Each week, you may find information here about the music in the traditional worship services at First United Methodist Church in Lewisville, Texas. Some of this information is original; most of it is copied from other websites such as Wikipedia, GBOD, and hymnary.org. It is my hope that this information will enhance your understanding and enrich your worship experience.
About the Organ Music:
Immortal, Invisible - Winston Cassler
(c.1962, Augsburg Publishing)
Walter C. Smith based this text on 1 Timothy 1: 17: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever." The six-stanza text was published in Smith's Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1867) and, after having been revised by Smith, in W. Garrett Horder's Congregational Hymns (1884). Further revisions were made by the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee.
"Immortal, Invisible" is a strong text of praise to God, who created and sustains the lives of all his creatures. The text focuses on the Creator of the universe, the invisible God whose visible works in nature testify to his glory and majesty. "Light" is the prevailing image in stanzas 1, 2, and 4 (see also Ps. 104:2); our inability to see God is not because of insufficient light but because the "splendor of light hides [God] from view.”
Walter Chalmbers Smith (1824-1908) was educated at the University of Aberdeen and New College, Edinburgh, and became a Presbyterian pastor in the Free Church of Scotland in 1850. He served four congregations, including the Free High Church in Edinburgh (1876¬-1894). Moderator of his denomination in 1893, Smith was a man of wide interests. His poetry was published in some six volumes entitled Poetical Works (1902), and his hymn texts were published in Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life (1886).
ST. DENIO is based on "Can mlynedd i nawr" ("A Hundred Years from Now"), a traditional Welsh ballad popular in the early nineteenth century. It was first published as a hymn tune in John Roberts's Caniadau y Cyssegr (Hymns of the Sanctuary, 1839). The tune title refers to St. Denis, the patron saint of France.
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might:
thy justice, like mountains high soaring above,
thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.
Thou reignest in glory, thou dwellest in light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render; O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee!
G. Winston Cassler (1906-1990) was a member of the faculty of St. Olaf College from 1949 until his retirement in 1972. Cassler studied at Oberlin College in Ohio and had a successful career as a composer of hymns.
About the Piano Music:
Tu es Petrus: Pasce Agnos Meos - Franz Liszt
(in memory of Pope Francis)
Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic period. With a diverse body of work spanning more than six decades, he is considered to be one of the most prolific and influential composers of his era, and his piano works continue to be widely performed and recorded.
Liszt achieved success as a concert pianist from an early age. He gained further renown for his performances during tours of Europe in the 1830s and 1840s, developing a reputation for technical brilliance as well as physical attractiveness. In a phenomenon dubbed "Lisztomania", he rose to a degree of stardom and popularity among the public not experienced by the virtuosos who preceded him. In a fashion that has been described as similar to "the mass hysteria associated with revivalist meetings or 20th-century rock stars", women fought over his cigar stubs and coffee dregs. He was known for tossing his handkerchief to his swooning female fans, and was the first concert pianist to turn the piano sideways, so that people could see his profile.
Liszt was one of the most prominent representatives of the New German School, a progressive group of composers involved in the "War of the Romantics" who developed ideas of programmatic music and harmonic experimentation. Liszt taught piano performance to hundreds of students throughout his life, many of whom went on to become notable performers. He left behind an extensive and diverse body of work that influenced his forward-looking contemporaries and anticipated 20th-century ideas and trends. Among Liszt's musical contributions were the concept of the symphonic poem, innovations in thematic transformation and Impressionism in music, and the invention of the masterclass as a method of teaching performance. In a radical departure from his earlier compositional styles, many of Liszt's later works also feature experiments in atonality, foreshadowing developments in 20th-century classical music.
After the deaths of his children, Liszt announced that he would retreat to a solitary living. He moved to the monastery Madonna del Rosario, just outside Rome, where he took up quarters in a small, spartan apartment. He had a piano in his cell, and he continued to compose. He joined the Third Order of Saint Francis and received the four minor orders of porter, lector, exorcist and acolyte. After this ordination he was often called "Abbé Liszt”, and in1879, he was made an honorary canon of Albano.
Tu es Petrus (you are Peter, the rock) is a Gregorian antiphon for the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul found in a 14th century Italian chant manuscript. Its incipit is taken from Matthew 16:18, where Christ says to Peter: You are Peter, and on this rock [petram] I will build my church. This passage has been of vital importance in the emergence of Rome's primacy in Western Christendom, as the traditional interpretation has been that the site of Peter's martyrdom signifies the location of the heart of the Christian church. This text is a cornerstone of papal authority, signifying the Pope's succession from St. Peter.
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.
While Pope Francis recognizes his role as a successor of Peter as the Bishop of Rome, he is also the Shepherd of the universal Church and he presides over it in charity in a communion of brotherhood. Certainly there is a hierarchy, but this hierarchy is ordered by love, the Bishop of Rome, the Pope is a servant of communion. Tu es Petrus: So the choir chants at the Inauguration Ceremony of a new pope. It is for this reason that every man called to the papal ministry (again, without exception) is called to become, par excellence, the very icon of Crucified Love. Likewise, if he is granted unique privileges and responsibilities, it is so that he might serve every member of Christ's Body in our journey to transformation in Christ Crucified, in self-giving/sacrificing Love.
“Have the courage to walk in the Way of the Lord with the Cross of the Lord.” -- Pope Francis
Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Rest in eternal light.
Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the
Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for
this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell
you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church - Matthew 16:15-18
Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes,
Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” - John 21:15
About the Choral Music:
The Majesty and Glory of Your Name – Tom Fettke
(c. 1979, Word Music)
Tom Fettke has taught music in both public and Christian schools and has served as a church choir director and minister of music in churches large and small for over 30 years. He is a composer, arranger, clinician, and producer of Christian music recordings. Fettke was the creator and senior editor of the Hymnal for Worship and Celebration (1986).
Ever since The Church Music Report's "Favorite Anthem Survey" began surveying music ministers decades ago, only one anthem has appeared every year at the top of their "All-time Favorite Anthems" list: Tom Fettke's "The Majesty and Glory of Your Name." This is his story of that anthem:
This work is not mine. The text is Psalm 8 and I wasn’t the author of Psalm 8. The lyric setting is by Linda Lee Johnson and this was her first attempt at lyric writing. She was a choir member at a church where I was Minister of Music. Linda had written a children’s Sunday School Program which revealed some of her creative abilities. When I asked her to try writing a text based on my favorite Psalm, her response was less than confident, but she was willing to give it a try. A few days later she presented to me a lyric that I felt was nearly perfect and ready for my attempt at a musical setting.
The original piece ended with “little children praise You perfectly, and so would we”. However, it never felt quite right and remained in a drawer in its old form for several months. Then, during a concert in which my choir performed the Ken Medema anthem, “Moses”, I realized what was needed was a warm, emotional, more fully developed personal response to God’s majesty and glory. The next day, I wrote the “Alleluia” section. Playing through the completed work was an incredibly moving experience, and I just knew that God had chosen to touch this musical and textual creation.
That’s the story. This song is not mine, it’s God’s. It is one of those things in life that you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, you had nothing to do with; you were only a tool in the hands of God to display His handiwork.
When I gaze into the night skies and see the work of your fingers;
The moon and stars suspended in space. Oh, what is man that you are mindful of him?
You have given man a crown of glory and honor,
And have made him a little lower than the angels.
You have put him in charge of all creation:
The beasts of the field, The birds of the air, The fish of the sea.
Oh, what is man? Oh, what is man that you are mindful of him?
O Lord, our God the majesty and glory of your name
Transcends the earth and fills the heavens.
O Lord, our God; little children praise You perfectly, And so would we.
Alleluia! Alleluia! The majesty and glory of Your name.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
All Creatures of Our God and King
(c.1989, United Methodist Publishing House)
The words of “All Creatures of Our God and King” were initially written by St Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) in 1225 in the Canticle of the Sun poem, which was based on Psalm 148. The words were translated into English by William Draper, who at the time was rector of a Church of England parish church at Adel near Leeds. Draper paraphrased the words of the Canticle and set them to music. It is not known when Draper first composed the hymn but it was between 1899 and 1919. Draper composed the hymn for his church's children's Whitsun festival celebrations and it was later published in 1919 in the Public School Hymn Book. The hymn is currently used in 179 different hymn books. The words written by St Francis are some of the oldest used in hymns after "Father We Praise Thee", written in 580 AD. The hymn is set to the tune of "Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich sehr", a German Easter hymn written by Friedrich Spee, published in 1623 in his book Auserlesene, Catholische, Geistliche Kirchengesäng. It was first used in English hymn books in 1906.
St. Francis is famous for many things, including love of animals. Pictures of him usually have birds flying nearby and small animals at his feet. A popular story tells of him stopping to preach a sermon to a flock of birds. He reminded them that God had blessed them with beautiful clothing even though they had never learned to spin or weave–– and that God had blessed them with food even thought they had never learned to sow or reap. Then he called them to sing their songs as praises to God. St. Francis wrote this hymn near the end of his life. Sick and suffering bouts of blindness, he was going home to die when he stopped to visit friends at the St. Damien monastery. While there, he felt the inspiration to compose this joyful hymn. It calls all God's creatures ––sun and moon ––wind and water––fruits and flowers––and all who are of tender heart––to sing, "Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!" to honor our God.
LASST UNS ERFREUEN was originally published in the Jesuit hymnal, Ausserlesene Catlwlische Geistliche Kirchengesänge, in 1623 in Cologne, Germany. The tune is believed to have been composed by Friedrich Spee, a Jesuit priest and hymn writer who was most well known as an activist who opposed trials for witchcraft. Spee’s 1631 book, Cautio Criminalis, or a Book on Witch Trials, is one of the first written works to present strong arguments against the use of torture. Spee’s opening melodic phrase in “LASST” has its origins in a setting of Psalm 68 in the Genevan Psalter, a collection of psalm settings composed between 1539-62 in Geneva, Switzerland. While its original publication featured an Easter text, “Lasst uns erfreuen herzlich sehr” (“let us rejoice most heartily”), its most well-known version appeared in the English Hymnal in 1906, edited by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Vaughan Williams reharmonized the tune and set it in a triple meter.
All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice, ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou flowing water, pure and clear, make music for thy Lord to hear,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright, that givest man both warmth and light,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
And all ye men of tender heart, forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear, praise God and on him cast your care,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless, and worship him in humbleness,
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the Spirit, three in one,
O praise him, O praise him, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Creation Sings
(c.2000, Hope Publishing)
New Zealander Shirley Erena Murray (1931–2020) contributed many hymns on creation theology. She was intensely aware of humanity’s impact on the environment and the ethical implications of overuse and abuse of the earth’s natural resources. Earlier hymns such as “I Am Your Mother” and “Touch the Earth Lightly” articulate emotions on this topic ranging from desperation to cautious hope. Rather than focusing on humanity’s abuse of creation, “Creation Sings!” considers humanity’s oneness with the natural created order. Music is the unifying metaphor. Humanity is one with the cosmos—or, as astronomer Carl Sagan (1934–1996) famously said in an episode of his PBS series Cosmos (1980), “We’re made of star-stuff.” Murray skillfully combines current astronomical theories with classic biblical understandings to produce a sublime paean of praise to the Creator.
The incipit (opening line)—“Creation sings!”—is an exuberant exclamation of joy echoing a reference in the book of Job. God is speaking to Job, reminding him of his place in creation: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?" (Job 38:4, NRSV) The passage relevant to this hymn is the third rhetorical question posed by God: "[Where were you] . . . when the morning stars sang together, and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?" (Job 38:7; NRSV, Updated Edition) The singing creation manifests “God's energy and art.” Skillfully, Murray parallels two words related to worship: “liturgy” and “litany.” The alliteration of these two words is melodious. However, the intent is more than sonorous. Rather than the more common word “worship,” liturgy and litany indicate rituals that shape the gathered worship of the faith community—a profound expression of communion between humanity and God—the creation and the Creator.
This hymn was written for a Hymn Search for the Presbyterian Association of Musicians to celebrate the gift of music. It was first published in four, four-line stanzas in the author’s collection, Faith Makes the Song: New Hymns Written between 1997 and 2002 (Hope Publishing Co., 2003). Worship and Song (2011) set the text with the traditional Irish melody LONDONDERRY AIR, a tune requiring two stanzas to be combined, forming two, eight-line stanzas.
Murray had Methodist and Presbyterian roots, but her work is ecumenical in spirit. Her hymns have been published in more than one hundred collections worldwide. They started to appear regularly in hymnals published in North America after 1995. More than thirty composers have set her hymns to music. The wife of Presbyterian minister John Murray, Shirley Erena Murray, studied Classics and French at the University of Otago in Dunedin in the far south of the lower island, receiving an MA with Honors. Her career included experience as a teacher, researcher, and radio hymn program producer. In 2001 Shirley Murray was honored on the Queen’s birthday by being made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) “for services to the community as a writer of hymns.” She is the first New Zealand hymn writer ever, so honored. This recognition was followed by two others: an Honorary Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music (2006) and a Fellow of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada (2009).
Creation sings! and we are in the music,
the movement of God’s energy and art,
a liturgy that links our life to angels,
a litany that rises from the heart.
The Spirit sings! Through love and lamentation,
from Pentecost to joy of Easter Day
the universe is resonant with music,
the smallest creature dances to its play.
Creation groans at our discordant clashing:
the Spirit comes with music as our friend
to bring the harmony of peace and beauty,
to teach the textures of the way to blend.
O God, you draw the melody from silence,
you make of us the instruments of song!
We offer thanks in worship and in wonder
that such a gift to human souls belongs.
May God Bless and Keep You - Jim Strathdee
(c.1994, Desert Flower Music)
Internationally known artists, Jim and Jean Strathdee sing with thousands of people each year as they offer their music in concerts, worship, conferences, reteats, and workshops. Most often they travel throughout the United States and Canada, but over the 40 year span of their ministry they have shared their music in India, New Zealand, Cuba, and Central America. Their music spans a diversity of sound and style and includes use of guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, African drums, and Native American flute. They see music as an agent of transformation where ecumenical and inter-faith communities come together to make a stand for positive change. Jim and Jean have served on the staff of United Methodist churches in southern and northern California and Hawaii. They have written hundreds of hymns, songs, and anthems.
May God bless and keep you,
May God's loving face now shine on you and be gracious, gracious, Amen.
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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