This is a classic example of a true “praise song”. Instead of “threatening “ to praise God (“Lord, I just want to praise you”), but never actually getting around to speaking about Him, instead of me and my intentions…this hymn is almost completely theocentric, focusing on the attributes of God. In fact, the scholarly hymnologist Erik Routley said “One hymn of pure praise stands out among the mass of devotional hymns – it is “Immortal, Invisible”, a fine simple hymn, noteworthy for its plump polysyllables.”
The author of the hymn was a faithful Free Church of Scotland (i.e. conservative Presbyterians to this day) minister, Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908). Smith not only pastored, but penned several hymnals. This hymn was in his 1867 collection, Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life.
As with many of the hymns in our hymnal, the editors have shortened this classic. The Missing stanzas are:
To all, life Thou givest, to both great and small; In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree, And wither and perish—but naught changeth Thee
All laud we would render; O help us to see, ’Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee,
And so let Thy glory, almighty, impart, Through Christ in His story, Thy Christ to the heart.
Come prepared to “make His praise glorious” (Psalm 66:2)!
Carl is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a graduate of Crichton College and Covenant Theological Seminary. Pastor Robbins has served churches in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Nevada. In addition Carl has served on the board of crisis pregnancy centers, Christian schools and seminaries. He has spoken to college groups, medical school forums, state legislative groups, seminary chapels and church conferences. His special passion is training pastors in developing countries. Carl and wife Sandy have been married for 37 years(!) and are the parents of three believing, adult children: John and his wife DeAnna and their children (Bray, Emmie Ruth, and Maggie Grace), James and his wife Megen and their children (Jack and Lainey Janice), and Sarah and her husband Andrew Holmes. Carl and Sandy love OU football, big dogs, good Mexican food, and the beach—any beach, any time.
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Carl is a native of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, a graduate of Crichton College and Covenant Theological Seminary. Pastor Robbins has served churches in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Nevada. In addition Carl has served on the board of crisis pregnancy centers, Christian schools and seminaries. He has spoken to college groups, medical school forums, state legislative groups, seminary chapels and church conferences. His special passion is training pastors in developing countries. Carl and wife Sandy have been married for 37 years(!) and are the parents of three believing, adult children: John and his wife DeAnna and their children (Bray, Emmie Ruth, and Maggie Grace), James and his wife Megen and their children (Jack and Lainey Janice), and Sarah and her husband Andrew Holmes. Carl and Sandy love OU football, big dogs, good Mexican food, and the beach—any beach, any time.
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This is a classic example of a true “praise song”. Instead of “threatening “ to praise God (“Lord, I just want to praise you”), but never actually getting around to speaking about Him, instead of me and my intentions…this hymn is almost completely theocentric, focusing on the attributes of God. In fact, the scholarly hymnologist Erik Routley said “One hymn of pure praise stands out among the mass of devotional hymns – it is “Immortal, Invisible”, a fine simple hymn, noteworthy for its plump polysyllables.”
