I mentioned last week that I would dedicate this week's edition of Music Notes to our special service of hymnody, which I have titled "A Community That Sings."
Three weeks ago, I asked the Chancel Choir to fill out a small sheet with five (or so) of their favorite hymns from the ELW. After receiving the results, I saw an incredible number of possibilities. After crafting three different program ideas, the pastors decided that focusing on the communal aspects of congregational song would be the way to go. In thinking of the idea of "A Community That Sings," I zeroed in on a petition that seemed to summarize the idea that I wanted to express with the worship. The petition is...
As we gather, God calls us and shows us the way to serve his people.
Using that petition in combination with the Chancel Choir choices, I then crafted a four part service, with hymns that supported these petitions and show how we worship together as a community that sings.
As we gather...
In "As we gather..." we sing music that glorifies God, glorifies us as worshipers, and brings us together as a community.
When In Our Music God Is Glorified
This hymn is actually going to play a big part in my coffee hour talk several weeks from now. While most people know this hymn to the tune ENGELBERG (as we sing it this weekend), the LBW (1978) actually dared to be different and published this text set to a much sweeter, more reflective tune. This "alternate" tune is actually my preferred tune for the text, as it is presented with reverence and humility, but the C.V. Stanford tune we are singing this weekend is wonderfully celebratory and equally relevant and appropriate for the nature of the text.
Morning Has Broken
Each verse of this famous Eleanor Farjeon tune is in two parts. The first lays out a scenario or situation that is surrounding us, and the second thanks God for these surroundings. For example... "Morning has broken like the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird." is the opening section of the first stanza. Not only is it beautiful imagery, but it also references creation and Genesis. It is followed by the thanks and praise, "Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word."
Earth and all Stars
This may be the most requested hymn on the Chancel Choir hymn sheets, so there was no way I couldn't include it. This hymn was composed jointly by Herbert Brokering and David Johnson to celebrate the 75th anniversary of St. Olaf College. There is reference to the stormy Minnesota weather ("Hail, wind, and rain! Loud blowing snowstorm."), St. Olaf's music program (Trumpet, pipes, cymbals, harp, lute, lyre, cellos (also referencing Psalm 150)), builders and workers (limestone (most St. Olaf buildings were built out of the native limestone), beam, hammers, workers), and the students, teachers, and others that make up the community.
Though the hymn was written for a specific occasion at a specific place, it has a universal joy that can be celebrated anywhere. It is particularly appropriate here in Waverly, where we have a college very similar in many ways to St. Olaf (minus the limestone!).
...God calls us...
This second section focuses on the communal aspects of commitment and discipleship. It also includes the primary scriptural components and the message of the day.
Drawn To The Light
This was on a very high number of hymn sheets that were filled out. I was a little perplexed, since it isn't one of the more well known hymns in the hymnal. Then I remembered that it was written by John Ylvisaker, and it made perfect sense (for those reading this that may not be familiar with St. Paul's, John is a long time member here).
God calls us in many ways. This hymn shows us that the light of God is an important guiding force in our lives. Even though we are sitting in darkness looking for light, God calls us and draws us into his presence. This light of God outshines our sun and all other light in the world, guiding us along the true path. This text is accompanied by a tune that is singable and dance like, with a lovely lilt and harmonic twists in the refrain.
We Are Called
"Come, live in the light. Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord! We are called to be light for the kingdom, to live in the freedom of the city of God." The juxtaposition of this hymn and the one before it is very interesting. Initially I wanted them to be back to back, but hopefully having a scripture and message in between the two will not disturb the relationship that these two texts have.
The correlation is simple. In the Ylvisaker hymn we are drawn to the light of God, and then in we are called, we are both invited to it and called to be the light ourselves, in order to show others the beauty it can give others just as it gave us. The glorious third stanza tells us to sing of that great day when all will be one, which is a wonderful statement of unity and community, a community that sings.
...and shows us the way...
This third section is all about guidance and inspiration. All of us mean well, but sometimes we need a little help along the right path. These two hymns are meant to show how inspiring and meaningful God's path can be.
Lord, Take My Hand and Lead Me
The text and tune of this great German chorale are both very straightforward. Perhaps that is the key to its popularity. In addition, at this service the words will be printed in German as well as in English. Congregation members can choose which language they wish to sing it in, potentially creating a beautiful, multi-lingual congregational song experience. The global nature of song is very important. It is something that virtually every culture has in common and can enjoy together.
Lord Jesus, You Shall Be My Song
We go from Germany to France, where we find this beautiful French virelai, a song composed by a group of nuns at the L'Arche Community in France.
Founded in 1931, Les Petites Soeurs is an all-female religious congregation centered in France, which contains about 1300 members. Its doors are always open to people searching for a place to belong, companionship, togetherness, and fellowship. With that context in mind, it is quite easy to see how the words of this hymn were born. As we travel through our lives, with every step we take, Jesus is right there with us. Hopefully, these are words that we can take with us and hold close to us as we continue on our faith journeys.
... to serve his people.
This final section once again calls on commitment and discipleship themes, but also has a strong focus on social justice and community. With these hymns, we are truly "A Community That Sings," and we can then rise and go out into the world being inspired and called to action by these words.
Let Streams Of Living Justice
This wonderful hymn was probably the second most common to be on the Chancel Choir lists. This text calls for peace and justice to come to the earth, uniting us all as a people. Stanza two contains possibly the only hymnal reference to knitting and looming, as we "weave our varied gifts together" and enroll us on the "loom of time" until our "thread of life is run." What wonderful language! God is then of course described as the "great weaver of our fabric."
God Of Grace And God Of Glory
If you were at the 7:45 AM service last week, you saw that the prayers of the people were incorporated with this hymn, and this week will be no different. This well known hymn by Henry Emerson Fosdick is a great example of the power and grace of God being used against the evil in the world. Though the more familiar text with this tune is probably "Guide Me Now, O Great Redeemer," this text has found a home with CWM RHONDDA, based on the popularity of Paul Manz's organ setting of this piece, incorporating fragments of the Hallelujah chorus (which I will play as the postlude for this service).
Each stanza ends with a petition for strength and courage ("Grant us wisdom, grant us courage..."). Each of those statements is followed by a qualifier that applies to each of the stanzas that precede it.
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Another hymn that was hotly requested, it is also a hymn that revolved around one of my favorite, most inspirational moments in my year here at St. Paul's. Though it will forever be tied with the Civil Rights Movement from the 1960's, this poem was actually composed in the year 1900 by james Weldon Johnson.
The language of this poem has not ever been updated from its original version (nor should it be!!), but some of the lines may require contextual references in the realm of the Afro-American spiritual. The idea of the spiritual was born out of the time of slavery, struggle, turmoil, etc... but what was always and forever present was HOPE. In the very first lines of Johnson's poem, he calls for us to sing until both earth and heaven ring with the harmonies of liberty. Later in the stanza, he pulls the past and future together, referencing both the "dark past" and "hope [of] the present." "Let us march on 'till victory is won," is certainly not a militaristic reference. Rather, the "victory" he speaks of is the arrival of the promised land (see the old great Baptist hymn, "Victory in Jesus.")
For the slaves, the "chastening rod" mentioned at the start of stanza two was literal. Johnson is writing in the context of his culture and history. Slaves were literally exposed to beatings on a daily basis. However, it can still apply to all of us. We all have obstacles in our lives and adversity to overcome. As stanza two continues though, we have hope offered again, where we will eventually arrive at a place where those before us have only dreamed of. The road has been long and difficult, but we will eventually come to the point where we will all be standing together "where the white gleam of our bright star is cast."
The final stanza speaks of the God who brings us all along on the journey that we have been on. The hymn closes with a prayer that despite we may stray from the presence of God, we will always find our way back and stay true to ourselves and our God.
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