February 5, 2012

Feb 5 2012

Hymn: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Henry van Dyke wrote this hymn in 1907, and from the outset intended that it be sung to the famous tune from the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Dr. van Dyke wrote of his hymn writing, “These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time, hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore these are hymns of trust and joy and hope.”

Hymn: As Those of Old Their Firstfruits Brought

The text was written in 1960 by Frank von Christierson and published in Ten New Stewardship Hymns by the Hymn Society of America in 1961. Christierson wrote of his concern for stewardship, “because I am deeply concerned about missions and the outreach of the church to ‘all the world,’ also because stewardship is a very important phase of the Christian life.’” This is the first of two hymns we’ll sing to tunes with roots in British folk music. FOREST GREEN was originally the melody for the English folk song “The Plowboy’s Dream” and was arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams for The English Hymnal (1906) as the setting for “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” United Methodist hymnologist Carlton Young notes the tune’s simple form (AABA) and simple, attractive melody help to make it one of the “sturdiest” in hymnody.

Hymn: Lord, Speak to Me

The text for this hymn was written by Frances Ridley Havergal, who also wrote “Take my life and let it be.” It was first published with the title “A worker’s prayer. ‘None of us liveth to himself.’ Romans 14:7.” The hymn tune CANONBURY is an arrangement of Robert Schumann’s piano work “Nachtstücke [Night Pieces] in F, Opus 23, No. 4” (1839). Schumann said, “I used to rack my brains for a long time, but now I often feel as if I could go playing straight on without ever coming to an end.”

Anthem: Prayer of St. Francis

The “Prayer of St. Francis” is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic friar and preacher who founded the Franciscan Order. The prayer has been known in the United States since 1929, when Cardinal Francis Spellman and Senator Albert Hawkes distributed millions of copies of the prayer during and just after World War II. The prayer is well known throughout the world; Archbishop Desmond Tutu declared that it was “an integral part” of his devotions, and it has been set to music many times over.