Doxology 2026: New Verses

from Hymncharts arranger Don Chapman:

I’m excited about how my new Doxology has turned out (you never really know if these arrangements work until you get them out of your head and recorded!)

I’m happy with the modern, vibey feel, but I’m especially excited because I’ve transformed the one-verse Doxology (typically used as a benediction, short call to worship or a liturgical transition) into a full-fledged, 3 verse worship song you can use to kick off your worship set.

More about those 3 verses in a minute. But first, let’s talk about the author, Thomas Ken. He’s remembered today primarily as the author of the words Christians know simply as “The Doxology.” His legacy is one stanza of four short lines!

Ken had strong ties to Winchester College, where he had once been a student and later served in ministry. Wanting to help the young men there develop a daily habit of prayer and worship, he wrote devotional hymns for different times of the day, including the Morning Hymn “Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun,” the Evening Hymn “Glory to Thee, My God, This Night,” and the Midnight Hymn “My God, I now from Sleep Awake.”

At the end of each hymn, Ken placed those four-lines:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

That little concluding verse eventually took on a life of its own. Separated from the entire, longer hymns, it became one of the most familiar expressions of praise in Christian worship.

Ironically, Ken wrote these lyrics in a time (around 1674) where it was believed only Scripture was to be sung, and blasphemous to write new lyrics for church. He even instructed the boys that they only use them privately in their rooms as part of their morning and evening devotions. God really does have a sense of humor – now these words are sung across the globe, and have been for centuries!

I went back to those longer poems, picked and chose my favorite lines (from the Morning Hymn), slightly modernized them, added a few lines of my own, and created two new stanzas that carry the same tone and feel of the original:

my new verse 2:

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
I’ll praise the risen, holy One.
Shake off thy sleep and joyful rise
To bring a song of sacrifice.

Ken’s original:

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

my new verse 3:

Disperse my sin as morning dew,
My vows, O Lord, to Thee renew
Now fill my heart, my spirit raise,
And make my life a song of praise.

Ken’s original:

Lord, I my vows to Thee renew,
Disperse my sins as Morning dew,
Guard my first springs of Thought and Will,
And with Thy self my Spirit fill.

Ken also mentions “praise” quite a bit throughout, leading me to write the final “make my life a song of praise”:

All Praise to Thee, my God, this night,
For all the Blessings of the Light;

and song:

Thought to thought with my Soul converse,
Celestial Joys to me rehearse,
And in my stead all the night long,
Sing to my God a grateful Song.

This new version doesn’t replace Thomas Ken’s Doxology, it brings some of his forgotten words back to life. Those familiar four lines now lead into a call to awaken, renew hearts and make our entire lives a song of praise. What a great way to start a Sunday morning worship service! (P.S. Even if you don’t use my arrangement, feel free to use my new stanzas!)

Download Doxology 2026

Get this arrangement of Doxology only at Hymncharts.com and Worshiphymns.com – you won’t find this fresh take anywhere else! As the arranger, I’m offering this new version exclusively on these websites. What’s the difference between Hymncharts and Worshiphymns?