In the mid-1960s Fred Kaan (PHH 277) began writing hymn texts "to fill gaps" in traditional hymnody. He wrote this text in 1966 while he was pastor of the Pilgrim Church in Plymouth, England. It was published in his collection Pilgrim Praise (1968).
This "kingdom hymn" illustrates that Kaan was well versed in the Reformed understanding of the kingdom of God. "Father, Help Your People" is a prayer for the coming of God's kingdom wherever we are–in church, home, or marketplace–and with whatever gifts we have–in worship, work, or play. We are urged here to be Christ's servants in the world and thus to experience living as a feast, a foretaste of the great celebrations in the new heaven and earth.
Liturgical Use:
A "kingdom hymn" for many occasions of worship; fitting for special times of prayer for the nation, industry, science, and the arts; observances of schooling, graduations, business, and domestic life, and Labor Day.
--Psalter Hymnal Handbook
Fred Kaan Hymn writer. His hymns include both original work and translations. He sought to address issues of peace and justice. He was born in Haarlem in the Netherlands in July 1929. He was baptised in St Bavo Cathedral but his family did not attend church regularly. He lived through the Nazi occupation, saw three of his grandparents die of starvation, and witnessed his parents deep involvement in the resistance movement. They took in a number of refugees. He became a pacifist and began attending church in his teens.
Having become interested in British Congregationalism (later to become the United Reformed Church) through a friendship, he was attended Western College in Bristol. He was ordained in 1955 at the Windsor Road Congregation… Go to person page >
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