O God Beyond All Praising

O God beyond all praising,
We worship you today
And sing the love amazing
That songs cannot repay;
For we can only wonder
At every gift you send,
At blessings without number
And mercies without end:
We lift our hearts before you
And wait upon your word,
We honour and adore you,
Our great and mighty Lord.

The flower of earthly splendor
In time must surely die,
Its fragile bloom surrender
To you, the Lord most high;
But hidden from all nature
The eternal seed is sown
Though small in mortal stature,
To heaven's garden grown:
For Christ the man from heaven
From death has set us free,
And we through him are given
The final victory!

Then hear, O gracious Saviour,
Accept the love we bring,
That we who know your favour
May serve you as our king;
And whether our tomorrows
Be filled with good or ill,
We'll triumph through our sorrows
And rise to bless you still:
To marvel at your beauty
And glory in your ways,
And make a joyful duty
Our sacrifice of praise.

Michael A. Perry