OPENING VOLUNTARY Lift High the Cross arr. Sondra K. Tucker
In today's gospel reading, Jesus tells us, "The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified." This hymn bids us to look forward to Good Friday where, on the cross, Jesus will wear a crown of thorns and be lifted up. Jesus dies on the cross and we receive new life.
Tucker's arrangement of this well-known hymn is bold, but no bolder than the hymn itself:
So shall our song of triumph ever be:
praise to the Crucified for victory!
So shall our song of triumph ever be:
praise to the Crucified for victory!
GATHERING HYMN Now the Green Blade Rises (Noël nouvelet) ELW 379
Jesus tells us the seed that dies is the one that will bear fruit - and this is a theme well will hear in today's music many times.
Worshipers might notice that this hymn falls under the "Easter" heading in ELW, but it is equally at home with the readings for today's lectionary.
Worshipers might notice that this hymn falls under the "Easter" heading in ELW, but it is equally at home with the readings for today's lectionary.
The tune goes back to at least the 15th century and was originally the tune for a French Christmas carol - hence the tune name, Noël nouvelet.
HYMN OF THE DAY Seed That in Earth Is Dying (Såkorn som dør i jorden)
ELW 330
You've heard me say the assembly is the most important choir in the church. Today's accompaniment of the hymn doesn't come from the hymnal, but from an arrangement for choir by Bradley Ellingboe.
Don't worry. The Festival Choir will keep you on track and you will know when to sing!
Don't worry. The Festival Choir will keep you on track and you will know when to sing!
Susan Palo Cherwien wrote this text specifically for the Fifth Sunday of Lent in Year B (today). It's no wonder then, that her poetic text seems to paraphrase Jesus.
Jesus: . . .unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Susan Palo Cherwien: Behold, God does a new thing, Through death God brings new life.
Jesus: . . .unless a grain of wheat fall into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
Susan Palo Cherwien: Behold, God does a new thing, Through death God brings new life.
Combined with Mark Sedio's gentle music, this musical offering provides a suitable meditation on the gospel reading for today. It finishes with a metaphor for us as the body of Christ: Letting go of what has been, We embody God's great promise: Behold, God does a new thing, Through death God brings new life.
COMMUNION HYMNS
As the Sun with Longer Journey (Nagel) ELW 329
As the Sun with Longer Journey (Nagel) ELW 329
As the Winter Days Grow Longer (Suo Gân) ACS 924
Paired with a tune whose name means "lullaby" in Welsh, this hymn by Mary Louise Bringle is full of sensory imagery. Lengthening days in springtime reminds us of the light of Christ. A vine with sweet-smelling blossoms lifts our spirits as we pray. As thirsty pilgrims, we ask for living water and God's guidance on our journey toward Easter. The melody goes higher in the third line of each stanza, enhancing the feelings of yearning, seeking, and wandering we experience during Lent. The return of the original melody in the last line mirrors God's enduring faithfulness to us. (from Sundays and Seasons)
SENDING HYMN A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth (An Wasseflüssen Babylon) ELW 340
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| El Greco - Christ Carrying the Cross, 1580 |
There are beautiful things on the internet.
As Covid was gripping the land, I became interested in this hymn from Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), Germany's most famous hymnwriter. (Yes, he's even better known than our beloved Martin Luther!) During research, I found Bálint Karosi's Hymn of the Day series. It includes a treatment of this hymn - and I highly commend it as a meditation/devotion during Holy Week.
If features the crystal clear voice of Addy Sterrett, Karosi's brilliant improvisations, and the marvelous Richards, Fowkes and Co. organ at St. John's Lutheran Church in Stamfort, CT.
After watching and listening about a hundred times, I knew this was a hymn we'd be singing at St. Mark's and slowly introduced it into our repertoire in 2022.
Taking up a page and a half, long verses, and some pretty emotional language, this hymn is a lot of work - but it's well worth the effort. Sort of like Lent.
As Covid was gripping the land, I became interested in this hymn from Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), Germany's most famous hymnwriter. (Yes, he's even better known than our beloved Martin Luther!) During research, I found Bálint Karosi's Hymn of the Day series. It includes a treatment of this hymn - and I highly commend it as a meditation/devotion during Holy Week.
If features the crystal clear voice of Addy Sterrett, Karosi's brilliant improvisations, and the marvelous Richards, Fowkes and Co. organ at St. John's Lutheran Church in Stamfort, CT.
After watching and listening about a hundred times, I knew this was a hymn we'd be singing at St. Mark's and slowly introduced it into our repertoire in 2022.
Taking up a page and a half, long verses, and some pretty emotional language, this hymn is a lot of work - but it's well worth the effort. Sort of like Lent.
CLOSING VOLUNTARY Prelude and Chorale on "Christ, the Life of All the Living" Chorale, Donald Busarow
See the text and tune at ELW 339.
Sources:
See the text and tune at ELW 339.
Sources:
The Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Augsburg Fortress)
O Blessed Spring, Hymns of Susan Palo Cherwien (Augsburg Fortress)
By El Greco - Web Gallery of Art: Image Info about artwork, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=594530
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