Hymn Selections: Trinity XVIII, XIX, XX, and XXI

Hymn numbers are from The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity XVIII:

397 Now Thank We All Our God 
324 Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence
542 Christ Is The World's True Light
450 All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Trinity XIX:

523 Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

404 We Will Extol You

427 When Morning Gilds the Skies

401 The God of Abraham Praise

Trinity XX:

390 Praise to the Lord

527 Singing Songs of Expectation

544 Jesus Shall Reign

495 Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus

Trinity XXI:

460 Alleluia, Sing to Jesus

699 Jesus, Lover of My Soul

321 My God, Thy Table Now Is Spread

665 All My Hope on God Is Founded

Hymn Selections: Trinity XIV, XV, XVI, and XVII

Hymn numbers are from The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity XIV:

397 Now Thank We All Our God
488 Be Thou My Vision
135 Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
556 Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart

Hymn Selections: Trinity XIV, XV, XVI, and XVII

Hymn numbers are from The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity XIV:

397 Now Thank We All Our God
488 Be Thou My Vision
135 Songs of Thankfulness and Praise
556 Rejoice Ye Pure in Heart

Hymn Selections: Trinity X, XI, XII,and XIII

Hymn numbers are from The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity X:

523 Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken
516 Come Down, O Love Divine
609 Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
450 All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

Hymn Selections: Trinity V, VI, VII, VIII, and IX

Hymn numbers are from The Hymnal 1982.

Trinity V:

388 O Worship the King
408 Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above
550 Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult
437 Tell Out, My Soul

The tune for hymn #550 is Restoration, from The Southern Harmony. It's a personal favorite of mine. I prefer the "alternative accompaniment for unison singing" that is on the opposite page in the spiral bound accompanist copy of the hymnal. The version on the left page, with the text, is designed for 4-part vocals, and has a more open harmonic feel (some of the thirds of chords are left out). The version on the right fills in the thirds, and doesn't have so many moving parallel intervals and large stretches, which is more comfortable to play.

Dear Modern Protestant Pastor

I've recently been reading The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. This book is a collection of short biographies (really, biographical essays) on the lives and works of many of Western classical music's greatest composers. The spiritual lives of the composers are a large focus of the book. In the chapter on Bach, Smith makes the statement (as have many others) that "if there had not been a Luther, there would not have been a Bach." This started me thinking: if modern protestant pastors love Luther so much, and enjoy sharing that love with others who are like-minded, why are they ignoring the music of Bach, who (like they) found his spiritual heritage in the Reformation?

New Territory: Organ Offertories

During my recent trip to the state music teachers' conference, I picked up a couple of organ books by Gordon Young: Organ Voluntaries: Eleven Short Solos for Church or Recital, and Eight Organ Voluntaries on Familiar Hymn Tunes, both published by Theodore Presser Company. They are clearly a different style from what I usually play for the service (which would be Baroque-esque preludes or hymn arrangements), but majestic and perfect for Sunday mornings. From the first volume above, I recently played "Antiphon," a two-page selection with simple pedal points, modified by yours truly to be played with the left hand, since our church "organ" is actually a keyboard--no pedals available. Whether you have pedals or not, this is a lovely piece; and its form is conducive to repeats as needed, which makes it perfect for an offertory. I'm looking forward to checking out other pieces by Young in the coming weeks!

Hymn Selections: Trinity Sunday through Trinity IV

As promised, here are some possible appropriate hymns for Trinity Sunday through Trinity IV. The numbers listed are for The Hymnal 1982.

My church uses 4 hymns in each service (in addition to service music, and two communion hymns), but some weeks will list additional hymns that would be appropriate for the occasion.

Liturgical Calendar Resources

In my last post, I discussed the selection of hymns according to the liturgical calendar. After writing this post, my priest found a couple of helpful reference books for me: A Liturgical Index to The Hymnal 1982, and A Scriptural Index to The Hymnal 1982, both by Marion J. Hatchett. These provide some assistance in the selection of hymns, but they are designed to follow the new 3-year lectionary, rather than the traditional 1-year that my church follows. The Scriptural Index will probably prove more helpful for me, since I can look up the passages we are reading for each Sunday and see a listing of appropriate hymns. The Liturgical Index will be helpful during seasons such as Advent and Lent, since the hymns selected would be more suited to the time of year than the specific scripture passage; but during seasons such as Trinity, which we are in now, the passages may be completely different.

If your church follows the 3-year lectionary (and uses this hymnal!), then by all means check out this resource! I intend to make use of these books as much as possible, and in the meantime, I will continue to keep track of the hymns I use throughout the year and compile my own resource, as I discuss in the post referenced above.

Help for the Liturgical Calendar

In the past year I have begun attending a church that follows the liturgical calendar. If you are in a church that follows such a calendar (most commonly Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic, or Orthodox), you will be familiar with my context. I have previously written on the selection of hymns according to topic and to their placement in the service in this post. Most of those principles still apply in my new church (beginning with a hymn of praise, introducing new hymns one at a time alongside old favorites, etc.), but there are now additional considerations for selecting hymns appropriate for the theme of the worship service each Sunday.

Music and the Power of Memory

Music and its association with memories is a common topic addressed in articles and blogs. It’s a beautiful, powerful thing. My dad was talking to me this week about how certain songs remind him of my mom. He’ll hear a song--and it can be any song, even a pop song--that they listened to together, and it’ll bring back memories of her. Music holds a powerful influence on our lives.

Because of this, music is one of the ways that the gospel message can be introduced and internalized in a believer’s life. I still remember Bible songs I learned in Sunday school when I was a little girl (books of the Bible in order? Go!). Psalm settings that we sing in Sunday worship help me to recall my favorite psalms when I meditate on them during the week, even when I’m driving or teaching, and I don’t have my Bible in front of me.

What are some ways to use this amazing power of music in your life and the life of your congregation?

A Word of Encouragement

Do you feel frustrated as, week after week, you keep doing the same job, with no thanks from anyone? Do you ever get tired of the weekly drudge of trying to pick out hymns that somehow fit the obscure text your pastor chose (or worse, the same text as the last three sermons)? Why isn’t there a helpful hymn index, anyway? I know that for myself, it’s easy to fall into a rut of weekly frustration: “Did we sing this too recently? Not that anyone would remember, anyway….Do they really know this song? Do I feel like trying to teach them a new one this week?”

Tell Me the Old, Old Story

Each passage in the Bible has many different facets to be explored and understood. Sometimes, a pastor will preach for several weeks on the same verse. Other times, he’ll do a series based on one topic. While this is an effective way to teach and to learn, it can prove especially difficult for the music director to select appropriate music for one subject--for weeks at a time. Selecting music for only one week’s sermon requires careful thought and planning (see my earlier post), but what happens when there are only 3 hymns or songs on your topic, and three weeks of sermons?

Psalm and Hymn Calendar

Looking for ideas for your church songs for this year? Check out this resource:
Psalm and Hymn Calendars

Having a schedule for the year is a great way to enhance your church's musical and spiritual vocabulary. If you're like me, and choose at least one song every week specifically to fit the sermon (see my previous post), you can use these calendars as a reference for opening songs of praise, and insert your own song choice as a response, or simply use the list to get ideas for new hymns to learn over the course of the year.

Help! What If I'm Not a Musician?

So far, most of my articles have been geared toward church pianists, but what if you're a pastor or other church leader who is starting a church or who has been left without a regular pianist for some reason? Don't worry—this article is for you.

It's Not Elevator Music

What is an offertory? An offertory, or “musical offering,” is a piece of music played for the glory of God during the worship service. Its main purpose is to give glory to God, and it serves as a time of focus for the congregation. During the offertory, it would be appropriate to listen and enjoy it, or pray, or meditate on scripture, or otherwise prepare your heart for worship (especially if the offertory is before the sermon). The offertory is NOT elevator music. The point is not just some tunes in the background while the ushers are taking up a collection. Yes, this is happening at the same time, but it is not the primary purpose of the musical selection (unless you are planning to rewrite the song as “Bringing in the Dough”). Its function is the same as if there were no monetary offering being taken up at the same time. That being said, there are some technicalities to consider....

Resources

Here are some of my favorite resources for church music, accompanying, and music in general:

Helpful Hymn Hints (Link)

Check out this article about hymn-playing. There are lots of helpful hints about giving singers time to breathe, and adding variety to each verse of a hymn.

http://gretchenspianos.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/creative-hymn-playing/

Music for Special Occasions Part 1: Easter and Christmas

Easter is only 3 weeks away—are you planning ahead? What kind of special music are you preparing for your church?

Selecting Music That Fits with the Sermon

One of the most difficult parts of being a church musician is choosing appropriate music for the sermon. Music should complement the message and help emphasize and reflect on the main points.