Lyrics:

1. Our Father, by whose name all fatherhood is known,
Who dost in love proclaim each family thine own,
Bless thou all parents, guarding well,
With constant love as sentinel,
The homes in which thy people dwell.

2. As thou thy Child didst fill with wisdom, love, and might,
To know and do thy will and teach thy ways aright,
Our children bless, in ev’ry place,
That they may all behold thy face,
And, knowing thee, may grow in grace.

3. May thy strong Spirit bind our hearts in unity,
And help us each to find the love from self set free.
In all our hearts such love increase,
That ev’ry home, by this release,
May be the dwelling place of peace.
Text: F. Bland Tucker, 1895-1984, alt.

Music: John David Edwards, 1806-1885 From The Hymnal 1940. Text (c) The Church Pension Fund.

-History: (Source: Wikipedia)

Written By: F. Bland Tucker

Francis Bland Tucker (1895-1984) was born in Norfolk, Virginia. A Bible scholar, priest and hymn composer, he was educated at the University of Virginia and the Virginia Theological Seminary. Tucker served on the two commissions, forty-two years apart, that revised hymnals of the Episcopal Church. The 1982 Episcopal Convention overwhelmingly approved the revised Hymnal which includes 17 of Tucker’s contributions. Among these are the texts, “Oh, Gracious Light” (Hymns 25-26), “Father, we thee who hast planted” (Hymns 302-303), and his original text, “Our Father, by whose Name” (Hymn 587). Only John Mason Neale is credited with more items in the 1982 Hymnal. ^[1] Tucker was also a theological advisor to the commission that produced the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

A collateral descendant of George Washington, Tucker’s parents were Beverley Dandridge Tucker , Episcopal Bishop of Southern Virginia, and Anna Maria Washington who was one of the last children to be born at Mount Vernon.^[2]

Francis Bland is the brother of Henry St. George Tucker (1874–1959), 19th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and descendant of St. George Tucker (1752–1827), lawyer, legal scholar, state and federal judge for whom the St. George Tucker House in Colonial Williamsburg is named.

Music By: John David Edwards

John David Edwards (19 December 1805 – 24 November 1885) was a Welsh cleric and hymn-tune composer.

Edwards was born in Penderlwyngoch, Gwnnws, in Ceredigion in Wales.^[1] After education at Ystrad Meurig school, he attended Jesus College, Oxford, matriculating in 1825 and obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1830.^[1][2] He was ordained deacon in 1832 and priest in 1833, serving as curate at Llansantffraid Glyndyfrdwy in Denbighshire and also in Aberdyfi. In 1843, he was presented to the parish of Rhosymedre, Denbighshire by Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, and he remained in this post until his death. He took music lessons from Dafydd Siencyn Morgan and was regarded as a good musician. He composed various hymns tunes, publishing a collection in 1836 under the title “Original Sacred Music”, which was the first book of hymn-tunes for Anglican churches in Wales. A further collection was published in 1843. He wrote the hymn tune Rhosymedre, later used by Ralph Vaughan Williams as the basis for one of his organ preludes on Welsh hymn tunes. He died at his nephew’s house in Llanddoged on 24 November 1885, and was buried at Tal-y-llyn.^[1]