Now Thank We All Our God Hymn

The text of this loved thanksgiving hymn was written by Rinkart, and the tune composed by Crüger - with countless gifts of love, still is ours today.

 

"Now Thank We All Our God" is a thanksgiving hymn written by Martin Rinkart during the difficult times of the Thirty Years' War. Today this sacred song is sung on numerous occaisons of national rejoicing and is often called Germany's national "Te Deum."This hymn began as a family prayer before meals, later, sung as a national thanksgiving after the end of the Thirty Years' War. Enduring the horrors of plague and famine during those times, Rinkart helped refugees, ministered the sick and dying, and conducted thousands of funerals, including that of his own wife.

• Text author: Martin Rinkart (1586-1649)
• English Translation: Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)
• Tune Composer: Johann Crüger (1598-1662)
• Name of Tune: "Nun Danket"
• Scripture Reference: Psalm 147 – In Praise of God the Almighty

Text author Martin Rinkart

A son of a poor coppersmith, Martin Rinkart, born in Eilenberg, Saxony, Germany on April 23, 1586. He was a boy chorister in the famous St. Thomas Church of Leipzig, Germany, where J.S. Bach was later musical director. Rinkart studied at the University of Leipzig and was ordained to the Lutheran Church ministry. At the age of 31, he became a pastor in his native town of Eilenberg.
Throughout the war years several waves of deadly pestilence, death and destruction swept the city as the various armies marched through the town. Rinkart's home served as a refuge for the afflicted victims, the only remaining pastor ministering that time. Martin Rinkart was a prolific writer of 7 different dramatic productions on the events of the Reformation as well as a total of 66 hymns.
At the wars' closing years, Eilenberg was overrun by invading armies, once by the Austrian army and twice by the Swedish army. In one of the occupations, the Swedish commander demanded that a large tribute payment be made by these already impoverished people. Rinkart interceded that the payment be reduced, but in vain.

The story was that when the Swedish commander would not consider Rinkart's request, the pastor turned to his parishioners and said, "Come, my children, we can find no mercy with man - let us take refuge with God." On his knees Rinkart led his parishioners in prayer and in the singing of a familiar hymn. Apparently, this demonstration of spiritual fervency so moved the Swedish commander enough to reconsider and eventually lowered the demands of the tribute payment.

Hymn's Text and Significance

• First stanza - a general expression of gratitude to God for His "countless gifts of Love."
• Second stanza - a petition for Rinkart's own personal hardships, "Guide us when perplexed, and free us from all ills…"
• Third stanza - a grand doxology of praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – "the one eternal God."

English Translator Cathering Winkworth

Germany being the home of Protestant church music, no hymn, with the exception of Martin Luther's "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", has been used more widely in German churches than this hymn. The English translation was written by a gifted translator, Catherine Winkworth.

Composer Johann Crüger

The majestic tune was composed by one of Germany's most prolific and finest composers, Johann Crüger, whose hymnal, Praxix Pietatis Melica, was the outstanding German hymnal of the 17th century. It had 44 editions from 1644-1731. The tune with Rinkart's text first appeared in the 1647 edition of that publication.

Related Links:

• Come Ye Thankful People Come
• For the Beauty of the Earth
• We Gather Together

Sources:

CyberHymnal for Lyrics and Music (click MIDI from there)
101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck, Kregel Publications (1982)
The Penguin Book of Hymns, edited by Ian Bradley (1989)