January 29, 2012

Jan 29 2012

Hymn: Praise, My Soul, the God of Heaven

This text is an altered form of Henry Lyte’s “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.” The Ecumenical Women’s Center of Chicago Theological Seminary made the alteration to more inclusive language in 1974. Henry Francis Lyte’s original text is a paraphrase of Psalm 103.

Hymn: Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

LindaJo McKim writes, “William Williams, known as the ‘Sweet Singer of Wales’ and ‘the Isaac Watts of Wales’ wrote this text, full of biblical imagery in 1745.” A minister, Williams’ original title for the hymn was “A Prayer for Strength to go through the Wilderness of the World.” Alan Luff, a Welsh hymnody scholar, comments on the world of Williams: “[it] is a mixture of his own Wales and the land of the Bible. So a preaching journey can become both the toiling of the Israelites through the wilderness and Everyman’s pilgrimage through life to the eternal home. The best known of his hymns in English, ‘Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,’ shows the truth of this; in it we are the Israelites seeking food and water in the wilderness and at the end we are passing through the waters of the Jordan to reach final safety on the other side.” Carlton Young notes that “the hymn draws upon strong biblical metaphors, especially from Exodus 13 and 16: ‘manna,’ ‘crystal fountain,’ ‘fire and cloudy pillar,’ ‘crossing the river Jordan to Canaan’s side.’

Hymn: Called as Partners in Christ’s Service

This hymn was written by Jane Parker Huber in 1981 for the Women’s Breakfast at the General Assemblies of the PCUSA and the Presbyterian Church U.S. LindaJo McKim notes, “The partnership of women and men in the church was on the author’s mind as she penned these words. She was thinking of the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of women as elders [in 1980] and the twenty-fifth anniversary of women ordained to the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Today, the concept of partnership has broadened to include people graduating from seminary, those planning ordination and installation services, couples planning their marriage, and clergy couples serving the same congregation.”

10:55 Expressing the Faith: Ashley Hall-“Selah”

The following comes from Ashley Hall, writing on the meaning behind her song and how she came to write it: The word “Selah” is a Hebrew word often used in the Old Testament Psalms. The word itself is translated to mean “to ponder or to think about it.” Selah is also thought to have a musical meaning, to denote a break in a song and as such is similar in purpose to “Amen,” in that it stresses the importance of the preceding passage. I wrote my song as a spoken thought to God or a prayer of sorts. Everyone has things they have gone through or are going through, but that doesn’t mean we go through them alone. God is always there to comfort and guide us, even when we can’t see how. The point of the song is to ‘ponder’ or reflect on the things you’ve been through, but also to ultimately push past those things and just know God is in control. I hope the song blesses you, as it has blessed me many times over and continues to do so every time I sing it. Selah.