"In My Father's House There Are Many Rooms"

A bit of history:  “The Pledge of Allegiance was written in August 1892 by the socialist minister Francis Bellamy (1855-1931). It was originally published in The Youth's Companion on September 8, 1892. Bellamy had hoped that the pledge would be used by citizens in any country.  In its original form it read: 'I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'

In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. In 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, President Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today. Bellamy's daughter objected to this alteration."

O God of every nation, of every race and land,

Redeem your whole creation with your almighty hand;

Where hate and fear divide us, and bitter threats are hurled,

In love and mercy guide us, and heal our strife-torn world.

From search for wealth and power and scorn of truth and right,

From trust in bombs that shower destruction through the night,

From pride of race and station and blindness to your way,

Deliver every nation, eternal God we pray.

(Hymn, O God of Every Nation, William W. Reid, Jr.)

***

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for lands a-far and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is;

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;

But other hearts in other lands are beating

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

And sunlight beams on clover-leaf and pine;

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

And skies every-where as blue as mine.

O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth’s kingdoms:

Thy kingdom come; on earth thy will be done.

Let Love be lifted up till all shall love,

And hearts united learn to live as one.

O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations;…

(Hymn:  This is My Song, Lloyd Stone & Georgia Harkness)