Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council Winchester is a city in southern England, and the administrative capital of the county of Hampshire, with a population of around 35,000. ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... John Bacchus Dykes (1823 – 1876) was born in Hull, England, and by age 10 was the assistant organist at St. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... A shipwreck is the remains of a ship after it has sunk or been beached as a result of a crisis at sea. ... A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) or Saint Paul the Apostle (fl. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ...


The hymn is usually sung to the tune "Lodsworth". Like many hymns, this hymn can also be considered a prayer. Mary Magdalene in prayer. ...


Lyrics

Music sample:

The original words are: Image File history File links Eternal_Father. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!
O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Certain verses have been changed in modern hymnals for stylistic reasons.


Biblical References

The first verse refers to God the Father's forbidding the waters to flood the earth as described in Psalm 104. The second verse refers to Jesus' miracles of stilling a storm and walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. The third verse references the Holy Spirit role in the creation of the earth in the Book of Genesis, while the final verse is a reference to Psalm 107. In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... Psalms (Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh. ... Jesus (8–2 BC/BCE to 29–36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... According to many religions, a miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... The Sea of Galilee with the Jordan River flowing out of it to the south and into the Dead Sea Kineret redirects here; for the Amgen drug having this tradename, see Anakinra The Sea of Galilee is Israels largest freshwater lake, approximately 53 kilometers (33 miles) in circumference, about... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh; also called the Holy Ghost) is the third consubstantial Person of the Holy Trinity. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ...


Protestant Episcopal Version

In 1940, the Protestant Episcopal Church altered three verses of the hymn to include travel on the land in the second verse (referencing Psalm 50) and in the air in the third verse (again referencing Genesis). The 1982 Hymnal, which is in current use by most Episcopal congregations in the USA, has further revised this version (as Hymn #579) with opening line "Almighty Father, strong to save..." by adding the word "space" to the final verse, so it ends "...praise from space, air, land, and sea" (because by 1982 space travel was a reality); this 1982 Hymnal also has a more traditional water-only version (as Hymn #608) with opening line "Eternal Father, strong to save..." Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul is the National Cathedral of the USA in Washington, D.C. The Episcopal Church, also known as the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA) or the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America is the American branch of the... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...


Additional Verses

In US Naval Aviation circles, an additional verse is often added to the traditional hymn. The verse in question was taken from the hymn "Lord, Guard and Guide the Men Who Fly", which was written in 1915 and rearranged around the time of World War II. Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by the navies of the world such as those operated by the United States Navy. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!
Aloft in solitudes of space,
Uphold them with Thy saving grace.
Thou Who supports with tender might
The balanced birds in all their flight.
Lord, if the tempered winds be near,
That, having Thee, they know no fear.
— Mary C. D. Hamilton (1915)

Due to the hymn's association with the US Navy, additional verses have been written for various subdivisions and circumstances of the naval service, including Marines, The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces to global crises. ...

Eternal Father, grant, we pray,
To all Marines, both night and day,
The courage, honor, strength, and skill
Their land to serve, thy law fulfill
Be thou the shield forevermore
From every peril to the Corps.
— J. E. Seim (1966)


Seabees, The official motto of the Seabees, the United States Navy Construction Battalions, is Construimus, Batuimus—We Build, We Fight. ...

Lord, stand beside the men who build,
And give them courage, strength, and skill.
O grant them peace of heart and mind,
And comfort loved ones left behind.
Lord, hear our prayers for all Seabees,
Where'er they be on land or sea.
— R. J. Dietrich (1960)

The Merchant Marine,

Lord, stand beside the men who sail
Our merchant ships in storm and gale
In peace and war their watch they keep
On every sea, on thy vast deep.
Be with them Lord, by night and day
For Merchant Mariners we pray.
—Wynne McClintock (Wife of former USMMA Superintendent VADM, Gordon McClintock, USMS)

The Coast Guard, The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States armed forces involved in maritime law enforcement, mariner assistance, search and rescue, and national defense, among other duties of coast guards elsewhere. ...

Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,
Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.
Protect them from the raging seas
And give them light and life and peace.
Grant them from thy great throne above
The shield and shelter of thy love.
— (1955) CWO George H. Jenks, Jr., USCG

Divers and Submariners, A diver is an person who practices scuba diving or surface supplied diving. ... German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of Günther Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter-killer (SSK) submarine Inside of the Argonaute, showing the typical obstructed, tiny space of a post-WWII diesel attack submarine. ...

Lord God, our power evermore,
Whose arm doth reach the ocean floor,
Dive with our men beneath the sea;
Traverse the depths protectively.
O hear us when we pray, and keep
Them safe from peril in the deep.
— David B. Miller (1965)

Naval Nurses, This article focuses on the education and regulation of nurses. ...

O God, protect the women who,
In service, faith in thee renew;
O guide devoted hands of skill
And bless their work within thy will;
Inspire their lives that they may be
Examples fair on land and sea.
— Lines 1-4, Merle E. Strickland (1972) and adapted by James D. Shannon (1973); Lines 5-6, Beatrice M. Truitt (1948)

Antarctic and Arctic service, Antarctic Peninsula glacier. ... The red line indicates the 10°C isotherm in July, commonly used to define the Arctic region border Satellite image of the Arctic surface The Arctic is the area around the Earths North Pole, opposite the Antarctican area around the South Pole. ...

Creator, Father, who dost show
Thy splendor in the ice and snow,
Bless those who toil in summer light
And through the cold antarctic night,
As they thy frozen wonders learn;
Bless those who wait for their return.
— L. E. Vogel (1965)

Space Travel, Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer-Earth objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors. ...

Almighty ruler of the all
Whose power extends to great and small,
Who guides the stars with steadfast law,
Whose least creation fills with awe—
Oh grant Thy mercy and Thy grace
To those who venture into space.
Robert A. Heinlein (1947) as part of his short story "Ordeal in Space".
Eternal Father, King of birth,
Who didst create the heaven and earth,
And bid the planets and the sun
Their own appointed orbits run;
O hear us when we seek thy grace
For those who soar through outer space.
— J. E. Volonte (1961)

Those Wounded in Combat, This article is becoming very long. ... Ordeal in Space is a science fiction short story by Robert A. Heinlein. ... Casualties of war. ...

Creator, Father, who first breathed
In us the life that we received,
By power of thy breath restore
The ill, and men with wounds of war.
Bless those who give their healing care,
That life and laughter all may share.
— Galen H. Meyer (1969), adapted by James D. Shannon (1970)

Civilians at home, A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ...

God, Who dost still the restless foam,
Protect the ones we love at home.
Provide that they should always be
By thine own grace both safe and free.
O Father, hear us when we pray
For those we love so far away.
— Hugh Taylor (date unknown)

The US Armed Forces, The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
And those who on the ocean ply;
Be with our troops upon the land,
And all who for their country stand:
Be with these guardians day and night
And may their trust be in thy might.
— Author Unknown (1955)

As well as the commissioning and decommissioning of a ship. The ceremonies involved in commissioning ships into a military force are based in traditions thousands of years old. ... To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. ...

O Father, King of earth and sea,
We dedicate this ship to thee.
In faith we send her on her way;
In faith to thee we humbly pray:
O hear from heaven our sailor's cry
And watch and guard her from on high!
— Author/date Unknown
And when at length her course is run,
Her work for home and country done,
Of all the souls that in her sailed
Let not one life in thee have failed;
But hear from heaven our sailor's cry,
And grant eternal life on high!
— Author/date Unknown

Additional Submarine verse German UC-1 class World War I submarine A model of Günther Priens Unterseeboot 47 (U-47), German WWII Type VII diesel-electric hunter-killer (SSK) submarine Inside of the Argonaute, showing the typical obstructed, tiny space of a post-WWII diesel attack submarine. ...

Bless those who serve beneath the deep,
Through lonely hours their vigil keep.
May peace their mission ever be,
Protect each one we ask of thee.
Bless those at home who wait and pray,
For their return by night and day.
— Reverend Gale R. Williamson (date unknown)

Use in funerals

This hymn has been played or sung at a number of funerals for those who have served in the US Navy. It was sung at the funeral of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, played by the Navy Band at the funeral of John F. Kennedy, and played by the Navy Band and the Coast Guard Band during the funeral of Ronald Reagan. Roosevelt had served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and Kennedy was commanding officer of PT-109 in World War II.The hymn was also played to close the funeral of R. Buckminster Fuller, as well as at the Memorial Ceremony in Norfolk, VA for the USS Cole (DDG-67) after the bombing in October 2000. It was played by the Marine Band at the funeral of President Gerald R. Ford, who had served in the Navy during World War II in the Pacific Theatre. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882–April 12, 1945), 32nd President of the United States, the longest-serving holder of the office and the only man to be elected President more than twice, was one of the central figures of 20th century history. ... United States Service Bands Each of the branches of the U.S. military, has a headquarters band organization, all but one of which are in the Washington, D.C. area. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... United States Service Bands Each of the branches of the U.S. military, has a headquarters band organization, all but one of which are in the Washington, D.C. area. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Assistant Secretary of the Navy (abbrev. ... PT-109 redirects here. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Richard Buckminster Bucky Fuller (July 12, 1895 - July 1, 1983) was an American visionary, designer, architect, inventor, and writer. ... The Presidents Own United States Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, Marine Chamber Ensembles The Presidents Own United States Marine Band was established by an Act of Congress on July 11, 1798, and is America’s oldest professional musical organization. ... Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. ...


Film and Television

This hymn has been played or sung in a number of films and television programs dealing with the US Navy, including Crimson Tide and JAG. It has also been used in The Right Stuff (for Naval Aviation) and in The Perfect Storm (for civilians). In the show 24, the song was played as President David Palmer's casket was loaded onto an airplane bound for Arlington Cemetery. Tennessee Ernie Ford performed the hymn on a special episode of his television program filmed on a U.S. Naval carrier to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of U.S. naval aviation. Crimson Tide is a 1995 Hollywood submarine film starring Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman and directed by Tony Scott. ... There are other articles with similar names; see JAG (disambiguation). ... The Right Stuff is both a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe, and a 1983 film adapted from the book. ... B C D E F G UN Categories: | | | | | | | | | | | ... 24 is a current Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American television series, created by Joel Surnow and Robert Cochran, and produced by Imagine Television. ... Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 -October 17, 1991), better known by the stage name Tennessee Ernie Ford, was a pioneering U.S. recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country & western, pop, and gospel musical genres. ...


In Making Waves it was sung by the crew of the Royal Navy ship HMS Suffolk at the Funeral of Andy Fellows. Making Waves is a British television series based on a ship in the Royal Navy. ...


Its usage in the movie Titanic contains an anachronism. The version sung in the movie is the 1940 Protestant Episcopal version, which was unwritten when the Titanic sank in 1912. Titanic is a romantic drama film written, directed and co-produced by James Cameron. ... Look up Anachronism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...


External links

References

Eternal Father, Strong to Save is in the public domain. Some of the commentary is taken from http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/questions/eternal.html , which was written by a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. Federal Government, it is in the public domain. The short quotation from Robert Heinlein is believed to be fair use. USCG source: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/chaplain/misc/coast_guard_hymn.htm The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... USN redirects here. ... A work of the United States Government is, as defined by United States copyright law, a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that persons official duties. ... Obverse of the Great Seal of the United States. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... For fair use in trademark law, see Fair use (US trademark law). ...



Patriotic music of the United States Flag of the United States
"America the Beautiful" | "Ballad of the Green Berets" | "Battle Cry of Freedom" | "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" | "Columbia, Gem of the Ocean" | "For The Dear Old Flag, I Die" | "God Bless America" | "God Bless the USA" | "Hail Columbia" | "Hail to the Chief" | "The Liberty Bell" | "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" | "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" | "Over There" | "PT-109" | "The Stars and Stripes Forever" | "The Star-Spangled Banner" | "There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" | "This is My Country" | "This Land Is Your Land" | "Yankee Doodle" | "The Yankee Doodle Boy" | "You're a Grand Old Flag" | "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"


 

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