10. The congregation’s voice drives our music.
While we seek greater and more varied instrumental accompaniment, it should always take the servant’s place to help our singing.
Read More......
Monday, April 20, 2009
One more hymn today
Is this a setting of Psalm 22? Not strictly so -- but it does follow the broad outline of the psalm in a gospel paraphrase. I found this text in Met Tab's 1991 hymnal, Psalms & Hymns of Reformed Worship.
I had some difficulty in finding a tune (L.M.) that would take in the widely different emotional states of the opening and closing of this hymn. Perhaps one should think of using two tunes within the same hymn? Now there's a new thought. We only used one tune last night -- what we know as "the river is wide." I called the hymn ...
A gospel account of Psalm 22
Such grief was yours, such deep distress,
such pain, O Christ, intense and real,
subject to all the pangs of death
and such forsakenness to feel
The powers of darkness hem you round,
malice with rage and hatred roar,
and human nature melts like wax
as life and strength to death outpour
No sorrows more, no greater hurt
no more humiliation sore,
no greater judgment, heavier stroke
has ever been, nor evermore
For you have borne a host of hells
to raise our souls to life above
that we may glorify your name
and feed upon your glorious love
Such sorrows never shall be mine!
My Lord has borne them all away
O may this heart to all declare
your lovingkindness every day
from the Evangelical Psalter
Read More......
I had some difficulty in finding a tune (L.M.) that would take in the widely different emotional states of the opening and closing of this hymn. Perhaps one should think of using two tunes within the same hymn? Now there's a new thought. We only used one tune last night -- what we know as "the river is wide." I called the hymn ...
A gospel account of Psalm 22
Such grief was yours, such deep distress,
such pain, O Christ, intense and real,
subject to all the pangs of death
and such forsakenness to feel
The powers of darkness hem you round,
malice with rage and hatred roar,
and human nature melts like wax
as life and strength to death outpour
No sorrows more, no greater hurt
no more humiliation sore,
no greater judgment, heavier stroke
has ever been, nor evermore
For you have borne a host of hells
to raise our souls to life above
that we may glorify your name
and feed upon your glorious love
Such sorrows never shall be mine!
My Lord has borne them all away
O may this heart to all declare
your lovingkindness every day
from the Evangelical Psalter
Read More......
Hymn to look at
Fred G. Zaspel (pastor at Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, PA) wrote this hymn. See him here. He wrote it with the tune in mind that we know as "Morning has broken." It's an old Scottish/Gaelic tune.
No condemnation now in Christ Jesus!
Great consolation -- Jesus has died!
Our sin laid on him, full pardon gives us
Looking by faith dim we're justified!
With judgment sure must God recompense us?
He perfectly just, what is our plea?
This: "Christ is for us! Who is against us?"
His blood shed for us, pardons, sets free!
In him and through him -- Christ our Defender!
Praises all due him, what mystery!
God in Christ dying as the offender!
His blood supplying our pardon free
Christ the great surety to those believing;
He all the pur'ty God can demand
Righteousness given -- conscience relieving!
by blood forgiven, in Christ we stand!
To Christ all blessing, praise without measure!
In him we're resting, his peace made known
His all the labors -- ours all the pleasure!
God's gracious favors through Christ our own
When there before him -- then, in full glory --
we sing our new hymn new praises give
'Twill be this old song of Christ our glory;
Through ages told long: "In Christ we live!"
© 1995 Fred G. Zaspel
Read More......
No condemnation now in Christ Jesus!
Great consolation -- Jesus has died!
Our sin laid on him, full pardon gives us
Looking by faith dim we're justified!
With judgment sure must God recompense us?
He perfectly just, what is our plea?
This: "Christ is for us! Who is against us?"
His blood shed for us, pardons, sets free!
In him and through him -- Christ our Defender!
Praises all due him, what mystery!
God in Christ dying as the offender!
His blood supplying our pardon free
Christ the great surety to those believing;
He all the pur'ty God can demand
Righteousness given -- conscience relieving!
by blood forgiven, in Christ we stand!
To Christ all blessing, praise without measure!
In him we're resting, his peace made known
His all the labors -- ours all the pleasure!
God's gracious favors through Christ our own
When there before him -- then, in full glory --
we sing our new hymn new praises give
'Twill be this old song of Christ our glory;
Through ages told long: "In Christ we live!"
© 1995 Fred G. Zaspel
Read More......
Setlist for Lord's Day -- April 19, 2009
Pastor Ted preached in our gathered morning worship, from Revelation 5, on the achievements of the Lion/Lamb.
Walk-in song
See what a morning (Getty)
Set
Lord Most High/Famous One
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name
He is exalted
Jesus, your name (Getty)
Glorify your name
Before sermon
Agnus Dei / Michael W. Smith
After sermon
He is exalted
Jonathan preached in our gathered late afternoon worship (we now start at 5!) from Roman 3:21-26, on rediscovering the wonder of the gospel (Christ becoming our sin, being forsaken by God, bearing the full wrath of God against our sin).
Walk-in song
I will rise / Tomlin
Set
O for a thousand tongues to sing
Here at your cross (really, "The Wonderful Cross"/Tomlin with a different hymn)
No condemnation! (tune: morning has broken)
Psalm 22 paraphrase (tune: the river is wide)
I'll post these last two hymns.
After sermon
Man of sorrows
Read More......
Walk-in song
See what a morning (Getty)
Set
Lord Most High/Famous One
All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name
He is exalted
Jesus, your name (Getty)
Glorify your name
Before sermon
Agnus Dei / Michael W. Smith
After sermon
He is exalted
Jonathan preached in our gathered late afternoon worship (we now start at 5!) from Roman 3:21-26, on rediscovering the wonder of the gospel (Christ becoming our sin, being forsaken by God, bearing the full wrath of God against our sin).
Walk-in song
I will rise / Tomlin
Set
O for a thousand tongues to sing
Here at your cross (really, "The Wonderful Cross"/Tomlin with a different hymn)
No condemnation! (tune: morning has broken)
Psalm 22 paraphrase (tune: the river is wide)
I'll post these last two hymns.
After sermon
Man of sorrows
Read More......
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Psalm singing / second of several
... reasons for not having pursued regular psalm-singing here at HBC.
2. Expired tunes
I can almost hear the howls! Look -- I have spent enough years as a Reformed Baptist and in the PCA to love most every tune found in the Trinity Hymnal. But that doesn't mean I think they all work well in a contemporary setting. I think, rather, that many (most?) sound and feel really old. Out of touch. Their musical language is dusty. I’m not saying that we can’t learn old tunes. I am saying that I don’t think that’s the best choice to make.
[Excursus begins . . .
I just put on my education-director-for-the-symphony hat. Every piece of music written (whether a symphony or a humble hymn tune) comes in the musical vocabulary (melodic theory, harmonic
development, formal structures, etc) of its day. Stuff written in 1810 sounds much different from that written in 1910. Only a few pieces of any generation ever escape their own time and become true classics. Only a few. Most so-called “classical” music lies in dusty obscurity – and rightly so. But it’s the few that thrill us! They speak to us across centuries – and still have something for us to listen to in the 21st century. So we program the best from Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Dvorak, etc. Why? Because everything written in 1780 was wonderful? No, of course not. But once in a while a piece rose to the top.
Hymn tunes are no different. They didn’t come from a divine pen. No angelic help. They sound like the time & place they came from. I have a tune book for a New England hymnal (ca. 1810). Trust me – most of the tunes in that book should remain forgotten. We don’t want them! They aren’t good because they’re old. That’s goofy thinking. Let’s quit this idea that “old tunes are better than new tunes.” Many of the tunes in Trinity Hymnal come from Victorian England. They really sound their age! They aren’t better because they’re old, or because they come on the pages of a blue book!
My ideal church setting: many/most of the tunes we sing would be less than 50 years old; a few tunes (the classics) from earlier times would also be included.
. . . Excursis ends]
Further, in my experience (back east) we tended to use a few tunes repeatedly for several psalms. There's simply no way, however, that LEOMINSTER, for example, can adequately handle all the psalms we gave to it! Tunes speak their own truth; words speak in propositional language, but music speaks in emotional/affective language. So tunes speak to us with an emotional message, one that needs to fit the words. The better the fit, the more the song embraces us.
The psalms are so varied in their heart, passion, doctrine -- that we need all kinds of tunes for them. Read Psalm 56. Perhaps that should have some kind of blues tune?
Next time: Figuring out our worship
Read More......
2. Expired tunes
I can almost hear the howls! Look -- I have spent enough years as a Reformed Baptist and in the PCA to love most every tune found in the Trinity Hymnal. But that doesn't mean I think they all work well in a contemporary setting. I think, rather, that many (most?) sound and feel really old. Out of touch. Their musical language is dusty. I’m not saying that we can’t learn old tunes. I am saying that I don’t think that’s the best choice to make.
[Excursus begins . . .
I just put on my education-director-for-the-symphony hat. Every piece of music written (whether a symphony or a humble hymn tune) comes in the musical vocabulary (melodic theory, harmonic
development, formal structures, etc) of its day. Stuff written in 1810 sounds much different from that written in 1910. Only a few pieces of any generation ever escape their own time and become true classics. Only a few. Most so-called “classical” music lies in dusty obscurity – and rightly so. But it’s the few that thrill us! They speak to us across centuries – and still have something for us to listen to in the 21st century. So we program the best from Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Dvorak, etc. Why? Because everything written in 1780 was wonderful? No, of course not. But once in a while a piece rose to the top.Hymn tunes are no different. They didn’t come from a divine pen. No angelic help. They sound like the time & place they came from. I have a tune book for a New England hymnal (ca. 1810). Trust me – most of the tunes in that book should remain forgotten. We don’t want them! They aren’t good because they’re old. That’s goofy thinking. Let’s quit this idea that “old tunes are better than new tunes.” Many of the tunes in Trinity Hymnal come from Victorian England. They really sound their age! They aren’t better because they’re old, or because they come on the pages of a blue book!
My ideal church setting: many/most of the tunes we sing would be less than 50 years old; a few tunes (the classics) from earlier times would also be included.
. . . Excursis ends]
Further, in my experience (back east) we tended to use a few tunes repeatedly for several psalms. There's simply no way, however, that LEOMINSTER, for example, can adequately handle all the psalms we gave to it! Tunes speak their own truth; words speak in propositional language, but music speaks in emotional/affective language. So tunes speak to us with an emotional message, one that needs to fit the words. The better the fit, the more the song embraces us.
The psalms are so varied in their heart, passion, doctrine -- that we need all kinds of tunes for them. Read Psalm 56. Perhaps that should have some kind of blues tune?
Next time: Figuring out our worship
Read More......
Monday, April 13, 2009
Psalm singing / first of several
For many years I've been convinced of the need for the gathered church to sing the psalms. In another church (reformed baptist) and time we used the Trinity Psalter with great joy. I love singing the psalms. I want to get serious, again, about singing psalms -- at HBC. How can we incorporate them into our gathered worship?
Read More......
My reasons for not having pursued psalm-singing more aggressively here in O'boro are several.
1. Goofy English
The psalters I'm familiar with (including Trinity) are full of what I call "psalter-syntax." They torture natural word-order so as to get the meter and rhyme sequence correct. Classic example: "The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. / He makes me down to lie / In pastures green: he leadeth me / the quiet waters by." Though this looks corr
ect on paper, it comes out much differently, at least when sung with CRIMOND (the usual tune for Psalm 23). If a congre-gation is accustomed to it, you can deal with it. We did -- taking time to explain the psalms we sang,
It seems that the more 'complete' a psalm-setting intends to be, the greater tendency toward psalter-syntax. Better English settings, on the other hand, tend to be more paraphrastic.
Further, many psalm-settings are full of "thee/thou" language -- verb forms long absent from normal conversation. But we're going the other direction at HBC, trying to update older hymns whenever it won't harm the sweet sound a song has. I want Newton, Watts and Toplady to sound accessible to modern ears. So I sure don't want to add more old-sounding language when I don't need to.
HBC has no history of psalm-singing, except as an occasional selection from the hymnal. But that's not the same as intentional psalm-singing. So I will need to find better/contemporary metrical settings for the psalms.
[And yes, I know all about psalm-chanting -- everything from Anglican to Gelineau. And no, we're not going even think about trying that here. I'm not sure too many places ought to. If your'e not sure what I'm talking about, that's okay. Chanting our way through the psalter clearly doesn't fit our stated desire to be "rooted and relevant."]
Tomorrow, Expired Tunes...
The psalters I'm familiar with (including Trinity) are full of what I call "psalter-syntax." They torture natural word-order so as to get the meter and rhyme sequence correct. Classic example: "The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. / He makes me down to lie / In pastures green: he leadeth me / the quiet waters by." Though this looks corr
ect on paper, it comes out much differently, at least when sung with CRIMOND (the usual tune for Psalm 23). If a congre-gation is accustomed to it, you can deal with it. We did -- taking time to explain the psalms we sang,It seems that the more 'complete' a psalm-setting intends to be, the greater tendency toward psalter-syntax. Better English settings, on the other hand, tend to be more paraphrastic.
Further, many psalm-settings are full of "thee/thou" language -- verb forms long absent from normal conversation. But we're going the other direction at HBC, trying to update older hymns whenever it won't harm the sweet sound a song has. I want Newton, Watts and Toplady to sound accessible to modern ears. So I sure don't want to add more old-sounding language when I don't need to.
HBC has no history of psalm-singing, except as an occasional selection from the hymnal. But that's not the same as intentional psalm-singing. So I will need to find better/contemporary metrical settings for the psalms.
[And yes, I know all about psalm-chanting -- everything from Anglican to Gelineau. And no, we're not going even think about trying that here. I'm not sure too many places ought to. If your'e not sure what I'm talking about, that's okay. Chanting our way through the psalter clearly doesn't fit our stated desire to be "rooted and relevant."]
Tomorrow, Expired Tunes...
A good reminder
Dr. Bob Gonzalez put up a good reminder on Saturday -- a song that Steve Green made well-known, "God and God Alone." See his blog for a Netherlands choir singing. Here is Steve Green himself. Praise God!
Read More......
Read More......
Sunday setlist for 4/12/09
PB preached the resurrection of Christ. We started early, so the choir could sing also.
Walk-in songs
D/Eb Were you there?
Bb/C Christ the Lord is ris'n today
Set
F/G Alleluia, alleluia (tune: ode to joy)
C/D Crown him with many crowns
F The gospel is true
[Heidelberg catechism Q. 45]
C There is a redeemer
Before sermon
Choir: See what a morning
E/F There is a higher throne (Getty)
Walk-in songs
D/Eb Were you there?
Bb/C Christ the Lord is ris'n today
Set
F/G Alleluia, alleluia (tune: ode to joy)
C/D Crown him with many crowns
F The gospel is true
[Heidelberg catechism Q. 45]
C There is a redeemer
Before sermon
Choir: See what a morning
E/F There is a higher throne (Getty)
After sermon
Christ the Lord is ris'n today
In the evening the choir sang a collection of Getty hymns, accompanied by a readers' theatre re-telling of the gospel narrative. Pastor Joe preached Isaiah 53. We sang one congregational hymn.
F Blessing and honor (from H. Bonar)
Read More......
In the evening the choir sang a collection of Getty hymns, accompanied by a readers' theatre re-telling of the gospel narrative. Pastor Joe preached Isaiah 53. We sang one congregational hymn.
F Blessing and honor (from H. Bonar)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Principles for worship at HBC #10
9. We strive for undistracting excellence.
We will try to sing and play and pray and preach in such a way that people's attention will not be diverted from the substance by shoddy ministry nor by excessive finesse, elegance, or refinement. Natural, orderly and undistracting excellence will let the truth and beauty of God shine through.
Read More......
We will try to sing and play and pray and preach in such a way that people's attention will not be diverted from the substance by shoddy ministry nor by excessive finesse, elegance, or refinement. Natural, orderly and undistracting excellence will let the truth and beauty of God shine through.
Read More......
Another communion hymn
What a delight it is to find good hymns for the Lord's Table -- not just hymns about the atonement, but about this sacred and happy feast -- this sacrament of covenant re-stipulation (there's a word you don't see too often!). We used NETTLETON. The words have been updated. It sang well. Give it a look.
Abba, Father, We Approach You
"Abba Father" we approach you
Abba, Father, We Approach You
"Abba Father" we approach you
in our Savior's precious name
Read More......
We your children here assembled
now your promised blessing claim
From our sins his blood has washed us,
From our sins his blood has washed us,
now through him our souls draw nigh;
and your Spirit too has taught us
and your Spirit too has taught us
"Abba Father" thus to cry
Once as prodigals we wandered
Once as prodigals we wandered
in our folly far from you,
but your grace and mercy reaching
but your grace and mercy reaching
has redeemed us through and through
You have welcomed us as children,
You have welcomed us as children,
kissed us with a Father's love
spread the festive board and called us
spread the festive board and called us
soon to dwell with you above
Clothed in garments of salvation
Clothed in garments of salvation
at this feast we take our place
we rejoice with you rejoicing
we rejoice with you rejoicing
in the riches of your grace
"Come and dine," we hear you saying
"Come and dine," we hear you saying
as we view this table spread
"I have found my once lost children;
"I have found my once lost children;
Now they live who once were dead!"
"Abba Father" all adore you,
"Abba Father" all adore you,
joy resounds in heav'n above
while in us they learn the wonders
while in us they learn the wonders
of your wisdom, grace and love
Soon before your throne assembled
Soon before your throne assembled
all your children will proclaim
"Glory everlasting glory
"Glory everlasting glory
be to God and to the Lamb!"
James G. Deck, 1841, Hymns for the Poor of the Flock / Public Domain
James G. Deck, 1841, Hymns for the Poor of the Flock / Public Domain
Hymn on 2 Corinthians 5
As the preaching was developing out of 2 Cor 5, I went looking for suitable hymns. From the Hymnary web site I found this hymn. It's good!
For The Glories Of God's Grace
It's a 7.7.7.7. meter -- and needs something uplifting, I think. MONKLAND would work (if the congregation knows it already). I chose HENDON since we know it well. (Note: HENDON requires the last line to be repeated.)
For the glories of God's grace
let us bring unceasing praise
From our fallen sinful ways
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
Strangers once to what is good
bound in Satan's servitude
Purchased by our Savior's blood
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
Christ the Lord unstained and pure
took our sin, made us secure
named us his ambassadors
We are reconciled to God
We are reconciled to God
Sinless and immortal, he
paid our debt on Calvary
Raised from slaves to royalty
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
God's good news of love we bring
to the lost and wandering
Come believe rejoice and sing
We are reconciled to God!
We are reconciled to God!
Author: John Antes | John Wilkes | Marie J. Post
Copyright: ©1987 CRC Publications
Read More......
For The Glories Of God's Grace
It's a 7.7.7.7. meter -- and needs something uplifting, I think. MONKLAND would work (if the congregation knows it already). I chose HENDON since we know it well. (Note: HENDON requires the last line to be repeated.)
For the glories of God's grace
let us bring unceasing praise
From our fallen sinful ways
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
Strangers once to what is good
bound in Satan's servitude
Purchased by our Savior's blood
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
Christ the Lord unstained and pure
took our sin, made us secure
named us his ambassadors
We are reconciled to God
We are reconciled to God
Sinless and immortal, he
paid our debt on Calvary
Raised from slaves to royalty
we are reconciled to God
we are reconciled to God
God's good news of love we bring
to the lost and wandering
Come believe rejoice and sing
We are reconciled to God!
We are reconciled to God!
Author: John Antes | John Wilkes | Marie J. Post
Copyright: ©1987 CRC Publications
Read More......
Sunday Setlist 4/5/09
Pastor Rich preached 2 Cor 5:15, and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. The music theme followed these great themes of reconciliation by a great Savior.
WALK-IN SONG
In Christ alone
SET
Let us love and sing and wonder
Because we believe
For the glories of God's grace (from 2 Cor 5) -- I'll post this separately
Amazing grace/my chains are gone
B/4 SERMON
Fairest Lord Jesus
SERMON RESPONSE
I love to tell the story
Planned but not sung (time constraints)
Embrace the cross (John G. Elliot)
In the evening we celebrated the Lord's Table. Much singing at the table tonight! PB led us well.
SET
Man of sorrows (Katie Redfern's tune)
Lamb of God (Paris)
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
AT THE TABLE
O dearest Jesus
Here O my Lord (from a hand-out we sang all the stanzas Bonar wrote)
Look, ye saints
Awake, my soul, in joyful lays
Abba, Father, we approach you (I'll post this separately also) Read More......
WALK-IN SONG
In Christ alone
SET
Let us love and sing and wonder
Because we believe
For the glories of God's grace (from 2 Cor 5) -- I'll post this separately
Amazing grace/my chains are gone
B/4 SERMON
Fairest Lord Jesus
SERMON RESPONSE
I love to tell the story
Planned but not sung (time constraints)
Embrace the cross (John G. Elliot)
In the evening we celebrated the Lord's Table. Much singing at the table tonight! PB led us well.
SET
Man of sorrows (Katie Redfern's tune)
Lamb of God (Paris)
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
AT THE TABLE
O dearest Jesus
Here O my Lord (from a hand-out we sang all the stanzas Bonar wrote)
Look, ye saints
Awake, my soul, in joyful lays
Abba, Father, we approach you (I'll post this separately also) Read More......
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