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 Choral Music:
Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Glenn Burleigh
(c.1993, Burleigh Inspiration Music)
Glenn Burleigh (1949-2007) was born into a family of ministers in Guthrie, Okla., Burleigh grew up to be a renowned pianist, conductor and clinician, as well as composer. His music has been performed on every continent in venues ranging from churches to classical concert stages. His "Alpha Mass" and "Lamentation and Celebration," (dedicated to the victims and survivors of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing) were recorded by the Choral Arts Society of Racine, Wisconsin. One of Burleigh's many gifts was his ability to take disparate styles of music such as classical, blues, gospel and jazz, and bring them together. Burleigh operated his own publishing company in Oklahoma City assisted by his brother, Kenneth. In addition, he served as Director of Music for the National Baptist Congress for five years and as Composer-in-Residence for the Ambassadors’ Concert Choir of Oklahoma City from 1984-2000. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in 2014.
“Bless the Lord, O My Soul” was written in 1993, and the text is based on Psalm 103.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me blessed be His Holy name, His Holy name.
He’ll forgive all our iniquities. He will heal our diseases.
He’ll redeem us and renew our strength if we bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me blessed be His Holy name, His Holy name.
He’ll forgive all our iniquities. He will heal our diseases.
He’ll redeem us and renew our strength if we bless the Lord.
I will bless the Lord at all times and His praises shall continually be in my mouth.
I will praise his name at all times. Bless the Lord, Bless the Lord!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me blessed be His Holy name, His Holy name.
He’ll forgive all our iniquities. He will heal our diseases.
He’ll redeem us and renew our strength if we bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O my soul Bless the Lord, O my soul. Hallelujah!
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Your name is worthy.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
About the Hymns:
Jesus, United by Thy Grace
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. As a hymn-writer Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written no less than 6500 hymns, and though, of course, in so vast a number some are of unequal merit, it is perfectly amazing how many there are which rise to the highest degree of excellence. His feelings on every occasion of importance, whether private or public, found their best expression in a hymn. His own conversion, his own marriage, the earthquake panic, the rumors of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots, every Festival of the Christian Church, every doctrine of the Christian Faith, striking scenes in Scripture history, striking scenes which came within his own view, the deaths of friends as they passed away, one by one, before him, all furnished occasions for the exercise of his divine gift. The saying that a really good hymn is as rare an appearance as that of a comet is falsified by the work of Charles Wesley; for hymns, which are really good in every respect, flowed from his pen in quick succession, and death alone stopped the course of the perennial stream.
All of Wesley's hymns are biblical. They convey the big themes of our faith: forgiveness, love, and charity. This hymn presents the idea of incarnation: Jesus is the incarnation of God's love. There is no more central Christian concept than this: that Jesus came to be love incarnate, God with us.
Jesus, united by your grace, and each to each endeared,
with confidence we seek your face, and know our prayer is heard.
Help us to see in each a friend, each other's cross to bear,
let all their friendly aid extend, and feel the other's care.
Up into you, our living head, let us in all things grow,
till you have made us free indeed and faithful here below.
Drawn by the lodestone of your love, let all our hearts unite;
let us toward each other move, and move toward your light.
About the Modern Band Music:
Reckless Love - Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury, and Ran Jackson
(c.2017, Heritage Worship Music Publishing, Richmond Park Publishing, Bethel Music Publishing)
The hit worship song "Reckless Love" was written by Cory Asbury, Caleb Culver, and Ran Jackson, released by Bethel Music in October 2017. Asbury stated that the core phrase "the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God" came from experiencing God's deep kindness after years of personal struggle.
Asbury woke up at 3:00 a.m. with the full melody for the chorus in his head, ran to his closet, and sang it into his phone. He sat at the piano the next day to flesh it out, then worked with co-writer Caleb Culver to write verses focusing on humanity's value before trying to earn affection. The song draws heavily from the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15, depicting a God who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to fiercely pursue the one lost soul. Asbury explained that God’s love is "reckless" not because God is careless, but because He does not-cynically count the cost or think about Himself when pursuing humanity. It is a love that gives everything away without holding back.
Before I spoke a word You were singing over me
You have been so so good to me
Before I took a breath You breathed Your life in me
You have been so so kind to me
O the overwhelming never-ending reckless love of God
O it chases me down fights ’til I'm found, Leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve, Still You give Yourself away
O the overwhelming never-ending reckless love of God
When I was Your foe still Your love fought for me
You have been so so good to me
When I felt no worth You paid it all for me
You have been so so kind to me
O the overwhelming never-ending reckless love of God
O it chases me down fights ’til I'm found, Leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve, Still You give Yourself away
O the overwhelming never-ending reckless love of God
There's no shadow You won't light up, Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down, Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
House Of The Lord - Jonathan Smith and Phil Wickham
(c. 2020 Be Essential Songsm Jet Music, Phil Wickham Music, Simply Global Songs)
“House of the Lord” is an upbeat Christian worship anthem by Phil Wickham, co-written with Jonathan Smith. Released on April 2, 2021, the song was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-2020 when physical church doors were closed. Sitting at his piano feeling low and missing church gatherings, Wickham realized the "house of the Lord" is not a physical building made by human hands, but rather believers themselves. He started writing the track as a way to lift his own spirits and remind himself of God's unchanging joy, moving from a place of frustration to active praise. The bridge highlights a spiritual transformation, stating that believers were once beggars and prisoners, but are now royalty and running free through grace.
We worship the God who was; We worship the God who is
We worship the God who evermore will be
He opened the prison doors; He parted the raging sea
My God He holds the victory
There’s joy in the house of the Lord
There’s joy in the house of the Lord today
And we won’t be quiet; We shout out Your praise
There’s joy in the house of the Lord
Our God is surely in this place And we won’t be quiet
We shout out Your praise
We sing to the God who heals; We sing to the God who saves
We sing to the God who always makes a way
'Cause He hung up on that cross Then He rose up from that grave
My God’s still rolling stones away
('Cause) We were the beggars, Now we’re royalty
We were the prisoners, Now we’re running free
We are forgiven accepted, Redeemed by His grace
Let the house of the Lord sing praise
There is joy in this house; There is joy there is joy
And we won't be quiet; We’re gonna shout out Your praise
We shout out Your praise; There is joy in this house
There is joy in this house today; We shout out Your praise
We shout out Your praise
First United Methodist Church, Lewisville, Texas
A Community of Everyday People Learning to Love Like Jesus
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