Every Sunday without fail my childhood church sang the Gloria Patri. The organist would play the customary intro as our musical cue to stand and sing. Anyone new had to fend for themselves. I knew the hymn so well I could sing it without thinking (not advisable!). Some of you can relate to engaging to a routine without having to think about it. In the span of one sentence, this hymn encapsulates something essential about the Christian faith. We begin with praise to each member of our three-in-one God. The middle phrase, “as it was in the beginning, will be now and ever shall be” exalts God as Creator at the beginning of time and into eternity. The reference to world, in the final phrase, “world without end” doesn’t so much refer to our physical planet as it celebrates God’s eternal nature. The hymn originates in the 6th century AD (or earlier) and resounds with praise to God. When C.S. Lewis came to faith in midlife, he found God’s command in the Bible to praise Him as problematic. He felt as if God was saying, “What I want most is to be told how good and great I am.” Lewis came to realize this infinite God doesn’t need our praise. Rather praise is in keeping with anything we enjoy in life. Lewis wrote in Reflections on the Psalms, “All enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise.” The Westminster Confession of Faith of 1646 begins with the question, “What is the chief end of man?” It answers: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” Begin today’s prayer with the words of the Gloria Patri:
Gloria Patri
Glory be to the Father,and to the Son
and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now and ever shall be,
world without end,
Amen.
Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.