G. K. Chesterton in The Hymnal, 1940

There is but one hymn by G. K. Chesterton in The Hymnal, 1940, and recently at St. Bartholomew's we sang it for the first time!

Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874-1936) is well known to many of us as one of the foremost Christian Apologists and vigorous defenders of Christian Orthodoxy of the 19th/20th centuries. He started out in the Anglican Church and eventually made his way over to Rome, although this change of course seems to have had little effect on his general outlook.

Hymn 521, "O God of Earth and Altar", written in 1906 is very relevant to us in America in 2006, with references to "terror", excessive wealth, the climate of cynicism, and also the sophistry that is the trademark of our political life, in which the weaker arguments are made to appear strong through lies and manipulations.

Verse two of the hymn contains clear references to The Litany from the Book of Common Prayer. In the Hymnal 1940, Chesterton's hymn is sung to a lovely traditional English melody, called "King's Lynn", arranged by R. Vaughan Williams in 1906.

O God of earth and altar, Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter, Our people drift and die;
The walls of gold entomb us, The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us, But take away our pride.

From all that terror teaches, From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation Of honor, and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation, Deliver us, good Lord!

Tie in a living tether The prince and priest and thrall,
Bind all our lives together, Smite us and save us all;
In ire and exultation Aflame with faith, and free,
Lift up a living nation, A single sword to thee. Amen.

Now our Parish Newsletter has also begun to go by the name, “Earth and Altar”! (If you can’t create great poetry, at least you can imitate it.) Hopefully Chesterton won’t mind!