All People That on Earth Do Dwell (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 883)
1 All people that on earth do dwell,
sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell;
come ye before him and rejoice.
2 Know that the Lord is God indeed;
without our aid he did us make.
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
and for his sheep he doth us take.
3 Oh, enter then his gates with praise;
approach with joy his courts unto;
praise, laud, and bless his name always,
for it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? The Lord our God is good:
his mercy is forever sure;
his truth at all times firmly stood,
and shall from age to age endure.
5 To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
the God whom heav’n and earth adore,
from us and from the angel host
be praise and glory evermore.
Text: William Kethe; Music: Louis Bourgeois; Public Domain
Devotion
This is a great opening hymn for a worship service. It reflects on Psalm 100 and its call for all people to worship God. As we gather to worship God, we “come into his presence with singing” and enter “his courts with praise.” The hymn also connects to three of this week’s lectionary readings from scripture which speak of God’s people as being sheep in need of a shepherd. Seeing our need, God “for his sheep he doth us take.” The hymn includes this key reminder of the good news of the gospel: the Lord our God is good, and God’s “mercy is forever sure.”
Prayer
Gracious God, open our ears to hear the call to worship you and lift our hearts in praise. May we always trust in your shepherding care. Amen.