For whatever reason, I don’t think the Catholic Church has used the song, How Great Thou Art, in music for the masses (pun intended). I say that because when I woke up today the title line was humming through my head, and has continued to do so. It sounds like this: “How great Thou art, how great Thou art. Hum hum hum hum, hum hum hum hum hum hum, how great Thou art, how great Thou art.” A pointed summary without supporting information.
I think of it as a funeral song. It must be commonly chosen as such. It isn’t very upbeat for the message of the lyrics. If anyone wanted to use such a song at a wake party for me, they would need to sing it double time, and maybe use the Chipmunks’ lyrical style. God is not a dirge. God is the expression of all life.
Oh. I guess that does mean that God is a dirge, but so very much more, like the lyrics of the song. Liberally and greatly synopsized from my google lyrics search:
In awesome wonder, I see the stars, I hear the thunder.
Through the woods, I hear the birds singing in the trees, see the brook and feel the breeze.
How great Thou art!
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