November 25, 2005

Have faith in God –
The great commission stands;
Have faith in God –
Through all the earth’s far lands;
Have faith in God –
The gospel call demands.
Have faith, dear friend, in God.

We Gather Together

Dutch:  Adrianus Valerius, 1575-1620
Arranged and Translation from Dutch to Latin by Eduard Kremser, 1838-1914
Translated from German to English by Theodore Baker, 1851-1934

    No Thanksgiving Day gathering would be complete without the singing of this traditional Dutch hymn. Today we sing this hymn as an expression of thanks to God as our defender and guide throughout the past year. The text was originally written by an anonymous author at the end of the 17th Century to celebrate the Dutch freedom from the Spanish overlords, who had been driven away from their land. Freedom was now theirs, both politically from Spain and religiously from the Catholic Church.
    We Gather Together must be understood and appreciated in its historical setting. For many years, Holland had been under the scourge of Spain, and in 1576, Antwerp was captured and sacked by the Spanish armies. Again, in 1585, it was captured by the Spanish and all of the Protestant citizens were exiled. Many other Dutch cities suffered similar fates. During the 17th Century, however, there developed in Holland a time of great prosperity and rich post-reformation culture. Commerce was expanded around the world, and this was the period of great Dutch art, with such well-known painters as Rembrandt and Vermeer. In 1648 the Spanish endeavors to control Holland were finally destroyed beyond recovery.
    We Gather Together first appeared in Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, by Adrianus Valerius (Haarlem, Holland: 1626) (Wilt heden nu treden). It was arranged and translated from Dutch to Latin by Eduard Kremser in Sechs Altniederländische Volkslieder (Leipzig, Germany: 1877). Translated from German to English by Theodore Baker, 1894.
    One can readily see the references to these historical events throughout the hymn's text: "The wicked oppressing now cease them from distressing," as well as the concern in the final stanza that God will continue to defend--"and pray that Thou still our Defender wilt be".

We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease them from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, wast at our side, all glory be Thine!

We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

Have Faith in God by H.M.S. Richards, Used by Permission