As they continued to travel, the problem then became that they had nothing to drink. The rivers were all dried up. Again, they blamed Moses, asking why they brought them all out to be parched to death, rather than staying and having water provided to them. Moses again prayed to God, frustratingly pleading that his people were about to stone him. God instructed Moses to strike a rock that he stood on with his staff, where water would then pour out. Moses did so, and the faith of the people in him was restored again.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Wade in the Water (Opening Hymn: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM, Opening Song: 11:15 AM)
This African-American spiritual will open all of our worship services this morning. Like many traditional spirituals, the author of Wade in the Water is unknown, but has a distinct lineage all the way back to the time of slavery. It comes from two sources in the Bible; the verses come primarily from the Exodus story of Moses leading his people, and the refrain, "Wade in the water, children, God is gonna trouble the water," comes from the Gospel of John. John 5:4 says: "...for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water; whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had."
Like many other traditional African-American spirituals, this song is widely rumored and suspected to be a code for fugitive slaves attempting to make their escape. "Wade in the water" would supposedly indicate to a slave to stay towards the rivers and streams, that way the slave master's blood hound wouldn't be able to track them. Stories like this have never been substantiated, but it is definitely an interesting coincidence at the least.
Our Father, We Have Wandered (Hymn of the Day: 5:30 PM, 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is a song being sung by a people in exile. Lost, alone, and confused, they come to a realization that God has been and will always be with them. This is their anthem following that realization. Much like the Israelites, who have occasionally wandered from God out of frustration and anger, all of us have probably wandered from God at some point, but we can rest in the confidence that God will never abandon us, and even though we may stray temporarily from time to time, God will always welcome us back into the flock.
This hymn is a perfect example of a new text set to an old tune. This chorale, which is most commonly set to the Paul Gerhardt text "O Sacred Head Now Wounded," was written by Hans Leo Hassler in the late 16th century. It was brought into the main stream of Lutheran church music by J.S. Bach, due to its use in the Christmas Oratorio, and St. Matthew Passion, not to mention his organ chorale preludes and his harmonization of the chorale, which survives in our hymnal. It may be the only chorale in the hymnal that I prefer in its isometric version (see ELW 351) rather than its original, rhythmic version (see ELW 352).
If You But Trust In God To Guide You (Communion Hymn: 5:30 PM, 9:00 AM)
The Israelites have clearly gone through "trying days." They "carried the cross" 1500 years before Jesus did for all humankind. For them and us, this is a hymn of assurance and promise. As dark and as worrying as life can be, the four stanzas of this hymn clearly lay out exactly why we should trust in God throughout all our days.
Despite this hymn being written 450 years ago, both the original text and the composite translation we currently have is one of the clearest, most straightforward messages there is in the hymnal. Georg Neumark, the German poet and hymn-writer, penned this in 1641. He was actually educated in law and was a tutor for awhile, but he devoted most of his later life to poetry and music. This is certainly his most well-known hymn, and was used famously in Bach's cantata of the same name, Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten (If you but permit God to prevail), BWV 93. In the style of Bach, Felix Mendelssohn also wrote a shorter Cantata based on this chorale.
Many and Great, O God (Communion Hymn: 9:00 AM)
This hymn, textually, is an all-round example of the creative power of God in the first stanza, and the receiving of the love of God and gifts of the Eucharist in stanza two. Just like God created water out of a rock for Moses, he also created the heavens, earth, skies, mountains, and rivers. The faith of the people is restored here, and we realize that God has the power and willingness to grant us "eternal life with (God)."
The tune here is not one that you may have heard in the main stream. Last week we sang a Chinese folk song (or faux-folk song, to be more accurate), and here we have a traditional tune from the Dakota tribe. The melody is very singable, and accompanied by organ drones and a hand drum, it creates a very effective hymn when combined with this text.
O Bread of Life From Heaven (Communion Hymn: 9:00 AM)
In stanza two of the previous hymn, we ask that God grant us Communion. This hymn is the fruition of that request. We receive bread and wine from heaven given for all the world. The second phrase, "O food to pilgrims given, O manna from above," is a reference to the Israelites receiving the gift of bread last week in the Exodus story.
Once again, this tune is a German chorale (our third of the weekend!) which was also made famous by J.S. Bach. His harmonization is in our hymnal. The chorale was composed by Heinrich Issac around the turn of the 15th century.
What God Ordains is Good Indeed (Closing Hymn: 7:45 AM)
This wonderful hymn of praise by Samuel Rodigast is nearly the polar opposite of our hymn of the day. Here, the faith of the people is rock solid and sure; God provides everything we need, and everything God provides is the very best thing for us. Confusion and doubt are still always present, such as in stanza three, but the text clearly indicates that the steadfast love of God for us and us for God will be enough to guide us through anything.
Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Praise Song: 11:15 AM)
Hmm... interesting choice, yes? It's one of the most loved traditional hymns at our contemporary service this week. The text itself is absolutely timeless. The entire poem makes unbelievable sense when read in the context of the peril of the Israelites looking for water. The traditional tune NETTLETON, while very much at home in the confines of the organ keyboard and pedals, is extremely versatile and can be played in a variety of musical styles. Most contemporary versions of this are very slow and mellow, with usually just an acoustic guitar and two voices singing in harmony. I think of this text more as a hymn of praise... ("While the hope of endless glory fills my heart with joy and love," for example) so I'm going to let it all out here, and really let it sing. Piano, drums, kids... and hopefully you'll hear this wonderful hymn anew.
Water From The Rock (Scripture Song: 11:15 AM)
This is going to be a really fun one. Many of John Ylvisaker's songs in his Borning Cry hymnal are based on Psalms and Canticles. We sang one this Wednesday at Saint's Alive worship based on Psalm 16, and this one tells the story of Exodus 17, which corresponds with our scripture of the day this Sunday. This song is in call-and-response format... the voice of the Israelites is in the congregation repeating "Water from the rock," and the voice of God is in the upper voice, which will be sung by a soloist. It's a wonderful call and response song, and I really hope you all enjoy it.
Bring Forth the Kingdom (Offering Song: 11:15 AM)
Here we have yet another fine offering from Marty Haugen. This is also a call and response song, albeit a little different in structure. Verse four especially is applicable to the Israelites and their saga this week. After receiving the food last week, and water this week, one would hope that they would certainly think of themselves as a "blessed and pilgrim people."
Here Is Bread (Communion Song: 11:15 AM)
Last week, we sang "The Trumpets Sound, The Angels Sing," which was an upbeat, rhythmic, dance-like tune by Graham Kendrick. This Communion song is also by Graham Kendrick, but it couldn't be any different musically. This is a very accessible melody in a gentle, swinging 4/4 meter, with a very straightforward text, showing us that throughout Communion and in our whole lives, God is always with us, watching over us and guiding us.
Hallelujah! We Sing Your Praises (Closing Song: 11:15 AM)
A few weeks ago we sang Siyahamba! (We Are Marching in the Light of God), and this song is from the very same source... a collection of freedom songs from South Africa. The first stanza is a response to Communion, and the second is a call to discipleship, calling us to go out into the world and to "tell to all the joyful gospel." Much like Siyahamba!, a joyful melody and syncopations make this a joy to sing.
OTHER VOCAL MUSIC
Every Valley Shall Be Exalted- John Ness Beck (Offering: 7:45 AM)
Many people may know this text from Handel's oratorio "Messiah," but this week Kara Groen will offer this text in a solo vocal arrangement by John Ness Beck. The text, which originates from Isaiah 40, speaks highly of God's creative power in the world, causing valleys to be lifted, mountains to be made low, the crooked to be straight, and the rough places plain, whereupon the glory of the Lord would be revealed.
Consider the Lilies- Natalie Sleeth (Offering: 9:00 AM)
The Friends of the Lord choir will be joining us this week, presenting us this lovely unison anthem by Natalie Sleeth, based on the story from Matthew 6:28-29: "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, yet not even King Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these." In the Saints Alive curriculum, the children have been learning about the widow's mite, and how a woman with virtually nothing, who was not required to give anything of her own, still gave from the kindness of her heart everything she could spare. She is certainly one of the lilies that Jesus spoke of in the parable... she is someone who was forged and shaped through the love of God into one of God's greatest, most willing servants.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Prelude op. 28, no. 15 in D-flat Major "Raindrop"- Frederic Chopin (Prelude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
Chopin is considered by many to be one of the greatest composers of piano music of all time. His output for piano includes 27 etudes, 3 sonatas, 25+ waltzes, 4 scherzos, 4 ballades, 19 nocturnes, 3 piano concertos, and a variety of other works, including a set of 24 preludes, from which I will be playing no. 15. The "raindrop" prelude, as it has come to be known, is named as such due to the nearly constant 8th note A-flat/G-sharp that permeates the entire piece. I can just imagine water dripping out of a rock with the drops syncing up exactly with the music.
Two Settings of HERZLICH TUT MICH VERLANGEN- Max Reger and J.C. Bach (Postlude: 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
These are two organ settings of this Hassler chorale that we sang as the hymn of the day. The Reger is a rather straightforward setting, while still containing some of his characteristic chromaticism and dissonance which was characteristic of late German compositional style at the time. Rewinding a few centuries, the second is a setting by Johann Christian Bach, who was the youngest son of J.S. Bach. As he was only 15 when his father died, he did not inherit many of the compositional characteristics of his father, but rather was immersed in the "galant" style of composition which was rapidly gaining popularity throughout Germany and Austria. This setting is also very straightforward, and contradictory to what I just said, does share a lot of style features that would be found in earlier baroque organ chorale preludes.
MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Bach: Cantatas, BWV 91-93
- Helmuth RillingThis is a CD of three cantatas, performed by Helmuth Rilling and the Bach Collegium Stuttgart (my personal favorite Bach ensemble). The third cantata, BWV 93, features the chorale "If You But Trust in God To Guide You," which was one of our communion hymns today.
2. Mendelssohn, Felix: Wer Nur Den Lieben Gott Lasst Walten / Kyrie In C Minor / Sinfonia No. 3 (Leipzig Gewandhaus Choir, Meyer)
If neither Bach nor physical CD's is your cup of tea, then this CD contains the very same chorale set by Felix Mendelssohn in a digital download album. Mendelssohn's version is slightly shorter than Bach's, but was certainly influenced by his as you will hear.
3. Chopin: Waltzes; 4 Scherzos; 26 Preludes
- Vladimir AshkenazyThis double CD set contains a very large portion of Chopin's output, played by my personal favorite Chopin interpreter (though not everyone's!). I feel Ashkenazy really brings a lot of great spirit and joy to Chopin's works. He does not over-sentimentalize them, and they are very artistic and beautiful without being to over-the-top. Other good Chopin pianists are Idil Biret, Arthur Rubenstein, and Yundi Li (though I don't believe he has recorded the preludes).
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