Psalter Hymnal (Gray) ‎#563

563. God Works His Purposes in Us

Text Information

• First Line: God works his purposes in us
• Title: God Works His Purposes in Us
• Author: Dale Topp (1981)
• Meter: CM
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1987
• Scripture:
  Philippians 1
  ;
  Philippians 2
  ;
  Philippians 3
  ;
  Philippians 4
• Topic: Comfort & Encouragement; Walk with God; Sanctification
• Copyright: Text © 1987, CRC Publications

Tune Information

• Name: SONG 67
• Meter: CM
• Key: D Major
• Source: Llyfr y Psalmau, 1621

Text Information:

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Phil. 1:3-11
st. 2 = Phil. 1: 19-26
st. 3 = Phil. 2:15-16
st. 4 = Phil. 3:1-14
st. 5 = Phil. 4:4-13

In 1981, after participating in a Bible study of Paul's letter to the Philippians, Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee member Dale Topp (b. Holland, MI, 1937) was inspired to write this text, a paraphrase of portions of Paul's letter. The text was first published in the 1987 Psalter Hymnal.

Although the letter includes Paul's expression of gratitude to the Philippians for their gift to him, it is primarily a pastoral letter of Christian advice and encouragement. Paul's exhortations, using an early Christian creed or hymn, emphasize joy (see Phil. 2:6-11 and Psalter Hymnal 227,467). The beginning phrase of each stanza, "God works his purposes in us," is derived from Philippians 2:13. Those with a literary bent will note with suitably Philippian joy the tight internal rhymes in the third phrase of each stanza.

Topp was educated at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and began teaching music in the Zeeland (Michigan) Christian Schools. Since 1967 he has been a professor of music education at Calvin College. He has published several music guides for Christian Schools International, edited various "Hymn of the Month" collections, and he wrote Music in the Christian Schools (1975). Topp was chair of the tune committee that prepared the 1987 Psalter Hymnal.<?cite>

Liturgical Use:
With preaching on Philippians; as a response to the sermon.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

SONG 67 was published as a setting for Psalm 1 in Edmund Prys's Welsh Llyfr y Psalmau (1621). Erik Routley (PHH 31) suggests that the tune should be ascribed to Prys.

Orlando Gibbons (PHH 167) supplied a new bass line for the melody when it was published with a number of his own tunes in George Withers's Hymnes and Songs of the Church (1623). There it was a setting for the sixty-seventh song (thus the title), a paraphrase of Acts 1:12-26. The tune originally had "gathering" (long) notes at the beginning of each of the four phrases.

A rather sturdy tune, SONG 67 is built on a few melodic motives. Sing in harmony in two broad musical lines rather than four short phrases.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook