Hymn devotion for 17 June 2025 Anno domini, The Anglican Orthodox Communion Worldwide
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Proverbs 10:12
This hymn echoes the all-important component of love in God’s dealing with His elect. The author is George Matheson (1842-1906) and the tune is Pentientia by E. Dearle 1874.
GATHER US IN
1 Gather us in, thou Love that fillest all!
Gather our rival faiths within thy fold!
Rend all our temple veils and bid them fall,
that we may know that thou hast been of old;
gather us in.
2 Gather us in: we worship only thee;
in varied names we stretch a common hand;
in diverse forms a common soul we see;
in many ships we seek one spirit-land;
gather us in.
3 Each sees one colour of thy rainbow light;
each looks upon one tint and calls it heaven;
thou art the fullness of our partial sight;
we are not perfect till we find the seven;
gather us in.
4 Some seek a Father in the heavens above,
some ask a human image to adore,
some crave a spirit vast as life and love;
within thy mansions we have all and more;
gather us in.
1 Gather us in, thou Love that fillest all! Gather our rival faiths within thy fold! Rend all our temple veils and bid them fall, that we may know that thou hast been of old; gather us in. Love is the great tow-line that draws the ship of the soul to safe mooring in the “Fair Haven” of God’s secure Port. The love of God is all-encompassing toward those who fear Him and keep His Commandments. Free Grace is the gateway, and love is the enabling Anchor that fixes our place in Him. There is no longer a Temple Veil to separate us from the approach to God in the intercession of a High Priest for our High Priest is Christ and He is our only Intercessor between God and man. We are gathered together as the fruit of the Vineyard – all of like character and purpose in Christ.
2 Gather us in: we worship only thee; in varied names we stretch a common hand; in diverse forms a common soul we see; in many ships we seek one spirit-land; gather us in. The ships of the sea have varied routes of navigation to far ports bringing riches and resources of great need to the diverse ports of their destination, but the purpose is always service to satisfy the needs of humanity. There are many different callings of God to service all of which have the same intended purpose to glorify God in the service of His son, Jesus Christ. In the Reformation Church of England, we gather in a common bond of worship and repeat together the same prayers that unite us in purpose and spirit. For each Sunday and each season there is a special prayer called the Prayer of Collect. This prayer calls us together in worship and in common faith. Truly, prayers which are biblically sound will always unite the church in singleness of purpose and not the whims of man-centered prayer.
3 Each sees one colour of thy rainbow light; each looks upon one tint and calls it heaven; thou art the fullness of our partial sight; we are not perfect till we find the seven; gather us in. The multi-shades of beauty of the Lord’s Creation are beyond limitation. In the beauty of the sunrise one may see the beauty of orange and purple rays of light, shooting like arrows, from the rising Sun. Others see the beauty of the multi-colored clouds; others the morning flight of birds winging their way across the lightening landscape. But all who have eyes to see, see beauty unless their hearts are darkened by the Power of the Prince of the Air who literally hates beauty. The perfection of the rainbow represents the perfection of God – seven distinct colors which represent the creative power of our Maker. Any other such so-called rainbow of fewer colors the represent manmade idols of wicked men who deny God. An example is the six-colored flag of the homosexual movement which attempts to denigrate the beauty of God’s first institution of marriage between one man and one woman. It takes all seven colors to make a rainbow – no more and not less; and if all those colors are combined together, they become solid white – the perfect Light of Christ!
4 Some seek a Father in the heavens above, some ask a human image to adore, some crave a spirit vast as life and love; within thy mansions we have all and more; gather us in. A veiled vision of the Trinity, here! Yes, we have a Father in Heaven above, and we have a human image that is more than an image, but the very likeness of the Father in Heaven in Christ, and we have a Holy Spirit that shares in in the embodiment of love and life with the Father, and with the Son. If we are One in Christ, we are One in the Father and the Holy Spirit; and we have a secure lodging forever in those mansions on High.
