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 Piano Music:
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee - Ed Bolduc
(c.2000, World Library Publications)
"The Hymn of Joy" (often called "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee" after the first line) is a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous "Ode to Joy" melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's final symphony, Symphony No. 9. Van Dyke wrote this poem in 1907 while staying at the home of Williams College president Harry Augustus Garfield. He was serving as a guest preacher at Williams at the time. He told his host that the local Berkshire Mountains had been his inspiration. The lyrics were first published in 1911 in Van Dyke's Book of Poems.
Van Dyke wrote of this hymn: “These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time—hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore this is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.” This hymn is generally considered by hymnologists to be one of the most joyous expressions of hymn lyrics in the English language.
Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) chaired the committee that wrote the first Presbyterian printed liturgy, The Book of Common Worship of 1906. In 1908–09 Dr. van Dyke was an American lecturer at the University of Paris. By appointment of President Wilson, a friend and former classmate of van Dyke, he became Minister to the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 1913. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters and received many other honors. Among his popular writings are the two Christmas stories, The Other Wise Man (1896) and The First Christmas Tree (1897). Various religious themes of his work are also expressed in his poetry, hymns and the essays collected in Little Rivers (1895) and Fisherman’s Luck (1899).
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Op’ning to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, Ever blessing, ever blest,
Wellspring of the joy of living, Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, Lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, Victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward In the triumph song of life.
Ed Bolduc is Project Editor with the World Library division of GIA. Ed is proud to have helped develop the WLP Voices as One music series. In addition to his editing duties, he is a composer, arranger, and recording producer of liturgical and instrumental music. Since 1992, he has served the Catholic Church of Saint Ann in Marietta, Georgia where he is currently the music director.
About the Hymns:
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
(c.1989, United Methodist Publishing House)
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" is a hymn based on Joachim Neander's German chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, published in 1680. John Julian, in his A Dictionary of Hymnology, calls the German original "a magnificent hymn of praise to God, perhaps the finest creation of its author, and of the first rank in its class." Neander wrote this particular hymn while dying and it says much about his faith. While contemplating the words to go along with the melody, he reflected on Psalm 103 with its claim that everything within us should praise the Father’s holy name. It was the favorite hymn of King Frederick William III of Prussia, who first heard it in 1800. In the Neander original, first the singer calls himself (my beloved soul) to praise God, then calls for a larger group to join the praise with musical instruments as well as song. John Julian 's A Dictionary of Hymnology lists more than ten English translations of "Lobe den Herren" printed in various nineteenth century hymnals.
The melody used by Neander, first published in 1665, is probably based on a folk tune. The common name given to this melody is "Lobe den Herren". Several variants were published with various secular texts between 1665 to 1680, when Joachim Neander published his German hymn, Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, using its meter. The text paraphrases Psalm 103 and Psalm 150.
One interesting piece of history is the later use of Neander’s name. He often taught in a valley near the Düssel river, and over 100 years after his death the valley was named after him. It was in that valley that bones were later found, from which we get the name “Neanderthal.”
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near, join me in glad adoration.
Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning;
sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining!
Have you not seen all that is needful has been sent by his gracious ordaining?
Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously made thee!
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly failing, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief? Wings of His mercy did shade thee.
Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you;
surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if with his love he befriends you.
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him.
Let the Amen sound from his people again; gladly forever adore him.
About the Modern Band Music:
Pour Me Out - Ben Smith | Brandon Lake | Daniel Bashta | Rebekah White
(c. 2018, Brandon Lake Music/Heritage Worship Publishing/A New Song For A New Day Music /Mike Curb Music/Go Forth Sounds/Bread & Wine Sounds)
Michael Brandon Lake (b.1990), known professionally as Brandon Lake, is an American contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He writes songs at Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and is a former member of Bethel Music and Maverick City Music. Lake began his recording career in 2015 with a successful crowdfunding campaign to produce an album, which resulted in the independent release of his debut studio album, Closer, in 2016. "Pour Me Out" was originally released by Brandon Lake as a standalone live single in September 2018 through Seacoast Music. It was not a part of his major studio albums, though it later appeared on Seacoast Music's compilation album, At Home.
Make me a vessel of Your peace, Where there is war, let fighting cease
All that divides us, come reconcile us, Make me a vessel of Your peace
Make me a vessel of Your love, Where there is hatred, break it up
All creeds and colors, bind us together. Make me a vessel of Your love
Pour me out, pour me out, Pour me out, wherever I am, wherever I go
Pour me out, pour me out, Pour me out, wherever I am, wherever I go
Make me a vessel of Your hope. Where dreams are dead, come wake them up
A new horizon, I feel it rising. Make me a vessel of Your hope
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Like a rushing river, let mercy flow through my heart to my world
Pour me out, pour me out, Pour me out, wherever I am, wherever I go
Pour me out, pour me out, Pour me out, wherever I am, wherever I go
This Is Amazing Grace - Josh Farro, Jeremy Riddle, and Phil Wickham
(c. 2012, Bethel Music, Seems Like Music, Sing My Songs, Phil Wickham Music, and Warner Chappell Music)
Philip David Wickham (b.1984) is an American contemporary Christian singer-songwriter and musician from San Diego, California. He has released fourteen worship albums: Give You My World in 2003, a self-titled album in 2006, Cannons in 2007, Singalong in 2008, Heaven & Earth in 2009, Response in 2011, Singalong 2 in 2012, The Ascension in 2013, Singalong 3 in 2015, Children of God in 2016, Living Hope in 2018, Hymn of Heaven in 2021, I Believe in 2023, and Song of the Saints in 2025. He has also led worship at Soul Survivor. His single "This is Amazing Grace" has been certified Platinum by the RIAA and it topped the 2014 year-end Christian Airplay chart.
Phil Wickham said this about the song:
This song has actually been years in the making. I originally wrote it several years ago with a buddy of mine, Josh Farro, who was in the band Paramore at the time. He wanted to get together with me and write a worship song. He brought an idea, and I had an idea, and that became the bones for this song. We wrote the chorus, and had some verse ideas. Jeremy Riddle, who is one of the worship leaders at Bethel Church in California, asked if he could rewrite the verses. Jeremy wrote amazing lyrics about the greatness of the God who gave His life for us. We started singing it the way Bethel recorded the song, and there was more of brooding, moody, passionate vibe. We decided to make the song more of a celebration and a party.
The song is simply about the amazing grace and unfailing love that this God, this King of glory, this King above all Kings, has shown to us. The verses are all about His majesty and what He has done, how He spoke the world into existence, how He brings order to our chaos, how He has made orphans and sinners His sons and daughters! By taking our place on the Cross, He bore our sin and went to the grave so that we may be set free, so that we may be forgiven. It's an amazing thought, and the verses are saying look at this amazing God. He creates the stars, brings the chaos back into order. He shakes the whole earth with thunder. It's the story that God has written, and a story that He lets us be a part of. It's a song of celebration. Some songs have an adoration quality. Some songs are reminders. Some songs are about thankfulness. Some songs are prayers, or declarations.
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness
Whose love is mighty and so much stronger
The King of Glory the King above all kings
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder
And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder
The King of Glory the King above all kings
This is amazing grace This is unfailing love
That You would take my place That You would bear my cross
You laid down Your life That I would be set free
Oh Jesus I sing for all that You've done for me
Who brings our chaos back into order
Who makes the orphan a son and daughter
The King of Glory the King of Glory
Who rules the nations with truth and justice
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance
The King of Glory the King above all kings
This is amazing grace This is unfailing love
That You would take my place That You would bear my cross
You laid down Your life That I would be set free
Oh Jesus I sing for all that You've done for me
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
Worthy is the King who conquered the grave
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy worthy worthy
This is amazing grace This is unfailing love
That You would take my place That You would bear my cross
You laid down Your life That I would be set free
Oh Jesus I sing for all that You've done for me
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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