Hymns of the Church - Hymn 512 – Eternal Father, Strong to Save –

 Eternal Father, Strong to Save - The "Navy Hymn" Written by the British Naval Officer, William Whiting, in 1860 to the tune of Melita (after Malta on which St. Paul was shipwrecked) also known as the U.S. Navy Hymn. The original words are:

Verse 1:
Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

Verse 2:
O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked'st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

Verse 3:
Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

Verse 4:
O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Devotion on this hymn by Bishop Ogles;

Hymns of the Church - Hymn 512 – Eternal Father, Strong to Save – 

23 They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; 24 These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 26 They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. 28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 31 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! (Psalms 107:23-31)

            I was raised in an environment far removed from the sea; however, if I could have been convinced to part with my old familiar Blue Ridge Mountains and head out to sea in the Navy, it would have been this majestic hymn that would have compelled me to the decision. I envy the Navy for the beauty of their official hymn, but the sentiments expressed are not limited to the hearts and minds of those who “go down to the sea in ships” but to all who know and trust in that Providential Hand that overrules the Sea of Life, who orders the billows and tempest of life, and causes the breakers to cease their roaring.

            This glorious hymn was composed by William Whiting for one of his students who was about to embark on a sea voyage to America in 1860. The only tune worthy of the lyrics is that composed by John B. Dykes in 1861 – Melita. The name is after the Island of Malta upon which Paul and all others (200 plus souls) were saved from the ravages of an unusually brutal storm upon the sea after many days struggle.  42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. 1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. (Acts 27:42-44, Acts 28:1)

            It should be noted that this horrific storm arose on the sea after leaving an island of absolute peace and calm called, The Fair Havens. God punctuates our lives with alternations of safety and comfort with moments of danger and fear. If it were not so, how could we truly appreciate those moments of safety and comfort? Without the howling north wind, how could we know the peaceful solitude of an open fire on the hearth!

            This Navy Hymn was sung at the funerals of at least three Presidents of the United States – Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. To many Navy patriots, it was the last song of the Chaplain’s Service in their memories just before embarking on great sea battles and Naval engagements along the islands of the sea. Many never heard another hymn this side of Jordan Banks.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save

Eternal Father, strong to save,


Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,


Who biddest the mighty ocean deep


Its own appointed limits keep;


Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,


For those in peril on the sea!

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly

Through the great spaces in the sky.

Be with them always in the air, 

In darkening storms or sunlight fair; 

Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer, 

For those in peril in the air! 

Aloft in solitudes of space, 

Uphold them with Thy saving grace. 

Thou Who supports with tender might 

The balanced birds in all their flight. 

Lord, if the tempered winds be near, 

That, having Thee, they know no fear.

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard


And hushed their raging at Thy Word,


Who walked on the foaming deep,


And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;


Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,


For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood


Upon the chaos dark and rude,


And bid its angry tumult cease,


And give, for wild confusion, peace;


Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,


For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!


Our family shield in danger’s hour;


From rock and tempest, fire and foe,


Protect us wheresoever we go;


Thus evermore shall rise to Thee


Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

            Eternal Father, strong to save, Whose arm hath bound the restless wave, Who biddest the mighty ocean deep Its own appointed limits keep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! No one can call upon their father like a child who is in great danger or need. It is not begging to call upon our earthly fathers for help in time of trouble – it is merely that which is ‘expected.’ The same is true for the Christian who calls, in time of mortal danger (or solitude) upon his Father in Heaven. It should be with a high degree of reverence that we do so. God is not our ‘daddy;’ He is our Father, and, above all else, He satisfies that title in Eternity. He could not be our eternal Father were we not able to enjoy His LOVE and PRESENCE in eternity.

            Our Father is, indeed, strong; but unlike an earthly father whose strength diminishes with age, our Father in Heaven is not only strong, but all-powerful.  He calls forth the gales of the sea, and with His Word, He causes them to be silent. He has set, on the dawn of Creation, the ocean limits that the sea does not overcome the boundaries of dry land the Lord made for our habitation. Yes, our Father does hear us when we cry unto Him and He hears most audibly when we waft up our prayers under mortal danger. When Peter, at the bidding of Christ, step out on the waters of the Sea of Galilee, he walked on water until he took his gaze off Christ and looked into the danger of the swirling tide. It was then that he began to sink. What could he do? He could do nothing! He needed a hand that was above the Sea and stronger. In desperation, he called out, “Lord, save me!” That was not a very fancy or well thought out prayer, but it came directly from the soul of Peter – and it was the kind of prayer the Lord ALWAYS hears.

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly Through the great spaces in the sky. … Aloft in solitudes of space, Uphold them with Thy saving grace – The second and third stanzas are a relatively recent edition, added in the 1930s with the dawn of Naval Aviation as a primary striking and defensive arm of the Navy.  These to stanzas are often omitted at the funerals of non-aviators.  The most important words in the entire hymn are the last words of the third stanza; having Thee, they know no fear.  For if we have the saving Grace of God, there should be no fear in our hearts, for nothing that counts can be harmed.  This is a constant theme for a reason; we need a constant reminder that as long as it is well with our soul, all is indeed well.

            O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard And hushed their raging at Thy Word, Who walked on the foaming deep, And calm amidst its rage didst sleep; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! When we call upon the Lord, we are calling upon a Veteran of many storms of the sea. He did walk upon the sea as if it were made of glass. He did sleep in the hull of a ship throughout the raging tumult of the storm. He has been on every path into which our feet wander. He is surprised by nothing. He is the eternal WAY, TRUTH, and LIFE. In both perils of body and soul on the sea of life, He hears our prayers. He knows our need before we ask. He is WITH us!

            Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood Upon the chaos dark and rude, And bid its angry tumult cease, And give, for wild confusion, peace; Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, For those in peril on the sea! That Divine and Holy Spirit that officiated over the Deep at Creation, and still officiates in the lives of the saints of God, has been our guide from ancient times to follow Christ. The angry billows of the sea are frozen at His power, but it is not the outward surges of the waves that are calmed always, but the storms within the hearts of men – calmed and able to deal with the storms and chaos of life.

O Trinity of love and power! Our family shield in danger’s hour; From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
 Protect us wheresoever we go; Thus evermore shall rise to Thee Glad hymns of praise from land and sea. The dangers we confront in life are not removed at our prayers, but are made subordinate to the faith we have in God to help us to overcome them. In so doing, like the good soldier in basic training, we grow stronger to deal with even greater challenges of life. Sadly, we do not often hear reference to the Holy Trinity in modern churches. They have forgotten the Father God that conceived; the Word that created that which was conceived; and the Holy Spirit that “brooded over the face of the deep.” A child may be fearful of going out into the storm, but when held in the arms of his father, he is willing and able to endure it. The same is true for the saint. He may be fearful of dangers, but he knows of his Father who is with him. The Father is unafraid, so neither is the child afraid.

In the Anglican Orthodox Church, we share a fellowship and band of brothers and sisters upon which the sun never sets – either literally or figuratively. Glad hymns are lifted on high from the bush country of Africa, from Pakistan, from southern Europe, from the Americas, and from the islands of the sea of the south Pacific. We find ourselves in one Great Cloud of Witnesses. Will you join with us in that old-time and primitive religion of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob which has been sealed and consummated by our Lord Jesus Christ?

 

 PART 2, Book of Ruth (Naomi Returns) by Bp Ogles

Devotion on Naomi Returns, Vaya con Dios, 14 April 2026

 

Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.  Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any moresons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. (Ruth 1:6-14)

 

            I especially like the poignant Spanish benediction, “Vaya con Dios!” (Go with God). Too many Christians are attempting to get God to go with them, and most often to a place that God refuses to go. But when we go with God, our path will be straight and our steps sure. Naomi came down to Moab (Ruth 1:1-5) with her husband, Elimelech, and two sons, Mahlon & Chilion, from the House of Bread and Praise to the accursed land of Moab. I am not sure that she came willingly, but the account intimates that she did for, once her husband had died, she did not immediately return to the place of promise that God had placed her at birth. Naomi was forced to face even greater loss before she would resolve to return HOME. She would finally lose both of her dear sons and be left with no blood relations – only two daughters-in-law from the land of Moab. I say ONLY, but that is a misnomer, for one of those girls would forsake all for Naomi and make the most profound statement of love found in any literature, anywhere. But that will be discussed in tomorrow’s devotion. Today, I want to focus on Naomi’s decision, and the differences in the two daughters-in-laws, Ruth and Orpah. 

            Our ill-begotten decisions often are more starkly revealed when we remember back to a time when we enjoyed the favor of God, family, and country. Naomi has come down to Moab, out of the favor of God, and finally lost EVERYTHING that God had given her save her very life. She remembers the fields of Bethlehem, the greetings in the village of her friends and relatives, the snug realization that she was where God had planted her. She remembered, perhaps, running along the fields lined with sycamore trees as a child, the joy she felt in the warm sun of home. There her conscience was unburdened by any thought of being in a place not favored by God. These thoughts had come to haunt Naomi’s peace of mind for some time now. But the tragic loss of her two sons drove home that deeply buried passion to return to Bethlehem-Judah. All the acts of God and man begin with a dream – a thought – and then is realized by action. “Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.”

A desire for something different had brought Naomi into Moab in the first place. Now a desire for something old, something enduring, something blessed, compelled her to ARISE from the ruins of Moab and return to the golden fields of Bethlehem. It is not coincidental that the Prodigal Son first realized his depravity in a far country, he then resolved to ARISE, and then he followed that resolution with ACTION: “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father.” (Luke 15:18-20) I love every Word of Jesus, and I love these last ones quoted as well, for all that He said was devoted to our best interest if we will but hear and believe. When we have rebelled against God, we will soon find ourselves devoid of every blessing. Hurt and wounded by the devil, as the Jew on the Road to Jericho, we cry out in despondency for a restoration of those blessings enjoyed at some other time when we had “Gone with God” on the path of life. The great point illustrated is this: anytime we decide to “Go with God” we will be arising from some very low place, because you cannot return to God without first arising from the depravity into which your own ill-advised actions have taken you.

It is a commendable mark of devotion that both girls would follow Naomi “on the way” to Bethlehem. The text does not tell us whether they went on the way simply to see Naomi off to Bethlehem, or if they cherished some unspoken thought of going all of the way. Many good people undertake to follow Christ, but they are diverted by some personal interest on the way and, tragically, turn back without going all of the way.

I pray that the Holy Ghost will intimately commune with you as you read the lovely words of this story as recorded in the Book of Ruth. Though I cannot explain it, I can say with great certainty that He does so commune with me when I sit down to write of it. I am able to consider thoughts that are alien to my unworthy character as I make a futile effort to describe the magnanimous beauty of the account of Ruth and Naomi. “Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.” Just as we may love Mary Magdalene with the most tender of emotions, we are compelled by love to Ruth as well. She is the greatest expression of pure and Godly love that any person of Scripture illustrates. 

Though heart-broken and weighed down with misery of her losses, Naomi finds the strength to counsel her two very fine daughters-in-law to return home and be blessed of the Lord – the Lord whose will she departed when she came into Moab. These two are truly fine young ladies. They were loyal, unto death, to their husbands, and they are loyal to Naomi now. Their hearts contain a love and devotion that is rare in our day.  At Naomi’s sweet counsel, the girls realized the enormity of the cross-roads at which they now stood – to either follow Naomi ALL OF THE WAY, or return to a comfortable life in Moab. They both wept hot tears of love and remorse. The kiss Naomi gave them aroused unspeakable emotions of the tragedy of daily life for all peoples. Would it not be an immeasurable blessing if all three could remain together forever and face the problems of life just as they had suffered much together in the past? Both girls truly loved Naomi, but one loved Naomi without qualification. One was willing to go part way to see Naomi off, but the other was not willing to stop following after the darling of her heart (Naomi).

I will interject a thought here that may seem foreign to the story, but it is not: Do you truly love the Lord Jesus Christ? If the answer is yes, and many do,  then the second part seals the whole – do you love the Lord Jesus Christ enough to go all of the way with Him and not turn back? Do you love Him so much that, despite the allure of comfort and social advantage, you will forsake all, as Ruth will do, and follow Him all of the way? The church of our day is more like a half-way house – filled with those who will start on the way, but turn back as did Orpah at the borders of Canaan. No person has ever gotten to his intended destination by going part way. Even the last step is required to arrive at one’s destination. It is important that we start, but it is more important that we finish the journey.

Naomi offers no pleasant entreaty to persuade the girls to go with her but, conversely, mentions every discouragement. Naomi is too old to have a husband and more sons and, if she did have sons, could the two girls wait until they were grown up to marry with them? Jesus does not sugar coat His counsel to those who seek the Kingdom of Heaven: “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:20) The Pharisees worked hard at their paltry works of righteousness, but came not near the standard. There attempts were based on false assumptions – that they could actually be righteous enough to merit heaven. No one can be righteous on his own merits. He must have a Redeemer and a substitute that is worthy to bear the wages of the sins he has committed. That would be the Lord Jesus Christ, but as with Ruth, it must be Love that is the key to our walk with Him. He loved us first, and therefore, our hearts must echo that love for Him that compels us to go all of the way to the cross. 

The heart of both Ruth and Orpah was stricken as with a sword at the thought of parting with Naomi, but one had a heart that was sterling all of the way through – the greatest example of the enduring love of womanhood, or any other creature, ever revealed to our eyes. Ruth did not, for an instant, consider the hardship she might face in Bethlehem. She simply loved too much to turn back. Her heart was set on Naomi – nothing else could be considered. Do you love Christ that much, dear friend?

 

 

 

 Midshipman Prayer (U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis)

(Traditional version)

Almighty Father, whose way is in the sea, whose paths are in the great waters, whose command is over all and whose love never faileth; let me be aware of Thy presence and obedient to Thy will. Keep me true to my best self, guarding me against dishonesty in purpose and in deed, and helping me so to live that I can stand unashamed and unafraid before my shipmates, my loved ones, and thee. Protect those in whose love I live. Give me the will to do my best and to accept my share of responsibilities with a strong heart and a cheerful mind. Make me considerate of those entrusted to my leadership and faithful to the duties my country has entrusted in me. Let my uniform remind me daily of the traditions of the service of which I am a part. If I am inclined to doubt, steady my faith; if I am tempted, make me strong to resist; if I should miss the mark, give me courage to try again. Guide me with the light of truth and keep before me the life of Him by whose example and help I trust to obtain the answer to my prayer, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 THE FAMILY ALTAR, 14 April 2026:

April 14.

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

 Phil. 3:21.

Job's faith in the resurrection of the body is Paul's faith, too.

It is the faith of every true Christian. We confess it in the Creed :

"I believe in the resurrection of the body"; but we say it often

so listlessly, when the sacred truth ought to fill us with bound-

less joy. Christ our Savior's almighty word and power are divine

and therefore absolutely reliable guarantees of our resurrection,

no matter what eur own sin-corrupted heart or ranting infidels

may interpose. It is only meet and just that our body should

rise again. Our body, together with our soul, has borne all the

painful burdens of our life here on earth, toiled and groaned

under the curse of sin, and suffered the wages of sin, which is

death. It is right and proper that it should share with the soul

the redemption from sin, the joy and happiness of eternal life.

Our body is an essential part of our being. If only our spirit

lived after death, as so many hold, we should be only half alive,

not the same beings or persons we were before death. But no !

Our redemption by Christ is a perfect redemption, including our

body as well as our soul, and we have our blessed Savior's word

for it that He will call our body forth out of the grave. And,

oh, glorious truth ! it shall then be like His own glorious body,

forever free from the trammels of this earthly existence, free from

all pain, sickness, disease, and deformities that so often afflict

us here. There shall be no blind, no deaf, no mute, no cripples,

no invalids, in heaven. Eejoice, ye unfortunate cross-bearers, who

are perhaps afflicted with some incurable disease or some bodily

defect. In a little while your cross shall cease, and your Savior

will come to change you into the beauty and glory of His own

glorified body. What happiness that will be!

What now sickens, mourns, and sighs,

Christ with Him in glory bringeth;

Earthly is the seed and dies,

Heavenly from the grave it springeth;

Natural is the death we die,

Spiritual our life on high.

Then take comfort, nay, rejoice!

For His members Christ will cherish;

Fear not, they will know His voice,

Though awhile they seem to perish,

When the final trump is heard,

And the deaf, cold grave is stirred.