I was trying to find a treatment of Psalm 116 for morning worship, and came across this hymn from Isaac Watts...
It's only connection to the psalm is v.12, What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? This hymn hardly counts as a psalm setting -- but it's so appropriate to our theme, I brought it in anyway. N.B., it's been updated from Watts' original. We sang it to St. Thomas.
What offering shall we give
or what atonement bring
to God by whom alone we live
High Heaven's eternal king
For all the blood of beasts
on ancient altars slain
could never give the conscience peace
or wash away its stain
But Christ the heavenly Lamb
takes all our sins away—
a sacrifice of nobler name
and richer blood than they
In faith I lay my hand
upon his head divine
while as a penitent I stand
and there confess my sin
So I look back to see
the weight he chose to bear
when hanging on the cross for me
because my guilt was there
Believing we rejoice
to see sin's curse removed
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice
and sing his bleeding love
Read More......
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
One from the vault
Pastor Sam (Dr. Waldron) loves good hymns and often uses them to illustrate his points while teaching. In his class on soteriology, he used John Kent's 1803 hymn "Twixt Jesus and the chosen race" to open up the point of our union with Christ.
The hymn appears in several hymnals of its time; Gadsby (#405) called it "Exulting in eternal union with Jesus," then listed John 17:21-23. It's a dense text and requires careful treatment, I think.
The opening stanza reads, "'Twixt Jesus and the chosen race, subsists a bond of sovereign grace, that hell, with its infernal train, shall ne'er dissolve nor rend in twain." This is his theme -- Kent wants us to rejoice in the breadth of our indissoluble union with Jesus -- from eternity, in the history of redemption, and in our own experience.
The hymn appears in several hymnals of its time; Gadsby (#405) called it "Exulting in eternal union with Jesus," then listed John 17:21-23. It's a dense text and requires careful treatment, I think.
The opening stanza reads, "'Twixt Jesus and the chosen race, subsists a bond of sovereign grace, that hell, with its infernal train, shall ne'er dissolve nor rend in twain." This is his theme -- Kent wants us to rejoice in the breadth of our indissoluble union with Jesus -- from eternity, in the history of redemption, and in our own experience.
Kent provided 8 stanzas; apparently few sang all 8 stanzas, even when it was new. In a note from the preface of his hymnal, Wm. Gadsby suggests that, if a hymn be thought too long to sing, one may safely omit stanzas marked with brackets, "without destroying the sense." On this hymn he brackets stanzas 3,5 and 7 -- in other words, sing only 1,2,4,6,8.
The version Pastor Sam used contained only stanzas 3,4,5,6,8.
Spurgeon, in his hymnal, only includes stanzas 1,4,5,6.
I put our singing of it to a LMD tune from sovereigngrace, "Before the throne of God above." I needed, then, an even number of stanzas. So our version: 3/4, 5/6, 8/2.
I'm open to suggestions for other arrangements. I've included the hymn below just the way Kent wrote it. Have at it!
1. 'Twixt Jesus and the Chosen Race
Subsists a bond of sov'reign grace,
That hell, with its infernal train,
Shall ne'er dissolve, or rend in twain.
2. This sacred bond shall never break,
Though earth should to her center shake;
Rest, doubting saint, assured of this,
For God has pledged His holiness.
3. He swore but once the deed was done;
'Twas settled by the great Three One;
Christ was appointed to redeem
All that the Father loved in Him.
4. Hail, sacred union, firm and strong
How great thy grace, how sweet the song,
That rebel worms should ever be
One with incarnate Deity!
5. One in the tomb, one when He rose,
One when he triumphed o'er His foes
One when in heav'n He took His seat,
While seraphs sung at hell's defeat.
6. This sacred tie forbids their fears,
For all he is or has is theirs;
With hium, their Head, they stand or fall--
Their Life, their Surety, and their All.
7. The Sinner's Peace, the Daysman he,
whose blood should set his people free;
On them his fond affections ran,
Before creation-work began.
8. Blessed by the wisdom and the grace,
Th' eternal love and faithfulness,
That's in the gospel scheme revealed,
And is by God the Spirit sealed.
Read More......
The version Pastor Sam used contained only stanzas 3,4,5,6,8.
Spurgeon, in his hymnal, only includes stanzas 1,4,5,6.
I put our singing of it to a LMD tune from sovereigngrace, "Before the throne of God above." I needed, then, an even number of stanzas. So our version: 3/4, 5/6, 8/2.
I'm open to suggestions for other arrangements. I've included the hymn below just the way Kent wrote it. Have at it!
1. 'Twixt Jesus and the Chosen Race
Subsists a bond of sov'reign grace,
That hell, with its infernal train,
Shall ne'er dissolve, or rend in twain.
2. This sacred bond shall never break,
Though earth should to her center shake;
Rest, doubting saint, assured of this,
For God has pledged His holiness.
3. He swore but once the deed was done;
'Twas settled by the great Three One;
Christ was appointed to redeem
All that the Father loved in Him.
4. Hail, sacred union, firm and strong
How great thy grace, how sweet the song,
That rebel worms should ever be
One with incarnate Deity!
5. One in the tomb, one when He rose,
One when he triumphed o'er His foes
One when in heav'n He took His seat,
While seraphs sung at hell's defeat.
6. This sacred tie forbids their fears,
For all he is or has is theirs;
With hium, their Head, they stand or fall--
Their Life, their Surety, and their All.
7. The Sinner's Peace, the Daysman he,
whose blood should set his people free;
On them his fond affections ran,
Before creation-work began.
8. Blessed by the wisdom and the grace,
Th' eternal love and faithfulness,
That's in the gospel scheme revealed,
And is by God the Spirit sealed.
Sunday setlist February 15, 2009
Morning worship: Pastor Ted finished the exposition of James, 5:19-20, on restoring wandering brothers. The musical theme combined the two ideas of God as the Great Rescuer and Christ our hope: "bleeding love." It comes from Watts' hymn below...
Walk-in Song
Here I am to worship
Set
Crown him with many crowns
Wonderful, merciful
What offering shall I bring / tune: st. thomas
- from Watts, in our hymnal, #176; curiously though, it omits the 1st stanza. I'll post it separately.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Walk-in Song
Here I am to worship
Set
Crown him with many crowns
Wonderful, merciful
What offering shall I bring / tune: st. thomas
- from Watts, in our hymnal, #176; curiously though, it omits the 1st stanza. I'll post it separately.
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Depth of mercy / Kauflin version
B4 sermon
Come to the waters / James M. Boice
After sermon
We repeated the 2nd stanza of "Depth of Mercy"
Evening worship: Michael Emadi concluded his presentation on the reliabiliby of manuscripts. I was at home sick, and Greg Longtine graciously stepped in to lead worship. We kept up with the morning theme.
Set:
Come Christians join to sing
One pure and holy passion
Eternal union with Jesus
- a hymn suggested by Pastor Sam; I'll talk about this in a separate post.
Alas, and did my Savior bleed / Kauflin version
B4 sermon
Come to the waters / James M. Boice
After sermon
We repeated the 2nd stanza of "Depth of Mercy"
Evening worship: Michael Emadi concluded his presentation on the reliabiliby of manuscripts. I was at home sick, and Greg Longtine graciously stepped in to lead worship. We kept up with the morning theme.
Set:
Come Christians join to sing
One pure and holy passion
Eternal union with Jesus
- a hymn suggested by Pastor Sam; I'll talk about this in a separate post.
Alas, and did my Savior bleed / Kauflin version
B/4 sermon:
Beneath the cross / Getty version
Read More......
Beneath the cross / Getty version
Monday, February 9, 2009
The death of "classical music"
In a parallel universe where I am Education Director for the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, I write the program notes -- in such a way, I hope that people actually read them! Here's the opening from this next concert. It does actually have something to say about the tensions we feel in church music (old music vs. new). I'll open up more on that later. For now, in this moment, I'm all about Mendelssohn, Mozart and Beethoven. Enjoy.
Is “classical music” dying? We hear such things often. “No one listens to it anymore! There’s no future for the professional orchestra!” I don’t happen to be among those who think so. But if so, I’m not going to blame “popular” music. That pop music is everywhere is not the problem. Just the opposite. We’ve segmented “classical” music from the rest of music (whether Broadway, film scores, jazz, and even popular styles). We think of it as “great music from dead guys long ago.” You know, it’s music for folks in tuxedoes, the stuff people would like “if they had any culture.” In other days, however, such distinctions weren’t possible. The musician lived in the total world. He had to embrace it all. Mozart, Verdi, and Gershwin – all were comfortable in the concert hall and the dance floor.
We need to change how we think about it all. “Classical” music is not a separate musical style – even if my iPod says so. “Classical” music crosses many centuries of differing musical styles. What makes any music “classical” is that it possesses the “x factor,” something that makes it endure past its time. Something in it still resonates with us in the 21st century. Tonight’s music, for instance – the Mendelssohn, Mozart and Beethoven – has much to say to us that’s fresh. We can’t come to it, though, as if we’re visiting a musical museum. We need to hear it alive for us.
What can we do? We must change. First, go listen to (all kinds of) live music whenever you can. Make the time to attend concerts and recitals. Sit as close to the stage as you can afford. Never let an electronic experience be a substitute. Second, if you can, start making music (again). Join a church or community group, start guitar lessons, dig your old clarinet out of the attic. Become part of the answer. Finally, listen to new music (again, of all kinds) whenever possible. Keep growing. Hit the “shuffle” setting on your iPod. Enjoy the result!
Read More......
Is “classical music” dying? We hear such things often. “No one listens to it anymore! There’s no future for the professional orchestra!” I don’t happen to be among those who think so. But if so, I’m not going to blame “popular” music. That pop music is everywhere is not the problem. Just the opposite. We’ve segmented “classical” music from the rest of music (whether Broadway, film scores, jazz, and even popular styles). We think of it as “great music from dead guys long ago.” You know, it’s music for folks in tuxedoes, the stuff people would like “if they had any culture.” In other days, however, such distinctions weren’t possible. The musician lived in the total world. He had to embrace it all. Mozart, Verdi, and Gershwin – all were comfortable in the concert hall and the dance floor.
We need to change how we think about it all. “Classical” music is not a separate musical style – even if my iPod says so. “Classical” music crosses many centuries of differing musical styles. What makes any music “classical” is that it possesses the “x factor,” something that makes it endure past its time. Something in it still resonates with us in the 21st century. Tonight’s music, for instance – the Mendelssohn, Mozart and Beethoven – has much to say to us that’s fresh. We can’t come to it, though, as if we’re visiting a musical museum. We need to hear it alive for us.
What can we do? We must change. First, go listen to (all kinds of) live music whenever you can. Make the time to attend concerts and recitals. Sit as close to the stage as you can afford. Never let an electronic experience be a substitute. Second, if you can, start making music (again). Join a church or community group, start guitar lessons, dig your old clarinet out of the attic. Become part of the answer. Finally, listen to new music (again, of all kinds) whenever possible. Keep growing. Hit the “shuffle” setting on your iPod. Enjoy the result!
Setlist for February 8, 2009
Morning worship
Pastor Ted continued his series in James, now 5:16b-18, on the "Power of Prayer." The music theme pursued our "Mighty God," or "The God of Elijah." Again, whenever possible, we used contemporary hymn arrangements from lifewayworship.com.
Walk-in Song
Come thou fount
Set
Mighty God, while angel bless you (tune: ode to joy)
Salvation belongs to our God
Psalm 27 (tune: federal street)
-- Anne Steele's setting
You are my hiding place
b4 sermon / after sermon, st.1
Be thou my vision
Evening worship
Michael Emadi began a 2-part teaching on NT manuscripts, the reliability of the NT text. Before we sang hymns basically encouraging us about God's Word, we learned a new song (new for us, at least) from Sovereign Grace. I played a track from "Songs for the Cross-Centered Life" as our walk-in song. then we sang it at the opening of the set. (It was also part of the prelude both morning and evening.)
Set
Alas and did my Savior bleed (Kauflin)
God has spoken (tune: beecher)
Teach us to love (tune: dundee)
-- from Timothy Dudley-Smith
Thy word is a lamp (Amy Grant)
Ancient words
b4 sermon
Holy Bible, book divine (we sang it from the hymnal)
Read More......
Pastor Ted continued his series in James, now 5:16b-18, on the "Power of Prayer." The music theme pursued our "Mighty God," or "The God of Elijah." Again, whenever possible, we used contemporary hymn arrangements from lifewayworship.com.
Walk-in Song
Come thou fount
Set
Mighty God, while angel bless you (tune: ode to joy)
Salvation belongs to our God
Psalm 27 (tune: federal street)
-- Anne Steele's setting
You are my hiding place
b4 sermon / after sermon, st.1
Be thou my vision
Evening worship
Michael Emadi began a 2-part teaching on NT manuscripts, the reliability of the NT text. Before we sang hymns basically encouraging us about God's Word, we learned a new song (new for us, at least) from Sovereign Grace. I played a track from "Songs for the Cross-Centered Life" as our walk-in song. then we sang it at the opening of the set. (It was also part of the prelude both morning and evening.)
Set
Alas and did my Savior bleed (Kauflin)
God has spoken (tune: beecher)
Teach us to love (tune: dundee)
-- from Timothy Dudley-Smith
Thy word is a lamp (Amy Grant)
Ancient words
b4 sermon
Holy Bible, book divine (we sang it from the hymnal)
Read More......
Friday, February 6, 2009
Principles for worship at HBC #5
4. We boast in nothing but the cross of Christ.
We seek to be redemptive in our approach, longing for sightings of the cross throughout our singing and preaching, eager to have the gospel of Christ and the doctrines of grace -- atonement, redemption, and forgiveness -- effectually and graciously applied to the lives of sinners and saints.
Read More......
We seek to be redemptive in our approach, longing for sightings of the cross throughout our singing and preaching, eager to have the gospel of Christ and the doctrines of grace -- atonement, redemption, and forgiveness -- effectually and graciously applied to the lives of sinners and saints.
Read More......
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Setlist for February 1, 2009
Because of the extraordinary providence this week -- ice storm -- we weren't even sure we were going to have a service. Sunday School was canceled. Pastor Ted preached on lessons to be learned from this event. The music theme followed it.
Walk-in song
Psalm 104: O worship the king
SET
I sing the almighty pow'r of God
God moves in a mysterious / Kaulfin version
Jesus, your name (Getty)
Psalm 23: The Lord is (sovereign grace)
B/4 sermon
You are my all in all
We had our evening service at 4 pm (since many are still withou power). This was our monthly Lord's Table observance
Wonderful Cross (Tomlin)
Hark the voice of love and mercy
I used the tune beach spring -- think Sacred Harp -- (since the hymn is only 878787, we had to repeat the last 87 to fit the tune)
Walk-in song
Psalm 104: O worship the king
SET
I sing the almighty pow'r of God
God moves in a mysterious / Kaulfin version
Jesus, your name (Getty)
Psalm 23: The Lord is (sovereign grace)
B/4 sermon
You are my all in all
We had our evening service at 4 pm (since many are still withou power). This was our monthly Lord's Table observance
Wonderful Cross (Tomlin)
Hark the voice of love and mercy
I used the tune beach spring -- think Sacred Harp -- (since the hymn is only 878787, we had to repeat the last 87 to fit the tune)
Jesus, thank you (sovereign grace)
Read More......
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Principles for worship at HBC #4
3. God’s Word informs, directs and permeates all we do.
We will be careful to engage God (worship him) only in ways he has prescribed in his Word and only by means he has provided. This means that the content of God's Word should be woven through all we do in worship and will be the ground of all our appeal to authority. Hence the content of our singing, praying, preaching and all else we do should always conform to the truth of Scripture. We therefore shun ambiguity in our songs and speech. Our words must be clear and doctrinally sound.
Read More......
We will be careful to engage God (worship him) only in ways he has prescribed in his Word and only by means he has provided. This means that the content of God's Word should be woven through all we do in worship and will be the ground of all our appeal to authority. Hence the content of our singing, praying, preaching and all else we do should always conform to the truth of Scripture. We therefore shun ambiguity in our songs and speech. Our words must be clear and doctrinally sound.
Read More......
Monday, January 26, 2009
A sermon you should hear
"Worshiping Together" from Mike Bullmore, pastor at Crossway Community Church (Bristol, WI). Psalm 34:3, Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! He covers what genuinely unites us in worship (rather than the tyranny of personal musical taste). Excellent applications. I've found it to be really helpful.
Read More......
Hymn from John Piper
God's Purpose Stands
By John Piper
The following hymn was written by John Piper to sing at Bethlehem Baptist Church on December 15, 2002. This was sung in connection with Pastor John's exposition of Romans 9:6-13. To the tune of "My Hope Is Built" ("The Solid Rock")
See the hymn here.
Read More......
By John Piper
The following hymn was written by John Piper to sing at Bethlehem Baptist Church on December 15, 2002. This was sung in connection with Pastor John's exposition of Romans 9:6-13. To the tune of "My Hope Is Built" ("The Solid Rock")
See the hymn here.
Read More......
Setlist for January 25, 2009
This was a day when little of what was planned happened, and the unexpected showed up. And the Lord met us through it! Aside from preaching the Word, I know of no other way to serve the Lord's people that so humbles us while bringing such joy.
Morning Worship
This was "Friend Sunday," where we shorten the service a bit, and really work at simple presentation. The musical theme was "Abundant Mercy." Sean Melvin preached from Romans 3:9-24, calling it "Bad News, Good News."
Walk-in:
Psalm 96 (tune: lyons)
A modern setting from David Preston (@Jubilate Hymns). Get the Praise! hymnal (from the UK). It's pricey, but full of good stuff. If you don't need the music, then get the words-only edition.
Set:
Ps 100/doxology
We sing the psalm (tune: old 100th -- imagine that!), interspersed with Thomas Ken's doxology ("Praise God from whom..." to a tune I don't really know, a 6/8 thing that was here long before I was)
How high and how wide
from Mark Altrogge, sovereign grace
Your mercy, my God
the Sandra McCracken tune; we update the language a bit
Lord, I lift your name on high
good way to close the set!
Morning Worship
This was "Friend Sunday," where we shorten the service a bit, and really work at simple presentation. The musical theme was "Abundant Mercy." Sean Melvin preached from Romans 3:9-24, calling it "Bad News, Good News."
Walk-in:
Psalm 96 (tune: lyons)
A modern setting from David Preston (@Jubilate Hymns). Get the Praise! hymnal (from the UK). It's pricey, but full of good stuff. If you don't need the music, then get the words-only edition.
Set:
Ps 100/doxology
We sing the psalm (tune: old 100th -- imagine that!), interspersed with Thomas Ken's doxology ("Praise God from whom..." to a tune I don't really know, a 6/8 thing that was here long before I was)
How high and how wide
from Mark Altrogge, sovereign grace
Your mercy, my God
the Sandra McCracken tune; we update the language a bit
Lord, I lift your name on high
good way to close the set!
B/4 sermon:
Rock of Ages
the wonderful tune from James Ward
Evening Worship
Pastor Joe continued his preaching through John 17. v.11: "And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." (esv) Music theme: On God's preserving grace.
Walk-in:
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Read More......
Rock of Ages
the wonderful tune from James Ward
Evening Worship
Pastor Joe continued his preaching through John 17. v.11: "And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one." (esv) Music theme: On God's preserving grace.
Walk-in:
Wonderful Grace of Jesus
Remember this one? Good hymn, if dated (but fun) music to sing. We used the hymnal.
Set:
God's purpose stands
John Piper's hymn on the believer's security in the sovereign paths of God's grace (tune: solid rock). I may post this hymn later.
A debtor to mercy alone
Toplady's hymn, but we use the tune: Contrast (cf. "how tedious and tasteless the hours")
Have you not known
Watts setting from Isa 40, updated language (tune: dundee)
Lamb of God (Twila Paris)
God's purpose stands
John Piper's hymn on the believer's security in the sovereign paths of God's grace (tune: solid rock). I may post this hymn later.
A debtor to mercy alone
Toplady's hymn, but we use the tune: Contrast (cf. "how tedious and tasteless the hours")
Have you not known
Watts setting from Isa 40, updated language (tune: dundee)
Lamb of God (Twila Paris)
B/4 sermon:
Gospel song / Depth of mercy / Gospel song
from Bob Kauflin & sovereign grace
Gospel song / Depth of mercy / Gospel song
from Bob Kauflin & sovereign grace
This post is a part of Sunday Setlists hosted by FredMcKinnon.com
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Principles for worship at HBC #3
2. We expect the awesome and gracious presence of God.
We do not just direct ourselves toward him. We earnestly seek his drawing near according to the promise of James 4:8. We believe that in worship God draws near to us in power, and makes himself known and felt for our good and for the salvation of unbelievers in the midst.
Read More......
We do not just direct ourselves toward him. We earnestly seek his drawing near according to the promise of James 4:8. We believe that in worship God draws near to us in power, and makes himself known and felt for our good and for the salvation of unbelievers in the midst.
Read More......
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