Eternal Father, Strong To Save

"Rescue me and deliver me in Your righteousness; 

turn Your ear to me and save me.”

 Psalm 71:2

In America, “Eter­nal Fa­ther” is oft­en called the “Na­vy Hymn,” be­cause it is sung at the Na­val Acad­e­my in An­na­po­lis, Ma­ry­land. It is al­so sung on ships of the Brit­ish Roy­al Na­vy and has been trans­lat­ed in­to French. It was the fa­vor­ite hymn of U.S. Pres­i­dent Frank­lin Roo­se­velt and was sung at his fun­er­al in Hyde Park, New York, Ap­ril 1945. The Na­vy Band played it in 1963 as U.S. Pre­si­dent John Ken­ne­dy’s bo­dy was car­ried up the steps of the U.S. Cap­i­tol to lie in state. Roo­se­velt served as Sec­re­ta­ry of the Na­vy, and Ken­ne­dy was a PT boat com­mand­er in World War II.

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!

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.


This arrangement comes from Sunday Morning Companion, Arr by Victor Labenske, found here. More details can be found on the Project Page.