Year C: Music for the 20th Sunday after Pentecost - October 23, 2022

OPENING VOLUNTARY O Day of Peace (Jerusalem)

setting, Charles Callahan

"Sweeping" and "majestic" are both adjectives that describe the music of Englishman C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918).

Jerusalem is most associated with with William Blake's poem "And did those feet in ancient time." The poem recounts a fanciful story that Joseph of Arimathea visited England after Jesus' resurrection. While he was there, he preached the gospel. (Many people believe the poem claims Joseph came at an earlier time and brought the child Jesus with him, but this may be a recent interpretation of the story.)

Thanks to the work of Carl P. Daw, Jr. (b. 1944), we have a suitable text to pair with this worthy tune in a Lutheran context. It's also a text that fits nicely with the Prayer of the Day.

GATHERING HYMN For the Fruit of All Creation (Ar hyd y nos)

ELW 679

HYMN OF THE DAY Lord, Teach Us How to Pray Aright (Song 67)

ELW 745

Today's gospel reading gives us a glimpse into the prayers of two very different people. One prayer is boastful. The other is humble. As we sing this prayer/hymn, we ask God to help us pray like the tax collector, with "reverence and fear" and with "deep humility."

The Pharisee and the Publican
John Everett Millais, ca. 1860

MUSICAL OFFERING Ancient Words

Lynn DeShazo, arr. Mary McDonald

The Isaiah Scroll, part of the "Dead Sea" scrolls

The Apostle Paul's letters are full of theology, history, and advice. I often wonder if he had any idea we would still be reading his letters centuries after he wrote them. I wonder, even more, if he ever thought they would be considered scripture. Last week we had the famous "All scripture is inspired by God" passage - written long before Paul's words became part of the Christian church's canon. Paul's ancient words have been preserved for us along with the words of Christ, and along with the world of the Hebrew Scriptures.

These words are important! Martin Luther, in the Small Catechism, claimed "I believe that by my own understanding I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the gospel. . ."

May the words of the gospel, the words of Paul, and the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures be a lamp for our feet and a light on the path of our faith journey.

COMMUNION HYMN In All Our Grief (Fredericktown)
ELW 615

SENDING HYMN Before You, Lord, We Bow (Darwall's 148th)
ELW 893

Francis Scott Key
attr. Joseph Wood

This text is by Francis Scott Key (1799 - 1843). Yes, THAT Francis Scott Key!
The final stanza goes like this:

And when in pow'r he comes, oh may then every land

from all its rending tombs send forth a glorious band,

a countless throng,

with joy to sing to heav'n's high king salvation's song.

This is the final stanza of the final hymn in Evangelical Lutheran Worship. What a vision to close with! It calls to mind the closing from Revelation:

The one who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (NRSV)

(Key's writing has been altered for ELW. The original text said "O, may our native land" instead of "oh may then every land.")

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Prelude and Chorale on "Rise, O Sun of Righteousness" (Sonne der Gerechtigkeit)

prelude by Jeffrey Blersch
chorale from Bohemian Brethren, Kirchengeseng, 1566

Sources:
Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Paul Westermeyer

Wikipedia

Evangelical Lutheran Worship 

Martin Luther's Small Catechism (ELW, page 1162)

By Sir John Everett Millais - Aberdeen City Council (Archives, Gallery and Museums Collection), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115176851 (Pharisee and the Publican)

By Photographs by Ardon Bar Hama, author of original document is unknown. - Website of The Israel Museum, Jerusalem, see link., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12149044  (Scroll photo)

By Attributed to Joseph Wood - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28638793 (Francis Scott Key portrait)

St. Mark's Door graphic by Rachel Mumford, a member of St. Mark's

Year C: Music for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost - October 16, 2022

OPENING VOLUNTARY Out of the Depths I Cry to You (Aus tiefer Not)

setting, Alfred V. Fedak

"You are alwasy ready to hear our cries," is part of our prayer today. We ask God to teach us to rely on God's care. Martin Luther's hymn, in part a paraphrase of Psalm 130, contains echoes of these two points. Hearing our cries, God responds with grace and the gift of faith that assures us we are in God's keeping.

GATHERING HYMN God Is Here! (Abbot's Leigh)

ELW 526

HYMN OF THE DAY If You But Trust in God to Guide You (Wer nur den lieben Gott)

ELW 769

What causes us to cry out to God? Is it loneliness, fear, uncertainty? Like the widow in today's gospel reading, are we crying out for justice for ourselves, or on behalf of someone else? No matter, for when we cry to God, we find that God is already there and never fails us in our time of need.

MUSICAL OFFERING O Christ, Surround Me

Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, arr. David Sims

This modern song ties closely with "I Bind unto Myself Today" (ELW 450), a hymn attributed to St. Patrick. Calling the Trinity to mind is always a reminder of our baptism. "O Christ, surround me," the central prayer of this song, echoes St. Patrick's "Christ be with me, Christ within me. . ."

David Sims cleverly works musical quotes from St. Patrick's Breastplate into the interludes between the stanzas. Between Colligan's melody and Sims' arrangement, this "new" song has the feel of an ancient Celtic hymn.

COMMUNION HYMNS

There is a Longing in Our Hearts
ACS 1078

This hymn illustrates two sides of human longing for God: it yearns for God's reign of healing, wholeness, justice, and freedom as it calls for God's presence with suffering. The musical setting has a steady forward motion, as if to encourage its singers to have confidence in a God who hears and answers prayer.
(From Sundays and Seasons)

We Come to the Hungry Feast
ELW 624

SENDING HYMN Jesus, Still Lead On (Seelenbräutigam)

CLOSING VOLUNTARY What God Ordains is Good Indeed (Was Gott tut)

setting, Alfred V. Fedak
See the text and tune at ELW 776.

sources: The Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship

Celtic Cross image from Wikipedia

Year C: Music for the 18th Sunday after Pentecost - October 9, 2022

This week our worship service features some very "Lutheran" moments. When I think of Lutheran hymns, I think of texts from our tradition that were written by Lutheran pastors or theologians, follow Lutheran theology, and might also come from ethnic groups with largely Lutheran populations - such as Germany and parts of Scandinavia. Today's Lutheran moments are marked with the Luther Rose.

OPENING VOLUNTARY Allegro

Cynthia Dobrinski (1950-2021)

The St. Mark's Ringers begin worship with a piece by one of the handbell world's most prolific and best-known composers. Handbells are a unique instrument and composers are still finding ways to make different sounds. Allegro makes use of many of these techniques.

mallet roll it's like a drum roll, only with mallets on a bell instead of drumsticks on a drum

shake the ringer literally shakes the bell forward and back, causing the clapper to sound continuously

martellato the body of the bell is struck against the table's padded surface

martellato lift the bell is immediately raised after being struck against the table's padded surface

ring touch the bell is rung quickly near the shoulder, then immediately damped

thumb damp the ringer holds a thumb against the bell while it is being rung

How many of these techniques can you spot in this fun-to-ring piece?

Some of our St. Mark's Ringers

GATHERING HYMN Oh, That I Had a Thousand Voices (O dass ich tausend Zungen hätte)

ELW 833

The singer begins by lifting their own praise. By the time the hymn is done, all creation has been enjoined and the singer looks to the time when their voice will be joined with the song of angels to sing ten thousand hallelujahs. No text could be more appropriate as we gather for worship!

HYMN OF THE DAY Now Thank We All Our God (Nun danket alle Gott)

ELW 840
This is one of those "big" hymns, often accompanied by trumpets and drums - we'll hear the trumpets in today's postlude. It may be thought of as a festival hymn - J. S. Bach even wrote one of his famous cantatas around it. All this being said, it's surprising to learn the author originally intended it as a table prayer.

MUSICAL OFFERING All My Hope on God Is Founded

I wasn't able to learn which tune was first sung with Joachim Neander's (1650-1690) text. The hymn appears in ELW at #757 with a tune by Herbert Howells, the renowned English composer. Nick Klemetson's tune is a new one that imparts the confidence of someone who trusts in God. 

OFFERING HYMN Around You, O Lord Jesus (O Jesu, än de dina)

ELW 468

Our Lord's welcome to the table is heard plainly through the text of this hymn by Franz Mikel Franzen (1722-1847), a Swedish-Finnish priest in the Lutheran diocese of Strängnäs in Sweden. The first known printing with this tune, which probably has Danish origins, was in 1569.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Baptized and Set Free ELW 453

This hymn, both text and tune, is by Cathy Skogen-Soldner, who has served Lutheran churches as a youth director and a contemporary worship coordinator. About the hymn, she says, ". . . even though we may only us a few handfuls of water when we baptize, I included larger bodies of water to invite the singing congregation to celebrate the generous heart of God."

Thank You, Lord This Far By Faith 293

This song is a powerful and deliberate outpouring of gratitude to God that was sung with fervor in the Black churches. Not based on a perfunctory or transactional thanksgiving, this song calls the singer into a life-altering orientation of gratitude - one that is at the core of what it means to be Christian. Whether one is elated or despairing, God has been so good that the church can give thanks. (From Sundays & Seasons)

"Thank You, Lord" appears in All Creation Sings, but I've chosen the arrangement from "This Far By Faith," an Augsburg Fortress hymnal that "celebrates the abundant gifts of African American worship and song." Feel free to sing it with abandon. If time permits, we'll sing it twice!

SENDING HYMN Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Azmon)

ELW 886
Every time I sing this hymn, I'm taken back to Bible camp along the shores of Lake Lundgren near Pembine, Wisconsin. I hear a dearly loved old teacher say, "How can I ask for a thousand tongues to sing when I don't use the one I have enough?"

Lake Lundgren Bible Camp - from about the time I went there.
Shared by a fellow camper via Facebook.

But this morning we sing as a community, not as individuals, so all our voices are joined together (whether 40 or 100) as the Holy Spirit sends us out as witnesses, "to spread through all the world abroad" the good news of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ.

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Now Thank We All Our God

Robert A. Hobby
See my comments at the Hymn of the Day - don't forget to listen for the trumpets!

sources: Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Wikipedia
Augsburg Fortress website
Sunday and Seasons (Augsburg Fortress)
Evangelical Lutheran Worship (referred to as "ELW")

Year C: Music for the 17th Sunday after Pentecost - October 2, 2022

OPENING VOLUNTARY Fidelis Servus

Dom Paul Benoit (1893-1979)

Paul Benoit was an organist, composer, and a Benedictine monk who lived in France. "Dom" is the traditional title used by Benedictines. This piece is based on a Gregorian chant that borrows its text from Luke 12:42. "And the Lord said, 'Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?'" This morning's gospel reading reminds us that we are servants who need to be faithful to our tasks.

GATHERING HYMN Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Faithfulness)

ELW 753
This hymn comes to us from the revival genre. Singing "Great is thy faithfulness" is a stirring way to mark the gathering of God's people for worship.

HYMN OF THE DAY Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney)

ELW 804

During the Middle Ages, devotional poetry was often read at home and in church. One author of these laudi spirituali was the Italian-born Bianco da Siena. He only wrote about 122 poems - but there were some 20,000 verses in total! 

By Dnalor 01 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 at,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32470774

Bianco was also a member of the Jesuates, a religious order that included laymen in its membership. They were known for encouraging a life of repentance and poverty, and for calling loudly on the name of Jesus before preaching sermons. Their leanings toward mysticism made some church leaders suspicious and their order was eventually abolished by Pope Clement IX.

Bianco's poem, Discendi amor santo, is the basis for Come Down, O Love Divine.

Bianco's striving for repentance and poverty can be heard in the third stanza:
Let holy charity mine outward vesture be,

and lowliness become mine inner clothing -

true lowliness of heart, which takes the humbler part,

and oe'r its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

MUSICAL OFFERING Breathe On Me 
Aaron David Miller

This choir piece asks, on behalf of the assembly, the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives according to God's will, doing the things God would have us do. It's also a condensed version of the Hymn of the Day.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Our communion hymns are three modern meditative songs that can be learned quickly. Be Still and Know comes from the Iona Community in Scotland. Christ, Our Peace was written by Marty Haugen - a popular church music composer whose Holden Evening Prayer is widely sung and loved. Finally, we gather around the table proclaiming that we belong to God through singing Rolf Vegdahl's prayer refrain (and scripture quote) If We Live.

By Tracy from North Brookfield, Massachusetts, USA - Flickr, CC BY 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1694210

SENDING HYMN God of the Fertile Fields (Italian Hymn)

ACS 1063

Caring for God's creation has, indeed, reached critical importance not just for human beings but for all living things. Having lived from 1891 to 1974, the author of this text, Georgia Harkness, was well ahead of her time. She was the first woman to teach theology in any American Seminary. This hymn by Harkness was the winner of a hymn competition in 1955 sponsored by The Hymn Society. They were seeking a hymn that "expressed the needs and aspirations of people in the churches and communities of rural America." Revised for use many decades later, its rooting in the Lord's Prayer makes it a hymn suitable for many contexts. (From Sundays and Seasons)

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Prelude and Chorale on "If You But Trust in God to Guide You"

Larry J. Long / Georg Neumark

See the text and tune at ELW 769

The music for today began with the theme of good service, and so it also ends. The fourth stanza of this hymn encourages us to "Sing, pray, and keep God's way unswerving, offer your service faithfully."

As the Spirit sends us forth, may our deepest desire be to be faithful servants!

Year C - Music for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost - September 25, 2022

OPENING VOLUNTARY Around You, O Lord Jesus

Stephen Gabrielsen

No, you're not experiencing déjà vu!
Choosing preludes and postludes can be a challenge, and yet it must be done every week! I take care choosing the music that begins and ends our worship time. Every now and then, despite faithfully practicing, a piece just doesn't come together for Sunday morning. Such is the case with last week's prelude. Since we are still using this hymn at the offering, it's still suitable.

In case you're wondering, last week's preluded ended up being a setting of "Alone to Thee, Lord Jesus Christ" by Johann Pachelbel.

GATHERING HYMN Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness (Nettleton)

ELW 843

HYMN OF THE DAY When Our World Is Rent By Violence (Fortunatus New)

ACS 1052

The music of lament is not always slow and mournful. Sometimes it can be agitated and despairing. Hymnwriter David Bjorlin, a pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church, gives us a text in the great tradition of sung lament that goes back to the Psalms. The painful naming of afflictions that beset our world is joined to prayers for justice and relief. The musical urgency of Carl Schalk's sturdy hymn tune gives strong voice to this plea for justice, mercy, and peace. 

(Description from Sundays and Seasons.)

MUSICAL OFFERING I Lift My Eyes Up to the Hills 
Thomas Keesecker

This text based on Psalm 121 has themes of God's refuge and protection that echo those in the psalm that follows the first reading.

By Jonathunder - Own work, GFDL 1.2, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9929602

COMMUNION HYMNS

Today's communion hymns contain choruses and refrains that, due to their repetitive nature, can be easily learned - even if just the refrain. Feel free to carry your bulletin with you as you go to the altar. Singing in this manner strengthens our understanding of the sacrament and reinforces the celebratory nature of gathering around Christ's table.

Come to the Table ACS 961
In the Singing ELW 466
We Come to the Hungry Feast ELW 479

SENDING HYMN Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life (Walton)
ELW 719

CLOSING VOLUNTARY O God, Our Help in Ages Past (St. Anne)
setting, Benjamin Culli

Door graphic by St. Mark's member Rachel Mumford

Year C: Music for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost - September 18, 2022

Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Holy Communion, Setting Four

Setting Four, composed by Ronald A. Nelson, features standard texts of the communion service (sometimes called the "mass") with sturdy music in a traditional style. It was Setting Two in Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and enjoys broad usage by congregations throughout the various expressions of Lutheranism. This setting also appears in the Lutheran Service Book, the hymnal used by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

"This Is the Feast" is a peculiarly Lutheran substitute for the "Gloria in excelsis." The text, by John W. Arthur (1922-1980), draws its images from the book of Revelation. It was written for liturgies in LBW, the "green" hymnal from 1976.

Ronald A. Nelson (1927-2014) received his Bachelor of Music degree from St. Olaf in 1949, and a

Ronald A. Nelson

master's degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1959. For 37 years he directed the choirs of Westwood Lutheran Church (ELCA) in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. After retirement from choir directing, he continued to compose choral and organ music for the whole church. Until his death, he was Cantor Emeritus at Westwood and sang in the choir.

Throughout the rest of Ordinary Time, we'll be singing Ronald A. Nelson's tunes with a fresh organ accompaniment by Michael Burkhard (b. 1957). Dr. Burkhardt's  catalog of published church music is vast. He is also known as a popular church music clinician, and for his thrilling hymn festivals.

OPENING VOLUNTARY Around You, O Lord Jesus (O Jesu, än de dina)

setting, Stephen Gabrielsen (ca. 1940-2013)
This setting is in the style of a chorale prelude. The tune is also our offering hymn for the remainder of this Time after Pentecost. See "Offering Hymn" for more information about this text and tune.

GATHERING HYMN O God of Every Nation (LLangloffan)

ELW 713

HYMN OF THE DAY God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (Rustington)

ELW 678

With its primary theme of stewardship, this hymn closely complements today's gospel reading. In fact, it was written to be part of a 1960 collection of stewardship hymns commissioned by the Department of Stewardship and Benevolence of the National Council of Churches in the USA. This commission was a joint project with the Hymn Society of America,

As we sing, we are reminded that our talents, time, and treasure are all gifts from God. We ask God to help us to use our gifts in God's service, rather than for our own benefit.

Rustington is the name of the town where the famed composer of English church music, C. Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918) was living at the time of his death.

MUSICAL OFFERING Our Father, We Have Wandered

Ralph M. Johnson (b. 1955)

"Keep our feet from evil paths," we ask in the Prayer of the Day. Kevin Nichols' (1929-2006) text recalls the story of the prodigal son, perhaps the best-known wanderer of all, and reminds us that we too have wandered away from God. In the parable, the prodigal son is restored and we are reminded that God always welcomes us back with blessing, forgiveness, and peace.

The Return of the Prodigal Son
Pompeo Batoni, 1773

OFFERING HYMN Around You, O Lord Jesus (O Jesu, än de dina)

ELW 468

photo credit: Verance Photography

Each week as we prepare to receive communion, Pastor Daniel reminds us, "This is Christ's table, and Christ, as our host, welcomes all." Our Lord's welcome is heard plainly through the text of this hymn by Franz Mikael Franzen (1722-1847), a Swedish-Finnish priest in the Lutheran diocese of Strängnäs in Sweden. The hymn has seen several revisions, being printed with up to 6 stanzas. ELW has included 3.

Hans Tomissøn (1523-1572) made the first known printing of O Jesu, än de dina in 1569. It probably has Danish origins, but the original composer is unknown.

COMMUNION HYMNS

Now We Offer WOV 761

God Is Here Today ACS 993

Our communion hymns have their beginnings in Nicaragua and Spain, respectively.

Now We Offer joyfully sings of the gifts of bread and wine we bring to the table. We sing of our unity and our yearning for the fulfillment of God's kingdom.

photo credit: Verance Photography

God Is Here had humble beginnings as a song written for a music festival in Spain in 1979. If someone had not recorded it on a cassette, it may not be known to us today. It traveled around the Spanish-speaking countries and became very popular - and for some time nobody knew who wrote it! Sleuthing has uncovered the composer as Javier Gacías Mateo (b. 1956.) Note that All Creation Sings has a typo, listing the composer's middle name as "Gracías," rather than "Gacías."

SENDING HYMN All Depends on Our Possessing (Alles ist an Gottes Segen)

ELW 589

CLOSING VOLUNTARY God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending (Rustington)

J. William Greene

sources:
Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Paul Westermeyer

Wikipedia
www.flcpa.org (website of First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto California
Prodigal Son: By Pompeo Batoni - Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Bilddatenbank., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4628046

Year C: Music for the 14th Sunday After Pentecost - September 11, 2022

OPENING VOLUNTARY Amazing Grace (New Britain)
arr. Don Hustad
Don Hustad became Director of the Sacred Music Department for the Moody Bible Institute in 1950. In 1961 he became the full-time organist for the Billy Graham Crusade.

GATHERING HYMN All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (Coronation)

ELW 634

Coronation was written by Oliver Holden (1765-1844) to be sung with this text. It is the oldest American hymn tune that is still in wide use. At the beginning of the second line, the harmonies imitate horns - required instruments at any coronation.

HYMN OF THE DAY Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound (New Britain)

"I once was lost, but now am found" is a fine echo from today's gospel reading. An interesting fact about this hymn is that it's final stanza ("When we've been there ten thousand years. . .) was not written by John Newton! It first appeared at the end of Jerusalem, My Happy Home in 1790. By the end of the 19th century, it was commonly published at the end of Amazing Grace.

MUSICAL OFFERING My Shepherd Will Supply My Need

arr. John Carter (b. 1930)
This gentle piano arrangement should call to mind ELW 782 which has the same title. According to Hope Publishing Company's website, Carter has published hundreds of choral pieces in addition to his piano arrangements. During my last summer term at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, I was fortunate to study composition with John Carter. Here's a picture to prove it!

COMMUNION HYMN Softly and Tenderly, Jesus Is Calling (Thompson)
ELW 608

COMMUNION HYMN That Priceless Grace (That Priceless Grace)

The original language of this hymn is called Fante, spoken by the Akan people who live in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. The tune is also Ghanaian and meant to be sung in a meditative style.

SENDING HYMN God's Work, Our Hands (Earth and All Stars)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America held a contest inviting hymnwriters to submit a new hymn for "God's work. Our Hands." Sunday, September 13, 2016. Wayne Wold wrote the winning hymn, developing the denomination's tagline with other parts of the person God uses, listing concrete ways of manifesting God's presence in the world, confessing God's activity beyond the church's work, and inviting blessing on the church's work on behalf of the gospel. (From Sundays and Seasons)
The text is paired with David N. Johnson's popular tune Earth and All Stars.

"God's work. Our Hands." Sunday at St. Mark's in 2016

CLOSING VOLUNTARY Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Hymn to Joy)
In this Time after Pentecost, we've been singing our Canticle of Praise to this tune. Next week, with the return of the Festival Choir, we'll switch to ELW Holy Communion Setting Four. You can think of this postlude as the tune's final hurrah before it takes a well-deserved rest.

Sources:
Wikipedia
www.hopepublishing.com
Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship; Paul Westermeyer