But let the record of thy years Shine out so brightly, That there can linger no mistrust Then laugh, ye gay, and dance and sing Let men and women come and go HENRY W. COLBY. Father of the years, Lord of gladness, God of our life, we bring our gift of rejoicing to Thee, asking Thee to renew it in our daily lives. Help us to make happiness the habit of our lives. May we remember that down deep in our being is Thy very nature, and Thou art the God of infinite and eternal joy. Save us from having Thy nature in us smothered by selfishness, or quenched by doubts or fears. Give us grace, wisdom, courage to fulfil Thy joy in the problems and perplexities of each day, so that we shall make our record one of cheerful yesterdays and confident to-morrows. Amen. OLIVER HUCKEL. By faith I stand; by hope I soar; by love I am. Faith assures me, hope inspires me, love is me at my best. 'Love," says an old French lexicon, “is the sameness of souls." 'Love," says Luther, 66 66 66 is that by which I desire to be in perpetual union with that I love." "Love," says Emerson, "is our highest word and synonym of God." And Love," says Solomon, "is strong as death." But the instant we read that, we say Solomon does not reach the mark in his definition, for in the history of humanity, millions of proofs have been given that love is stronger than death, and is, as Erasmus says, as immortal, when it is rooted in virtue, as virtue herself." ROBERT COLLYER. 66 Father, we thank Thee for the immortality and the power Thou hast stored in faith, hope and love, such power that no force can prevail against them; and we thank Thee that Thou hast placed them all within our reach. Help us for this day to lay hold of them; not only for the sake of our own peace and our own triumph over inner and outer foes, and even over death itself, but also that we may not fail thee in the place of service which is our Godassigned post of duty. And while we are seeking help from Thee, we would not forget the honor Thou hast done us in making even Thine infiniteness somewhere dependent on our help. Amen. FRANCIS L. HAYES. I will break forth in singing, In singing on my way, As I go faring onward To where the Joy-bells play. They play for me Mark time, mark time ! Before the dawn I heard them chime, The Lord, He set them swinging The hours of this day, And I go onward singing, Oh, singing on my way! MARY STEWART CUTTING. Blessed Lord Christ, there is music in the world to-day because there is music in our hearts. The music in our hearts is the music of Thy presence there. We were made for singing; help us to be natural. We sometimes think we cannot sing; the burden hinders. If we must have the burden to-day grant us grace to sing with it. Maybe our singing will be made sweeter by the burden. Keep the demons of discord away from us to-day. Send the angels of harmony to be our companions. And when the day shall have gone out into the forevers may there be many hearts singing on the way because of our song. Amen. FRANK D. TAYLOR. O fly away on silent wing, ye boding owls of night! The golden bud within the blue; And every morning seems to say: "There's something happy on the way, And God sends love to you!" HENRY VAN Dyke. Our souls take wings and jubilantly soar upon the azure waves of the morning sky, among the triumphant song of the awakening creation up towards Thee, Thou Sun of Heaven. But more brilliant still than the sparkling rays of the rising Aurora, as she purples the eastern sky with all the colors of the radiant rainbow, dost Thou rise above the horizon of our inner world with healing under Thy wings. With awakening nature we lift up our eyes to Thee. In the glittering dewdrops on the silvery blades of the tender grass we see a reflection of the glory of Thy love and Thy wisdom. Receive, Thou Sun of our souls, the burnt offering of thanks, of joy and of hope which we humbly lay down before the throne of Thy everlasting morning glory. Amen. AXEL LUNDEBERG. Put a bit of sunshine in the day; Give the day a streak of rosy dawn; Give it, too, a touch of highest noon; Make the ones about you wonder why Sunset crimson should appear so soon." Put the golden sunshine in each day; Others need the cheer that comes through you, JUANIATA STAFFord. Dear Spirit Father, out of the night and into the morning's dawning, Thou hast brought us for further work for man and Thee. We realize the day may not be all bright, but help us to put that in our souls, which will make our faces shine through day-trials, just as the sun makes day, light, even though there be clouds. Grant us Thy guiding care in every task. Make us careful in what we think, say, do; and above all in what we hear. Help us to show our thankfulness for Thy goodness in the manner of our treatment of Thine other children. And thus bless us, that we may help Thee make this a good day for all we meet. Amen. GEORGE CROSS BANER. |