Father, we thank Thee who hast planted (Didache)

307 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted

1 Father, we thank Thee who hast planted
   Thy holy Name within our hearts.
   Knowledge and faith and life immortal
   Jesus Thy Son to us imparts.

2 Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
   didst give man food for all his days,
   giving in Christ the Bread eternal;
   Thine is the pow'r, be Thine the praise.

3 Watch o'er Thy church, O Lord, in mercy,
   save it from evil, guard it still.
   Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
   cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.

4 As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
   was in this broken bread made one,
   so from all lands Thy church be gathered
   into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.
                         Didache (c. 110)
                         Trans. by F. Bland Tucker
                         Methodist Hymnal, 1964 edition

<idle musing>
I had never seen this hymn before. It's a loose translation of the Didache, an early church document full of Christian teachings (didache in Greek means "teaching") dating from somewhere between the late first century to around 120 CE. It is an important source for early Christian practices.

The hymn itself isn't terribly popular, only occurring in about 62 hymnals. No wonder I don't recall ever seeing it!
</idle musing>