Psalter Hymnal (Gray) ‎#623

623. Unto Christ Who Loved Us

Unto Christ, who loved us and washed us
from our sins in his own blood,
and has made us kings and priests unto God
and his Father
unto him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.

Text Information

• First Line: Unto Christ who loved us
• Title: Unto Christ Who Loved Us
• Meter: PM
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1987
• Scripture:
  Revelation 1:5-6
• Topic: Doxologies; Responses; Atonement; Blood of Christ; Freedom

Tune Information

• Name: UNTO HIM THAT LOVED US
• Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1936)
• Meter: PM
• Key: E♭ Major
• Copyright: By permission of Oxford University Press

Text Information:

Scripture References:
st. = Rev. 1:5-6

This text originally appeared in The Daily Service (1936), the full music edition of the British Prayers and Hymns for Schools, of which Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) was an editor. "Unto Christ" was included in the Order of Morning Prayer for Fridays.

The text is taken from Revelation 1:5-6, which contains a doxology attached to the opening greeting addressed to the "seven churches in the province of Asia." The first clause helps us focus our praise on Christ our Savior, who commissioned us to be his kings and priests (see Ex. 19:6). The final words, "glory and dominion for ever and ever," are part of the familiar formula for doxologies--our ascription of praise to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Liturgical Use:
Baptism; as a conclusion to spoken prayers; as a doxologic coda to another hymn (291, 573) or a doxology at the conclusion of worship.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Tune Information:

The fine composer, folk music scholar, and noted hymnal editor Ralph Vaughan Williams (PHH 316) composed this setting for the biblical text for Oxford University Press' The Daily Service (1936). This simple unison melody became familiar to Christian day-school students and Christian Reformed Churches because of its inclusion in Hymns for Youth (1966).

Sing with an energetic ascent toward the climax on "unto him be glory and dominion"; let the textual punctuation suggest the musical phrases.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook