From the Organ

Third Sunday of Advent

Luke 2:10-11

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

• Thanksgiving Prelude | Choral Prelude on Greensleeves, 1642 Version (What Child Is This)

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Prelude continues to focus on the coming birth of the Child, the Christ, the King. While often sung during Advent, the carol is perhaps more appropriate for Epiphany (Jan 6) when we celebrate Christ come to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.  

William C. Dix (1837-1898) originally wrote the poem ‘The Manger Throne’ which he modified to fit the tune ‘Greensleeves’. First appearing in September 1580, this tune written for playing on the lute is mentioned in Shakespeare and appears in many operas. Its immense folk appeal led to the popularity of What Child Is This. This carol is arranged by Alec Rowley (1892-1958) was organist at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster (Abbey), professor and Fellow at Trinity College of Music, and well-known for his performances during the wartime Promenade (Prom) Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall during World War II. Lyrics: Trinity Hymnal: #213

Second Sunday of Advent

• Prelude | Veni Emmanuel (O Come, O Come, Emmanuel)

Our hymn comes from a 7-verse poem that dates as far back as the 6th century and is one of the key musical features preparing the Christian in heart and mind during the Advent season. Traditionally, on each day of the week leading up to Christmas, the Church would chant one responsive verse during daily vespers using each of the seven ‘O Antiphons’. Each was designated to concentrate the mind on the coming of Christmas while the Christian being enriched by the meaning of the incarnation by remembering Scripture and Old Testament prophecy.

With each verse, the Church acknowledges Christ as the fulfillment of these Old Testament prophesies. The Messianic titles in the original Latin text created the reverse acrostic "Ero Cras," loosely translated ‘Tomorrow, I will come’. It is a message particularly appropriate for the Advent season in anticipation of Christ’s birth and again as the church waits earnestly to His Second Coming.

Thanksgiving / First Sunday of Advent

Thanksgiving Proclamation of the United States Congress - 1778

“It having pleased Almighty God, through the course of the present year, to bestow great and manifold mercies on the people of these United States; and it being the indispensable duty of all men gratefully to acknowledge their obligations to Him for benefits received: Resolved, That it be, and hereby is recommended to the legislative or executive authority of each of the said states, to appoint…[and]  observe a day of public thanksgiving and praise, that all the people may, with united hearts, on that day, express a just sense of His unmerited favors…

And it is further recommended, that, together with devout thanksgiving, may be joined a penitent confession of our sins, and humble supplication for pardon, through the merits of our Savior; so that, under the smiles of Heaven, our public councils may be directed, our arms by land and sea prospered, our liberty and independence secured, our schools and seminaries of learning flourish, our trade be revived, our husbandry and manufactures encreased, and the hearts of all impressed with undissembled piety, with benevolence and zeal for the public good. And it is also recommended, that recreations unsuitable to the purpose of such a solemnity may be omitted on that day.”

• Thanksgiving Prelude | Largo from the ‘New World Symphony’ by Dvorak

For our prelude, we will look back at Thanksgiving a song of hope and anticipation of the idea of America. The National Conservatory of Music was established in 1885 by Jeannette Thurber, one of the first champions of classical music in the United States. Educated at the Paris Conservatory, her efforts founded on a belief that a nation should have its own unique music, contrary to the notion that all sophisticated art came from Germany or Italy, led to the first orchestral music with a distinct American sound. From the beginning, the conservatory was racially integrated, promoted women in the arts, and inclusive of the handicapped….in major contradiction to its major competition, the Carnegie funded Institute of Musical Art of the City of New York, which became the Julliard School.

In 1892, Thurber convinced the Czech composer Anton Dvorak to the United States to serve as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York for a period of 3 years. While there, he met Harry Burleigh, a 26-year-old African American student who sang Spirituals as he mopped the floors. While Burleigh’s father served in the US Navy during the Civil War, it was his grandfather who was from Somerset County, Maryland, who bought his freedom in 1932, that taught Burleigh traditional spirituals and slave songs. It was Burleigh’s influence that most affected Dvorak’s later compositions and was the basis that inspired the Largo movement from Dvorak’s New World Symphony. It is this work has been transcribed for organ by American organist and music editor, Henry Clough-Leighter.

Christ the King Sunday 

1 Corinthians 15:20a; 24-28

“20aBut now Christ has been raised from the dead…24Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”

• Prelude | Prelude on ‘Ebenezer’ by J. Michael Haydn, arr by Healey Willan

Today’s prelude is the familiar tune from the hymn, O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus.  Reflect on the magnitude, power, eternity, and sweetness of the love of Jesus, and how His love will carry us to Him someday.

The Reformation Sunday 

• Prelude | Ein Feste Burg by Martin Luther, 1529; arr. William Faulkes, 1913

As we celebrate Reformation Day, let us remember Martin Luther who said that, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise [for] the gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.” What a blessing it is then, 505 years after the spark of the Protestant Reformation, that the Church has in its hands, accessible, good and godly music. This work was composed in 1913 for organ by English organist, William Faulkes who was for 46 years organist and choir director at St Margaret's church, in Liverpool. Much of his work was lost to fire during the Liverpool Blitz in 1941. Lyrics: The Hymnal #26 

The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

• Prelude | Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word  by Martin Luther (1541)

Next Sunday, we will celebrate Reformation Sunday with a Hymn Night singing some of the greatest hymns of the church that layout our reformed faith and what we know to be true. 

This hymn was written by Martin Luther 20 years after the Diet of Worms where he had defended against spiritual attack by the Catholic Church and Holy Roman Empire. It was now 1541 and the Islamic forces of the Ottoman Empire were threatening to again invade Vienna. Luther responded by writing this text for a prayer service in Wittenburg. Convinced that the Church and all Christendom was threatened not only by the Turkish army of Sultan Suleiman but also by the Roman Catholic Pope, he wrote the following lyrics:

Lord, keep us in Thy Word and work,

Restrain the murderous Pope and Turk,

Who fain would tear from off Thy throne,

Christ Jesus, Thy beloved Son.

While no longer under threat from the Ottoman Empire, the Church still faces enemies of the Word. We will continue to be mindful of the lessons of this great hymn as we sing prayerfully that (v1) God the Father will keep His kingdom from the powers of evil, (v2) that God the Son will rule the Church, (v3) that God the Spirit will bring peace and unity on earth and will support us in our final earthly strife.

The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

• Prelude | Faith of our Fathers arr by Lani Smith

This hymn was originally a Catholic hymn written in 1849 by Frederick William Faber in memory of English martyrs since the time of the establishment of the Church of England. It has since been adapted for use by a number of Protestant denominations. 

The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Celebrating 200 Years of César Franck

César Franck

César Franck (1822-1890) was one of the most important composers of the 19th century and whose 200th birthday the music world, particularly church organists, is celebrating this year. A gifted child, he graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Liège, Belgium, at age 11 and entered the Paris Conservatory. Forced to withdraw from the Prix de Rome, he was exploited by his father who forced him into a life of a touring concert pianist and composer until his marriage in 1848 when he was subsequently cut off from his father completely.

Franck’s great contribution to music was shaped by his commitment to church music at the Basilica of Sainte Clotilde where he served first as the choirmaster and later as organist from 1858 until his death. Of primary importance was the effort by Franck to stand against the religious trend of the time to sing with dramatic sentimentality and in tones associated closer to that of salon romances but preferred by pastors. The distinguishing mark of Sainte-Clotilde from other Parisian churches was that there the music was of splendor and magnificence rather than blaring. It was known for its sacred music full of serenity, power and lyricism where worship was based upon ‘deep thought, simple, just, full of philosophy, of observation and of kindness’. It was this philosophy of and this strong dedication to symphonic organ style church music that elevated the organ to take its place becoming worthy of being called the king of instruments. 

• Prelude | Chorale No. 3 in A Minor from Trois Chorals, by César Franck (1890)

Today’s prelude comes from Franck’s Trois Chorals which were composed in the final year of his life. In the summer of 1890, he suffered from a head injury after being hit by a horse-drawn trolley. Unable to walk or otherwise continue his duties on the organ for his congregation, he took a vacation during which time he composed L’Organiste (59 harmonium pieces) then completed Choral No. 1 on August 7 and the following two Chorals in September. These were Franck’s final works. 

While the Chorals may seem hymn-like at times, they are not chorales in the Lutheran sense as they are not based on any pre-existing religious melodies. Instead, the French-style chorale dates back to a tradition of adapting religious plainsong into a more expressive performance. Franck died November 8 and was unable to hear these works performed at the church he loved. 

The Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost: Celebrating 75 Years of Atonement Presbyterian

Psalm 100

A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Make a loud shout to Yahweh, all the earth. Serve Yahweh with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that Yahweh, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For Yahweh is good; His lovingkindness endures forever And His faithfulness, generation unto generation.

• Prelude | I Will Enter His Gates 

Suzie Rice, director of the PraiseMeisters, joins Sarah to help celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Church of the Atonement with this arrangement on the Psalm 100, a Psalm of Thanksgiving. The prelude exists as the church’s first act of worship setting the tone for what is to follow, inviting the church to gather and transition from the noise of the world into a sacred place of communion with God. In this first service following our 75th Anniversary, we invite each one to quietly, and with reverence, allow for a moment quiet prayer with glad thanksgiving for how He has shown his goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness to this church generation unto generation as we look forward to another season of God’s mercy.  

Jean-Joseph Mouret (1682-1738) was a French composer whose works are generally no longer performed today except for the popularity of his “Fanfare for trumpets, timpani, violins, and oboes” from his Suite de Symphonies. Mouret composed this piece while director of the Concert Spirituel, one of the world’s first public concert series. You may recognize this theme from the PBS program ‘Masterpiece Theater’.

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost  

3 John 1:3-8

WALKING IN THE TRUTH

“I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever work you do for the brothers, and are doing this though they are strangers; and they bore witness to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, receiving nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth!”

• Prelude | Close to Thee; by Silas Jones Vail; arr by Donald Lee Moore

Fanny Crosby wrote the words of this hymn in 1874 based in part on the Third Epistle of John. While in 2 John warns against showing hospitality to false teachers, we read here of condemnation on those who lack hospitality to faithful ministers of the Word. In this case, itinerant teachers approved of John who traveled to a congregation was refused hospitality because of the influence and arrogance of the man Diotrephes.

As you meditate on this passage and the prelude played on the organ, consider what hospitality you have shown to missionaries who have gone out ‘for the sake of the Name’ and not for money- for those whose only means of support is the church. And with careful care to show hospitality to genuine teachers, share in their deeds and ministry.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Offertoire; by Théodore Dubois 

François Clément Théodore Dubois was a French composer, organist, and music teacher. After study at the Paris Conservatoire, Dubois was hired in 1857 as the harmonium / organist accompanist to the new choirmaster César Franck, who was still relatively unknown at the time, at the Church of Sainte-Clotilde.  Only 20, Dubois was greatly influenced by Franck’s compositions for mass, his motets and offertories. Of primary importance was the effort by Franck to stand against the religious trend of the time to sing with dramatic sentimentality and in tones associated closer to that of salon romances but preferred by abbots. The distinguishing mark of Sainte-Clotilde from other Parisian churches was that there the music was of splendor and magnificence rather than blaring. It was known for its sacred music full of serenity, power and lyricism where worship was based upon ‘deep thought, simple, just, full of philosophy, of observation and of kindness’.

Under the mentorship of Franck, Dubois won France's premier musical prize, the Prix de Rome in 1861 which included a sponsored period of study of 5 years in Rome. Upon his return to Paris and the Church of Sainte-Clotilde, he became choirmaster and Franck his organist. Simultaneously, he took up position as professor at the Paris Conservatoire, teaching harmony from 1871 to 1891 and composition from 1891 to 1896, when he succeeded Ambroise Thomas as the Conservatoire's director where he continued to uphold the great traditions of sacred music until his retirement in 1905.

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Prelude No. 2 in G Major; by Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was a German composer, pianist, and organist of the early Romantic period. His music remains immensely popular today including in weddings, familiar hymn tunes such as that used with Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, and great works including symphonies and the oratorio of St. Paul and Elijah.  Grandson to the renowned Jewish philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, he was a Reformed Christian though then and historically criticized for being sympathetic to his Jewish heritage.

The Three Preludes and Fugues started to take their shape in 1833 at the encouragement of Thomas Attwood, organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral, composer for King George IV (1820-1830), and one of the original professors at the Royal Academy of Music and Royal Philharmonic Society. Originally intended to be stand-alone fugues, his Leipzig publisher, Breitkopf and Härtel, requested that he also compose three preludes in order to respect the traditional pairing established by J.S. Bach. Mendelssohn received this request just after his wedding to Cécile Jeanrenaud, and composed the three preludes over five days of his honeymoon. Of his organ works, these preludes and fugues show most directly Mendelssohn's study of Bach.

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Méditation (E♭ major) by Théodore Dubois 

 François Clément Théodore Dubois was a French composer, organist, and music teacher. After study at the Paris Conservatoire, Dubois was hired in 1857 as the harmonium / organist accompanist to the new choirmaster César Franck, who was still relatively unknown at the time, at the Church of Sainte-Clotilde.  Only 20, Dubois was greatly influenced by Franck’s compositions for mass, his motets and offertories. Of primary importance was the effort by Franck to stand against the religious trend of the time to sing with dramatic sentimentality and in tones associated closer to that of salon romances but preferred by abbots. The distinguishing mark of Sainte-Clotilde from other Parisian churches was that there the music was of splendor and magnificence rather than blaring. It was known for its sacred music full of serenity, power and lyricism where worship was based upon ‘deep thought, simple, just, full of philosophy, of observation and of kindness’.

Under the mentorship of Franck, Dubois won France's premier musical prize, the Prix de Rome in 1861 which included a sponsored period of study of 5 years in Rome. Upon his return to Paris and the Church of Sainte-Clotilde, he became choirmaster and Franck his organist. Simultaneously, he took up position as professor at the Paris Conservatoire, teaching harmony from 1871 to 1891 and composition from 1891 to 1896, when he succeeded Ambroise Thomas as the Conservatoire's director where he continued to uphold the great traditions of sacred music until his retirement in 1905.

The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Only Trust Him; by John H. Stockton (1874); arr Greg Howlett

This piece was written and composed by John Hart Stockton, born of Presbyterian parents and later minister in the Methodist Church. In his later years as he became more ill, he took leave from pastoral ministry musically supporting the revival of Dwight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey. As a result, he published two gospel song books, Salvation Melodies, 1874, and Precious Melodies, 1875. He suddenly passed away in 1877 while attending a Sunday morning service at Arch Street Church adjacent Philadelphia City Hall.

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost  

Psalm 45

YOUR THRONE, O GOD, IS FOREVER

For the choir director. According to Shoshannim. Of the sons of Korah. A Maskil. A Song of Love.

 3 Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, In Your splendor and Your majesty! 4 And in Your majesty ride on victoriously, For the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; Let Your right hand teach You awesome things. 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

• Prelude | Ascensiontide. Prelude on ‘Diademata; by G. Elvey (1868); arr P. Lutkin (1908) 

This piece was arranged by Peter Christian Lutkin for Ascensiontide, the 40th day after Easter commemorating the ascent of Jesus into heaven.  The hymn Crown Him with Many Crowns may be familiar to many, and you are encouraged to quietly join the organ during the prelude as we prepare our hearts and minds to receive the Word of God this Lord’s Day.

The tune DIADEMATA was composed by George Elvey who selected a title derived from the Greek word for ‘crowns’. Consider what it means when our Lord is crowned with many crowns. It isn’t to say that Jesus is a “man of many hats.” Rather, He is Lord of all, to be crowned for each component and part of life, of creation and time. See Christ crowned Lord of life, Lord of love, Lord of years, Lord of heaven, the Lamb upon the throne. Christ is King, Servant, Lamb, Shepherd, and we celebrate this all-encompassing, paradoxical nature of our Savior by seeing Him crowned Lord of all.

Lyrics: The Hymnal #234

The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost  

Psalm 58

THERE IS A GOD WHO JUDGES ON EARTH

For the choir director. Al-tashheth. Of David. A Mikhtam.

10 The righteous will be glad when he beholds the vengeance; He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 11 And men will say, “Surely there is a reward for the righteous; Surely there is a God who judges on earth!”

• Prelude | Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten; by Georg Neumark (1641)

The hymn Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten - He who allows dear God to rule him - is a sorrowful piece, a trostlied or ‘song of consolation’. It draws on Psalm 55 and 1 Peter 3:8-15 which instruct the Christian to repay evil with blessings. This hymn spoke to those suffering atrocities and violence in the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) which was sparked in part by a desire to re-subjugate Protestant and Lutheran countries under Catholic rule, a war that cost an estimated 8 million deaths with many German cities suffering loss of life of over 50%. With great meaning in the lesson that it conveyed, this hymn greatly influenced both Protestant and Catholic hymnody, and its tune is found in works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Liszt, and Reger. The hymn is most associated with pastor ordinations today.

If thou but suffer God to guide thee, And hope in Him through all thy ways, He'll give thee strength, whate'er betide thee.

And bear thee through the evil days. Who trusts in God's unchanging love Builds on the rock that naught can move.

What can these anxious cares avail thee, These never-ceasing moans and sighs? What can it help, if thou bewail thee, O'er each dark moment as it flies? Our cross and trials do but press The heavier for our bitterness.

Only be still and wait His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whate'er thy Father's pleasure And all-deserving love hath sent, Nor doubt our inmost wants are known To Him Who chose us for His own.

He knows the time for joy, and truly Will send it when He sees it meet. When He hath tried and purged thee throughly And finds thee free from all deceit; He comes to thee all unaware And makes thee own His loving care

Nor think amid the heat of trial That God hath cast thee off unheard, That He whose hopes meet no denial Must surely be of God preferred; Time passes and much change doth bring, And sets a bound to everything. 

All are alike before the Highest. 'Tis easy to our God, we know. To raise thee up, though low thou liest, To make the rich man poor and low; True wonders still by Him are wrought Who setteth up and brings to nought.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Perform thy duties faithfully, And trust His Word, though underserving, Thou yet shalt find it true for thee. God never yet forsook in need The soul that trusted Him indeed.

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Meditation on ‘St. Columba’; an ancient Irish melody; arr. Edward Broughton 

On this 7th Sunday after Pentecost, hear the hymn The King of Love My Shepherd Is. Written in 1868 by Sir Henry Baker who was editor-in-chief of Hymns Ancient and Modern. The six verses here correlate closely to the six verses of Psalm 23 drawing connections between this well-known Old Testament passage and New Testament images. Contemplate the good care that our Good Shepherd gives. Even as we acknowledge that we are often “perverse and foolish,” and obviously do not deserve His kindness, God surrounds us with symbols of His loving care. Truly “thy goodness faileth never.”

1. The King of love my Shepherd is, whose goodness faileth never. I nothing lack if I am His, and He is mine forever. 

2. Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul He leadeth; and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feedeth. 

3. Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me; and on His shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me. 

4. In death's dark vale I fear no ill, with Thee, dear Lord, beside me; Thy rod and staff my comfort still, Thy cross before to guide me.

5. Thou spreadst a table in my sight;  Thy unction grace bestoweth; and oh, what transport of delight  from Thy pure chalice floweth!

6.  And so through all the length of days, Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise within Thy house forever.

The Sixth after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah; Tune: CWM Rhondda; arr. David Paxton 

On this 6th Sunday after Pentecost, hear the hymn Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah. Written in 1745 by William Williams, a circuit-riding preacher known as the ‘Watts of Wales’ who entitled it, A Prayer for Strength to go through the Wilderness of the World. Reflect on the lyrics of this hymn and the story of faith and assurance through a view of the entirety of Scripture to understanding of the meaning of Christ’s resurrection. See the pilgrimage of God’s people as the lyrics here draws on images from the Exodus story in the Old Testament: "bread of heaven" (Ex. 16), "crystal fountain" (Ex. 17), "fire and cloudy pillar" (Ex. 13:21-22). But the New Testament, Christ-centric focus of the text is equally clear in the repeated final line of each stanza: Jesus is the "bread of heaven" (or "bread of life," (John 6), the "rock" who is our "strength and shield" (1 Cor. 10:4), and the victor over "death … and hell's destruction" (Rev. 1:18).

1. Guide me, O my great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou are mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more, Feed me till I want no more 

2. Open now the crystal fountain, Whence the healing waters flow. Let the fire and cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through. Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer, Be Thou still my strength & shield, Be Thou still my strength & shield.

3. When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside. Death of death, and hell's Destruction,

Land me safe on Canaan's side. Songs of praises, songs of praises I will ever sing to Thee, I will ever sing to Thee

The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost  

• Prelude | Come, Thou Almighty King, Tune: TRINITY; arr. Donald Hustad 

On this 5th Sunday after Pentecost, hear the hymn Come, Thou Almighty King. Each of the first three stanzas is addressed to a member of the Trinity: God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The fourth concludes with a doxology to the Trinity, “To Thee, great One in Three, eternal praises be hence evermore! Thy sov'reign majesty may we in glory see, and to eternity love and adore.” As you prepare your hearts to read Psalm 50, reflect on the lyrics of this hymn. Seek repentance from wickedness and thinking that God is just like us. Instead, bring a sacrifice of thanksgiving in song that brings glory to Him. Lyrics: The Hymnal #267.

The tune TRINTY was composed by Felice de Giardini specifically for this hymn at the request of Selina Shirley, Countess of Huntingdon, who played a very prominent part in the 18th century English Evangelical Revival bringing together Methodists and Calvinists including her friends John Wesley, George Whitefield, Isaac Watts, and August Toplady. The Countess financed construction of churches and seminaries across Britain and missionary work in colonial America. This arrangement for organ is by Donald Hustad, who was full time organist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Crusades for 6 years, a Director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute, and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 21 years.

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost (Independence Day)

‘Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof’ 

Leviticus 25:10 as inscribed on the Liberty Bell

Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States… And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

• Prelude | The Star-Spangled Banner; by Leopold Godowsky 

On this 4th Sunday after Pentecost, we depart from our normal style to hear music that focus our minds on our God-given earthly blessings such as our American freedoms with songs that call us to give gratitude to our God who, in His great mercy, has given us more than what we could ever deserve. On this Independence Day, we commemorate the Declaration of Independence ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. While not an ‘anthem’ in that it is not a religious choral piece, our National Anthem serves as a musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions that helps unite us as a common people when we are each ourselves from other lands.  

The tune for our Star-Spangled Banner was composed in 1776 by John Stafford Smith, who served King George III musically during the American War of Independence and the War of 1812 as the organist for the Chapel Royal in 1802 and later lay-vicar (professional adult singer) of Westminster Abbey. His association with this piece was relatively unknown even years after the tune was officially adapted as national anthem of the United States in 1931.

This adaptation of the Star-Spangled Banner was written by Leopold Godowsky who was born in the Russian Empire in what is now Lithuania to Jewish parents. Composing what are arguably the most difficult piano pieces ever written, by the age of 20 he was professor at the New York College of Music and then at the Chicago Conservatory.  This adaptation stems from Godowsky’s suite Triakontameron, 30 pieces of great variety of inspirations including the themes of the American Northwest, Europe and Africa culminating in the astounding rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The Third Sunday after Pentecost 

• Prelude | Come, Ye Thankful People, Come 

On this 3rd Sunday after Pentecost, we will receive in God’s Word a song of praise sung by the Church as a prayer. This hymn most commonly sung at Thanksgiving combines imagery of the God’s provision of the bountiful harvest in Psalm 65 with two of Jesus parables, The Parable of the Seed (Mark 4:26-29) and The Parable of Tares Among Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). As a hymn, it is much more than a holiday piece. Instead, it is really a sobering text and that provokes Christians to consider whether they are truly people of God (represented by the wheat in Jesus' parable), or merely lookalikes (represented by the weeds – also called “tares”). The 2nd stanza closes with a brief prayer that God would enable those who sing to be true Christian disciples not to be cast into the fire, while the 4th stanza is a prayer that the Lord would soon return for the final harvest.

The tune for this hymn was composed by George Elvey, organist of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for 47 years. This piece originally by Henry Balcom has been rearranged by Sarah DeLacy. The Hymnal #559

The Second Sunday after Pentecost (Father's Day)

• Prelude | Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing 

On this 2nd Sunday after Pentecost, we are offered a special time to recognize the role of fatherhood. By a father’s role in his church and in the family he is called to provide the stability and security that comes from a healthy home environment so that all will be richly blessed and God will receive honor and glory.

Our sermon today is based on a Psalm, a song written to be sung by the choir, which gives us the words to pray when facing our burden under two exceedingly unstable environments that shake us…threats of nature and of earthly powers. When we feel that the ‘earth gives way’ and ‘mountains’ are shaken, men can be assured by the words in our hymn, ‘I know Thy hand will bring me safely home by Thy good grace.’ The Hymnal #2

The First Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday)

• Prelude | NICAEA “Holy, Holy, Holy; by Healey Willan 

The period between Pentecost and Advent is called ‘Ordinary Time’. Coming from the Latin term ordinalis, meaning ‘numbered’ or ‘ruled’ it refers to the ongoing and rhythmical nature of the season where the church body lives out the Christian faith and grows in maturity and understanding the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in life. The season begins with Trinity Sunday and a declaration of faith.

In 325 AD, the First Council of Nicaea addressed in part the issue of the deity of Christ and the heresy of Arianism which claimed Jesus was not co-eternal with God the Father. As a result, the Council created what became the Nicene Creed, a declaration of the Christian faith which we sing of weekly in our Trinitarian doxology, Gloria Patri. In 1826, Reginald Heber wrote the great hymn Holy, Holy, Holy in praise to the Triune God, with the intent that the hymn be sung before or after the creed was recited in a service, and today on Trinity Sunday. The tune, composed by John B. Dykes for Heber’s text, is also titled NICAEA in recognition of Heber’s text. The words evoke a sense of awe at the majesty of God, and call on all of creation – humans, saints and angels, and all living things – to praise the Godhead three-in-one. The Hymnal #262

Memorial Day

• Prelude | Hymn “Bethany” (Nearer my God to Thee); by W.G. Reynolds 

As we prepare our hearts in prayer for the service, we reflect on the sacrifice of those who have died in service to our country defending the freedoms we hold dear. Nearer, My God to Thee was written by Sarah Flower Adams, English poet and hymn writer, in 1841. The hymn is strongly identified as a universal expression of comfort for those faced with death. This was especially true following the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912 when survivors reported that the ship’s string ensemble played the hymn as the vessel went down. They, being led by Wallace Hartley, a Methodist Briton and son of a choirmaster, performed this comfort giving hymn as it was sung by the doomed passengers.

First observed in 1865 to commemorate soldiers who died during the Civil War, this hymn has also been especially meaningful when honoring the memory of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in war. The hymn was heard by the Confederate army band as survivors of the disastrous Picket’s Charge at the Battle of Gettysburg limped back from their failed assault; the Rough Riders sang the hymn at the burial of their brothers after the Battle of Las Guasimas in Cuba; and its words brought comfort to a nation following the deaths of Presidents William McKinley, James Garfield, Warren Harding, and Gerald Ford.

Easter Season, Sixth Sunday

• Prelude | Gracious Lord of All Our Being; by J.S. Bach 

Johann Sebastian Bach composed the church cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (Heart and mouth and deed and life) in 1723 in his first year as director of church music in Leipzig. It was performed on the day commemorating Mary's visit to Elizabeth which for us would be on May 31.

This chorale concluding Part I and Part 2 of the cantata was made famous in 1926 a piano transcription by Dame Myra Hess, DBE as Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Hess had gained fame during the Second World War when, due to concert halls blacked out at night to avoid being targeted by German bombers, she organized almost 1,698 lunchtime concerts attended by 824,152 people at the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Without fail over 6 ½ years, Hess would host her concerts Monday thru Friday while never taking a fee throughout the series. For her contribution to maintaining morale of the British people, King George VI created her a Dame Commander in the Order of the British Empire in 1941.

The lyrics were originally written in 1661 by Martin Janus (Jahn) to Johann Schop’s 1642 Lutheran hymn, Werde munter, mein Gemüte (Become cheerful, my mind). The current popular translation by Robert Bridges is sung at many weddings and during the festive Christmas seasons of Christmas and Easter. It is an inexact translation which transforms the original affirmation "Jesus remains my joy” into a wish.

Easter Season, Fifth Sunday

• Worship Notes Regular Service May 15, 2022* 

1Now the Queen of Sheba heard the report about Solomon concerning the name of Yahweh. So she came to test him with riddles… 4Then the Queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon… 6(and) said to the king, “The word is true which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom… 9Blessed be Yahweh your God who delighted in you.” 1 Kings 10

• Prelude | Love Divine, All Loves Excelling; arr. Donald Hustad 

Written in 1747, this hymn is considered by many to be among Charles Wesley's finest. A verse from John Dryden's poem beginning with the words "Fairest isle, all isles excelling" used by Henry Purcell in his opera King Arthur is believed to be Wesley's inspiration for this text. In fact, this hymn was originally set to a Purcell tune in John and Charles Wesley's Sacred Melody.

Addressed to Christ, this text begins as a prayer for the indwelling of His love in our lives: "fix in us Thy humble dwelling" and "let us all Thy life receive" (st. 1-2). A tone of praise and adoration runs throughout, and as is customary in a Charles Wesley text, biblical allusions abound. Being a Methodist hymn, the original text contains in the 2nd stanza the line "take away our power of sinning" which is connected to the Wesleyan Arminian view of attaining a state of practical perfection in this life. While that text is removed here, we do pray that we would become progressively sanctified, becoming more and more like Him who loves us, and thus filled with His love being a blessing to one another.

(1)    Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heav’n, to earth come down, fix in us Thy humble dwelling, all Thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love Thou art. Visit us with Thy salvation; enter ev'ry trembling heart.

(3) Come, Almighty, to deliver, let us all Thy life receive. Suddenly return, and never, nevermore they temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, serve Thee as Thy hosts above, pray, and praise  hee without ceasing, glory in Thy perfect love.

(4) Finish, then, Thy new creation; true and spotless let us be. Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee. Changed from glory into glory, till in heav’n we take our place, till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.

Easter Season, Fourth Sunday (Mother's Day)

• Worship Notes Regular Service May 8, 2022* 

My son, if you will receive my words...Then you will understand the fear of Yahweh And find the knowledge of God. Proverbs 2 1a; 5 

• Prelude | Jesus Love Me, This I Know; by Anna Warner; Tune: Bradbury; arr. Donald Hustad 

This Mother’s Day, take a moment to reflect on the love of your mother and her devotion to children, husband, home, and God. Despite any shortcomings we honor the one who introduced each of us to life and points us to Jesus who loves with a perfect love. Listen you hear one of the best-known children's hymns ever written. See in each stanza that the opening words always the same: “Jesus loves me.” The themes are written in the pain of a worried mother who grasps to the words of the assurance found only in God's love, and a need to share of what Jesus has done as a guarantee of what He will do.

In 1860, Anna Warner and her sister Susan, under the pen names wrote a two-volume novel called Say and Seal. In it, a sick little boy asks his Sunday school teacher to sing. The teacher obliges by singing the four original stanzas of this hymn. The third of those (included in the verses below) is usually omitted. Anna and Susan, living across the river from West Point, also taught Bible classes for the cadets who were ferried to their home. Warner was buried with military honors at West Point for this service.

The tune was composed by William B. Bradbury and published in 1862. The tune is also called CHINA in some hymnals because it is reported to be a favorite among missionaries there.

Jesus loves me, this I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong.

Jesus loves me, He who died Heaven's gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

Jesus loves me, loves me still, Though I'm very weak and ill; From His shining throne on high Comes to watch me where I lie.

Jesus loves me, He will stay Close beside me all the way: If I love Him, when I die He will take me home on high.

Refrain: Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Easter Season, Second Sunday

• Worship Notes Regular Service April 24, 2022* 

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.”  John 20:29

• Prelude | Old Easter Melody (O Filii et Filliae) with Variations; arr. John E. West 

Jean Tisserand (d. 1494) was a Franciscan monk who was a popular in France for his teachings and his composition of hymns in both French and Latin. The hymn is usually sung over two Sundays. On Easter Sunday morning, the congregation would sing the first three stanzas recalling the story of the resurrected Christ based on the gospel accounts beginning at the tomb Matthew 28:1-10. On the Sunday after Easter, when the message traditionally focused on the doubting Thomas, the church would sing the remaining stanzas which narrate the response of the disciples, from the sudden appearance of Jesus in a locked room to doubting Thomas in John 20:19-29.

O sons and daughters of the King, whom heavenly hosts in glory sing, today the grave has lost its sting. Alleluia!

That Easter morn at break of day, the faithful women went their way to seek the tomb where Jesus lay. Alleluia!

An angel clad in white they see, who sat and spoke unto the three, "Your Lord has gone to Galilee." Alleluia!

When Thomas first the tidings heard that some had seen the risen Lord, he doubted the disciples' word. Lord, have mercy!

At night the apostles met in fear;  among them came their Master dear and said, "My peace be with you here." Alleluia!

"My pierced side, O Thomas, see, and look upon my hands, my feet; not faithless but believing be." Alleluia!

No longer Thomas then denied; he saw the feet, the hands, the side. "You are my Lord and God!" he cried. Alleluia!

How blest are they who have not seen and yet whose faith has constant been, for they eternal life shall win. Alleluia!

Easter Sunday

• Worship Notes Regular Service April 17, 2022* 

• Prelude | Christ the Lord is Risen Today 

This hymn, written by Charles Wesley for Easter Day, is one of the most popular and widely used of his hymns and is a processional or song of celebration on Easter morning. The “Alleluia” was added much later by editors for two purposes, as explained by the editors of the Psalter Hymnal Handbook, “The ‘alleluias’ which remind us of the ancient Easter greeting, do more than interrupt the textual flow: they provide the framework for praising God with each line of text.” Lyrics: The Hymnal #217

As you listen and prepare your heart and minds to rejoice and give thanks this Easter Sunday, take time to consider some of the most familiar Easter themes:

Verse 1- All creatures rejoice in Christ's resurrection;

Verse 2- The work of redemption is complete;

Verse 3- Death is vanquished;

Verse 4- We have new life in Christ now;

Verse 5- We praise the victorious Christ

Palm Sunday

• Worship Notes Regular Service April 10, 2022* 

• Prelude | The Palms, Anthem for Palm Sunday

Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914) was a celebrated French operatic baritone. He received his primary training as a choirboy and, after a year in the Paris Conservatory, made his operatic debut at the Opéra-Comique. By 1860, Faure was a regular at the Royal Opera House, London, and the Paris Opera until finally concluding his career with a final performance in Vichy in 1886.

Faure composed several enduring songs including Les Rameaux (The Palms) and Crucifix.

O'er all the way green palms and blossoms gay

Are strewn this day in festal preparation,

Where Jesus comes, to wipe our tears away;

E'en now the throng to welcome Him prepare.

Join, sing His name divine,

Let every voice resound with united acclamation,

Hosanna! Praised be the Lord,

Bless Him who cometh to bring us salvation.

His word goes forth, and people by its might

Once more their freedom gain from degradation;

Humanity doth give to each his right,

While those in darkness find restored the light.

Lent Week 3

• Worship Notes Regular Service March 27, 2022* 

The Lent season allows for the most meditative and introspective church music of the year. In this time of penitent preparation, church music, and by extension the organ, leads the church in fasting by refraining from joyous singing or music. Allow this prelude and postlude then to usher you into a solemn, even somber, moment of prayerful preparation as we contemplate the cross.

• Prelude | Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3, No. 2 

The Prelude for this 4th Sunday of Lent is Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C-sharp minor Op. 3, No. 2. First performed in 1892, this is his most famous piece. You will hear the Bells of Moscow in the solemn carillon chimes. The powerful effect of the bells enhance a feeling of foreboding gloom and a somber mood of destruction leading to alternative titles including: The Burning of Moscow or The Day of Judgement. Let the emotions whether mournful, sad, or tragic engulf and enthrall your senses.

Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was a composer and conductor widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. Following the Russian Revolution of 1917 during which his home was confiscated as a communal property by Social Revolutionary Party members, he and his family went into self-exile settling in NYC. While his music was in great demand, he lived an isolated life. Missing and unable to return to his homeland and his people for inspiration, he lost the ability to compose new works and dedicated the remainder of his life to conducting and piano performance.

Lent Week 2

• Worship Notes Regular Service March 20, 2022* 

• Prelude | Herzliebster Jesu, was hast du verbrochen (Beloved Jesus, what have You done wrong)  

Johann Heermann wrote Herzliebster Jesu in 1630 as a Lutheran Passion hymn. It is based on a passage in the ‘Meditationes Divi Augustini’ by John, abbot of Fécamp. Christ's Passion is the main theme of the text. In the first two stanzas, the question is asked, ‘Why did Jesus suffer?’ The final phrase of the second stanza answers: “I crucified Thee.” The third and fourth stanzas describe the sacrificial nature of Christ's death. The final stanza is an overflowing of gratitude in response to the great gift by the good Shepherd.

 Ten years later, Johann Crüger (1598-1662) took a Genevan tune for Psalm 23 and composed a new piece for this text depicting the suffering of Jesus as an innocent man who was tortured and sentenced to death on the cross. Since then, the tune has been used many times particularly when conveying the message of the crucifixion of Jesus. J.S. Bach used this setting for one of the Neumeister Chorales for organ, two movements of the St. John Passion, and three of the St. Matthew Passion. Johannes Brahms used it for one of his Eleven Chorale Preludes for organ, Op. 122: No. 2. Max Reger's Passion, No. 4 from his organ pieces Sieben Stücke, Op. 145 (1915–1916), also uses this melody.

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast Thou offended,

That man to judge Thee hath in hate pretended?

By foes derided, by Thine own rejected, O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee?

Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee.

‘Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied Thee; I crucified Thee.

Lo, the good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;

The slave hath sinned, and the Son hath suffered;

For man’s atonement, while he nothing heedeth, God intercedeth.

For me, kind Jesus, was Thine Incarnation,

Thy mortal sorrow, and Thy life’s oblation;

Thy death of anguish and Thy bitter Passion, For my Salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay Thee,

I do adore Thee, and will ever pray to Thee,

Think on Thy pity and Thy love unswerving.

Lent Week 2

• Worship Notes Regular Service March 13, 2022* 

• Prelude | O Sacred Head 

This hymn is originally from the Latin poem Salve Mundi Salutare  written by Bernard of Clairvaux, 12c. Consisting of seven sections, each focusing on a different part of Christ’s dying body on the cross, the focus hear is on His ‘Sacred Head’. The tune for this hymn is known as the Passion Chorale was composed in 1601 by Hans Leo Hassler who was trained in Venice by Andrea Gabrieli, uncle to Giovanni Gabrieli who was one of the most influential composers of his time bringing music out of the Renaissance to the Baroque period. Hassler wrote many great works but found his influence limited as he was a Lutheran in the still heavily Catholic region in Nuremberg. Johann Sebastian Bach was influenced by this tune and used it in his Christmas Oratorio as well as a Chorale in the St. Matthew Passion, set to Matthew chapter 26-27 in the Luther Bible, and considered to be one of the greatest pieces of Baroque sacred music. Lyrics: The Hymnal #178

Epiphany Week 6

• Worship Notes Regular Service February 27, 2022* 

• Prelude | Marche funèbre, Op.72 No.2

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a composer and virtuoso pianist. By the time he was born, Poland had ceased to exist as an independent state, and her people were suffering loss of freedom and cultural identity to the Russian Empire. He was 16 and still a student at the Warsaw Conservatory when he composed the Marche funèbre in memory of Stanislaw Staszic, a Polish statesman who was praised as ‘savior of the nation, and someone who raised Poland from the dead’. This early composition is based in part on a Polish folk melody to Salve Regina, a Latin Marian antiphon sung on holy days and in times of mourning.  

Following his studies, and within months of his departure for work in Paris, Poland entered into an era of uprisings that would continue until independence following World War I. Chopin was inspired as his people fought in the great November Uprising of 1830, the first of many rebellions against the Russian Empire which spread from Poland to Lithuania and Ukraine. In an emotional response, he refined the Marche further in the third movement of Sonata No. 2 in B-Flat Minor, composing one of the most iconic pieces ever written about death. Later, in addition to being part of Chopin’s own funeral, Marche funèbre was played at the funerals of John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and ironically, Joseph Stalin and Leonid Brezhnev. Chopin’s innovations in style, harmony, musical form, association with nationalism and political insurrection made him a leading symbol of the Romantic period.

This earlier composition of Marche funèbre was edited by Carl Milkuli in 1895. Milkuli studied under Chopin becoming his teaching assistant and in 1858 became the first director of the Lviv Conservatory, the heart of music and culture in Ukraine.

President's Day

• Worship Notes Regular Service February 20, 2022* 

• Prelude | Piano Sonata in D major 

Joseph Haydn (1732 –1809) was an Austrian composer famed not only for his development of chamber music on the keyboard, but he is also known as "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet". This piece comes from a group of six sonatas which he published in 1780 dedicated to the sisters Katharina and Marianna Auenbrugger, two Viennese pianists whom he greatly admired.

Haydn spent much of his career as a court musician for the great Esterházy family which isolated and protected him from other composers, trends, and negative public scrutiny. However, his music circulated widely, and for much of his career he was the most celebrated composer in Europe creating great works even in his later years including The Creation (1798).

President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) was an accomplished violinist and harpsichordist who called music ‘the favorite passion of my soul’. He was the first President to bring the U.S. Marine Band to his inauguration and ensured that the first items purchased for his White House were musical instruments. Often joining in on concerts, he most likely enjoyed playing this piece by one of his favorite composers.

Epiphany Week 6

• Worship Notes Regular Service February 13, 2022* 

Jesus Calms a Storm

And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat so that the boat was already filling up. And Jesus Himself was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion; and they got Him up and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He woke up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 

Mark 4:37-40

• Prelude | Choral Prelude on ‘Hanover’ 

Today’s prelude and postlude continues to dwell on the Epiphany and the revelation of Christ as Savior to the whole world. Here we contemplate the nearness of God amid the storms of life. Through the suffering, oppression, and persecution, we can have faith that ‘Still He is nigh, His presence we have, and the great congregation His triumph shall sing ascribing salvation to Jesus our King.’

The hymn Ye Servants of God was written by Charles Wesley in 1744. His brother, John Wesley, was seeking to reform the Church of England from within, but his newly formed Methodist societies were suspected of being merely disguised Roman Catholic societies, accused of attempting to overthrow the Crown, and suffered violent attacks. In order to strengthen and reassure his Methodist followers (and express allegiance to the Church of England and King George III of the House of Hanover), Charles Wesley anonymously published the Hymns for Times of Trouble and Persecution. This doxology gives thankful praise to Christ for His victorious reign and for providing salvation for His persecuted people. Lyrics: The Hymnal #17.

The waves of the sea Have lift up their voice,

Sore troubled that we In Jesus rejoice;

The floods they are roaring, But Jesus is here;

While we are adoring, He always is near.

God ruleth on high, Almighty to save;

And still he is nigh, His presence we have;

The great congregation His triumph shall sing,

Ascribing salvation To Jesus our King.

Epiphany Week 5

• Worship Notes Regular Service February 6, 2022* 

• Prelude | As with Gladness Men of Old 

During the Epiphany Season, Jan 6 – Feb 27, we focus on the gospel stories and events that show and explain the divinity of Jesus. From the coming of the Magi and the Baptism of our Lord, we continue each Sunday to revisit these life events such as the wedding at Cana, of the various miracles and teachings of Jesus, and today, the calling of the twelve.

The story of the Epiphany begins with the Magi, or three wise men, who followed the star from the East to Bethlehem in search of a newborn king. As gentiles who acknowledged Christ’s divinity, the Magi are a central theme of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God to the world. Written by William Dix in 1858, the hymn As with Gladness Men of Old recounts this story from the perspective of the Christian in prayer: the first three stanzas all have a similar structure “as they … so may we,” comparing the journey of the Magi to our Christian pilgrimage. While the hymn initially focuses on the sacrifice of the Magi on the long journey, the hymn ends with a petition, asking Jesus to keep us faithful to the journey. The fifth stanza, which is omitted in our hymnal, describes heaven – the destination of our journey.

This piece was arranged for organ in 1908 by Peter C. Lutkin, American organist, choral conductor, and composer perhaps best known for creating the first American a cappella choir in 1906 and influencing its spread in schools across our country. Lyrics: The Hymnal #163

Epiphany, Week 4

• Worship Notes Regular Service January 30, 2022* 

• Prelude | All Creatures of Our God and King

Epiphany, Week 3

• Worship Notes Regular Service January 23, 2022* 

• Prelude | All Creatures of Our God and King

Epiphany, Week 2

• Worship Notes Regular Service January 16, 2022* 

• Prelude | Christians, We Have Met to Worship

Christmas Week 2

• Worship Notes Regular Service January 2, 2022* 

• Prelude | Hallelujah Chorus

This arrangement by Ignaz Moscheles of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus was published in 1831 in his 'National Recollections of England'. Moscheles had an amazing impact on music as art as we appreciate it today. His efforts led to the innovation of piano recitals, concerts of music for piano alone. He taught piano to Felix Mendelssohn, supported Beethoven in his old age, and taught for several decades at Mendelssohn's Conservatory of Music.

The Hallelujah Chorus was originally composed for Easter and its use during Christmas is exclusive to the States. However, the message is very appropriate now. Part Two of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ covers the Passion and death of the Messiah. The themes are of how He was despised and of His death, resurrection, ascension, and the spreading of the Gospel despite rejection. The part is concluded by a scene portraying the Second Coming of the Messiah called ‘God’s Triumph’ which culminates in this the Hallelujah Chorus. Lyrics: The Hymnal #37

Christmas Week 1

• Worship Notes Regular Service December 26, 2021* 

• Prelude | Fantasy on Two Well-Known Christmas Carols (The First Noel & Good King Wenceslas)

The carol Good King Wenceslas tells the story of a Bohemian king going on a journey on the Second Day of Christmas braving the harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant. During the journey, his page struggles against the cold weather and deep snow but continues by following in the king's footsteps. Stories such as these had a great impact on the concept of rex lustus, or 'righteous king' in the Middle Ages where a monarch's power was considered to stem from great piety. The carol is popular today in countries that celebrate Boxing Day, a holiday originally for the giving of gifts to the poor. This tradition continued the custom of late Roman / early Christian era churches that would collect special offerings for the poor in alms (poor) boxes in the church narthex on the day after Christmas. This carol connects us with this long history and tradition of the church.

The carol was written by the Rev. John Mason Neale (1818-1866) who focused his study on worship in the early church and was one of the first to translate ancient Greek and Latin texts into English. He disliked the tendency of modern hymnodists towards sentimentality and sensuality instead preferring hymns which educated people faithfully in doctrine. Some of his translated hymns include, O Come, O Come Emmanuel and Good Christian Friends, Rejoice.

Advent Week 4

• Worship Notes Regular Service December 19, 2021* 

• Prelude | Short Organ Suite on Favorite Christmas Carols

On this 4th and final Sunday of Advent, the Prelude focuses on the coming birth of the Child, the Christ, the King. Our first carol, Silent Night, was written by Jospeh Mohr (1792-1848), an Austrian priest, who led the congregation at St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, just a few miles north of Salzburg, Austria. On Christmas Eve in the year 1818, the river Salzach flooded much of the town and caused damage to the organ so that it could not be played. The priest asked the organist and choirmaster Franz Gruber to compose a simple accompaniment on guitar so that it could be sung for the Christmas Eve service. This carol was later translated into English by John Young, a priest in the Episcopal Church who studied at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria. Henrietta Ten Harmsel, emeritus English professor at Calvin College, made alterations to the text to ‘stress the paradoxes and deeper meanings of Christmas’. Lyrics: The Hymnal: #147

Advent Week 3

• Worship Notes Regular Service December 12, 2021* 

• Prelude | Choral Prelude on Greensleeves, 1642 Version (What Child Is This)

On this Third Sunday of Advent, the Prelude continues to focus on the coming birth of the Child, the Christ, the King. While often sung during Advent, the carol is perhaps more appropriate for Epiphany (Jan 6) when we celebrate Christ come to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi.  

William C. Dix (1837-1898) originally wrote the poem ‘The Manger Throne’ which he modified to fit the tune ‘Greensleeves’. First appearing in September 1580, this tune written for playing on the lute is mentioned in Shakespeare and appears in many operas. Its immense folk appeal led to the popularity of What Child Is This. This carol is arranged by Alec Rowley (1892-1958) who was organist at the Church of St. Margaret, Westminster (Abbey), professor and Fellow at Trinity College of Music, and well-known for his performances during the wartime Promenade (Prom) Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall during World War II. Lyrics: Trinity Hymnal: #213

Advent Week 2

• Worship Notes Regular Service December 5, 2021* 

• Prelude | Gesu Bambino (When Blossoms Flowered ‘mid the Snow)   

This carol was composed by Pietro Yon, organist and choirmaster at St. Francis Xavier Church and later director of music at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan. Before immigrating to America, Yon had already made a name for himself as deputy organist of the Vatican and organist of the Royal Church in Rome for the King of Italy – all before he was twenty-one. Recognized as the first-ever Titular Organist of the Vatican, he brought great energy to improving music in the States conducting his own music on the brand-new CBS and NBC radio networks, designing the Carnegie Hall organ, and composing religious music such as this carol, ‘Gesu Bambino’.

Translated as When Blossoms Flowered ‘mid the Snow by Frederick Martens, the hymn is known for its lovely simplicity. The melody and lyrics of the chorus are derived from the chorus of "Adeste Fideles" (O Come, All Ye Faithful).

When blossoms flowered 'mid the snows

Upon a winter night,

Was born the Child the Christmas Rose,

The King of Love and Light.

The angels sang, the shepherds sang,

The grateful earth rejoiced;

And at His blessed birth the stars

Their exultation voiced. 

O come, let us adore Him;

O come, let us adore Him;

O come, let us adore Him;

Christ, the Lord. 

Advent Week 1

• Worship Notes Regular Service November 28, 2021* 

• Prelude | O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 

Our hymn comes from a 7-verse poem that dates as far back as the 6th century and is one of the key musical features preparing the Christian in heart and mind during the Advent season. Traditionally, on each day of the week leading up to Christmas, the Church would chant one responsive verse during daily vespers using each of the seven ‘O Antiphons’. Each was designated to concentrate the mind on the coming of Christmas with the Christian being enriched by the meaning of the incarnation by remembering Scripture and Old Testament prophecy.

Thanksgiving Service 2021

• Worship Notes Regular Service November 21, 2021* 

• Prelude | A Song of Thanksgiving Come (Ye Thankful People, Come)

But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’ 

Matt 13:29-30 LSB

Henry Alford (1810-1871) is known for The Greek Testament, which provides a grammatical, literary, lexical, and textual analysis of nearly every Greek word in the New Testament. He wrote this hymn in a time when life depended on the bounty of a good autumn harvest, which the first verse celebrates. The final three verses portray the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. Ask, ‘Are we truly the people of God or merely lookalikes?’ The hymn concludes with a prayer that the final harvest at His Second Coming would happen soon.

In the late 1800s, American churches were filled with organists who generally lacked an understanding of church music and its place in service and worship. Seeing a great need, Alexander Guilmant (Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris) joined William Carl, organist at First Presbyterian Church NYC, to open the Guilmant Organ School in 1899. Their efforts had a great impact on the maturity and quality of American church and organ music over the following decades. Their instruction included this arrangement by Charles Bailey, organist and choirmaster at St. Paul's Parish Church, Wales.

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Henry Alford (1810-1871 ) was best known for his literary works including his translation of the New Testament in Greek / The Greek Testament. This work which took 20 yrs to complete includes detailed grammatical, literary, lexical, and textual analysis of nearly every Greek word in the New Testament. Alford's hymn was written in a time when life depended on the bounty of a good autumn harvest. While the first verse celebrates this harvest, the last three verses remind the church of the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds in Matthew 13 asking each to consider if they are truly people of God or merely lookalikes. The hymn concludes with a prayer that the final harvest at His Second Coming would happen soon.

The tune St. George's Windsor was composed by George J. Elvey (1816-1893) who was organist of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle for 47 years. This arrangement was was written by Charles Morton Bailey who was organist and choir master at St. Paul's Parish Church, Colony Bay, Wales. Trained at Ripon Cathedral, he was better known for his work at this small church where for 16 years he brought great church music to his congregation with weekly recitals. Finally, we are made aware of this arrangement by the effort of William C. Carl, organist at First Presbyterian Church NYC. In 1898, Carl and the French organist Alexander Guilmant opened a school for organ instruction which became one of the leading institutions for the study of church music in America where organists received a practical training for the church service and a more thorough understanding of the ecclesiastical music. Lyrics: The Hymnal #559

Note: Thanksgiving- short choral introit on the first verse accompanied by organ, piano and handbells. First three verses sung in parts but the prayer of verse four.

Veteran's Day / Remembrance Day 2021

• Worship Notes Regular Service November 14, 2021* 

• Prelude | Abide with Me

But they urged Him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them.  Luke 24:29 (LSB)

Henry Lyte (1793-1847) wrote this hymn after preaching his final sermon knowing that his time was coming to a close.  Today, this hymn is almost inseparable from Veteran's / Remembrance Day services as it expresses the aloneness soldiers felt in the trenches of World War I and their immediate, urgent longing to know God's presence. Understood to be holy (not secular), beautiful, and universal, the hymn is instructive: intensely personal and contemplative to all who hear it, able to be appreciated even outside the church.  

This hymn was also on the lips of Edith Cavell, a Red Cross nurse posted in neutral Belgium,  as she faced a German firing squad for the crime of sheltering British soldiers. The evening before her execution, she told the German Lutheran Chaplain appointed to her, “I have no fear or shrinking; I have seen death so often that it is not strange or fearful to me. I expected my sentence and believe it was just. Standing as I do in view of God and eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.” Edith then quietly sang:

I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless,

ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?

I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes.

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.

Heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee;

in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

• Worship Notes Installation Service November 7, 2021* 

• Prelude | Great is Thy Faithfulness

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV

Chisolm (1866-1960), born in a log cabin in Kentucky and being of frail health never intended his text to frivolously call one to “count your blessings”. As today, revivalists were then filling song books with shallow lyrics leaving gospel songs with no gospel. And so while church musicians argued over the merits of “objective” hymns vs. “subjective” gospel songs, Chisholm focused on combining elements of worship with elements of testimony. The result is the famous line marrying objective truth (“Great is Thy faithfulness”) with a simple subjective testimony (“Lord, unto me.”).

Runyan (1870–1957) after 20 years of preaching lost both his voice and became progressively deaf. He took a position at Moody incorporating Great is Thy Faithfulness in a hymnal project which became The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 4, Moody's official chapel hymnal from 1928. The hymn was a favorite of two alumni, John '32 and Betty Stam '31 who were killed by Communist soldiers in China. In chapel services, students began to sing the hymn in spontaneous benediction. In 1956, the Moody Bible Institute's Jubilee Anniversary of Founder’s Week was interrupted by tragedy when five missionaries including Jim Elliot were killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. While conference speakers found it hard to stay on topic, the students time and again found peace in the words of this hymn, Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

This arrangement for organ is by Donald Hustad. He was the full time organist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Crusades for 6 years, a Director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute, and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 21 years. Lyrics: The Hymnal #43

• Worship Notes Regular Service November 7, 2021* 

• Prelude | Schafe können sicher weiden 

Though well known today, the soprano aria 'Schafe können sicher weiden' (Sheep May Safely Graze) first performed in 1713 was not published  until the end of the 19th century. The image of a pastoral gathering, the listener can hear and understand the peaceful life of sheep under a watchful Shepherd and of the life lived under wise authority.

Sheep may safely graze and pasture

In a watchful Shepherd's sight.

Those who rule with wisdom guiding

Bring to hearts a peace abiding

Bless a land with joy made bright. 

• Worship Notes Regular Service October 31, 2021* 

• Prelude | Ein Feste Burg

As we celebrate Reformation Day, let us remember Martin Luther who said that, “Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise [for] the gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music.” What a blessing it is then, 503 years after the spark of the Protestant Reformation, that the Church has in its hands, accessible, good and godly music. This work was composed in 1913 for organ by English organist, William Faulkes who was for 46 years organist and choir director at St Margaret's church, in Liverpool. Much of his work was lost during the Liverpool Blitz in 1941. Lyrics: The Hymnal #26 

• Worship Notes Regular Service October 17, 2021: Reformation Week 3* 

• Prelude | A Mighty Fortress is Our God

This month, in remembrance of Reformation Day, we will be hearing several different arrangements of the famous tune, Ein’ Feste Burg or ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God’. This was written and composed by Martin Luther and is commonly known as the 'Battle Hymn of the Reformation' due to its effect in increasing support for the Reformation both as a religious and national movement for emancipation from Roman oppression. The text is a paraphrase of Psalm 46, v1 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.'  (KJV)

This arrangement for organ is by Donald Hustad. He the full time organist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Crusades for 6 years, a Director of the Sacred Music Department at Moody Bible Institute, and professor at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 21 years. Lyrics: The Hymnal #26

• Worship Notes Regular Service October 10, 2021: Reformation Week 2* 

• Prelude | Hymn: "Aurelia" (The Church’s One Foundation)

In the 1860s, Anglican Bishop John William Colenso of Natal (South Africa) a convert from Unitarianism for nationalist reasons, caused great controversy when he challenged the historicity and authority of Scripture instead promoting a different Christianity for the each of the different peoples of the world. The Bishop Gray of Capetown wrote a stirring response of defense of Christianity inspiring a clergyman from Windsor, England, Samuel Stone, to write his Lyra Fidelium; Twelve Hymns on the Twelve Articles of the Apostles' Creed (1866).

Based on the ninth article of the Apostle’s Creed, the text portrays the Christian church as rooted in the Savior, Jesus Christ, through baptism and the Word of God (st. 1) confessing the Church as universal and united by "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4:5). We lament the "heresies" that "distress" the church (st. 3) Although this is a direct reference to the Colenso controversy, the stanza fits many other situations in church history as well. The final stanza ends on a hopeful tone: the Church will finally be at peace and at rest. Lyrics: The Hymnal #277

The tune Aurelia was composed by Samuel Sebastian Wesley the grandson of Charles Wesley. He sang in the choir of the Chapel Royal as a boy, learned composition and organ from his father, and completed a doctorate in music at Oxford. He strove to improve the standards of church music.

• Worship Notes Regular Service October 3, 2021: Reformation Week 1* 

• Prelude | The Austrian Hymn of Haydn

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), chapel-master to the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef, composed the tune ‘Austria’ in 1797 modeled after God Save the King and in response to the political turmoil in Europe in the era of the French Revolution and rise of Napoleon. Immediately popular, ‘Austria’ was taken up by British and American hymnists and has since been most well known in John Newton’s, Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken. Lyrics: The Hymnal #278

More recently, David Ward set the Reformation themed hymn Glory Be to God Alone to ‘Austria’: