RSS

Category Archives: Hymn History

Hymn History: How Great Thou Art

A favorite hymn is How Great Thou Art

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.” Psalm 145:3

“How Great Thou Art” was the opening hymn at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on October 1, 2023 It was sung by Pender’s Sanctuary choir, congregation and accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

“How Great Thou Art” is a Christian hymn based on a Swedish poem written by Carl Gustav Boberg (1859–1940) in Sweden in 1885. The melody is a Swedish folk song. Its popularity is due in large part to its wide use by gospel singers, notably George Beverly Shea of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Team.

The original Swedish text was a poem entitled “O Store Gud.” written by a Swedish pastor, the Reverend Carl Boberg, in 1886. In addition to being one of the leading evangelical preachers of his day. Boberg was also the successful editor of the periodical Sanningsvittnet. His inspiration for this text is said to have come from a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast coast of Sweden. He was suddenly caught in a midday thunderstorm with awe-inspiring moments of flashing violence, followed by a clear brilliant sun. Soon afterwards he heard the calm, sweet songs of the birds in nearby trees. The experience prompted the pastor to fall to his knees in humble adoration of his mighty God, He penned his exaltation in a nine-stanza poem beginning with the Swedish words “O Store Gud, nar jag den varld beskader.”

Several years later Boberg was attending a meeting in the Province of Varmland and was surprised to hear the congregation sing his poem to the tune of an old Swedish melody. It is typically characteristic of many other hymn tunes, i.e., “Day by Day” with its lilting, warm, singable simplicity.

With his original English lyrics and his arrangement of the Swedish folk melody, Mr. Stuart K. Hine published what we know today as the hymn “How Great Thou Art.” Assignments of copyrights and publication rights to an American publishing firm in 1954 helped spread the popularity of this hymn. In April of 1974 the Christian Herald magazine, in a poll presented to its readers, named “How Great Thou Art” the No. 1 hymn in America.

How Great Thou Art

Verse 1:
O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Verse 2:
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Chorus

Verse 3:
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Chorus

Verse 4:
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Chorus

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on October 28, 2023 in Hymn History, hymns, Ministries, Music, Music Ministry, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: Billy Graham, Carl Gustav Boberg, George Beverly Shea, Heidi Jacobs, history, How Great Thou Art, hymn, O Store Gud, Pender Congregation, pianist, Psalm 145:3, Sanctuary Choir, video

Hymn History: Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus

23 Oct

“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” was the closing hymn at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on September 17, 2023 It was sung by Pender’s Sanctuary choir, congregation and accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
George Duffield, Jr.
UM Hymnal, No. 514

Stand up, stand up for Jesus,
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high his royal banner,
It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory
His army shall he lead,
Till every foe is vanquished,
And Christ is Lord indeed.

George Duffield, Jr. (1818-1888) wrote this hymn out of a tragic accident that resulted in the early death of one of the most stirring preachers in the northeastern United States during the mid-nineteeth-century. Dudley Tyng (1825-1858), an inspiring Episcopalian preacher, was one of several ministers participating in a great citywide revival that swept Philadelphia in 1858. His strong doctrinal preaching and his anti-slavery rhetoric were popular for some and angered others, resulting in his resignation from an Episcopal congregation that he pastored following the retirement of his father. In addition to serving the newly organized Church of the Covenant, his midday services at the YMCA attracted crowds as large as 5,000. On one occasion, March 30, 1858, 1000 men responded to the message by committing their lives to Christ.

During this sermon, Tyng is said to have declared, “I would rather that this right arm were amputated at the trunk than that I should come short of my duty to you in delivering God’s message.” Prophetically and tragically, within a few weeks while visiting the countryside, his arm was caught in the cogs of a corn thrasher and severely lacerated resulting in a great loss of blood and an infection that took his life a few days later. Either in his final sermon or on his deathbed, Tyng is to have said, “Let us stand up for Jesus.” Another account states that the dying Tyng told his father, a retired Episcopal minister, “Stand up for Jesus, father, and tell my brethren of the ministry to stand up for Jesus.”

Duffield, the son of a well-known Presbyterian minister, was educated at Yale University and Union Theological Seminary. He used his independent wealth, according to the Rev. Carlton Young, “to establish small congregations and to support evangelistic endeavors.” Duffield was inspired by the funeral service for Tyng to preach on Ephesians 6:14 in his sermon the following Sunday at Temple Presbyterian Church, the text of which reads, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.” (KJV) The hymn he wrote was sung at the conclusion of the sermon.

An omitted stanza five alludes to Tyng’s death in lines 5 and 6:
Stand up!—stand up for Jesus!
Each soldier to his post;
Close up the broken column,
And shout through all the host!
Make good the loss so heavy,
In those that still remain,
And prove to all around you
That death itself is gain!

Hymnologist Kenneth W. Osbeck noted that Duffield’s Sunday school superintendent was so impressed by the hymn that he shared it throughout the church’s Sunday school classes. From there, the editor of a Baptist periodical received a copy and promoted it his publication, giving it wider circulation and making it available for publication in hymnals to this day.

The inspiring story of this hymn and the countless singers who have responded to the call of Christ over the last 150 years notwithstanding, the rhetoric of the poem presents problems for Christians living in a religiously pluralistic context in the twenty-first century. Images of soldiers who “lift high [Christ’s] royal banner,” and fight “till every foe is vanquished” recall for many the militant campaigns of the Crusades in the eleventhth through thirteenth centuries. The British counterpart to this hymn is “Onward, Christian Soldiers” (No. 575), written just a few years later in 1864. Many will recall the controversy around the inclusion of this hymn in The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) before its publication. While Ephesians 6 would seem to provide an impetus for both of these hymns, the language employed is so vividly militant that they may be read by those beyond the Christian family as a call to a literal warfare.

Note, by contrast, the language of Charles Wesley’s 1749 exposition of Ephesians 6:13-18, “Soldiers of Christ, Arise” (No. 513), a hymn tied closely with the Scripture. At the conclusion of the third stanza, Wesley entreats us to “pray always, pray and never faint,/pray, without ceasing pray.” Wesley makes it clearer that we are engaged in spiritual warfare, and Christ provides us with spiritual weapons with which to wage our struggle.

While hymns like “Stand up, stand up for Jesus” may have inspired revival and mission efforts in the mid-nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, our rhetoric today needs to match the gospel of compassion and love that we seek to share in the twenty-first century. Let us claim the call to the spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 and balance this with the God who came in Christ to love a lost and suffering world.

Adapted from https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-stand-up-stand-up-for-jesus

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on October 23, 2023 in Hymn History, hymns, Ministries, Music Ministry, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: accident, Centerville, Chantilly, community, congregation, Fairfax, faith, George Duffield Jr., Heidi Jacobs, Hymn History, hymns, Northern Virginia, NoVa, Pender UMC, pender united methodist church, Sanctuary Choir, singing, Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus, The United Methodist Hymnal, United Methodist, video, Virginia, Wesley, worship

Hymn History: On Eagle’s Wings

16 Oct

“On Eagle’s Wings” was the prelude at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on September 17, 2023. It was played on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

“On Eagle’s Wings,” by Michael Joncas;
The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 143

And He will raise you up on eagle’s wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.*

“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself” (Exodus 19:4, NRSV).

Many recent composers for the church draw from biblical sources, making allusions to specific images. Father Jan Michael Joncas (b. 1951) uses the providential image of “eagle’s wings” as the anchor metaphor for his widely sung refrain. This refrain is a response for Psalm 91, usually sung by a cantor.

In a presentation for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) convention in Long Beach in 1989, Joncas stated, “Scripture grounds my life as a Christian, a preacher, and a priest” (Joncas, GIA Publications, Inc. website). “On Eagles’ Wings” is an example of the high scriptural content of Fr. Joncas’s compositions. The composition appeared first in the liturgical music collection On Eagles’ Wings in 1979.

Dr. Joncas is one of the most prominent liturgical scholars and musicians in Catholic music today. He was granted the BA (English) magna cum laude from St. Thomas College, St. Paul, Minnesota (1975), the MA (Liturgical Studies) summa cum laude from University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana (1978), and the SLL and SLD summa cum laude from the Pontificio Istituto Liturgico at the Collegio Sant’Anselmo (Roma, Italia) in 1989 and 1991, respectively.

Fr. Joncas has published widely in liturgical journals, written books, and composed and recorded numerous collections of liturgical music. He served as co-editor of Gather, one of the most widely used collections of liturgical music in Catholic parishes. He has served in parish ministry and is currently serving as University Artist-in-Residence and Fellow, Center for Catholic Studies, in the Department of Catholic Studies, University of St. Thomas.

The United Methodist Hymnal (1989) was the first major Protestant hymnal to include the refrain, “On Eagle’s Wings.” The only changes were the substitution of “God” and “God’s” for “He” and “His” for inclusive language purposes. Many Protestant congregations might view this song as a chorus or praise song. The roots are, in fact, much different. The song was written in 1978 as Joncas was concluding his MA in liturgy from Notre Dame. He was ordained in 1980 as a priest for the archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.

While serving in Minnesota, Fr. Joncas collaborated with two of his colleagues, Marty Haugen (b. 1950) and David Haas (b. 1957), in producing some of the most effective music for the church’s worship that has appeared in the days following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). This music written for the Catholic liturgy should not be confused with shorter choruses composed by contemporary Christian artists whose roots are in evangelical Christianity. At the National Pastoral Musicians conference in Long Beach, Fr. Joncas noted, “We pastoral musicians do not sing to entertain bored worshipers or to seduce them into brainless ecstasy; we may sing in the Spirit, but we also sing with our minds” (Joncas, GIA Publications, Inc. website).

In the Catholic liturgy, “On Eagle’s Wings” would be used most often on Sundays when the lectionary calls for Psalm 91. Joncas’s solo setting of the psalm for cantor is not included in The United Methodist Hymnal. The refrain allows the congregation to participate more fully in the singing of the psalm.

Most Protestant congregations know only the refrain. The beautiful, soaring melodic line and the rich, providential images of the text allow it to stand on its own. “On Eagle’s Wings” is often used in United Methodist worship as a congregational response to the benediction at the conclusion of the service. It also has a broader use, being sung at many 9/11 memorial services and at the memorial service for those who died in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

How music will be used once it is published may be much different from what the composer intended. In correspondence with this writer, Fr. Joncas noted, “I wasn’t aware that by printing only the refrain in [The United] Methodist Hymnal, members of that denomination treat it more as a detachable benediction than a verse/refrain setting of Psalm 91.”

Adapted from https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-on-eagles-wings

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on October 16, 2023 in Hymn History, hymns, Ministries, Music, Music Ministry, Pender UMC, Videos

Tags: Centerville, Chantilly, community, Exodus 19:4, Fairfax, faith, Heidi Jacobs, Hymn History, hymns, Michael Joncas, Northern Virginia, NoVa, On Eagle’s Wings, Pender UMC, pender united methodist church, piano, Prelude, Psalm 91, singing, The United Methodist Hymnal, United Methodist, video, Virginia, Wesley, worship

Hymn History: Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

09 Oct

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
Henry Van Dyke
The UM Hymnal, No. 89

“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”, set to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s final symphony, Symphony No. 9, was the opening hymn at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on September 10, 2023. It was sung by Pender’s Sanctuary choir, congregation and accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

“Ode to Joy” was the postlude at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on July 9, 2023, played by Heidi Jacobs on the piano.

On June 20, 2022, a Memorial Concert was held for long-time choir member, Diane Martini. The Pender Sanctuary Choir and The Choral Arts Society of Washington sang several of Diane’s favorites.

“The Hymn of Joy” (often called “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee” after the first line) is a poem written by Henry van Dyke in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s final symphony, Symphony No. 9.

Former Pender UMC Music Director, Ann Rollins, directed the combined choirs and congregation in singing Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee with organ accompaniment.

Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
Opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
Fill us with the light of day.

This joyful ode is one of the best-known hymns in the English language. Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933) was inspired in 1907 by the beauty of the Berkshire mountains where he was serving as a guest preacher at Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.

It has been said that Van Dyke handed the poem to the president of the college, saying: “Here is a hymn for you. Your mountains were my inspiration. It must be sung to the music of Beethoven’s ‘Hymn to Joy.’” The hymn appeared in the 3rd edition of Van Dyke’s Book of Poems (1911).

While this story may be true, Methodist hymnologist Fred Gealy commented on this hymn from a different perspective (as cited by UM Hymnal editor Carlton Young):

“Van Dyke countered [the doom prior to World War I] by speaking a gay cheery all’s-right-with-the-world note which was in complete harmony with the widely held belief in an easy if not inevitable progress. . . . The daintiness of phrase and the lilt of rhythm suggest Elysium or Eden before the Fall.”

The adaptation of Ludwig van Beethoven’s (1770-1827) stirring melody from the final movement of his Ninth Symphony is the perfect companion to this exuberant text. Beethoven never wrote a hymn tune, per se, though a number of texts have been adapted to this melody. Van Dyke’s is by far the most closely associated hymn text with this tune.

The metaphor of light, the antithesis of darkness—a common theme in Romantic poetry—provides the overarching vehicle for expressing joy in stanza one. “Flowers . . . [open] to the sun above.” “Clouds of sin and sadness” disperse. “Dark and doubt” are driven away. The final line of stanza one petitions the “Giver of immortal gladness” to “fill us with the light of day.”

The second stanza paints a vivid picture of God manifest in the beauty of nature, also a common theme of the Romantic era. The third stanza extends to the human creation and the brotherhood of humanity. Since God is the Father of humanity, Christ is our brother.

The belief that ultimately humanity is progressing culminates in the final stanza, “Ever singing, march we onward,/ Victors in the midst of strife.”

Beethoven’s “joyful music” was adapted by British composer Edward Hodges (1796-1867). The United Methodist Hymnal restores Beethoven’s original syncopation that begins the final line of each stanza.

Dr. Young comments on this bold move with a combination of humor and irony: “Its restoration in our hymnal has spawned complaints from those for whom congregational song is devoid of surprises—and resurrection!”

Van Dyke was a Presbyterian minister. Most of his career (1899-1922) was spent as a professor of English literature at Princeton University.
He also served in civil posts, including his appointment to the Netherlands and Luxembourg by Woodrow Wilson, a personal friend, and was a lieutenant-commander in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps during World War I. Van Dyke wrote some 25 books and chaired the committee that in 1905 prepared the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church.

Given Van Dyke’s experience in Europe and service as a military chaplain, it is unlikely that this famous hymn, written during the bleak days before the World War I, was composed with a Pollyanna worldview of denial. Rather this poem, composed by a minister and English professor, reflects the Romantic poetic themes of its day while imbued with a Christian sense of ultimate hope.

Dr. Hawn is professor of sacred music at Perkins School of Theology.

Adapted from https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-joyful-joyful-we-adore-thee

Leave a comment

Posted by MaryO on October 9, 2023 in Hymn History, hymns, Ministries, Music, Music Ministry, Pender UMC, Posts of Interest, Videos

Tags: Ann Rollins, Beethoven, Choral Arts Society Of Washington, congregation, Diane Martini, Heidi Jacobs, Henry Van Dyke, history, hymn, Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee, Ludwig van Beethoven, Memorial Concert, Ode To Joy, pender sanctuary choir, piano, Symphony, Symphony No 9, video

Hymn History: Sanctuary

02 Oct

“Sanctuary” was the offertory anthem at Pender’s 9:00 am Traditional Service on September 10, 2023 It was sung by Pender’s Sanctuary choir, directed by Jane McKee and accompanied on piano by Heidi Jacobs.

This popular praise chorus is paired with original words and music by Lloyd Larson. The prayerful message calls for each worshiper to come before God in devotion and thanksgiving.

The Scriptural Reference is Romans 12:1-2.

Sanctuary was written by Randy Scruggs and John W. Thompson. Randy Scruggs was born in 1953 and died 62 years later. He was named CMA Musician of the Year in 1999, 2003 and 2006. He was first recorded when he was four years old, his dad was a well known banjo player. He wrote hits for several individuals throughout his life.

John’s co-authorship of the song was close to the time when he wrote another song – El Shaddai (with Michael Card) – that has gone on to various accolades.