#1—WE COME O CHRIST TO YOU

This morning, before the service begins, we will be singing # 1 of the Augment, ”We Come O Christ to You." This is a modern hymn written by Margaret Clarkson. This Canadian hymn writer was born in Melville, Saskatchewan in 1915 and now, in her old age, lives in a nursing home in Toronto. Ms. Clarkson is a lifelong Presbyterian. (Subsequent to the writing of this, Margaret Clarkson passed away, March 17, 2008--obituary.)

This is a lovely hymn of praise to Christ who is the source of our life (stanza 1), the Way (st. 2), the Truth (st. 3), the Life (st. 4), our Saviour and King (st. 5). She wrote it especially for young people (see stanza 5). With a brilliant economy of words, our Lord Jesus Christ is praised with many names and designations: Son of God, the Agent of creation, the Author of life, the One who cares for us, the Way, our Judge and Maker, the One who loves us, the Truth, Wisdom, the great I AM, the Life, the risen Lord, Christ, Saviour, King. Also, the many aspects of his work are described: He was instrumental in creation; with His blood He atoned for our sins; He rules over all and will Judge everyone.

The tune, Eastview, was written by James V. Lee, an officer in the British army during the Great War and a church organist.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#2—CHRIST THE LORD IS RISEN TODAY

This afternoon, we will be singing # 2, "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," one of the best known and most joyous Easter tunes. You will notice that the tune is called "Easter Hymn."

Charles Wesley composed this hymn. Each stanza recalls an Easter theme: All of creation praises the risen Christ (stanza 1); death has been completely vanquished (st. 2); the redeeming work of Christ is complete (st. 3); we praise Christ, the Lord of heaven and earth (st. 4). The dancing "alleluia" at the end of each line adds a joyful exuberance to our praise.

An interesting additional note about Charles Wesley is that he wrote over 6,000 hymns.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

# 3—GOD GAVE TO US THIS DAY OF DAYS

As you can read in the foreword to the Hymnary Augment, our present Book of Praise is, surprisingly, a little thin on Easter hymns. Four have been added by way of the Augment. # 3, which we will be singing this morning, is an English version of a 1500 year old hymn celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given the church something to sing about. Jesus lives! He died and was buried, but He arose. As He emerged from the dark grave, He freed us from the gloomy darkness of sin and death and brought us back to light and life. Alleluia!

The tune was written by the Lutheran school teacher, organist and hymn writer, Nicolaus Herman. Many of Herman's melodies show clear affinities with folk music. This particular tune has a very pleasant swing to it. We will be singing it before the service this morning.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#4—CHRIST JESUS LAY IN DEATH'S STRONG BANDS

This afternoon we will sing this hymn, written by Martin Luther and translated by Richard Massie, The text of the hymn underscores Christ's conquest of death, the breaking of Satan's power, and the victory over the rule of evil. There are allusions to the Passover—the blood of Christ now marks our door!—and a reference to the holy supper.

The tune is an adaptation of a medieval chant and arranged by Johann Walther, a collaborator of Martin Luther. Walther was one of the great early influences in Lutheran church music. This tune has a vigor and lightness appropriate to an Easter hymn. J.S. Bach incorporated it into several of his cantatas.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#5—CHRIST IS RISEN

This morning, before the service, we will be singing another Easter hymn, the last of the four in the Hymnary Augment (see the index on p. 4). Christ is Risen was composed by the late Sander Vanderploeg of New Westminster, BC. For many years he was a school teacher at William of Orange Christian School. He composed many songs for the children to sing at Easter and Christmas programs. If you sense a childlike quality to this song (also # 20 and # 21), it's no surprise.

The hymn begins with proclaiming Christ as the risen One who has defeated death (stanza 1). By His resurrection He makes us share in his righteousness and life (stanza 2). In stanza 3 we are called to live for Him and to worship Him. In stanza 4 we sing about how He ascended to heaven and rules over earth and heaven. The final stanza speaks of His glorious return when we will see Him face to face.

For those whose Latin is a bit rusty, "Soli Deo Gloria" means "Glory to God alone." It is one of the five "solas" put forward to summarise the Reformers' basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation. The five are:

# 1 Sola gratia ("by grace alone")
# 2 Sola fide ("by faith alone")
# 3 Sola scriptura ("by Scripture alone")
# 4 Solus Christus ("in Christ alone")
# 5 Soli Deo gloria ("Glory to God alone")

#6—JESUS SHALL REIGN

This afternoon we will sing this ascension song based on Psalm 72. Isaac Watts, the "father of English hymnody" composed more than 600 hymns. In addition, he recast all 150 Psalms giving them a very clear and obvious Christological interpretation. The Psalms speak prophetically of Christ and Watts's Psalms are composed in light of their fulfillment in Christ. (Our present Hymn 61 is a similar work of Watts, based on Psalm 136.) Here David's prayer for his son Solomon and prophecy of a coming glorious kingdom (Psalm 72) is transformed into a celebration of the redeeming conquest of Christ among the nations. Watts has us sing of the glorious and global success of the gospel.

In stanza 1 we sing about the universal reign of the Lord Jesus Christ. His kingdom is one of uncountable blessings, freedom, joy and rest (stanza 2). All creatures in heaven and on earth praise and honour this great King (stanza 3).

The tune, Duke Street, was composed by John Hatton. The only thing known about John Hatton is that he lived on Duke Street in St. Helen's, England.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#7—SINCE OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST, CHRIST JESUS

As you see below the title of the hymn, this song is based on a number of passages from the Letter to the Hebrews. This book has several themes relating to the eternal supremacy and the temporal humiliation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews proclaims Christ as our great High Priest and the Mediator of God's grace. He who once was on the cross now rules supreme at God's right hand. Because He is also one of us, He identifies with our weaknesses. We can confidently approach God's throne of grace and find help for our needs. Christopher Idle, a British Anglican minister, wrote this song in 1971.

The tune is named ALL SAINTS. Historically, this name has been assigned to a number of tunes. Other hymnals name the tune WEISSE FLAGGEN. However, a number of tunes bear this name as well. And so you see it can be a bit confusing, but we will leave those questions for the historians of music to resolve.

This song is appropriate for Ascension Day or when preaching on Lord's Day 18.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook

#8—THE SPIRIT CAME, AS PROMISED

#8—THE SPIRIT CAME, AS PROMISED

James Seddon based this Pentecost hymn, first published in 1973, entirely on references to the Holy Spirit in the Letter to the Ephesians. As the Apostle Paul did in Ephesians, the hymn speaks about many of the works the Holy Spirit does in us and for us: He seals us; dwells in us; gives us faith; binds us together in unity and peace; brings us power from God; turns us away from base passion to godly living; puts the Word, which is His sword, into our hands. We are urged not to grieve or deny the Holy Spirit but, rather, to be filled with Him and, by His influence, sing songs unto the Lord.

Johannes Bastiaans composed the tune to which the song is set. Bastiaans was a Dutch organist who composed many tunes. Among other things, he taught music at the Institute for the Blind in Amsterdam. Also, he was primarily responsible for introducing J.S. Bach to the Netherlands, both through his Bach recitals and his founding of the Bach Society in Amsterdam.

This hymn could be used on Pentecost, when preaching on a text about the Holy Spirit in Ephesians, or in connection with Lord's Day 20.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook

#9—FOR THE BREAD WHICH YOU HAVE BROKEN

This hymn was written by Louis F. Benson, a Presbyterian historian of hymnody and author of a number of hymns. This, and the next hymn, are "Lord's Supper" hymns. They will nicely complement our present Hymn 44. In stanza 1 we thank the Lord for the bread, the wine, and His Word. In stanza 2 we ask the Lord to hallow our lives by His promise, peace and call. In stanza 3 we pray the Lord to defend us, keep watch over us, and for the coming of His kingdom.

Source: Internet

#10—UNTIL HE COMES

This second communion hymn, composed by George Rawson, flows from the command of our Lord to commemorate his death in the Lord's supper until he returns (see the refrain). The last words of each stanza point us toward the hope we have in Christ: Had Christ not redeemed us by His death and resurrection, we would be terrified, rather than joyful, at the thought of His return. We would be making ready to flee His presence rather than fall at His feet in worship. This hymn teaches our need for a Saviour, the excellent work He did in saving us, the unity we have as congregation, that He will come again to raise us from the dead, and the everlasting celebration we will enjoy with Him and all the church.

Source: Internet

# 11—WE PRAISE YOU, LORD

Today we will be singing two hymns on the theme of baptism. This first one is set to the well known tune of ST. MAGNUS (cf. our present Hymn 23). In the first stanza we sing about the victory Christ won by His resurrection over the power of sin. The second stanza speaks about how our children are covenant children: the children of the church are grafted to the vine, are members of the church, and bear the cross. This reminds us of Lord's Day 27 which says that by baptism our children are grafted into the Christian congregation. We are also reminded of the prayer before baptism where we pray that the child to be baptized may joyfully bear his cross. The third stanza speaks about the love Christ has for our children. There is also a parallel to the prayer after baptism where we thank the Lord for forgiving also our children all their sins.

Judith O'Neill, the composer, was born in Australia in 1930 and died two years ago in England as the widow of a United Reformed Church of England pastor. She is best known for having written nine children's novels.

The tune, ST. MAGNUS, is attributed to Jeremiah Clarke (1674-1707) of London, England, well known for The Prince of Denmark's March, commonly known as the Trumpet Voluntary.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#12—OUR CHILDREN, LORD, IN FAITH AND PRAYER

The composer, the English Thomas Haweis (1734-1820), was a talented man. He was a physician turned preacher who published A History of the Church, A Translation of the New Testament, A Commentary on the Holy Bible, and Carmino Christo (i.e., Hymns to Christ). This hymn is based on Acts 2:39, "The promise is to you and to your children," and Mark 10:13-16, "Let the children come to Me, and do not hinder them." The three stanzas form a lovely prayer in which we ask for God's covenant faithfulness on the children we bring for baptism.

The jury is still out on whether the tune, NAOMI, was composed by the Swiss musician Hans Georg Nägeli (1773-1836) or the British Lowell Mason, (1792-1872).

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet.

#13—O GOD, GREAT FATHER LORD AND KING

This hymn alludes to the gospel account of parents bringing their little children to the Lord Jesus (stanzas 1 and 3; see Mark 10:13-16). Stanza two sets forward the Reformed and biblical view of God's covenant with believers and their children (Genesis 17:7). The work of the Holy Spirit is sung about in stanza 4 (Titus 3:5). The fourth stanza is a summary of the prayer of thanksgiving after baptism. It would be very suitable to sing during a service of infant baptism or in connection with Lord's Day 27 of the Heidelberg Catechism.

The author, Elijah Embree Hoss (1849-1919) was a Methodist Episcopal pastor in the USA, musician and church historian.

The tune, MELCOMBE, was composed by the Englishman Samuel Webbe (1740-1816). Webbe's father died soon after Samuel was born without providing financial security for the family. Thus Samuel Webbe received little education and was apprenticed to a cabinet maker at the age of eleven. However, he was determined to study and taught himself Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German and Latin while working as an apprentice. He received musical training from an organist who met him and saw in him some potential. Webbe went on to become an accomplished organist and composed many hymn tunes, motets, madrigals and choral works. This song is best sung in two long lines with a small pause halfway through for a breath (see the periods halfway through each stanza).

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#14—O GRACIOUS LORD

This is the first of two marriage songs in the Augment. As the committee wrote in the Foreword (p. 1), these "… were added to give couples some more choice from among 'our own' hymns for their marriage ceremonies."

The committee altered this hymn substantially. In many other hymnals it is called "O Perfect Love." It had a number of problems, but the committee is pleased to present it to the churches with the "problems" corrected.

Dorothy Gurney wrote the original text for her sister's wedding. In its altered form, the song is a prayer to God to bless husband and wife as they are joined by their holy vows to God; that they may love each other; be united in faith and trust in God; that they may know joy and peace in the midst of sorrow and strife, all-the-while looking toward the new tomorrow of everlasting life with the Lord.

The tune, O PERFECT LOVE, also known as FIFE and SANDRINGHAM, was composed by Sir Joseph Barnby (1838–1896), English musical composer, conductor and organist.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#15—LORD, TODAY BLESS THIS NEW MARRIAGE

This is the second of two marriage songs in the Augment. As the Book of Praise committee wrote in the foreword (p. 1), these "… were added to give couples some more choice from among 'our own' hymns for their marriage ceremonies."

Marie J. Post wrote the text for this song in 1966 in Grand Rapids for her son's wedding. The words were inspired by the prayer that concludes the wedding ceremony. If you compare the prayer on page 639 of the Book of Praise, you will see that it is the source.

The tune, CROSS OF JESUS, was composed by John Stainer and comes from his oratorio The Crucifixion (1887). Stainer was born in London in 1840. As a boy, he sang in the choir of St. Paul's Cathedral and, at the age of 16, was appointed to the post of organist. He became professor of music at Oxford University in 1889. Stainer's output of sacred music was extensive and included many cantatas, anthems and carols.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#16—JESUS WITH YOUR CHURCH ABIDE

Thomas B. Pollock, the author of this text, wrote many metrical litanies. He wrote this one in 1871 for a payer day organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Originally it had eighteen stanzas.

A litany is a form of prayer used in church services consisting of a number of petitions and, usually, one response or refrain. The word comes from the Latin litania meaning "prayer" or "supplication". As we have it in the Augment, we sing four petitions for the church, its members, its teaching and its ministries. The common refrain is, "Lord, our Saviour, hear us." (Psalm 136 has the structure of a litany.)

Pollock first studied medicine but then changed to theology. After he was ordained as a minister in the Church of England in 1861, he served several congregations but spent most of his ministry in a mission church in Birmingham, England. Although he was given many opportunities to serve in more prestigious positions, he chose to work among the poor of Birmingham.

The tune was composed by John H. Gower, born in Rugby, England. A child protégé, he became assistant organist at Windsor Castle at the age of twelve. He died, in 1922, in Denver, Colorado.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#17—GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

This very well known hymn was written by Thomas Chisholm in 1923. It was, he said, simply the result of his "morning my morning realization of God's personal faithfulness." It is based mostly on Lamentations 3:22-23 and James 1:17. The second stanza is based on some of the creation Psalms (36 and 104). Some twenty years after he wrote the text, Chisholm wrote:

I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God in that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonished gratefulness.

In this song we sing of God's unchanging compassion and faithfulness (st. 1)—a constancy to which nature attests (st. 2)—and God's unfailing love seen in His forgiveness and "presence to cheer and to guide" us each day as we walk with Him (st. 3). The refrain is inspired by the comforting words of Lamentations 3:22-23—"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

William Runyan composed the tune specifically for this song; hence, it is called FAITHFULNESS. Messrs Chisolm and Runyan were friends and collaborators. Runyan wrote harmonies for twenty of Chisolm's poems. William Runyan was a church organist by the age of twelve. Later he became a minister, serving by turn in the pastoral ministry and evangelism. Beside the work for his friend Chisholm, he wrote a number of hymn tunes and texts.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#18—CHRIST SHALL HAVE DOMINION

This hymn, found in the 1912 Psalter, is a New Testament paraphrase of Psalm 72:8-19 that brings out the Christology of the Psalm. In stanza 1 (=Ps. 72:8-11) the worldwide rule of Christ over all peoples and kingdoms is proclaimed. Stanza 2 (= vv. 12-14) sings of Christ's saving mercy to the needy and oppressed. Stanza 3 (= vv. 15-17) speaks of the blessings of His endless reign. The final stanza (=vv. 18-19) is a doxology (originally the doxology that ended Book 2 of the Psalms).

Albert Piersma (born in Friesland, 1901; died in Grand Rapids, 1960) composed the tune, KING OF GLORY. Beside his day job at a furniture store, Piersma was a church organist for over thirty years. He wrote a number of hymn tunes and texts. This tune is stately and builds to a solid climax in the final line. It's majestic.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#19—DAY OF JUDGMENT! DAY OF WONDERS!

John Newton wrote this song about the coming day of judgment. Although it holds out the judgment of God for the unrepentant sinner, it also contains prayers for mercy for the believer. In this respect it is quite similar to our confession about Christ coming to judge the living and the dead (see Lord's Day 19, Q&A 52). Stanzas 1 & 3 announce the judgment of God on sin and sinners; stanzas 2 & 4 are comforting words of assurance for believers in Christ. The text concludes with a paraphrase of the words of the Lord Jesus in Mathew 25:34, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world."

John Newton was born and died in London, England (1725-1807). His mother died when he was seven years old. At age 11, with but two years schooling, John went to sea with his father. His life at sea was filled with violence and recklessness. He grew into a godless man. He was once flogged as a deserter from the navy, and for 15 months lived, half starved and ill treated, as a slave in Africa.

A providential reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ sowed the seed of his conversion. It was accelerated by a night spent steering a waterlogged ship in the face of apparent death. He was then 23 years old. Over the next six years, during which he commanded a slave ship, his faith matured. He then spent the next nine years mostly in Liverpool, studying Hebrew and Greek and mingling with leading English Christian leaders. He was eventually ordained into the ministry.

Among his greatest contributions to history was encouraging William Wilberforce, a Member of the British Parliament, to stay in Parliament and "serve God where he was", rather than enter the ministry. Wilberforce heeded the ex-slaveship captain's advice, and spent the next twenty years successfully working for the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.

John Newton wrote many hymns. He is probably best known for Amazing Grace.

The text has been set to several tunes. In our Augment it is set to CORONAE, composed by Willliam Monk (1823-1889). Monk was a teacher and director of music most of his adult life. He was the first musical editor for Hymns Ancient and Modern, the historic hymnal which sold 60 million copies.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#20—THE WORLD OF OLD

Both the text and tune of this song were written by the late Sander Vanderploeg, long time teacher at William of Orange Christian School in Cloverdale, British Columbia. The text closely follows the words of Revelation 21:1-5. The refrain very strongly emphasizes the truth of God's word and God's faithfulness to His promises.

The tune is simple consisting of quarter and half notes. The only "tricky" parts are the three spots where one syllable is held over two half notes (four beats). The range of notes is gentle on the singer (G – D).

#21—THE HOPE OF THE RESURRECTION

The text of this song, written by the late Sander Vanderploeg of New Westminster, BC, follows very closely the words of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17:

13Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Each of these five verses of scripture are represented by one of the five stanzas of the song. Both scripture and song encourage us to remain hopeful when we experience death in our families and congregation. We are not to grieve like unbelievers who have no hope. Christ died and rose again; similarly, our loved ones who died will rise again. On the day of the Christ's return, those who have died will return with Him. There will be much noise on that day. The souls and bodies of the saints who were dead will be reunited. After that, those who are still alive will, together with the resurrected, be raptured—caught up in the air to meet Christ. After that we all will live with Christ forever. What a day that will be.

The beauty of this song is how meticulously it follows the text of scripture. The melody, composed by Vanderploeg, is not difficult and very pleasant for voice and ear.

#22—THE STRIFE IS O'ER, THE BATTLE DONE

Arguably, the committee put this hymn in the wrong place in the Augment. It is an Easter hymn and likely fits in better with the other Easter songs (# 2-5) rather than with the songs about the general resurrection of all believers (# 21-24).

This Easter hymn, based mostly on 1 Corinthians 15, proclaims the death of Christ as the final battle with the powers of evil. He is the victor and His resurrection marks the decisive outcome of the battle. Each stanza begins with some aspect of Christ's resurrection and ends with a response of praise from God's people. Just like some of the Psalms, it ends with a shouted "alleluia!"

Francis Pott translated the song from Latin into English c. 1859. The author of the Latin original is unknown. It is thought to have been written in the twelfth century. Francis Pott was a Church of England minister but had to retire early because of deafness. In his retirement, he devoted himself to psalmody and hymnody.

The tune, VICTORY, was authored by the Italian Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594). The tune is also sometimes named PALESTRINA. In addition to being one of the most gifted composers of his age, he was a teacher of voice, organ and a choirmaster.

This arrangement was made by William Monk in 1861. The tune is rather sober but is surrounded by festive "alleluias." This song has the interesting element of a threefold "alleluia" which is sung only before the first stanza. Each stanza, also, ends with an "alleluia."

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#23—O CHRIST, OUR HOPE, OUR HEART'S DESIRE

The source of this hymn is a 7th century Latin hymn, Jesu nostra redemptio, Amor et desiderium. John Chandler (1806-1876) translated it into English. He was one of the earliest and most successful translators of Latin hymns. Noting that many of the prayers of the Church of England were translations of ancient prayers, he thought the church should sing hymns from that era as well. He published his work in The Hymns of the Primitive Church (1837 and 1841).

This hymn honours Christ as Creator, Saviour and King (st. 1); meditates on His love for us which led Him to the cross (st. 2); proclaims His victory over death and His ascension to heaven and session at the right hand of God (st. 3); and ends with a doxology of praise to our Lord Jesus Christ (st. 4).

The tune, MANOAH, was composed by Henry W. Greatorex (1813-1858). Greatorex got his early musical training from his father, organist at Westminster Abbey. He emigrated to America in 1839, and was organist in a number of churches. His Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1851) contained thirty-seven of his own compositions and arrangements. Greatorex gave arbitrary names to his tunes: Manoah was the father of Samson in the OT. "Manoah" means "rest." Perhaps there is a connection there. It is a very peaceful tune.

Above the name of the tune, you will see the letters "CM." That stands for Common Metre (86 86). According to www.cyberhymnal.org, there are at least 337 tunes to that metre. No wonder it is call "the common metre." A number of our existing hymns in the Book of Praise are set to the same metre.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#24—ALLELUIA! ALLELUIA!

Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885) a recognized Greek scholar, wrote many theological works and a number of hymns. Of his hymns, he said, “It is the first duty of a hymn to teach sound doctrine and thence to save souls.” Many of his hymns are short sermons in verse form. The text of this hymn, heavily influenced by Paul's resurrection discourse in 1 Corinthians 15:1-28, proclaims the meaning of Christ's resurrection. Christ has risen (st. 1) as the firstfruits (st. 2), therefore, let us praise our Triune God (st. 3). The "alleluias" that begin stanzas 1 and 3, and that run throughout stanza 3, lift this teaching hymn to a high level of praise.

Thomas J. Williams (1869-1944), a Welshman born in the hard-to-pronounce town of Ynysmeudwy, composed this tune. Because an English folksinger claimed that the tune had been washed up on the Welsh coast in a bottle, the tune is often named TON-Y-BOTL (Welsh for, "tune in a bottle"). The tune is also named EBENEZER, likely for the chapel Williams attended at the time he composed it.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#25—NOW BLESSED BE THE LORD OUR GOD

Each of the five books of the Psalms ends with its own doxology. Book II (Psalm 42-72) concludes with such a doxology:

Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen (Psa 72:18,19).

This two stanza hymn closely follows the words of the biblical text. It is cast in the berakah ("Blessed be") form common in Jewish worship.

The tune, CORONATION, was composed by Oliver Holden (1765-1844). It is a vigorous marching tune with many delightful repeated tones. The tune calls for the final couplet of the text of both stanzas to be jubilantly repeated.

Holden was reared in a small rural Massachusetts community. He had only minimal formal education—a few months of school. He worked, in turn, as a carpenter, a merchant, and a real estate agent. He also served in the Anti-Slavery Society, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and as a Puritan lay preacher. Always interested in music, Holden became a composer and singing-school teacher. He helped to publish several tunebooks.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#26—O, FOR A THOUSAND TONGUES TO SING

Charles Wesley (1707-1788), author of more than 6,000 hymns, wrote this hymn in 1739 to commemorate the first anniversary of his conversion to Christ. Originally it was an eighteen stanza poem entitled "For the anniversary day of one's conversion." Today it is usually found in seven stanzas. Wesley studied under Peter Böhler in London who once said to him, "Had I a thousand tongues I would praise Him with them all." This inspired the opening words of the hymn.

The tune, composed by Carl Gläser, was adapted and named, by Lowell Mason. Mason composed and adapted many tunes. He used (often obscure) biblical names for his tune titles. Azmon, a city south of Canaan, appears in Numbers 34:4-5.

This great hymn of praise and rejoicing calls for exuberant singing and strong, full accompaniment.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#27—MAY THE GRACE OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR

John Newton (1725-1807) wrote the text for this hymn. Before his conversion, Newton was involved in the slave trade as a ship's captain. Later he became a preacher and abolitionist. (For more on Newton, see notes on Hymn 19, Day of Judgment! Day of Wonders!)

The first stanza of this hymn for the close of worship is based on 2 Corinthians 13:14, one of the blessings with which we often conclude our worship. The second stanza, reminiscent of Psalm 133, is a prayer that we may remain in communion with the Lord and with one another.

The tune, EVENING PRAYER, was composed by John Stainer (1840-1901). Stainer was an organist and a professor of music at Oxford University in 1889. Stainer's output of sacred music was extensive and included many cantatas, anthems and carols.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet

#28—GLORY BE TO THE FATHER

This doxology is an ancient liturgical text written, originally in Greek, in the second century. The initial part of the Gloria Patri ("Glory to the Father") may be traced back to the Trinitarian baptismal formula recorded in Matthew 28:19. The second part, which begins with "as it was in the beginning," was added by a synod in 529 as a response to the heresy of Arianism. The text reflects the orthodox teaching of the eternal unity and equality of the holy Trinity.

Charles Meineke (1782-1850) composed this tune, GLORIA PATRI. He served as organist at Saint Paul Episcopal Church in Baltimore, Maryland. Meineke published several volumes of hymns during his life.

This song of praise can be used any time a doxology is liturgically appropriate.

Sources: Psalter Hymnal Handbook; Internet