Have you ever sang the Doxology?
I didn’t sing it until I was 11 or 12, while visiting a friend’s church.
There were no words displayed anywhere, but the whole congregation sang it by heart and in beautiful harmony.
Later on in my life, my family moved and we were attending a new church, and the Doxology was sung frequently there.
I LOVED IT.
The words were displayed, which of course was helpful, but it is quite short ( Only 25 words) so it was memorized quickly!
I think this is a WONDERFUL hymn to teach to your children!
Who Wrote it?
The Doxology was written by a man named Thomas Ken ( 1637-1711). He wrote the Doxology in the late 1600’s, originally for the students of Winchester College at Oxford University.
Thomas Ken was an Anglican minister, a royal chaplain, and eventually was made a Bishop. He wrote Three complete hymns. They were written for his students to sing when they woke up in the morning, and before they went to bed in the evening. His last hymn was for the students to sing at midnight if they were having trouble sleeping!
Each of these hymns was a confession of faith, and each of these three hymns ended in what we now know as the Doxology to praise the Lord.
Not a whole lot more is known about Thomas Ken’s life. He was known to be very outspoken as a royal chaplain for those in nobility to live morally, much to the frustration of King Charles ll.
It is interesting to note that even though Thomas Ken caused Charles ll considerable guilt and frustration for his lifestyle, Charles ll had such respect for him that he insisted on Thomas Ken becoming the next Bishop!
He is considered one of the fathers of modern English hymnody (” The singing or composition of hymns”), and even with the little knowledge we have of him, it is obvious to see why.
The Words of The Doxology
Like I mentioned before, there are only 25 words total in the traditional Doxology.
They go as follows:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.”
Different Recordings of the Doxology
There were many GORGEOUS renditions of the Doxology to choose from. It was hard, but I narrowed it down to three that were my favorite.
Here they are for you to listen to!
Anthem Lights/ Selah
Ugh, I love this version. I hope you do too!
London Philharmonic Choir
This is a beautiful, traditional arrangement of the Doxology. It is very short, but that is how it is usually sung.
Maverick City Music
This is beautiful live recording!
I hope you enjoyed learning about the Doxology! It is probably one of the most well known hymns ever written, and sung by millions of people all around the world.
Which version was your favorite? When did you first hear the Doxology?
If you enjoyed this lesson, you may also like Great is Thy Faithfulness: a Great Hymn of Praise
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