Each year on the second Sunday in September our church celebrates the Blessing for the New Academic Year (elsewhere also known as the Blessing of the School Bags). With many congregants connected to the university and other education institutions as both students and teachers, this Sunday is a meaningful highlight for us.
To include the theme of learning and teaching more fully into this service, I reworded a couple of well-known church songs: ‚He‘ got the whole world in his hands‘ and ‚Immortal, invisible, God only wise‘. Please feel free to use them at your church, kids event or school assembly! If you do, please get in touch or leave a comment below, telling me when and where you sang these lyrics.
May all who study, teach and support have a blessed start into this academic year 2025/26!
Immortal, invisible – God of Wisdom
Verse 1: Walter Chalmers Smith (1867) – Public Domain
1. Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
2. Creator of all that is, was, and will be,
of universe, life, patterns and history,
grant imagination and vision anew.
Our awe-filled and curious minds worship you.
3. O God who sent prophets from days long of old
to speak truth and wisdom, courageous and bold,
let learning and teaching now follow their call
to bring health and justice to great and to small.
4. Our Saviour, Redeemer, who cares for the weak
let your love inspire the words that we speak.
Grant kindness is action and generous thought
that your divine wisdom is learned and is taught.
Verses 2-4: © 2025 Christine Ghinn
Used by permission. Please attribute verses 2-4 to Christine Ghinn when reproducing.
He’s got the whole world in His hands – School Edition
Verse 1: Traditional African-American Spiritual (1927) – Public Domain
1. He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
2. He’s got the students and the teachers in His hands
He’s got the students and the teachers in His hands
He’s got the students and the teachers in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
3. He’s got the spelling and the counting in His hands
He’s got the spelling and the counting in His hands
He’s got the spelling and the counting in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
4. He’s got the unis and the research in His hands
He’s got the unis and the research in His hands
He’s got the unis and the research in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
5. He’s got our working and our resting in His hands
He’s got our working and our resting in His hands
He’s got our working and our resting in His hands
He’s got the whole world in His hands
Verses 2-5: © 2024 Christine Ghinn
Used by permission. Please attribute verses 2-4 to Christine Ghinn when reproducing.