ADVENT PRAYER OF THE SHEPHERDS

—Lyrics by Melcena Burns Denny—

(see octavo CQ2104)

O God, who made the meadows green, For flocks of sheep to pasture in, Who made the friendly sycamore tree for summer shade, We pray to Thee on this black night of world despair, Hear, O Lord, a shepherd's prayer! Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts, The whole world is filled with Thy glory. O Thou, whose fingers made the stars, The planets and the wandering stars, Orion, and the Pleiades, Creator of the firmament, In mystery above us bent, Whose mind conceived the human race, And on this earth gave it a place, God, if it be within Thy mind, Send us a Savior for mankind. Send the Messiah, the promised King, The Prince of Peace to save the world, Send us Thy Son! This is our prayer, Let us know that Thou art near, O God! Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts, All the world is filled with Thy glory!

MELCENA BURNS DENNY, California researcher, dramatist, author and artist, was born near Auburn, California in 1876, and began teaching school in Scott Valley, California. She was married to Robert Roy Denny. With the opening in 1937 of the famed First Theater in Monterrey, she contributed the opening drama. Her play, Black Bart, the Lone Robber of Calaveras, ran for a notable six months in 1946. She researched and wrote the story of the famed spider dancer, Lola Montez, which became one of the features of California's Centennial (1949). She wrote many magazine articles for Youth's Companion, Colliers, Montana Western History, and Woman's Home Companion, and was the author of several books, including an illustrated book of poems for children, and other poems. She was a member of the Michillinda (Calif.) Presbyterian Church in 1965, when Pauline Delmonte set the first of a number of her poems to music. This poem, "Noel," was also Delmonte's first venture into composing for choirs. Delmonte is still composing music to the lyrics of Melcena Burns Denny, who died in 1974.

© Copyright. All rights reserved.

Return to catalog page.