Now in the name of him who sent

Now in the name of him who sent. Frederik Herman Kaan* (1929-2009). Written in 1964, because ‘among the several inadequacies of the traditional hymnbook with which I had to work, I found the absence of good baptismal and post-communion hymns particularly difficult.’ Many of Fred Kaan’s early hymns were on these themes, including this baptismal hymn. The note to Pilgrim Praise (1968), where it was first published, says: ‘Water is a symbol of both birth and death. The hymn incorporates early Christian thoughts that link the sacrament of baptism with Old Testament traditions.’ The principal alteration to the original text is in verse 1 line 3 where ‘this child of man’ becomes ‘this new-born...