Savior Again to Thy Dear Name (Hymn)

Savior Again to Your Dear Name We Raise is a timeless hymn that reflects on God’s peace, guidance, and the reverence of worship as believers depart. Centered on gratitude, divine protection, and the hope of eternal rest, this song beautifully closes worship services with a prayerful appeal for God’s presence.

VERSE 1
Savior, again to your dear name we raise
With one accord our parting hymn of praise.
We give you thanks before our worship cease,
And now departing, wait Your word of peace.

VERSE 2
Grant us Your peace upon our homeward way;
With you began, with You shall end the day.
Guard now the lips from sin, the hearts from shame,
That in this house have called upon Your name.

VERSE 3
Grant us your peace throughout our earthly life:
Comfort in sorrow, courage in the strife.
Then when your voice shall make our conflict cease,
Call us, O Lord, to Your eternal peace.

Story Behind the Song

In 1866, Anglican clergyman John Ellerton composed “Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise” for the Malpas, Middlewich, and Nantwich Choral Association’s festival in Cheshire, England.[1]

Originally spanning six stanzas, Ellerton designed the hymn as a closing piece for worship services. Two years later, he revised and condensed it to four stanzas for inclusion in the 1868 Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern.[2]

Ellerton, who served in various parishes for four decades, was also a prolific hymn writer and editor, contributing approximately 50 hymns to Christian worship.[3]

His intent with this particular hymn was to provide a reflective and peaceful conclusion to worship gatherings, encapsulating themes of divine peace and guidance.

The hymn has since become a staple in many Christian denominations, often sung at the end of services to invoke a sense of closure and blessing. Its enduring popularity attests to Ellerton’s ability to capture the congregation’s collective desire for God’s peace as they depart.