Praying Twice

The First Sunday after Christmas Day December 29, 2019 As our celebration continues throughout the twelve days of Christmas, we have the opportunity to sing even more of the wonderful carols that tell the story of the nativity and reflect on the meaning of the incarnation. A favorite Christmas hymn in the Anglican tradition is "In the bleak midwinter" by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894). First published in 1872, the hymn gained popularity when paired with the tune, Cranham , composed especially for it by Gustav Holst (1874-1934). The hymn reached The Episcopal Church through its inclusion in The Hymnal 1940 and has become a beloved carol in our Christmas repertoire. Hear a recording:  In the Bleak Midwinter The Hymnal 1982 Companion notes that "...like certain visual artists, Rossetti has depicted the Christmas landscape in terms of her own familiar environment: the English winter climate instead of the warmer Palestinian weather." This approach can...

Christmas 2019 What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb; If I were a wise man, I would do my part; yet what I can I give him -  give my heart. "In the bleak midwinter," Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) You are invited to worship with us at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Omaha at 4:00, 7:30, and 10:30 on Christmas Eve and 10:30 a.m. on Christmas Day. Prelude music for choir and instruments begins at 7:00 and 10:00 on Christmas Eve. Music for Christmas Eve 4:00 p.m. Holy Eucharist and Pageant 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Festival Choral Eucharist (Prelude music begins at 7:00 and 10:00 p.m.) Hymns 83   O Come, All Ye Faithful ( Adeste fidelis ) 96   Angels we have heard on high ( Gloria ) 99   Go tell it on the mountain ( Go Tell It on the Mountain ) (4:00 only) 109 The first Nowell ( The First Nowell ) 100   Joy to the world! ( Antioch ) 105   God rest you merry, gentlemen ( God Rest You Merry ) (7:30/1...

The Fourth Sunday of Advent December 22, 2019 As the season of Advent draws to a close, we sing the final stanzas of one of the best known Advent hymns, "O come, O come Emmanuel." The stanzas of this hymn are drawn from the "O antiphons." These antiphons - short passages based on scripture - date from the 8th century and were designed to be sung with the Magnificat (the Song of Mary) at Vespers. You will notice in your hymnal that each stanza is labeled with a specific date in the Advent season, counting down to Christmas Eve.  The medieval mind loved a puzzle, and the original Latin hymn contains a fascinating hidden meaning. As explained in The Hymnal 1982 Companion : "T he second word of each antiphon yields an acrostic: read in inverse order from the last to the first stanza, the words begin with the letters ERO CRAS, which is Latin for  "I shall be present tomorrow." If one antiphon is sung each day, the full text of the acrostic is revea...

The Third Sunday of Advent December 15, 2019 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. (Philippians 4:4) Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, known as Gaudete Sunday. The name comes from the ancient Latin introit for this day, which begins with the word "Gaudete," meaning "Rejoice." Hear a recording: Gaudete We are reminded that scripture calls us to wait for Emmanuel with joyful expectation, and that the coming of the Lord is near. We light the third, rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath, and beautiful rose-colored vestments are worn on this day. We continue to sing the great hymns of Advent, and today we also sing the Magnificat, the Song of Mary. Canticle of Mary (Jen Norton) This morning's anthem is my choral setting of Charles Wesley's classic Advent hymn, "Come, thou long-expected Jesus." In sixteen elegantly simple lines, Wesley captures the principal themes of Advent: prophecy, incarnation, sovereignt...

The Second Sunday of Advent December 8, 2019 Our hymnal contains Advent hymns by a variety of authors from around the world and throughout church history. One of today's hymns - "Savior of the nations, come" - was written by Martin Luther, a central figure in the Protestant Reformation. Written shortly before Advent in 1523, it is a translation of an earlier Latin Advent hymn, "Veni redemptor gentium," written by St. Ambrose in the 4th century.  Martin Luther also adapted the ancient plainsong melody associated with this hymn, removing more complex melismas (groups of several notes per word or syllable) and creating a better fit with his German text. The new tune - " Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland " - became one of the most widely sung Advent hymns.  Many great composers from the Baroque period through modern times have written organ and choral compositions based on this tune. Today, we will hear two of these organ settings by Dietrich Buxtehud...