March 2016

Liturgy Lessons – Good Friday and Easter

“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses

the whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart.” John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life

“We can use art and music, like anything else on this planet, to distract ourselves from the hard realities of our lives, or our neighbors’ lives. Distraction can become a form of rebellion

against God. We can permit our intensely psychological connection with the artistic work to replace our

spiritual connection with God. The choral performance is so “divine,” the poetry so sumptuous, that we feel sated with the artistry. We find it easier to stop with the “buzz”

than to allow the art to direct our soul to a deeper knowledge of God.” David Taylor, For the Beauty of the Church

One of the most overlooked and astounding verses from the creation account occurs just after the Lord forms Adam from the dust, breathes into his nostrils, and then places him in the garden. “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Pleasant to the sight. Not just practical sustenance, the food was both nourishing AND beautiful. Then, of course, he created Eve, who must have been so beautiful to Adam because it inspired him with the first bit of poetry in all of scripture (Genesis 2:23). Fast-forward to the song of Moses in Exodus 15, and in the second verse we find a lyric that may be translated as something like this: “This is my God, and I will beautify him with praises.” And then there is Noah, who received a rainbow message in the sky instead of black and white letters. It wasn’t a text message of “no more floods,” but a beautiful arc of every color in the known spectrum emblazoned across the canvas. God seems to take great delight in beauty. Indeed, those of us who are privileged to live in the Northwest have a daily reminder of the beauty of God’s creation, by which we can clearly see his “divine nature” (Romans 12:20). All things bright and beautiful, especially the arts, are tremendous gifts. The hymn reminds us that “the Lord God made them all.” And yet, the church has always been rightly concerned about worshipping the created rather than the Creator. Augustine used to speak about instrumental music being for weak souls, and for centuries the church did not allow more than one note to be chanted for each syllable of text, in fear that an ornate musical line would seduce the heart away from the word of truth. John Calvin, who said that worshippers would be “foolish and mistaken” to allow instruments in “public thanksgiving,” was working from a place of justified caution, knowing that the heart was, as he so famously put it, “a factory of idols.”

Why talk about idolatry during Holy Week? Well, because we are in danger of it when adding in elements of beauty to adorn our worship. This is especially true of the Tenebrae service. The liturgy for Good Friday is designed as a dramatic retelling, remembering, and revisiting of our Savior’s story. It includes some artistic and theatrical elements. In response to the weight and wonder of cross, we seek out beautiful expressions of sorrow, praise, awe, and gratitude. Throughout the history of the Western world, Christ’s passion narrative has inspired some of the most timeless works of art and music. It seems a fitting response. Our closing hymn is the thesis, “Love so amazing, so divine, demands my life, my soul, my all!” C.S. Lewis reminds us that this is the great Christian goal of all art, that when eyes and ears are admiring and beholding the beautiful, they would inspire heart and mind to “run back up the sunbeam to the sun.” This frees music and art up to be tools for deeper worship rather than objects of

worship themselves. So, coming out from under Calvin’s long reactionary shadow, we choose to beautify our service in prayerful hope that the Holy Spirit would use those good gifts to surprise, shock, sow, slay, soothe, and sing in our hearts. And then, on Easter morning we can join in more fervently with the Crusader’s hymn and declare:

“Fairest Lord Jesus, Ruler of all nature, Son of God and Son of Man! Thee will I cherish, thee will I honor, Thou my soul’s glory, joy and crown. Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations!

Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be thine!”

TENEBRAE HYMNS “What wondrous love is this?” Text: Anonymous Tune: American Folk Hymn (Southern Harmony, 1835)

This minor and modal tune, based on a six-tone scale, is one of the most famous from the mid-19th century timeless Appalachian hymnal Southern Harmony. One of those anonymous melodies impossible to trace to its source, it was passed down aurally from generation to generation. It’s imminently hummable and seems both ponderous and spontaneous in its structure. I imagine the hundreds of sweet moments between parent and child at either bedtime or around campfire where this hymn was sung together. Poorly-clothed immigrants, isolated in the hills of the new world, struggling to come to grips with lost hopes and unrealized dreams, formed a haunting and sorrowful beauty in their culture of worship and music. The first verse of this hymn is a question without an answer. The latter three verses are full of defiant and dogged hope, rooted in the cross and realized in heaven. Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/97541 Link to “folk” recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_48iI1RBtnc Link to modern recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP0tEceh8Bg

“When I survey the wondrous cross” (#252) Text: Isaac Watts (1707) Tune: Lowell Mason (1824)

I wrote about this back on February 7th. We all know this hymn, which is considered the crowning achievement of Isaac Watts, the “father of English hymnody.” I could write extensively and enthusiastically about him AND hymn, but will refrain. The tune, written by Lowell Mason, consists of only 5 notes, and is based on a Gregorian chant. It is brilliant in its simplicity. In our Good Friday liturgy, as we sing “sorrow and love flow mingled down,” listen for the “heartbeat” that begins, continues after the verse is done, and slowly dies out as the Christ candle is removed. As we meditate on the cross, I can think of no better hymn to steer our thoughts and stir our hearts than this one. After a long pause to ponder Christ’s passion, we end our entire service with the final verse of this hymn. And, in recognition of the resurrection to come and the hope that the cross brings, we lift our final verse up a whole step from the original key. Link to Sheet Music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/96097 EASTER HYMNS “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” Text: Charles Wesley Music: John Arnold (1749), altered from Lyrica Davidica (1708)

The title of this tune is “Easter Hymn.” For the modern church, it has become the quintessential resurrection Sunday hymn. Unlike hotdogs at the ballpark or bad popcorn at the movies, singing this hymn at Easter is a ritual that is worth repeating. It is a fervent fanfare and a fight song, made all the more powerful by the placing of the poetry in the present moment. Christ the Lord “IS” risen today! It’s not just a quaint footnote in history, but an ongoing and living hope that we celebrate. It has been said that every Sunday is a “little Easter,” as we re-enact the redemptive story of our salvation throughout the liturgy. For the actual Easter Sunday, this hymn takes us back two millennia as fellow “witnesses” of the resurrection, bringing the true story to life in a profound way. Adding to its ebullient praise are the reoccurring “alleluias” after each line of text. We state a truth about our new life in Christ in mostly quarter notes and then respond with a florid “alleluia.” This year our Easter liturgies are book-ended by this hymn. We open the service with the first three verses, and then close the liturgy with the final two verses. Practice those “alleluias”! Link to Sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/137238 Link to a recording you can sing along with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV0aaKjrj7M “Be Thou my Vision” Text: Ancient Irish Poem (ca. 8th cent.) Tune: Traditional Irish Melody

Towards the end of our Easter liturgy we will be reading the account of John’s vision of heaven in Revelation 5, in the middle of which we will pause to sing this hymn, which is regularly listed in the top 10 of all-time greatest hymns. As John unfolds for us a vision of the Lamb opening the scroll in heaven, we take a wonderful opportunity to plead with the “High King of heaven” to once again enamor our hearts with himself. More gentle and lilting than the rest of our Easter hymns, this Celtic tune is deeply intimate in its devotion. John gets a grand vision of heaven, and we respond with the sung prayer that Christ would transcend all other competing desires and passions and be both “Great Father” and “Heart of my own heart." May the Holy Spirit grant us this vision of Christ himself. Link to sheet music: http://www.daytonphilchoirs.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/be-thou-my-vision.pdf

“Fairest Lord Jesus” Text: Matthew Bridges (1851) Music: George Elvey (1868)

“In the beginning was the word…..through Him all things were made” (John 1:3). This hymn is all about Jesus. It celebrates the beauty of Christ and His Creation in an overflowing expression of adoration, similar to King David's statement: “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4). There is no better hymn to fight idolatry than this one!

Link to the music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/136994 Link to suggested recording: http://youtu.be/2r2y3v5LxSI

Liturgy Lessons, March 20 – Palm Sunday Prelude and Procession of Palms Call to Worship: Matthew 21:1-11 and “Hosanna” (children’s choir) Hymn of Praise: “All Glory, Laud, and Honor” (#235) Confession: Matthew 21:12-13 and KYRIE Assurance: Matthew 21:14-16 Hymn of Response: “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” Catechism/Congregational Prayers Offertory/Doxology (#731) Sermon: Drew Burdette Supper Hymns: “There is a Higher Throne,” “Be Unto your Name” Closing Hymn: “Give to our God Immortal Praise” (#3) Benediction

“O Lord, save us. O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.

The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.”

Psalm 118:25-27(NIV)

This Sunday our children lead us in loud shouts of “Hosanna,” a word found in the New Testament in three different places: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" (Matthew 21:9, 15), "Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9, 10), and "Hosanna!" (John 12:13). Like the word “Hallelujah,” “Hosanna” is in our regular Christian canon of speech and song. But do we know what it means or where it comes from? Dr. John Piper provides some helpful background and perspective:

“Our English word "hosanna" comes from a Greek word "hosanna" which comes from a Hebrew phrase “hoshiya na.” And that Hebrew phrase is found one solitary place in the whole Old Testament, Psalm 118:25, where it means, "Save, please!" It is a cry to God for help. But something happened to that phrase “hoshiya na.” The meaning changed over the years. In the psalm it was immediately followed by the exclamation "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" The cry for help, “hoshiya na,” was answered almost before it came out of the psalmist's mouth. And over the centuries the phrase “hoshiya na” stopped being a cry for help in the ordinary language of the Jews. Instead it became a shout of hope and exultation. It used to mean "Save, please!" but gradually, it came to mean "Salvation! Salvation! Salvation has come!" The word moved from plea to praise, from cry to confidence.”(Dr. John Piper, desiringgod.org)

So, this Sunday let’s join the children in a passionate proclamation of “Hosanna.” It is a powerful double-edged holler of “Help!” and “Hallelujah!”

In some traditions Palm Sunday is called “Passion” Sunday because it ushers in Holy Week. The Son of David has come, and he has come to suffer on our behalf. When he entered the city, he was headed to the cross. The events that unfold during this weeklong journey are perhaps the most dramatic and important in all of the scriptures. Here is the center of gravity in the story, the nucleus of the narrative. And during this wonderfully Holy Week, the curtain goes up again on the dramatic remembering and retelling of the climactic final steps for our Savior. In our liturgy we begin yet again the journey of Christ’s Passion. This Sunday he comes and next Sunday he conquers. “Salvation belongs to our God and to the Son! Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!”

“All Glory, Laud, and Honor”

Tune: St. Theodulph, Melchior Teschner (1615) Text: Theodulph of Orleans (ca. 820)

This hymn text, originally consisting of 78 lines (39 couplets), was written by St. Theodulph while he was in prison. The first line of text directs all praise to the “redeemer King,” which is a bold statement considering that Theodulph was imprisoned for suspected treason against the king of France. This poetic retelling of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem has been used in the church for fourteen centuries. The medieval liturgy actually re-enacted the story of Palm Sunday. Using this hymn as a procession, the priests and people would start outside the city walls and march towards the gates, waving branches and casting flowers, all the while following a living representation of Jesus seated on a donkey. Before the gates were opened, a choir of children would begin to sing, then in Latin: Gloria, laus et honor, with that refrain often echoed by the crowd. Once the song was over, the gates were opened and the procession made its way to the cathedral for the celebration of the Mass. The tune was not originally composed with Theodulph’s text in mind, but it did not take long for the two to be matched. The pairing became so popular that the tune is now named after Theodulph himself. This marriage of tune and text results in some unintended theological brilliance. The melody consists of four four-bar phrases. The first eight measures are a repeated melodic phrase that is rising and hopeful. In contrast, the last two musical phrases are mostly descending lines, resulting in each verse ending on the lowest note in the entire phrase. The effect is one of a grand, melodic arc that lifts and then lands back where it started. Settling and satisfying in its structure, it is not the big high-note finish that we would expect from the start. Rather, it is a melody fitting for a servant King who brought hope through humility, took up a cross before a crown, and gained deliverance through death.

Link to Trinity Hymnal lyrics and piano accompaniment: http://www.opc.org/hymn.html?hymn_id=16

“Hosanna, Loud Hosanna” Tune: Ellacombe (1784) Text: Jeannette Threlfall, st. 1,3 (1873); Ross Hauck, st. 2 (2016)

In Mark 10:16 Jesus declares, "Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all." As Jesus greeted the children on Palm Sunday, I can imagine his delight at their enthusiasm, which probably manifested itself in undignified giggles and body wiggles. Oh, that we would have half of that effervescent enthusiasm, giddy gratitude, and juvenile jolts of joy! This hymn reminds us of that joy, made all the more profound after our assurance of pardon. Because this hymn follows our confession and assurance, I added a different second verse, hoping to bring a more theological fit to this point in our liturgy. After the “joy of our salvation” has been restored, we are invited to join the children in a “loud Hosanna.” I love this tune. It has an intangible sweetness and lilt, and, despite its rather constant movement, it seems fairly simple and intuitive. There are moments of surprise where it goes its own way, but the tune eventually finds itself back home again. It often repeats itself in short segments and…..wait…..I forgot if I was describing the music or one of my children! Well, there is a wonderful example of the way music can “win some” by being winsome. In likewise manner, may we get lost in childlike delight as we sing our “Hosanna, in the highest”!

Link to piano accompaniment recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5LBR_3pYek Link to sheet music(using vs. 1 and 3 only): http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/96091

Text to alternate vs. 2: O magnify the God of grace who hears his people’s cry, And sends his own beloved son, exalt his name on high!

Now we at last can be restored from sin and all its stains, for Christ our savior and our Lord forever in glory reigns!

Liturgy Lessons March 13 – Fifth Sunday Lent

Call to Worship: Philippians 2: 5-11Hymn: “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name!” (#296)Confession of Sin: Isaiah 55: 6-9Assurance of Pardon: Psalm 116: 1-9Hymn of Response: “My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone”Catechism/Congregational Prayers Tithes and Offerings: Doxology: #733Sermon: Tom GreeneSupper: “Lamb of God”; “Wonderful, Merciful Savior”Closing Hymn: “Hallelujah! Thine the Glory” (#179)Benediction

“Life is not hurrying on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past.It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush,To a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once,

But is the eternity that awaits you.”R.S. Thomas, The Bright Field

“Singing, praying, preaching all may lead to worship, but worship is more than any of them. Our spirit must be ignited by divine fire.”

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

In this week’s liturgy every one of our songs has a refrain, that is “a repeated line or number of lines in a poem or song, typically at the end of each verse.” The root of the word comes from the old French refraindre ‘break,” from the Latin refringere ‘break up,’ because the refrain ‘broke’ the sequence of verses. We need to be careful that these refrains are not just mindless monotony or rote repetition, but rather are emphatic echoes worthy of the decree in Hebrews chapter 12: “Let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (vs. 28b-29).

Do you recall the appearance of that consuming fire in the dramatic showdown between Elijah and the priests of Baal? 1 Kings 18:20-40 captures one of the most theatrical displays of one-upmanship in all of Scripture. After an exhaustive litany of petitions to their imagined god Baal, pleading with him all morning to consume the sacrifice of a bull, the 450 priests have no luck calling down fire upon the altar. Then Elijah takes the stage and offers up his best rendition of “Anything you can do, I can do better.” He douses his makeshift stone altar with water until there are pools beneath it. At this moment you can imagine that the audience holds their collective breath in anticipation of the climactic moment in the drama. Spotlight goes up, cue Hans Zimmer music, and Elijah delivers his lines with unabashed confidence. “Ta-da!“ In a hair-raising, goose-bump-inducing wallop that would make the opening to Star Wars seem ho-

hum, a bolt of fire descends and consumes the sacrifice, even licking up the pools of water. And, it is safe to say, all in attendance, players and audience alike, were forever “altared.” This makes me want to stand up and shout, “Bravo, God!” And, it definitely elicits that most coveted word in all of theater, “Encore!” which is the French word for “again.” It is in this spirit that we offer up our rapturous repeated refrains. Even though no amount of planning, skill, or technical trickery can manufacture a miracle or manipulate the movements of God’s spirit, we desire deeply for His presence and pre-eminence in our hearts. So we sing and stoke the fire. Each time we repeat a phrase or lyric, in our hearts we exhale an “encore,” asking God to fan further into flame our sacrifice of praise. The last line of the great hymn “Spirit of God, Descend upon my Heart” says it best:

“Teach me to love thee, as thine angels love. One holy passion filling all my frame. The kindling of the heaven-descended dove. My heart an altar, and thy love the flame!”

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ NameText: Edward Perronett, st. 1-5 (1780); John Rippon, st. 6 (1787) Tune: Oliver Holden (1793)

It has been said that every Sunday is a little Easter. This Christ-exalting hymn is a poetic allusion to Philippians 2:9-11: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” And, in a wonderful coincidence (wink!), that is our opening Scripture for our call to worship. The opening verse speaks of bringing forth the royal “diadem.” which is a jeweled crown or headband worn as a symbol of sovereignty. This hymn has a very complicated history, and the surviving six verses in our hymnal are hard to trace to their true origins. The verses have been altered many times, but the refrain has not. Can you find the refrain in this hymn? There are actually two short refrains within each verse, both with the same text. Within each verse we sing a short double refrain: “and crown Him Lord of all.” This comes after exhortations to “all,” “martyrs,” “Israel’s chosen race,” “sinners,” “every tribe,” and finally “we.” Everyone is called upon to extol Christ the triumphant King. No one is left out. We all get an invitation to the praise party. Our enthusiastic RSVP should stand for Radical Shouts of Victory and Praise. The tune demands this of us, as it reserves the highest notes for the first refrain and lifts the voice back up for the second. It is a demanding altitude for the voice, and our hymnal contains six verses with two refrains each. May God strengthen the diaphragm of His disciples for these dozen declarations of devotion!

Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/page/fetch/TH1990/313/high

Hallelujah! Thine the GloryText: William P. Mackay (1863, 1867); Henry Kuiper, st. 1 (1929) Tune: John Husband (1760-1825)

This is one of those hymns with a phenomenal personal back story. According to the testimony of William P. Mackay, his mother had given him a Bible when he left for college, inscribing his name inside the front cover. A few years later MacKay evidently pawned it for a pittance when he struggling financially as a young man. Years later, MacKay, now an atheist and

a physician, treated a man whose last request was to be brought a book that he had personally treasured. The man passed, and MacKay was responsible to help settle the dead man’s affairs. Doctor MacKay discovered that the man’s favorite book was in fact a Bible. But not just any bible. Amazingly, it was the very Bible MacKay’s mother had given him years before. His name was still in it, “William Paton Mackay”, in his mother’s handwriting. MacKay later related that this miraculous incident “…was the cause of my conversion.” Not long after that episode, he resigned as a doctor and became an ordained Presbyterian pastor. He is the author of this hymn, originally entitled “Revive us again.” The refrain has been slightly altered from the original:

(original)Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen.

Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again.

(revised)Hallelujah! Thine the gloryHallelujah! We sing;

Hallelujah! Thine the glory,our praise now we bring

Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/page/fetch/TH1990/187/high Link to piano accompaniment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2j3qmmZcH4

Liturgy Lessons, March 6 – 4th Sunday LentCall to Worship: Psalm 149: 1-5Opening Hymn: When Morning Gilds the Skies(#167)Confession of Sin: Ephesians 4: 17-24 and KYRIEAssurance of Pardon: Ephesians 2: 4-10Hymn of Assurance: In Christ AloneCatechism/Congregational Prayers Tithes and OfferingsDoxology: #731Sermon: Eric IrwinSupper: There is a fountain filled(#253, vs. 1,3,5); Jesus Paid it All(#308)Closing Hymn: O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing(#164)Benediction

“My life flows on in endless song, above earth’s lamentation.I catch the sweet, though far-off hymn, that hails a new creation.

No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging;Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing?”

Life for our five-year-old daughter Lillian is very much like a Disney movie, in which she, the central character(a.k.a. princess) spontaneously bursts into song at any moment. These songs are usually an odd mix of hymns and Disney tunes. When singing “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” she belts out “He is Elsa and Omega”, re-writing the ancient hymn into some heretical hybrid of Jesus and the title character from “Frozen”. If we put aside the childish confusion with lyrics, and just look at the unbridled urge to sing, there is much to learn from Lillian. Singing is in the DNA of God’s people. What would we do without singing? Would our worship lapse into lecture, incline towards intellectualism, or retreat into dry ritual? Would it be all doctrine and no devotion? During his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees to quiet the multitude that was praising with a “loud voice”. Jesus replied by saying, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out”(Luke 19:40). In other words, unless you want just “rock” music, let God’s people shout for joy! This theme runs throughout the bible. After watching the Egyptian army swallowed up by the Red Sea, the people of Israel celebrated with a song to the Lord (Exod. 15). Music and singing were essential for the Israelites in both tabernacle and temple (1 Chron. 6:31-32, 16:42). In the middle of God’s word are the Psalms, a poetic treasure trove in which the full emotional spectrum of the believer is poured out to God in song. Jesus and His disciples also sang (Matt. 26:30), and the new testament gives us the mandate to sing(Col. 3:16-17, Eph. 5:18-19). Despite all this singing in scripture, many contemporary churches seem to have caught some sort of liturgical laryngitis. Even though we are surrounded with music(television, radio, video games, the muzak of shopping malls, waiting rooms, and elevators), we are mostly consuming rather than

creating. And much of the music composed today is better suited for solo performance rather than for participation, leaving God’s people as spectators. Can you hear the rocks and stones starting to buzz and hum? Church, it is time to push back against all this madness, and defiantly declare the dramatic divine descant of devotion! Music-making is not just for a select and talented few, NOT reserved for the elite experts. Music, and especially singing, is God’s gift to his people. So, let’s join Lillian and Elsa in their enthusiastic song-bursts. On Sunday, when we gather together, let’s collectively inhale the Spirit of God, find the love-song deep in our hearts, and then “let it go, let it go, don’t hold back anymore!”

“When Morning Gilds the Skies”Tune: Laudes Domini (Joseph Barnby, 1868) Text: Anonymous German Hymn (ca. 1800)

The Reformed Church in America’s statement on Music says this:“From its inception, ‘when the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy’(Job 38:7), to its consummation, when ‘every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them’ will sing to the Lamb on the throne (Rev. 5:13), creation is musical.’ Indeed, when we gather on Sunday morning, it a liturgical continuation of an unending antiphon between Christ and his creation. This wonderful hymn reminds us that praise should not be limited to church services, but should overflow to our homes and places of work. A more appropriate title would be “May Jesus Christ be Praised!”. That credo is repeated twice in each verse, and is a direct translation from the original german hymn, which contained fourteen stanzas. The English translation of the six stanzas in our hymnal is the poetic work of Edward Caswall and Robert Bridges. Some of the other non-hymnal verses include more injunctions to praise God at all times:

“Be this at meals your grace, in every time and place, may Jesus Christ be praised!”“And at your work rejoice, to sing with heart and voice, may Jesus Christ be praised!”“When in the mini-van, o people clap your hands, may Jesus Christ be praised!”

Well, maybe that last one is best left out of the hymnal. Anyway, Psalm 133:3 perfectly captures the theme of this hymn: “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!”

Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/page/fetch/TH1990/174/highLink to suggested recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slnlNveJu4

“Jesus Paid it All”Tune: All to Christ, John T. Grape (1868) Text: Elvina M. Hall (1865)

Have you ever doodled during worship service? Ever scribbled, colored, or drawn pictures on your bulletin during the sermon? You’re not alone. This hymn was written on a hymnal leaflet by Elvina Hall during a worship service in Baltimore in 1865. After the service she submitted it to her pastor who later paired with a tune written by his church’s organist, John T. Grape, who

himself was a successful coal merchant who “dabbled” in music. While the church was being renovated, Grape took the Organ home with him, and during his “dabblings” was inspired with this tune. So, further evidence that God can use even our doodlings and dabblings to benefit his church and bring glory to his name. I can’t speak for Pastor Irwin, but I’m confident he’d love to see any sermon doodles submitted after each service.

Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/137266Link to Fernando Ortega’s recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqiF6-zzdjs