April 7, 2013: The Second Sunday of Easter

Apr 7 2013

Hymn: The Day of Resurrection!

Carlton Young writes, “This text and ‘Come, ye faithful, raise the strain’ are hymns of praise freely translated from the Easter ‘Golden Canon,’ also called the ‘Queen of Canons,’ linking the mighty acts of God: the Hebrews’ exodus and Jesus’ resurrection.” The writer of the hymn, John of Damascus, a poet of the Greek Church and one of its major theologians and hymn writers. It is related to Exodus 15, tying the story of Moses and the Hebrews going out from bondage to freedom with Christ’s winning the victory over death for us.

Hymn: Though I May Speak

This text originally appeared as an anthem written by Hal Hopson as a paraphrase of I Corinthians 13, set to the British folk song O WALY WALY. After being published in 1972, the anthem gained enough popularity to be converted and used as a hymn, particularly for weddings. Hal Hopson was a major contributor to the Presbyterian Psalter, published in 1994.

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.’

Anthem: Lift High the Cross

This hymn’s language can at first seem quite militant; however, it was originally intended to be a processional hymn proceeded by a versicle, where a liturgical leader would read, “God forbid that I should glory” and the people would respond, “Save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In his commentary on the hymn, Paul Westermeyer says “The hymn itself treads on dangerous waters, however, in the original third stanza by referring to Christians as soldiers and by the line ‘The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.’ But they can only be understood in light of another line, ‘Praise to the Crucified for victory.’ As usual for the church, the crucifixion’s strange victory stands at the center, and the pretensions of empire are quashed.”