April 22, 2018

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources 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:

Leoni – Frank Ferko

The roots of early Christian worship grew in the soil of the first-century Jewish synagogue service. In Scripture and psalm, in sermon and prayer, the gathered community celebrated what God had done—and anticipated God’s mighty acts yet to come. In light of this, the well-known hymn “The God of Abraham Praise” offers a glimpse of history.

Thomas Olivers (1725–1799), the hymn’s author, was born in Wales and orphaned at age 4. Apprenticed early to a shoemaker, he grew to adulthood a wild, rootless man. In his mid-twenties, however, Olivers was converted through the preaching of George Whitefield. Soon after, he became an evangelist with John Wesley. Olivers spent more than twenty years—end 100,000 miles—as an itinerant preacher. Later, he became co-editor of Wesley’s Arminian Magazine.

Tradition tells us that on a Friday evening in 1770, Olivers attended Sabbath worship at the Great Synagogue, Duke’s Place, London. There, as the “Yigdal” (traditional Hebrew doxology) was sung by cantor Meyer Lyon (d. 1796), Olivers was so moved that he approached the operatic vocalist personally. In the 12th century, Jewish scholar Moses Maimonides codified the 13 articles of the Jewish Creed. These articles of the Jewish faith were later shaped into the Yigdal around 1400 by Daniel ben Judah, a judge in Rome.  In the mid-eighteenth century, cantors had begun to use musical notations, and Lyon graciously provided Olivers with his tune (LEONI).  The Methodist preacher then adapted the text of the Jewish doxology (which was based on the Thirteen Articles of Faith stated by famous Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides in the twelfth century). The opening word, yigdal (Hebrew for “may He be magnified”), inspired Olivers’s free rendering. "The God of Abraham Praise" was first published as a leaflet titled "A Hymn to the God of Abraham" in 1772. It was later published nationwide by Wesley in the Methodist hymnal "Sacred Harmony". The hymn later made it to the United States after being published in Joshua Leavitt's "The Christian Lyre".

The God of Abraham praise, who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days, and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM! by earth and Heav’n confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name forever blessed.

The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command
From earth I rise—and seek the joys at His right hand;
I all on earth forsake, its wisdom, fame, and power;
And Him my only portion make, my shield and tower.

The God of Abraham praise, whose all sufficient grace
Shall guide me all my happy days, in all my ways.
He calls a worm His friend, He calls Himself my God!
And He shall save me to the end, thro’ Jesus’ blood.

He by Himself has sworn; I on His oath depend,
I shall, on eagle wings upborne, to Heav’n ascend.
I shall behold His face; I shall His power adore,
And sing the wonders of His grace forevermore.

Tho’ nature’s strength decay, and earth and hell withstand,
To Canaan’s bounds I urge my way, at His command.
The watery deep I pass, with Jesus in my view;
And thro’ the howling wilderness my way pursue.

The goodly land I see, with peace and plenty blessed;
A land of sacred liberty, and endless rest.
There milk and honey flow, and oil and wine abound,
And trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned.

There dwells the Lord our king, the Lord our righteousness,
Triumphant o’er the world and sin, the Prince of peace;
On Sion’s sacred height His kingdom still maintains,
And glorious with His saints in light forever reigns.

He keeps His own secure, He guards them by His side,
Arrays in garments, white and pure, His spotless bride:
With streams of sacred bliss, with groves of living joys—
With all the fruits of paradise He still supplies.

Before the great Three-One they all exulting stand;
And tell the wonders He hath done, through all their land:
The listening spheres attend, and swell the growing fame;
And sing, in songs which never end, the wondrous name.

The God who reigns on high the great archangels sing,
And Holy, holy, holy! cry, Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same, and evermore shall be:
Jehovah—Father—great I AM, we worship Thee!

Before the Savior’s face the ransomed nations bow;
O’erwhelmed at His almighty grace, forever new:
He shows His prints of love—they kindle to a flame!
And sound thro’ all the worlds above the slaughtered Lamb.

The whole triumphant host give thanks to God on high;
Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, they ever cry.
Hail, Abraham’s God, and mine! (I join the heav’nly lays,)
All might and majesty are Thine, and endless praise.

Frank Ferko (b.1950) played piano from childhood, and worked as an organist and conductor in his teens. His first compositions were primarily liturgical in nature. He attended Valparaiso University, where he took particular interest in early music and the compositional and theoretical output of Olivier Messiaen.  He received a bachelor's from Valparaiso in 1972 in piano and organ performance, and then took his master's at Syracuse University in music theory. Ferko served as Director of Music at various midwestern churches before entering Northwestern University to pursue a PhD in composition. He is currently on the staff of the Archive of Recorded Sound at Stanford University.  As a composer, Ferko began receiving critical acclaim and commissions in the 1980s, including the Holtkamp Award from the American Guild of Organists in 1990 for the song cycle A Practical Program for Monks. He has also worked as composer-in-residence with the Dale Warland Singers.   

Celestia – Dale Wood

The great Danish hymn writer Nikolai F. S. Grundtvig (1783-1872) wrote this hymn for Christmas, 1810. One of his earliest texts, it was first published in Knud L. Rahbek's Sandsigeren on April 10, 1811. Based on the Epiphany gospel (Matt. 1: 1-12) and on Psalm 119:105, the text compares the light of the star to the Bible–the light that leads us to the Christ.  Grundtvig was a famous Danish preacher, educator, and hymn writer. Although he had studied theology at the University of Copenhagen, because of the influence of rationalist theology, he lost his faith. After a period of intense spiritual reflection, he regained both his faith and renewed appreciation for his orthodox Lutheran heritage. His ordination in 1811 was delayed for a year because he preached a sermon in which he criticized the rationalist theology of the Danish clergy. Later, he experienced other confrontations with the established church leaders and for some ten years did not have a regular parish, but in 1839 he was appointed pastor to Vartov. An effective preacher and a much-loved author of hymns, Grundtvig finally was accepted by the church and upon his golden jubilee was given the title of bishop. The most influential and prolific writer of devotional poems and orthodox hymns in nineteenth-century Scandinavia, he published two significant hymnals, Sang-Vark til den Danske Kirke (1837) and Festsalmer (1850). All of his hymns and poems were published posthumously in five volumes. As an educator Grundtvig was instrumental in initiating public high schools in some Danish cities and raising educational standards; these schools became very popular and were copied in neighboring countries. Consequently, Grundtvig is often called the "father of public schools" in Scandinavia. The translation combines Jens C. Aaberg's translation from the Hymnal for Church and Home (1927) and Fred C. M. Hansen's and Thorvald O. Burntvedt's from the Service Book and Hymnal (1958). Aaberg (1877-1970) immigrated to the United States in 1901. Educated at Grand View College and Seminary in Des Moines, Iowa, he entered the ministry of the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and served congregations in Marinette, Wisconsin; Dwight, Illinois; and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Aaberg wrote Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark (1945), translated at least eighty hymns from Danish into English, and served on four hymnal committees. In 1947 King Frederick of Denmark awarded him the Knight Cross of Denmark.

DEJLIG ER DEN HIMMEL BLAA is an anonymous Danish tune said to be the work of an old man unversed in music composition (around 1840). The tune was first published in Andreas Berggren's Melodier til den af Roeskildes Praesteconvent udgivne Psalmebog (1853). A charming tune, DEJLIG ER DEN HIMMEL BLAA is built with several repetitions and sequences. It has a fine "rising star" figure in the first phrase and provides its own ritardando in the rhythm of the final phrase.

Bright and glorious is the sky, Radiant are the heavens high
Where the golden stars were shining And their rays to earth inclining,
Beckoning us to Heaven above.

On that holy Christmas night Through the darkness beamed a light
All the stars above were paling, All their luster slowly failing,
As the Christmas star drew nigh.

Sages from the East afar, When they saw this wondrous star,
Went to the find the King of nations, And to offer their oblations
Unto Him as Lord and King.

Him they found in Bethlehem, Yet He wore no diadem;
They but saw a maiden lowly With an Infant pure and holy,
Resting in her loving arms.

Guided by the star they found Him whose praise the ages sound,
We too have a star to guide us Which forever will provide us
With the light to find our Lord.

As a star God’s holy Word Leads us to our King and Lord;
Brightly from its sacred pages Shall this light throughout the ages
Shine upon our path of life.

Dale Wood (1934-2003) was a prominent composer, organist, choral director, and clinician.  He was honored many times by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) for his “very important contribution towards the creation and development of contemporary American church music”.  He wrote many collections of organ works, most of which are based on both old and new hymn tunes.  Over eight million copies of his publications have been purchased in over 50 countries.

Recessional – Frank W. Asper

Frank Wilson Asper (1892-1973) was a Mormon Tabernacle organist for more than 40 years. During his impressive career, Asper performed approximately 5,000 organ recitals for Temple Square visitors and played for more than 1,000 network Choir broadcasts, plus he had his own weekly organ broadcast. Additionally, he published many volumes of organ compositions and, for more than 30 years, conducted the McCune Symphony Orchestra, which he founded. He was also the organist of the First United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The melodeon was Asper’s first instrument. His father had brought one across the plains in a covered wagon. By age seven, Frank was playing piano accompaniments, and by 12, he played his first organ solo in the Assembly Hall on Temple Square. Asper studied at Stern’s Conservatory in Berlin, Germany, and later he graduated with honors from from Boston’s New England Conservatory. In 1938, Bates College awarded him an honorary doctor of music degree.  He was a Fellow of the American Guild of Organists.

Asper wrote lyrics or composed music for several LDS hymns. Seven of his hymns are included in the current LDS hymnbook, including “God Is in His Holy Temple,” “’Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love,” “O Thou, Before the World Began,” “Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord,” “This House We Dedicate to Thee,” “Rejoice! A Glorious Sound Is Heard,” and “Rise Up, O Men of God.”

About the Choral Music:

Jacob’s Ladder – John Carter

Jacob's Ladder is the connection between the earth and heaven that the biblical Patriarch Jacob dreams about during his flight from his brother Esau, as described in the Book of Genesis. The significance of the dream has been debated, but most interpretations agree that it identified Jacob with the obligations and inheritance of the ethnic people chosen by God, as understood in Abrahamic religions. The classic Torah commentaries offer several interpretations of Jacob's ladder. According to the Midrash Genesis Rabbah, the ladder signified the exiles which the Jewish people would suffer before the coming of the Messiah. First the angel representing the 70-year exile of Babylonia climbed "up" 70 rungs, and then fell "down". Then the angel representing the exile of Persia went up a number of steps, and fell, as did the angel representing the exile of Greece. Only the fourth angel, which represented the final exile of Rome/Edom (whose guardian angel was Esau himself), kept climbing higher and higher into the clouds. Jacob feared that his children would never be free of Esau's domination, but God assured him that at the End of Days, Edom too would come falling down.   Another interpretation of the ladder keys into the fact that the angels first "ascended" and then "descended". The Midrash explains that Jacob, as a holy man, was always accompanied by angels. When he reached the border of the land of Canaan (the future land of Israel), the angels who were assigned to the Holy Land went back up to Heaven and the angels assigned to other lands came down to meet Jacob. When Jacob returned to Canaan he was greeted by the angels who were assigned to the Holy Land.

Jesus said in John 1:51 "And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." This statement has been interpreted as associating or implicating Jesus with the mythical ladder, in that Christ bridges the gap between Heaven and Earth. Jesus presents himself as the reality to which the ladder points; as Jacob saw in a dream the reunion of Heaven and Earth, Jesus brought this reunion, metaphorically the ladder, into reality.

“We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder” an African American slave spiritual based in part on the Biblical story of Jacob's Ladder. As a folk song originating in a repressed culture, the song's origins are lost. Some academics believe it emerged as early as 1750, and definitely no later than 1825, and was composed by American slaves taken from the area now known as Liberia. The spiritual utilizes the image of Jacob's ladder, and equates it with the body of Christ. The song is in the form of call and response, and although lyrics vary from place to place and over time, they generally emphasize spiritual growth, increasing one's knowledge about God, and a call to discipleship. The striving nature of this "climb" toward god is depicted as a series of tests, and draws heavily on the New Testament tradition of the Christian as warrior—in this case, overcoming the slave-owner. The traditional lyrics hold out hope that the slave can rise up and escape slavery, and the nature of the call-and-response asks both the singing respondents and the listener for greater sacrifice to reach the next level.  The spiritual implies that God's promise to the Biblical patriarch Jacob will also lead the slave to freedom. The song became one of the first African American spirituals to become popular among white Christians. 

John Carter is a productive and versatile composer with a notable and long-standing career in choral composition. In addition to hundreds of sacred and secular choral pieces, Carter has written several collections of piano and organ literature, bell choir arrangements, a number of works for musical theatre and an opera. He is a well-known clinician and guest conductor throughout the United States.  He is currently serving as Director of Music at the University Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio.

            We are climbing Jacob’s ladder, soldiers of the cross.

            Every round goes higher, higher, soldiers of the cross.

            Sinner, do you love my Jesus? Soldiers of the cross.

            If you love him, why not serve him?  Soldiers of the cross.

            Rise, shine, give God glory!  Soldiers of the cross.

About the Hymns:

This is My Father’s World

This is My Father's World was written by Maltbie Davenport Babcock (1858-1901), a minister from New York. When Babcock lived in Lockport, he took frequent walks along the Niagara Escarpment to enjoy the overlook's panoramic vista of upstate New York scenery and Lake Ontario, telling his wife he was "going out to see the Father's world". Shortly after his death in 1901, she published a compilation of Babcock's writings entitled Thoughts for Every-Day Living that contained the poem "My Father's World." The original poem contained sixteen stanzas of four lines each. In 1916, Franklin Sheppard chose only three verses of the sixteen when he set the poem to music to a tune entitled "Terra Beata" (Latin for "Blessed Earth"). Most sources state that Sheppard adapted the music from a traditional English melody that he learned from his mother as a child.

Scripture references in the original poem include Psalm 33:5 "He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love." and Psalm 50:12 "For the world is mine, and all that is it."  In ancient times, people believed that as the planets revolved in the universe, they made music or harmony. This is the belief Maltbie Babcock referred to in the line, “and round me rings the music of the spheres.” Though this belief has since been disproven, we know that objects in space do in fact emit sounds. Even more amazing, the ocean is also making noises at its very lowest and darkest depths - sounds which scientists are still unable to identify. The whole universe is singing a song of its creation, revealing something to us about He who created it.  The author shifts his focus in the final stanza from describing the visual and aural beauty of nature to the reality that all is not right with the world. Babcock observes “that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.” The closing couplet, posing and answering a question, offers hope: “Why should my heart be sad?... God reigns, let the earth be glad.”

How Great Thou Art

"How Great Thou Art" is a based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Sweden in 1885.  “O Store Gud” (O Great God) is a paraphrase of Psalm 8 and has nine verses.  It was sung in the underground church in Sweden in the late 1800s when the Baptists and Mission Friends were persecuted.  Boberg himself gave the following information about his inspiration for this hymn:

It was that time of year when everything seemed to be in its richest colouring;; the birds were singing in trees and everywhere.  It was very warm; a thunderstorm appeared on the horizon and soon thunder and lightning.  We had to hurry to shelter.  But the storm was soon over and the clear sky appeared.  When I came home I opened my window toward the sea.  There evidently had been a funeral and the bells were playing the tune of “When eternity’s clock calling my saved soul to its Sabbath rest”.  That evening, I wrote the song, “O Store Gud”.

Boberg first published "O Store Gud" in the “Mönsterås Tidningen” (Mönsterås News) on 13 March 1886.The poem became matched to an old Swedish folk tune and sung in public for the first known occasion in a church in the Swedish province of Värmland in 1888.   It was soon published in additional hymn collections and was translated into German and Russian.

British Methodist missionary Stuart Wesley Keene Hine (1899-1989)  heard the Russian translation of the German version of the song while on an evangelistic mission to the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, near the Polish border, in 1931. Upon hearing it, Hine was inspired to create his English paraphrase known as “How Great Thou Art".   According to Michael Ireland, "Hine and his wife, Edith, learned the Russian translation, and started using it in their evangelistic services.  Hine also started re-writing some of the verses --- and writing new verses (all in Russian) --- as events inspired him."  Hine finalized his English translation in 1949

When the Billy Graham team went to London in 1954 for the Harringay Crusade, they were given a pamphlet containing Hine's work.  They worked closely with Hine to prepare the song for use in their campaigns. They sang it in the 1955 Toronto campaign, but it didn't really catch on until they took it to the Madison Square Garden in 1957. According to Cliff Barrows (Dr. Graham's longtime associate), they sang it one hundred times during that campaign because the people wouldn't let them stop.   

George Beverly Shea's recording of the beloved hymn ranks number 204 on the top recordings of the 20th century according to the Recording Industry Association of America.  It was voted the United Kingdom's favourite hymn by BBC's Songs of Praise. "How Great Thou Art" was ranked second (after "Amazing Grace") on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by Today's Christian magazine in 2001.

Evangelist Billy Graham indicated: “The reason I like 'How Great Thou Art' is because it glorifies God. It turns Christian’s eyes toward God, rather than upon themselves. I use it as often as possible because it is such a God-honoring song.”

April 15, 2018

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources 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:

O Blessed Spring – James Biery

The images of “O Blessed Spring” draw the singer into the seasons of life with warmth and beauty. Many hymns have a theological treatise to prove. Each stanza advances information like a legal case that culminates in a closing argument in the final stanza. By contrast, each stanza of “O Blessed Spring” unfolds like a bud into a blossom. The singer comes to the final stanza, not with the triumph of a well-made theological argument, but with a sense of wonder that comes from glimpsing sacred mystery.

The concept of the Tree of Life is pervasive around the world. The writer carefully distinguishes between the mythology associated with the Tree of Life theme throughout the ages and the Christian understanding of Christ the Vine and source of life from which we grow. Many religious traditions as ancient as pre-Islamic Persia, ancient Egypt, ancient Armenia, and Assyria include symbols of the Tree of Life. Buddhism has the tradition of the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha sat when he attained Enlightenment.

Within the Christian tradition, one must distinguish between the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis 2-3 where the fall of humanity took place, and the Tree of Life, a symbol of Christ himself. More recently, Pope Benedict XVI has said, “The Cross is the true tree of life.”

A baptismal image was the source for “O Blessed Spring.” Susan Palo Cherwien (b. 1953) describes her inspiration: “Above the baptismal font in Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Minneapolis hangs a striking bronze sculpture by the late Paul Granlund, a sculpture which embodies the image of John 15:5 ‘I am the vine; you are the branches.’ Granlund cast a tree with four branches depicting the four ages of human life, with Christ as the central trunk. This bronze provided the structure for the text ‘O Blessed Spring,’ the words of which are woven around a central Christ image.”

In stanza two of the hymn, Mrs. Cherwien equates the “summer heat” with “youthful years” and “uncertain faith, rebellious tears.” During the season of autumn (stanza three), the limbs of the tree are ripe with “heavy harvest.” This season offers “beauty, wisdom, love.” Stanza four explores the season of winter where “We breathe our last, return to dust.” Yet, “in Christ, our souls take wing”; thus the lifecycle is complete in the “promise of spring.” The final stanza introduces a baptismal, sacramental tone, the original inspiration of the hymn, in “this blest mystery” as “Word and water thus revive And join us to your Tree of Life”.

Mrs. Cherwien is a freelance writer and musician. She received her bachelor’s degree in church music and voice from Wittenberg University, her Abschlussprüfung (final examination) in voice from the Hochschule der Künste Berlin, and a Master of Liberal Studies from Mundelein College, where she focused on spirituality, ritual, and the arts.

Susan Palo Cherwien has written numerous hymn texts that appear in increasing frequency since 2000 in denominational hymnals in the United States and Canada. Her hymn texts are available from Augsburg Fortress in two collections, O Blessed Spring: Hymn Texts of Susan Palo Cherwien (1997) and Come, Beloved of the Maker (2010), as well as a compilation of vocal solos, To God Will I Sing: Vocal Solos for the Church Year (2001). She has other books of worship meditations and home devotions and articles on worship and music published in several journals. Recent publications include Crossings: Meditations for Worship (2003) and From Glory into Glory: Reflections for Worship (2009).

O blessed spring, where Word and sign Embrace us into Christ the Vine:
Here Christ enjoins each one to be A branch of this life-giving Tree.
 

Through summer heat of youthful years, Uncertain faith, rebellious tears,
Sustained by Christ’s infusing rain, The boughs will shout for joy again.
 

When autumn cools and youth is cold, When limbs their heavy harvest hold,
Then through us, warm, the Christ will move With gifts of beauty, wisdom, love.
 

As winter comes, as winters must, We breathe our last, return to dust;
Still held in Christ, our souls take wing And trust the promise of the spring.
 

Christ, holy Vine, Christ, living Tree, Be praised for this blest mystery:
That Word and water thus revive And join us to your Tree of Life.

James Biery (b. 1956) is an American organist, composer and conductor who is Minister of Music at Grosse Pointe Memorial Church (Presbyterian) in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan.  Biery was educated at Northwestern University, where he earned Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Organ Performance.  Biery developed his compositional skills from two disciplines: years of study of the organ and its literature and intense scrutiny of the orchestral scores of numerous composers whose music he transcribed for organ duet and organ solo. His facility at the organ combined with his demonstrated ability to perform and study a vast amount of literature has given Biery a firm basis upon which to compose for the instrument.

Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters – Wayne Wold

Ruth Duck (b. 1947) is professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois.  Duck has been writing hymns since 1974. The first time she heard one of her hymns being sung was in 1983 at a United Church of Christ General Synod. She writes, "2,000 people were singing my hymn. I was crying while two friends on either side held my hands. I feel that writing hymn texts is a central part of my call." That is a call she has followed ever since, a call that has resulted in hymns in most hymnals in use today.

Ruth Duck's hymn-texts sing many names for God as she lives the promises of her baptism. "Our language in worship says something about God and not just ourselves."  The idea of God that most people carry is too small and containing, Ruth said. In 1972, while at seminary, she was guest guitarist at a local church. Asked to use inclusive language, she took care to substitute "humanity" for "man" and "mankind."  Yet in one song, she sang "Father" over and over for God. Then, inclusive language meant changing language about humanity, not expanding the language of worship.  Biblical images for God reached beyond masculine and feminine dimensions of expression.  New names awaited discovery. She would use them in hymns or

ritual words of the church.

“Wash, O God, Our Sons and Daughters” is one of those hymns in which she uses both mother and father images of God.  Speaking of her baptism, she said: "The baptismal water washed over me. It made tangible my dying and rising with Christ to new life in the Spirit. Baptism became then a sacrament of God's presence. I belonged to Christ. I was 'water-washed and Spirit-born.' I could feel God's presence as the pastor immersed me in the water. It was as if the Spirit of God were moving over the waters as at the first creation."  Her baptismal promise shaped her life, theology and hymn texts. Baptism is not an isolated event but a lifelong process, part of a

continuing faith journey. In Dwight Vogel's words, Ruth reveals an understanding that "expanding our language is one way we can live out the grace, love, justice, and hope of our baptisms and our table communion."   "Baptism reaches beyond us," she writes. "It makes a difference in how we relate to other people and to God . . . even how we relate to ourselves. We belong to one another, for at the water God makes us one people."

Word by word, Ruth Duck’s hymn texts became standards. At least fourteen denominational hymnals include them. "This pioneer in worship and hymnody continues to write remarkably apt and artistic hymns and service music, articulating our faith with insight and sensitivity," said composer and musician, Jim Manley. "She combines the personal and the theological in a beautiful manner."

Wash, O God, our sons and daughters, where your cleansing waters flow.
Number them among your people; bless as Christ blessed long ago.
Weave them garments bright and sparkling; compass them with love and light
Fill, anoint them; send your Spirit, holy dove and heart's delight.

We who bring them long for nurture; by your milk may we be fed.
Let us join your feast, partaking cup of blessing, living bread.
God, renew us, guide our footsteps; free from sin and all its snares,
one with Christ in living, dying, by your Spirit, children, heirs

Oh, how deep your holy wisdom! Unimagined, all your ways!
To your name be glory, honor! With our lives we worship, praise!
We your people stand before you, water washed and Spirit born.
By your grace, our lives we offer. Recreate us; God, transform!

Wayne L. Wold (b. 1954) is active as a teacher, church musician, composer, author, performer, and clinician. He serves as Associate Professor of Music and College Organist at Hood College in Frederick, Md. Over 200 of his compositions are published by fourteen different companies in the U.S. and Australia and include twenty volumes of works for organ and instruments with organ, 30 choir anthems, a children's musical, a recorder suite, and several hymn tunes. He is the author of numerous hymn and anthem texts, articles in professional journals, and two books -- Tune My Heart to Sing: Devotions for Choirs Based on the Revised Common Lectionary and Preaching to the Choir: The Care and Nurture of the Church Choir.

About the Handbell Music:

Because He Lives – Tammy Waldrop

UM Hymnal editor Carlton Young says this gospel hymn “is one of the five most requested... to be included in this hymnal.” Based on John 14:19c—“because I live, you also will live”—the hymn’s theme is effectively supported by a soaring melody in the refrain. The words were written by two of the longest-lasting performing couples of Christian contemporary music, Gloria (b. 1942) and William J. (b. 1936) Gaither. “Because He Lives” was awarded the recognition of Gospel Song of the Year for 1974 by the Gospel Music Association and the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP).   This gospel song has undoubtedly offered hope for many people because of its connection between the Resurrection and a “life... worth the living.”

The Gaithers said this about this hymn: “’Because he lives’ [1971] was written in the midst of social upheaval, threats of war, and betrayals of national and personal trust. It was into this world at such a time that we were bringing our third little baby. Assassinations, drug traffic, and war monopolized the headlines. It was in the midst of this kind of uncertainty that the assurance of the Lordship of the risen Christ blew across our troubled minds like a cooling breeze in the parched desert. Holding our tiny son in our arms we were able to write:‘How sweet to hold our newborn baby, And feel the pride, and joy he gives; But greater still the calm assurance, this child can face uncertain day because He lives.’”

Bill Gaither began as a teacher of English, literature and journalism in 1959 in his hometown of Alexandra, La. Gloria Sickal taught French and English in the same high school. They started to sing together and were married in 1962. By 1967, the couple left the teaching profession to become full-time recording and performing artists. Gloria Gaither has authored several books since 1971 including Make Warm Noises, Rainbows Live at Easter, Because He Lives, Decisions: A Christian Approach to Making Right Choices and Let’s Make a Memory (co-authored with Shirley Dobson). In addition to a number of popular Christian musicals, the Gaithers co-edited the hymnal Hymns for the Family of God (1976) with the assistance of the late composer Fred Bock.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!


And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

Tammy Waldrop holds a Bachelor of music degree and a Master of music degree in theory and composition from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. As a writer for handbells since 1980, she has served as Assistant Choral Editor and Handbell Editor for Word Music. Presently, Tammy is Handbell Editor for Ring Out! Press, the handbell publishing company she began in 1990, which is now a part of the Jeffers Publishing Group.  In 1988, Tammy collaborated with Bob Burroughs and won the AGEHR national composition contest, and in 1991 she won the Area III competition. She served as Publications Chair for Area IX from 1994–1996 and currently serves on the Greater Houston Handbell Association Board.

About the Choral Music:

Devotion – John Ness Beck

Fanny Jane Crosby (1820-1915) set the standard for the successful writing of gospel hymns. She was the author of over 8,500 gospel songs.  Blind at six weeks of age, Crosby began composing texts at age 6. At 12, she began her study at the New York School for the Blind, a school she later served as a teacher. A friend of several presidents, she became one of the country’s most important advocates for the cause of the blind, addressing a session of Congress on the topic.

Her texts were set to the compositions of some of the most prominent gospel song composers of the day including William Bradbury, William Doane, Robert Lowry and Ira Sankey. Crosby also composed under a number of pen names. She married blind musician Alexander Van Alstyne, and British hymnals have always used her married name, Frances Van Alstyne.

“I am Thine” is one of many collaborations between Crosby and composer William Doane (1832-1915). The late Baptist hymnologist William J. Reynolds provides the context for the composition of the hymn in 1874 during a visit by Crosby to Doane’s home in Cincinnati:
“One evening she and Doane talked at length about the nearness of God in their lives. When Fanny went to her room, her mind and heart were flooded with ideas from their conversation. Before she went to sleep, the lines of “I am thine, O Lord” were in her mind. . . . The next morning she recited the words to Doane, who wrote down the stanzas and composed the tune.”
The text appeared with the following inscription from Hebrews 10:22: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (KJV)

Crosby seems to mix her cleansing metaphors intentionally—“pure water” and “bleeding side.” The connection becomes clearer when one reads the previous verses in Hebrews 10:  “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; and having an high priest over the house of God. . . .”

Like so many of Crosby’s hymns, “I am thine, O Lord” is written in the first person—a personal testimony of her relationship with Christ. Stanza one begins with a total surrender to Christ, “I am thine, O Lord,” and the desire to “be closer drawn to thee.” The second stanza appropriately draws upon the closeness of this relationship as an impetus of service: “Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine.  The refrain is the theological hub around which the spokes of the stanzas all connect: “Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, to thy precious bleeding side.”  In this case, it is Christ’s blood that cleanses and perfects the relationship. Fanny Crosby is thoroughly Wesleyan in her understanding of grace and perfection.

In Negro Slave Songs in the United States (1953), Miles Mark Fisher suggests that “Lord, I Want to be a Christian” could well have originated in Virginia in the 1750s, based on this story from Hanover, Virginia, 1756: "A black slave asked Presbyterian preacher William Davies, 'I come to you, sir, that you may tell me some good things concerning Jesus Christ and my duty to God, for I am resolved not to live any more as I have done. . . Lord [Sir], I want to be a Christian.'"  Both text and tune were first published in Folk Songs of the American Negro (1907), compiled by brothers Frederick Work and John W. Work, Jr.

These two hymns are interwoven in this setting by John Ness Beck (1930-1987), who graduated from Ohio State with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees with a major in English. After working for a year in Student Union activities at the State College of Washington, he spent two years in the U.S. Army. During this time, he became increasingly involved in arranging for various musical groups. After his discharge from military service, he returned to Ohio State and completed Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees in music with composition as his major.  Beck was a faculty member of Ohio State University School of Music for seven years, teaching harmony and theory. He left the university to become owner and manager of The University Music House, a retail sheet music store in Columbus. In this capacity, he was able to observe the business side of the music industry, gaining insight into the complexities of music publishing and merchandising. As his compositions found their way into print and popularity, he joined forces in 1972 with John Tatgenhorst in the creation of Beckenhorst Press. His reputation as a composer and his experience as a choral director soon led to an increasing demand for appearances as guest conductor and lecturer at various musical clinics and festivals throughout the country.

            I am Thine, O Lord – I have heard Thy voice, and it told Thy love to me;

            But I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee.

            Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord, by the power of grace divine;

            Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope And my will be lost in Thine.

            Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord, To the cross where Thou has died;

            Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer To thy precious bleeding side.

            Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,

            Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.

            In my heart, in my heart, in my heart, Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.

            Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessed Lord.

            Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart.

About the Hymns:

Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

Anglican priest and professor Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891) composed “Rejoice, ye pure in heart” as a processional hymn for a choir festival in one of England’s majestic places of worship, Peterborough Cathedral.   Plumptre was a distinguished scholar of his day. Educated at University College, Oxford, he then became a fellow at Brasenose College, Oxford, receiving his ordination in the Anglican Church in 1846. After serving as a clergyman, he became chaplain and professor of New Testament exegesis at King’s College, London, and dean of Queen’s College, Oxford. His most prominent position as a clergyman was that of dean of Wells Cathedral.

Of the original 11 stanzas, five or six stanzas appear in most hymnals.  Omitted stanzas refer to this processional in martial terms as warriors who “march in firm array.” This kind of imagery is not only consonant with the times, but also reflects the theology of the Anglican Communion that views its role on earth as the “Church Militant” while the church in heaven is the “Church Triumphant.”   Hymnologist William Reynolds noted that it “was not unusual for a cathedral processional to take from ten to thirty minutes, and the hymn that was sung by both the choir and the congregation needed to have enough stanzas for this.”   It was first published in the third edition of Plumptre's Lazarus and Other Poems (1868) and in the Appendix to Hymns Ancient and Modern (1868).

Arthur H. Messiter (b. Frome, Somersetshire, England, 1834; d. New York, NY, 1916) composed MARION for this text in 1883 and named it after his wife. The tune was published in the Hymnal with Music as Used in Trinity Church (1893), a hymnal compiled by Messiter during his long term of service as organist/ choirmaster at Trinity Church (Episcopal) in New York City (1866-1897).

Educated by private tutors in England, Messiter immigrated to the United States in 1863 and had an active musical career in Philadelphia, which included an organist position at St. James the Less. At Trinity Church in New York City, he modeled with distinction the British cathedral tradition of music. Messiter was an editor of the Episcopal Hymnal (1893), compiled the Psalter (1889) and Choir Office Book (1891), and wrote a musical history of Trinity Episcopal Church, New York (1906).

Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee

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, and was born at Epworth Rectory.  In 1716, he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726, Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepened, and he became one of the first band of "Oxford Methodists."

In 1735, he went with his brother John to Georgia, as secretary to General Oglethorpe, having before he set out received Deacon's and Priest's Orders on two successive Sundays. His stay in Georgia was very short; he returned to England in 1736, and in 1737 came under the influence of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, especially of that remarkable man who had so large a share in moulding John Wesley's career, Peter Bonier, and a Mr. Bray, a brazier in Little Britain. On Whitsunday, 1737, he "found rest to his soul," and in 1738 he became curate to his friend, Mr. Stonehouse, Vicar of Islington, but the opposition of the churchwardens was so great that the Vicar consented that he "should preach in his church no more." Henceforth his work was identified with that of his brother John, and he became an indefatigable itinerant and field preacher. On April 8, 1749, he married Miss Sarah Gwynne. His marriage was a most happy one; his wife was accustomed to accompany him on his evangelistic journeys, which were as frequent as ever until the year 1756, when he ceased to itinerate, and mainly devoted himself to the care of the Societies in London and Bristol. Bristol was his headquarters until 1771, when he removed with his family to London, and, besides attending to the Societies, devoted himself much, as he had done in his youth, to the spiritual care of prisoners in Newgate. He had long been troubled about the relations of Methodism to the Church of England, and strongly disapproved of his brother John's "ordinations." Wesley-like, he expressed his disapproval in the most outspoken fashion, but, as in the case of Samuel at an earlier period, the differences between the brothers never led to a breach of friendship. He died in London, March 29, 1788, and was buried in Marylebone churchyard. His brother John was deeply grieved because he would not consent to be interred in the burial-ground of the City Road Chapel, where he had prepared a grave for himself, but Charles said, "I have lived, and I die, in the Communion of the Church of England, and I will be buried in the yard of my parish church." Eight clergymen of the Church of England bore his pall. He had a large family, four of whom survived him; three sons, who all became distinguished in the musical world, and one daughter, who inherited some of her father's poetical genius. The widow and orphans were treated with the greatest kindness and generosity by John 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 marvelous 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. Nor must we forget his hymns for little children, a branch of sacred poetry in which the mantle of Dr. Watts seems to have fallen upon him. 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. [John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)]

“Jesus, Lord, we look to Thee” [Family Union desired] appeared in Hymns and Sacred Poems, 1749, in 6 stanzas of 4 lines, and again in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780.  The tune, SAVANNAH, was written by Johannes Thommen and first appeared in John Wesley’s Foundary Collection (1745).

April 8, 2018

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; much of it is "borrowed" from other sources 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:

For All the Faithful Women

Rev. Dr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr. (1924-2007) was a graduate of Susquehanna University and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He received additional advanced degrees from Union Theological Seminary in New York and a doctoral degree at Southern California School of Theology at Claremont. He served as President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.  Stuempfle was the author of several books and numerous articles and lectures on preaching, history, and theology. He was also among the most honored and respected hymn writers of the 20th and 21st centuries. He was known for his leadership in community and civic projects. Always taking an active stance on social issues, he participated in the creation of day care centers, served on the Gettysburg interchurch social action committee, helped create and support prison ministries and a homeless shelter, and tutored young people in the after school program of Christ Lutheran Church, where he was a long time member.

Stuempfle draws from multiple Bible stories for “For All the Faithful Women”. 

For all the faithful women who served in days of old

To you shall thanks be given, to all their story told. 

They served with strength and gladness in tasks your wisdom gave. 

To you their lives bore witness, proclaimed your power to save.

O God, for saints and servants, those named and those unknown
In whom through all the ages Your light of glory shone,
We offer glad thanksgiving and fervent prayer we raise
That faithful in Your service, our lives may sing Your praise.

We praise your name for Miriam, who sang triumphantly

While Pharaoh's vaunted army lay drowned beneath the sea.

As Israel marched to freedom, her chains of bondage gone,

So we may reach the kingdom your mighty arm has won.

To Hannah, praying childless, before the throne of grace,

You gave a son and called him to serve before your face.

Grant us her perseverance; Lord, teach us how to pray

And trust in your deliverance when darkness hides our way.

For Ruth, who left her homeland and ventured forth in faith,

Who pledged to serve and worship Naomi's God till death.

We praise you, God of Israel, and pray for hearts set free

To bind ourselves to others in love and loyalty.

We honor faithful Mary, fair maiden, full of grace.

She bore the Christ, our brother, who saved our human race.

May we, with her, surrender ourselves to your command

And lay upon your altar our gifts of heart and hand.

We sing of busy Martha, who toiled with pot and pan

While Mary sat in silence to hear the word again.

Christ, keep our hearts attentive, to truth that you declare,

And strengthen us for service when work becomes our prayer.

Recall the outcast woman with whom our Lord conversed,

Christ gave her living water to quench her deepest thirst.

Like her, our hearts are yearning, Christ offers us his word,

Then may our lips be burning to witness to our Lord.

We praise the other Mary, who came at Easter dawn,

And near the tomb did tarry, but found her Lord was gone.

As joyfully she saw him in resurrection light,

May we by faith behold him, the day who ends all night.

Lord, hear our praise of Dorcas, who served the sick and poor.

Her hands were cups of kindness, her heart an open door.

Send us, O Christ, your body, where people cry in pain,

And touch them with compassion to make them whole again.

For Eunice and for Lois, we sing our thanks and praise.

Young Timothy they nurtured and led him in your ways.

Raise up in ev'ry household true teachers of your word

Whose lives will bear clear witness to Christ, our risen Lord.

All praise to God the Father!  All praise to Christ the Son!

All praise the Holy Spirit, who binds the Church in one!

With saints who went before us, with saints who witness still,

We sing glad alleluias and strive to do Your will.

Emily Maxson Porter (b. 1942) is organist at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley, Minnesota.  She has previously taught organ and theory at Lynchburg College and Concordia College, St. Paul.  She has numerous published works, including anthems, vocal, choral, instrumental pieces, and larger organ works.  Porter won the 2002 Holtkamp-AGO Award in Organ Composition.

Ye Daughters of Jerusalem – Marcel Dupre

Marcel Dupré (1886-1971) was born into a musical family and was a child prodigy. His father Albert Dupré was organist in Rouen and built an organ in the family house when Marcel was 14 years old. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1904.  In 1914, Dupré won the Grand Prix de Rome for his cantata, Psyché. In 1926, he was appointed professor of organ performance and improvisation at the Paris Conservatoire, a position he held until 1954.  Dupré became famous for performing more than 2000 organ recitals throughout Australia, the United States, Canada and Europe, which included a recital series of 10 concerts of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1920 (Paris Conservatoire) and 1921 (Palais du Trocadéro), both performed entirely from memory. The sponsorship of an American transcontinental tour by the John Wanamaker Department Store interests rocketed his name into international prominence. Dupré's "Symphonie-Passion" began as an improvisation on Philadelphia's Wanamaker Organ. In 1934, Dupré succeeded Charles-Marie Widor as titular organist at St. Sulpice in Paris, a post he held until his death in 1971.  From 1947 to 1954, he was director of the American Conservatory, which occupies the Louis XV wing of the Château de Fontainebleau near Paris. In 1954, Dupré became director of the Paris Conservatoire; but he held this post for only two years before the prevailing national laws forced him to retire at the age of 70.

Aside from a few fine works for aspiring organists (such as the 79 Chorales op. 28) most of Dupré's music for the organ ranges from moderately to extremely difficult, and some of it makes almost impossible technical demands on the performer. Being a virtuoso of the highest order, he contributed extensively to the development of technique (both in his organ music and in his pedagogical works).

A fair and objective critique of his music should take into account the fact that, occasionally, the emphasis on virtuosity and technique can be detrimental to the musical content and substance. However, his more successful works combine this virtuosity with a high degree of musical integrity, qualities found in works such as the Symphonie-Passion, the Chemin de la Croix, the Preludes and Fugues, the Esquisses and Évocation, and the Cortège et Litanie.


As well as composing prolifically, Dupré prepared study editions of the organ works of Bach, Handel, Mozart, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Schumann, César Franck, and Alexander Glazunov. He also wrote a method for organ (1927), 2 treatises on organ improvisation (1926 and 1937), and books on harmonic analysis (1936), counterpoint (1938), fugue (1938), and accompaniment of Gregorian chant (1937), in addition to essays on organ building, acoustics, and philosophy of music. As an improviser, Dupré was able to take given themes and spontaneously weave whole symphonies around them, often with elaborate contrapuntal devices including fugues.

“Ye Daughters of Jerusalem” is from a set of 15 pieces based on Antiphons, and is a setting of Song of Solomon 1.

Sortita – Luigi Bottazzo

Luigi Bottazzo (1845-1924) was an Italian organist and composer. At the age of 9, he became blind; studied music at the Institute for the Blind in Padova, and at the age of 19, he became teacher of harmony, counterpoint and organ in the same institute.   He composed more than 300 works, mostly for organ, but also for voice and piano, piano solo, solo voices, voice and organ. He also published a series of music theory books, some of which were adopted by music conservatories. 

“Sortita” is an Italian term for an organ postlude, and literally means to go forth or emerge.

About the Vocal Solo Music:

On Eagle’s Wings – arr. Mark Hayes

Michael Joncas (b. 1951) was ordained in 1980 to the Roman Catholic priesthood, and has served since 1991 on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.  He has written three books, more than a hundred published articles, and has compiled more than 20 collections of liturgical music. Father Joncas was visiting a friend at the major seminary in Washington. One evening, Father Joncas’ friend got word that his father had suffered a fatal heart attack. Father Joncas wrote “On Eagle’s Wings” in the days that followed and it was was sung for the first time publicly at the friend’s father’s wake service.  The song is based on Psalm 91 and Isaiah 4031:, its lyrics drawing from the Scripture’s descriptions of God’s protection and providence.  

Mark Hayes is an award-winning concert pianist, composer, arranger and conductor. His personal catalog, totaling over 1,000 published works, includes work for solo voice, solo piano, multiple pianos, orchestra, jazz combo, small instrumental ensembles, and choruses of all kinds.  Mark received a Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude in Piano Performance from Baylor University in 1975. He has conducted the SWACDA and MCDA Community and Church Honor Choir, and served as guest conductor at Carnegie Hall, featuring his Te Deum and Magnificat. In 2010, Baylor University Center for Christian Music Studies awarded Mark the Award for Exemplary Leadership in Christian Music. Mark arranged and orchestrated the music for Civil War Voices, which won six awards including "Best Musical" in the 2010 Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York. He conducted the world premiere of his work for chorus, orchestra and narrator, The American Spirit, at Lincoln Center in May 2011 and the world premiere of his Requiem in Lincoln Center in May 2013.  Whether concertizing on the other side of the globe or composing at his home in Kansas City, Missouri, Mark is blessed to live out his mission "to create beautiful music for the world".

            You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord who abide in His shadow for life,

            Say to the Lord: “My refuge, my Rock in whom I trust!”

            The snare of the fowler will never capture you, and famine will bring you no fear:

            Under His wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield.

            You need not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day;

            Though thousands fall about you, near you it shall not come.

            For to his angels He’s given a command to guard you in all of your ways;

            Upon their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

            And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings, bear you on the breath of dawn,

            Make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand.

About the Hymns:

O Worship the King

Of Scottish ancestry, Robert Grant (1779-1838) was born in India, where his father was a director of the East India Company. He attended Magdalen College, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1807. He had a distinguished public career a Governor of Bombay and as a member of the British Parliament, where he sponsored a bill to remove civil restrictions on Jews. Grant was knighted in 1834. His hymn texts were published in the Christian Observer (1806-1815), in Elliot’s Psalms and Hymns (1835), and posthumously by his brother as Sacred Poems (1839).

Grant’s text was influenced by William Kethe’s paraphrase of Psalm 104 in the Anglo-Genevan Psalter (1561). Grant’s text was first published in Edward Bickersteth’s Christian Psalmody (1833) with several unauthorized alterations. In 1835 his original six-stanza text was published in Henry Elliott’s Psalm and Hymns. Stanza 3 was omitted in the Psalter Hymnal.

Rather than being a paraphrase or versification, the text is a meditation on the creation theme of Psalm 104, focusing on God’s creation as a testimony to his “measureless might.” More personal in tone, stanzas 4 and 5 confess the compassion of God toward his creatures and affirm with apocalyptic vision that the “ransomed creation, with glory ablaze” will join with angels to hymn its praise to God.  In the last verse, Grant points to Christ as the ultimate reconciler of a broken, but still beautiful creation. An original last stanza that we no longer sing reads, “The humbler creation, though feeble their lays, with true adoration shall lisp to Thy praise.”

Lord, You Give the Great Commission

Jeffery W. Rowthorn (b. 1934) wrote this text in 1978 while he was Chapel Minister at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut. The text was first published in Laudamus (1980), a hymnal supplement edited by Rowthorn and used at the Yale Divinity School.  This powerful text about the various ministries of the Christian church has two striking features: each stanza includes a quotation of Christ's words (usually from Matthew), and a concluding refrain line turns each stanza into a prayer. Christ's words are applied to the tasks of God's people in the world with a fervent prayer that the Spirit will equip the saints to carry out these ministries faithfully.

Rowthorn graduated from Cambridge and Oxford Universities, Union Theological Serninary in New York, and Cuddeson Theological College in Oxford. Ordained in 1963 in the Church of England, he served several congregations in England before immigrating to the United States, where he was chaplain at Union Theological Seminary and a faculty member in liturgics at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, which he helped to establish. He was then elected Suffragan Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut. The writer of several hymns, Rowthorn was also coeditor with Russell Schulz-Widmar of A New Hymnal for Colleges and Schools (1991). Rowthorn has since moved to Paris, where he is Bishop in Charge of the American Churches in Europe.