Each week, you may find information here about the music in the worship services at Trinity United Methodist Church in Duncanville, 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.
Jesus Loves Me - Matt Hyzer
(c.2006, GlorySound, div of Shawnee Press)
"Jesus Loves Me" was written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1827–1915). The lyrics first appeared as a poem in the context of an 1860 novel called Say and Seal, written by her older sister Susan Warner (1819–1885), in which the words were spoken as a comforting poem to a dying child. The tune was added in 1862 by William Bradbury (1816–1868). Along with his tune, Bradbury added his own chorus "Yes, Jesus loves me, Yes, Jesus Loves me" After publication as a song it became one of the most popular Christian hymns in churches around the world, especially among children.
Anna’s family home was quite close to the United States Military Academy at West Point, in New York, in the era just before the Civil War. Each Sunday Anna taught Bible classes to the cadets. Her remains are buried in the military cemetery, and her family home is now a museum on the grounds of the United States Military Academy.
Her original poem follows:
Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak but He is strong.
Jesus loves me! Loves me still,
Tho I'm very weak and ill,
That I might from sin be free,
Bled and died upon the tree.
Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven's gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.
Jesus loves me! He will stay
Close beside me all the way.
Thou hast bled and died for me;
I will henceforth live for Thee.
Matt Hyzer began his musical journey at an early age, receiving formal piano training that laid the foundation for his future accomplishments. He graduated with honors from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, earning degrees in Piano Performance and a Master of Arts in Teaching. As a freelance writer and arranger, he has contributed over 20 books and hundreds of arrangements. Matt has led workshops for Steinway & Sons and Jacobs Music Company in the greater Philadelphia area and at the Lancaster International Piano Festival. In 2017, Matt was honored as a Grammy-nominated Music Educator Quarter-Finalist.
Lord Speak to Me
Frances Ridely Havergal (1836-1878) was one of several women hymn writers who came into prominence in England during the last half of the 18th century. Before this time women’s voices were rarer in the English-speaking hymnological world. Havergal’s father was an Anglican clergyman. After a carriage accident, he devoted himself to the improvement of church music in England, and according to hymnologist Albert Bailey, “revived the use of the solid tunes of early English composers and so did much to improve the quality of congregational singing.”
Havergal was obviously inspired by her father’s efforts. She possessed a natural musicianship, as well as a love for walking, swimming and mountain climbing. By the age of 7, she displayed a talent for writing verse. Her hymns appeared originally in leaflets and were eventually collected into volumes, including Ministry of Song (1869), Under the Surface (1874) and Loyal Responses (1878). “Lord, Speak to Me” first appeared in Under the Surface with the heading, “A Worker’s Prayer. None of us liveth unto himself, Romans 14:7.”
“Lord, Speak to Me” is a personal prayer of petition. The focus of this hymn is not an ecclesiological argument on the nature of the church, a theological discussion of the Trinity, a reflection on the sacraments or a liturgical statement on the Christian year. Havergal’s concern is the conversion of lost souls. This hymn and her other well-known prayer hymn, “Take my life and let it be consecrated” reflect her desire to make use of her many talents in the service of the Lord. It is as one sought by Christ that she wishes to seek for the lost; it is as one sure of her way, and well-nourished in the spirit, that she longs to lead other and feed them. This hymn is a prayer in two directions: for a full and energetic life, and for the surrender of that life in worship and service.
Lord, speak to me that I may speak In living echoes of your tone.
As you have sought, so let me seek Your erring children, lost and lone.
Oh, lead me, Lord, that I may lead The wand'ring and the wav'ring feet.
Oh, feed me, Lord, that I may feed Your hungry ones with manna sweet.
Oh, teach me, Lord, that I may teach The precious truths which you impart.
And wing my words that they may reach The hidden depths of many a heart.
Oh, fill me with your fullness, Lord, Until my very hearts o'erflows
In kindling thought and glowing word, Your love to tell, your praise to show.
Oh, use me, Lord, use even me, Just as you will, and when, and where
Until your blessed face I see, Your rest, your joy, your glory share.
Gloria Patri
Many congregations may take these words, sung weekly, for granted. Like many parts of liturgy, their roots extend to the deepest levels of our praise and prayer.
The text of the Gloria Patri falls into the broader category of doxology – in the Greek doxologia or “words of glory.” Doxology finds its roots in the Hebrew liturgy and the psalms as the kaddish. The kaddish is a doxology recited after the verses of a song. Its recitation signals the conclusion of one of the sections of the liturgy and has many different forms and purposes. In the Jewish context, a doxology blesses the One God and God’s everlasting nature. For example, Psalm 41:13 states: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen and Amen” (KJV). This is a form of berakhah (blessing or benediction) that pervades Jewish liturgy and life. The Sh’ma is the most famous and prevalent statement in Reform Jewish liturgy that addresses these criteria:
Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָֽד):
“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
Baruch shem k’vod malchuto l’olam vaed (בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד):
“Blessed is/be the name of the glory/honor of His kingdom forever and ever.”
The “Baruch” is a berakhah added in the rabbinic tradition. It is very similar to Psalm 72:19: “Blessed be His glorious name forever.”
Given this heritage, early Christians adapted the Jewish form to include the Triune God and the Trinity’s eternal nature – “world without end.” Scholars suggest that the opening trinitarian formula is taken from the Great Commission in Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (28:19). Any trinitarian affirmation at the conclusion of a prayer became known as a “doxology.”
The Lesser Doxology has for centuries been chanted in Latin at the conclusion of psalms and canticles, especially in the daily monastic prayers:
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
The Greater Doxology is the fourth-century hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo, the incipit (opening line) of which was drawn from the angel’s canticle, Luke 2:14. This non-biblical canticle was introduced during the fourth-century Christological controversies as a corrective to Arianism – a doctrine attributed to Arius (c. 256–336) claiming that Jesus was subordinate to God the Father. The Gloria became a stable part of the ordinary (fixed) sections of the Roman Catholic mass except during Advent and Lent when it is omitted.
Protestants often limit the doxology to a single stanza from morning and evening hymns composed by Anglican Bishop Thomas Ken (1637–1711) for a resident boys’ school. While the four lines of this well-known stanza are Trinitarian, Ken does not specifically mention the eternal nature of the Trinity. However, he references the cosmic perspective of our praise to God – taking place both on earth and in heaven:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise him, all creatures here below;
Praise him above, ye heav’nly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The Gloria Patri, also known in English as the Glory Be to the Father or, colloquially, the Glory Be, is also referred to as the Minor Doxology (Doxologia Minor) or Lesser Doxology, to distinguish it from the Greater Doxology, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo. The lesser doxology is of Syrian origin:
shubho labo w-labro wal-ruho qadisho
men 'olam w'adamo l'olam olmin, Amin.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
from everlasting and for ever and ever (literal translation).
The Greek wording is as follows:
Δόξα Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ καὶ Ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι,
καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Both now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The Latin version differs from the Greek version because of the insertion of "sicut erat in principio", which is now taken to mean "as it (glory) was in the beginning", but which seems originally to have meant "as he (the Son) was in the beginning", and echo of the opening words of the Gospel according to John: "In the beginning was the Word". In 529, the Second Synod of Vasio (Vaison-la-Romaine) in Gaul said in its fifth canon that the second part of the doxology, with the words "sicut erat in principio", was used in Rome, the East, and Africa, and ordered that it be said likewise in Gaul. Writing in the 1909 Catholic Encyclopedia, Adrian Fortescue, while remarking that what the synod said of the East was false, took the synod's decree to mean that the form originally used in the West was the same as the Greek form. From about the 7th century, the present Roman Rite version became almost universal throughout the West.
Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,
sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculorum. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, and now, and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
The following traditional form is the most common in Anglican usage and in older Lutheran liturgical books:
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
The translations of "semper" as "ever shall be", and "in saecula saeculorum" as "world without end" date at least from Thomas Cranmer's Book of Common Prayer (1552).
Congregations use several traditional musical settings. One is by Charles (Christoph) Meineke (1782–1850), a German-born organist who moved to England around 1810 and then to Baltimore in 1820. He served as organist of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church for several decades. Meineke authored Music for the Church . . . Composed for St. Paul’s Church, Baltimore (1844). His musical setting, included in this collection, is usually given the name MEINEKE.
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us - Larry Moore
(c.2008, ThankYou Music)
Stuart Townend (b. 1963) has written several modern worship songs including the very well-known “In Christ Alone.” However, the song “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” holds a special place in his heart. Townend, a who lives in Brighton, England, states himself that he is concerned about the modern movement that is always seeking an “experience” at worship. He clearly states that he believes emotion is an important part of worship, but that when that becomes our focus, we struggle. In an online interview, he stated concerning “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us,”
The danger now is that we are so focused on the experience our worship can become self-seeking and self-serving. When all of our songs are about how we feel and what we need, we’re missing the point. There is a wonderful, omnipotent God who deserves our highest praise, and how we feel about it is in many ways irrelevant! I want to encourage the expression of joy, passion and adoration, but I want those things to be the by-product of focusing on God – I don’t want them to become the subject matter. I’m trying to write songs that refer to us as little as possible, and to Him as much as possible!
Many people, upon hearing the song for the first time, think it is old, as it sounds more like a classic hymn than a modern praise song. That feel was intentional from the very beginning. On his own website, Townend states that he had been considering the cross, “in particular what it cost the Father to give up his beloved Son to a torturous death on a cross.” Then he thought about his own part in that event; thus the line, “It was my sin that nailed Him there.” Written in 1995, “How Deep the Father’s Love” is comprised of three simple verses, but they teach the basics of our faith. They discuss not only the death and resurrection of Jesus, but also the love of God and sin of man. In my opinion, the last lines of the hymn are some of the finest words ever penned, as we sing, “But this I know with all my heart: His wounds have paid my ransom.” Those words bring the worshiper’s mind back to the fact of his/her own sin, but also the glorious salvation brought about by Jesus Christ. In terms of modern hymns, there may not be a song that better expresses the basics of the Christian faith, while at the same time being highly introspective.
How deep the Father's love for us, How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One Bring many sons to glory.
Behold the Man upon the cross, My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life, I know that it is finished.
I will not boast in anything - No gifts, no power, no wisdom,
No, but I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer,
But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.
Larry Moore was raised in Upstate New York. He later moved to Wisconsin after receiving a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Greenville College. An accomplished pianist, he has produced numerous recordings. Moore's compositions have been used in network television promotions, and his arrangements have been performed by several symphony orchestras.
In the Garden
(c.1989, United Methodist Publishing House)
"In the Garden" (sometimes rendered by its first line "I Come to the Garden Alone" is a gospel song written by American songwriter C. Austin Miles (1868–1946), a former pharmacist who served as editor and manager at Hall-Mack publishers for 37 years. Austin Miles used the -word vision to describe the encounter that led to his writing "In the Garden." The setting was Philadelphia, where Miles was employed as an editor for a music publisher. March 1912. At home Miles sat in a window-less room of his own-—-a combination study, photo lab, and music parlor. He reached for his Bible. "It opened at my favorite chapter, John 20," he later explained. John's account of the Resurrection: two angels and then a "gardener" ask a distraught Mary Magdalene why she is crying. Because "they" have taken my Lord away. And then gardener Jesus says one word that transforms the scene: "Mary." He speaks her name, and she knows who he is. Rabboni. As Miles read the familiar story, he felt as if he were a bystander on-site. In another century, as if this were an episode of the old Walter Cronkite television series: "You Are There: At the' Garden Tomb.”
"Under the inspiration of this vision," Miles explained, he wrote "In the Garden," the words coming to mind as quickly as he could write them down. (And the text stands as first written, never being revised.) Later in the day Miles wrote the music.
Miles described his activity as "reading" John 20; some would say he was praying. It's an ancient art lost on many Christians intent on studying the Scripture. One prayer pattern involves imagining oneself in a gospel scene. "You Are There." Ignatius of Loyola advised believers to "see the persons in your imagination, contemplating and meditating in detail the circumstances surrounding them, and then draw some spiritual profit from this scene." He goes on, suggesting that we imagine the sounds, smells, tastes, and touch "always endeavoring to draw some spiritual fruit from this" application of the senses.
Though Austin Miles described himself as an observer in the story, he wrote "In the Garden" in first person, as if he had stepped into Mary's shoes: Jesus is walking and talking directly with him—and you and me. Calling us by name.
I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses;
And the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.
He speaks and the sound of His voice is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me within my heart is ringing.
And He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.
I’d stay in the garden with Him though the night around me be falling,
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe His voice to me is calling.
Surely the Presence of the Lord is in this Place
(c.1977, Lanny Wolfe Music)
Lanny Wolfe (born 1942) is a Christian songwriter who has won numerous awards. Wolfe served for a number of years as the Dean of the School of Music at Jackson Bible School, Jackson College of Ministries, but his most significant influence has been introducing black Gospel music to Pentecostal churches.
"Surely the Presence of the Lord Is in This Place" is based on Jesus promise, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in their midst" (Matthew 18:20). It emphasizes the senses––feeling, hearing, touching, and seeing. We can feel the presence of the Lord––and hear the brush of the angel's wings––and see glory on each face. Wolfe was inspired to write this song in 1977 when a friend invited The Lanny Wolfe Trio to sing at a dedication service for a new building. "Surely the Presence" is the song that the Trio sang for that occasion.
Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place;
I can feel his mighty power and his grace.
I can hear the brush of angels’ wings, I see glory on each face;
Sure the presence of the Lord is in this place.
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
Irish born Joseph M. Scriven (1819-1896) was 25 years old, in love and to be married. The day before his wedding his fiance died in a tragic drowning accident. Heartbroken, Joseph sailed from his homeland to start a new life in Canada. While in Canada working as a teacher, Joseph received word from Ireland that his mother was ill. He could not go to be with her, so he wrote a letter of comfort and enclosed one of his poems entitled “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.
Many years later a friend was sitting with Joseph, as he was very ill. During this visit, the friend was very impressed when he ran across his poems, including “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. As a result of this visit, almost 30 years after his letter of comfort to his mother, Joseph's poems were published in a book called Hymns and Other Verses. Soon thereafter, noted musician Charles C. Converse (1834-1918) put music to “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”. Well-known musician and revivalist Ira D. Sankey (1840-1908) was a great admirer of Joseph Scriven. In 1875, Sankey came upon the music and words for “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and included it as the last entry in Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number 1.
The hymn also has many versions with different lyrics in multiple languages, such as the Japanese version "Itsukushimi Fukaki" (lit. "Deep Affection"), or a version sung during World War I with the line "When this bloody war is over" in place of the original title. The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal notes, "In spite of the fact that this hymn, with its tune, has been criticized as being too much on the order of the sentimental gospel type, its popularity remains strong, and the hymn retains a place in modern hymnals."
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he'll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.
A Closing Prayer - Don Besig
(c.1978, Harold Flammer, Inc.)
Don Besig was a public school music teacher for over thirty years in western New York. He taught at all levels and since his retirement has continued to serve as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator. Recognizing a need for choral music written especially for student singers and volunteer church choirs, he began composing for his own choral groups in 1960. He is also the recipient of several ASCAP Plus Awards Don is a graduate of Ithaca College and a member of Phi Mu Alpha and ASCAP. He and Nancy Price collaborate to write music and lyrics.
The time has come, O Lord, for us to leave this place.
Guide us and protect us and lead us in thy grace.
Wherever life may take us as we go our separate ways,
Help us share with others the things we've shared today.
Put Your Hand in the Hand - Fred Bock
(c.1982, Fred Bock Music Company)
Gene MacLellan (1938-1995) was a Canadian singer-songwriter from Prince Edward Island. He grew up in Toronto in a working class Presbyterian family. As a child, MacLellan contracted polio. MacLellan was one of the founding members of The Consuls, a Toronto rock band formed in 1956. He played lead and rhythm guitar and sang with the group between 1956 and 1960. In 1963, MacLellan was injured in a car accident in which his father died. MacLellan suffered scarring on the left side of his face as a result of the accident. In 1964, he moved to Pownal, Prince Edward Island, where he lived with his aunt and worked as a farm labourer and mental hospital attendant.
While living in Prince Edward Island, MacLellan began writing songs, including "Snowbird", which was inspired by his observation of a flock of snow buntings on a beach. He made his first television appearance in 1970 on Don Messer's Jubilee. MacLellan won a Juno Award in 1971 as Canadian composer of the year. From 1980 until his death in 1995, MacLellan performed only in small noncommercial venues such as churches, prisons and nursing homes. He was active in "Cons for Christ", a Christian organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of prison inmates in Canada. MacLellan suffered depression throughout his life. During his later years, his condition worsened, leading to hospitalization at Prince County Hospital in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. Shortly after his release from the hospital, MacLellan died by suicide at his home in Summerside.
Put Your Hand in the Hand" is a gospel pop song composed by Gene MacLellan and first recorded by Canadian singer Anne Murray in 1970 on her third studio album, Honey, Wheat and Laughter. It became a hit single for the Canadian band Ocean, released as their debut single and title track to their 1971 debut album. The song peaked at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It remained in the top 10 for seven weeks,[3] and was ranked as the No. 33 song for 1971 according to Billboard. The band received fan mail for the song from religious figures such as Billy Graham and the Bishop of Toronto.
After MacLellan's suicide in 1995, his friend and fellow Atlantic Canadian musician Ron Hynes wrote the song "Godspeed" as a tribute, the lyrics for which reference the title of this song.
Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water,
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea.
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
Every time I look into the Holy Book, I want to tremble,
Or when I read about the part Where the carpenter cleared the temple.
For the buyers and the sellers were no different fellas than what I profess to be,
And it causes me shame to know we're not the people we should be.
So, put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water,
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea.
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
My mama taught me how to pray Before I reached the age of seven.
She said, "There'll come a time when there'll probably be room in Heaven"
But I'm feeling kinda guilty 'Bout the number of times to do what we must do,
But we forget what He said When we figure that He'll still make room.
So, you gotta put your hand in the hand Of the man who stilled the water,
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea.
Take a look at yourself, and you can look at others differently
By puttin' your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.
Fred Bock (1939-1998) is regarded as one of the most recognized and respected leaders in the church music world. He was an esteemed arranger, choral director, clinician, composer, music publisher, organist, pianist and studio musician.
Born and raised in Great Neck, New York, Bock always knew he had a passion for music. At the age of 6 he learned how to read sheet music and play instruments, the first one being the piano. At the age of 12, he began to play the organ. Bock attended Ithaca College, New York, where he received his B.A. in Music Education, and earned his Masters at the Church of Music at the University of Southern California. Fred was awarded an honorary Ph.D. from Taylor University, Upland, Indiana in the 1980's.
At 24 years old, Fred Bock became the founder and Director of Publications for the music publishing branch of Word, Inc., all while completing graduate courses at the University of Southern California. He dedicated 7 years to the company, later resigning to become the founder of Gentry Publications, an educational music company which offers sacred and secular arrangements for houses of worship. Overtime, Bock expanded his interests and developed several more publishing companies, the two largest being Gentry Publications and Fred Bock Music Company, a music publisher of church music for choir, organ and piano. Through the years, he acquired the Raymond A. Hoffman Company, a supplier of operettas for grade-school use; the H. T. FitzSimons Company, a supplier of organ and choral music for worship, as well as the Hamelle edition of Gabriel Faure’s REQUIEM; and Fox Music Publishing. These publishing companies and more encompass Fred Bock Publishing Group as we know it today.
Along with his entrepreneurship, Fred Bock was more than a businessman. Bock was also an avid lover of music, active member of church communities and an accomplished composer. He served as the Minister of Music at Hollywood Presbyterian Church for 18 years, and at the Bel Air Presbyterian Church, Los Angeles for 14 years. In 1976, he became the Editor of Hymns for the revolutionary collection Hymns for the Family of God. Known for his good humor, Fred closed the foreword to Keyboard Duets for Organ and Piano with these words which give the measure of the man...."I shall never forget the evening of October 16, 1968*...*The evening referred to by Mr. Bock was when he fell asleep during an organ recital he was giving.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Duncanville, Texas
