Across the Sky the Shades of Night

Across the sky the shades of night

This New Year’s Eve are fleet­ing

We deck Thine al­tar

Lord

with light

In so­lemn wor­ship meet­ing;

And as the year’s last hours go by

We raise to Thee our ear­nest cry

Once more Thy love en­treat­ing.

Before the cross sub­dued we bow

To Thee our pray­ers ad­dress­ing

Recounting all Thy mer­cies now

And all our sins con­fess­ing;

Beseeching Thee this com­ing year

To keep us in Thy faith and fear

And crown us with Thy bless­ing.

And while we pray

we lift our eyes

To dear ones gone be­fore us

Safe home with thee in para­dise

Whose peace des­cend­eth o’er us;

And beg of Thee

when life is past

To re­unite us all at last

With those who’ve gone be­fore us.

We ga­ther up in this brief hour

The me­mo­ry of Thy mer­cies;

Thy won­drous goodn­ess

love and pow­er

Our grate­ful song re­hears­es;

For Thou hast been our strength and stay

In ma­ny a dark and drea­ry day

Of sor­row and rev­ers­es.

In ma­ny an hour when fear and dread

Like ev­il spells

have bound us

And clouds were ga­ther­ing ov­er­head

Thy pro­vi­dence hath found us.

In ma­ny a night when seas ran high

Thy gra­cious pre­sence

draw­ing nigh

Hath made all calm around us.

Then

O great God

in years to come

Whatever may be­tide us

Right on­ward through our jour­ney home

Be Thou at hand to guide us;

Nor leave us till at close of life

Safe from all per­ils

toil

and strife

Heaven shall en­fold and hide us.