"O Father, All Creating"
                       by John Ellerton, 1826-1893              
                                Text From:
                   THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
            (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)p.445



	1. O Father, all creating,
	Whose wisdom, love, and power
	First bound two lives together
	In Eden's primal hour,
	Today to these Thy children
	Thine earliest gifts renew,--
	A home by Thee made happy,
	A love by Thee kept true.

	2. O Savior, Guest most bounteous
	Of old in Galilee,
	Voucesafe today Thy presence
	With these who call on Thee.
	Their store of earthly gladness
	Transform to heavenly wine
	And teach them, in the testing,
	To know the gift is Thine.

	3. O Spirit of the Father,
	Breathe on them from above,
	So mighty in Thy pureness,
	So tender in Thy love,
	That, guarded by Thy presence,
	From sin and strife kept free,
	Their lives may own Thy guidance,
	Their hearts be ruled by Thee.

	4. Except Thou build it, Father,
	The house is built in vain;
	Except Thou, Savior, bless it,
	The joy will turn to pain.
	But naught can break the marriage
	Of hearts in Thee made one,
	And love Thy Spirit hallows
	Is endless love begun.  Amen.

       _______________________________________
        Notes:
        Hymn #621 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
        Text: Ps. 127: 1
        Author: John Ellerton, 1876      
        Tune: "Eden"
        1st Published in: _Sacred Hymns and Tunes_
        Town: Boston, 1880
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        This text was converted to ascii format for Project Wittenberg
             by Debbie Harris and is in the public domain. You may
         freely distribute, copy or print this text. Please direct any
        comments or suggestions to: Rev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther
                  Library at Concordia Theological Seminary.
                                       
                          E-mail: bob_smith@ctsfw.edu

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