Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

 

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.

O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation.

All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near,

Join me in glad adoration.

UMC Hymnal, No. 139 

Joachin Neander was born in Germany in 1650.  His father, grandfather, great-gandfather and great-great-grandfather were all ministers of the Gospel.  Joachin spent his youth sewing his wild oats, but the Lord had different plans for him.  A visit to a local church for the purpose of disrupting the service was changed by the powerful preaching of the minister that morning.  A few years later, Joachin was on the preaching staff of the same church. 

Rev. Neander is considered one of the greatest German Calvinist hymn writers.  He wrote approximately 60 hymns, most of which  are based on praise to God as the Creator.  This hymn is a free paraphrase of Psalm 103:1-6. 

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty  Mormon Tabernacle Choir