We should practice gratitude and thankfulness all year, but I think November is a great time to refocus ourselves on gratitude. When I was thinking of hymns, I wanted one that reminded me to be thankful and encouraged us as we celebrated Thanksgiving. We Gather Together was written in the early 1600s, by an unknown Dutch author, and first published in 1624 by Adrian Valerius. When it was written it was used to celebrate the freedom of the Netherlands from Spanish rule. However, Theodore Baker translated the text into English in 1894 and called it a “Prayer of Thanksgiving.” While it may have started as a song about the Netherlands independence, it is seen now as a song celebrating the Church seeking God’s help and thanking Him for His presence in the pursuit of victory over evil.
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We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praises to his name; he forgets not his own.
This song is a great reminder that we should gather together with friends and family as well as our church congregations to give thanks to God. As you learn about this hymn, I have included free copywork and a hymn study worksheet to help guide your study. There are also a variety of different versions of this song linked in the resources, so you can listen and pick your favorite style. In addition to studying this hymn during your school time, it would be a great hymn to listen to as you gather with friends and family for Thanksgiving. There are also a variety of scripture references related to this song listed here. We enjoy reading over those together and sometimes choosing one as a memory verse. If you wanted more copywork, you could also use the Bible verses as copywork.
I also am excited to share with you that we are collaborating with Nana from You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels who is doing a great painting to go along with this hymn tomorrow. This is a fun way to engage your little artists in hymn study or your musicians in art. To check out the art lesson from You Are An Artist Chalk Pastels you need to be a You Are An Artist Clubhouse Member! This brand new lesson is included in the You Are An Artist Clubhouse membership.
Hymn Study Resources:
We Gather Together (kids singing)
We Gather Together (guitar)
We Gather Together (bluegrass)
We Gather Together (Hymn Story)
Download Your Freebies Below!
Hymn Study Fact Sheet
We Gather Together (November Copywork)
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