January 27, 2013: The Third Sunday after Epiphany

January 27 2013 Worship

Hymn: Open My Eyes, That I May See

Clara Scott, the author of this hymn, taught music at the Ladies’ Seminary at Lyons, Iowa for many years. She wrote many pieces for voice and instruments, including The Royal Anthem Book (1882), which was the first collection of anthems published by a woman. The phrase “Open my eyes” is drawn from Psalm 119:18, which reads, “Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

Hymn: How Happy Is Each Child of God

From The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion: This text is a paraphrase of Psalm 128 by Dwyn Mounger. While a pastor in Valdosta, Georgia, Mounger tried to remain faithful to the Common Lectionary’s choice of Psalms and scripture lessons for Sundays. There were psalms that The Hymnbook (1955) did not have either to be read responsively or to be sung. He and his associate began to paraphrase the psalms and set them to familiar tunes. This text was one of those paraphrases. It became a favorite and was sung on Christian Family Sunday every year.

Hymn: God, You Spin the Whirling Planets

LindaJo McKim writes that this hymn, written by Jane Parker Huber for the 1979 National Meeting of United Presbyterian Women, used the creation story (particularly Genesis 1:26-27) as its basis. The conference’s theme was “In the Image of God.” 

January 20, 2013: The Second Sunday After Epiphany

Jan 20, 2013 Worship

Hymn: To God Be the Glory

Fanny Crosby wrote this hymn for children and titled it, “Praise for Redemption.” It was published in an 1875 hymnal and long forgotten until 1954. In that year, someone suggested the hymn to Cliff Barrows to be used during the Billy Graham Greater London Crusade. It soon became a favorite of the crusade and was used at the 1954 Nashville Crusade. This particular hymn is different from other Crosby works in that it takes a more objective, distant point of view rather than a subjective, personal nature.

Hymn: Spirit of the Living God

From The Presbyterian Hymnal Companion: Both the text and the tune of this hymn were written by Daniel Iverson. The story is told that George C. Stephans was conducting a revival in Orlando, Florida in the spring of 1926. His friend Rev. Daniel Iverson, a Presbyterian U.S. pastor from Lumberton, North Carolina, came and spent a few days with him. Iverson was extremely moved by the sermon he heard on the Holy Spirit and wrote the hymn that day, sharing it with his friends. E. Powell Lee, Stephans’ music director, introduced the piece that night.

Hymn: Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

Melva Costen writes about the background of this hymn, which has its origins as an African-American spiritual: “New converts were required to ask permission to be admitted into the community of faith, and spent time as catechumens in preparation for questions which would admit them as candidates for baptism. The use of the language “in-a my heart” from earlier publications not only reflects traditional usage, but captures the intentionality of the creators of this Spiritual. The depth of the longing to be like Jesus, to be more loving, to be more holy, and thus be a Christian deep down within one’s total being is best expressed “in-a my” rather than merely “in my” heart.

January 13, 2013: Baptism of Our Lord Sunday

January 13 2013 Baptism of the Lord Sunday

Hymn: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

This hymn is based on the first six verses of Psalm 103, and Psalm 150. Each stanza contains particular descriptions of God’s character or actions: “King of creation,” “health and salvation,” a shelter, and many other things.

Hymn: Blest Be the Tie That Binds

This hymn, whose original title was “Brotherly Love,” was written by Baptist minister John Fawcett to be used after a sermon. The text was comprised of six stanzas, four of which we’ll sing today. The fifth stanza, unpublished in The Presbyterian Hymnal (1990), reads: This glorious hope revives / Our courage by the way; / While each in expectation lives, / And longs to see the day.

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.” Indeed, an appropriate way for us to begin the New Year, singing of trust, and joy, and hope.

January 6, 2013: Epiphany of Our Lord

Jan 6 2013

Hymn: As With Gladness, Men of Old

This hymn, written by William Chatterton Dix, was penned while the author was sick in bed and was inspired by the Gospel lesson for the day. The tune used was originally penned by the German Conrad Kocher, and was later modified by William Henry Monk, who set the text to his tune, and named it after the author.

Hymn: God of Our Life

LindaJo McKim writes, “This hymn was written by Hugh Thomson Kerr in 1916 for the fiftieth anniversary of the Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, where Kerr was pastor. It was then published in The Church School Hymnal for Youth (1928).” The text reflects Kerr’s intent to celebrate his own congregation’s milestone, as well as the church universal’s journey. Let the text speak to you today as we begin worship in this new year.

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.”

December 16, 2012: The Third Sunday in Advent

Dec 16 2012

Hymn: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates

Based on Psalm 24:7-10, the hymn was written by Georg Weissel, who served as pastor of a church in Germany until his death in 1635. The text shifts its point of view between stanzas; the first stanza serves as a paraphrase of the Psalm. The second stanza exhorts Christians to open their hearts for Christ, while the third stanza implores Christ to abide within our hearts.

Hymn: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

The text for this hymn comes from a seven-verse poem that dates back to the eighth century. It was used in a call and response fashion during the vespers, or evening, service. In the original text, each of the antiphons began with “O” followed by a biblical title for the Messiah: “Wisdom;” “Lord;” “Root of Jesse;” “Key of David;” “Dayspring;” “King;” and “Emmanuel.” It created the reverse acrostic “ero cras,” which means “I shall be with you tomorrow,” which is fitting, as we look back and forward to the coming of Christ.

Hymn: Canticle of the Turning

The term “canticle” refers to a text in the Bible that was sung. In its strictest sense, it refers to those texts that are not the Psalms. Examples include the songs of Moses and Miriam in Exodus 15:1-18 and 15:21, as well as Mary’s Magnificat. Paul Westermeyer writes that the Magnificat is “a revolutionary text, not appreciated by dictators. If anyone thinks biblical and liturgical texts are tame, this one will quickly set the matter straight.” This paraphrase of the Magnificat, written by Rory Cooney, has an edge to it not found in many modern hymns. Cooney says he “simply wanted to write a setting of the canticle that attempted to capture the revolutionary spirit of the gospel, of a God who ‘pulls down the mighty from their thrones and raises up the lowly.’” The tune, STAR OF COUNTY DOWN, is the Irish version of KINGSFOLD, which is the setting for several hymns in The Presbyterian Hymnal. You’ll notice that the first two lines of the tune repeat, almost identically; the third line is new, and the fourth is same as the first two. The refrain is exactly the same as the third and fourth lines.