Praying Twice

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost September 1, 2019 It is always interesting to hear different musical settings of the same text. As we listen and sing, we can gain new insights into the meaning and significance of familiar words.  In today's liturgy, we will hear two settings of "What wondrous love is this" - one for organ, one for choir. The anonymous text first appeared in hymnals in the early 19th century, and it was a new addition to The Hymnal 1982 . The metre and rhyme scheme are unusual. The hymn uses a poetic structure known as the "Captain Kidd" metre because of its use in an 18th century ballad about the famous pirate. This early American text is rich in scriptural images. What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul! What wondrous love is this, O my soul! What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to lay aside his crown for my soul, for my soul, to lay aside his crown for my soul. To God and to the Lamb, I will sing...

Praying Twice is taking a break during August as summer draws to a close. Watch for our return in September!  Music lists for the Sundays in August are posted below. The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost August 4, 2019 Hymns 414   God, my King, thy might confessing ( Stuttgar t) 686   Come, thou fount of every blessing ( Nettleton ) 822   Through north and south ( Lasst uns erfreuen ) 764   Taste and see 516   Come down, O Love divine ( Down Ampney ) 594   God of grace and God of glory ( Cwm Rhondda) Service Music Gloria in excelsis, S-280   -Robert Powell Psalm S-415, Simplified Anglican chant   - Jerome Webster Meachen Sanctus, S-129   -Powell Fraction Anthem S-152   -Ambrosian chant, adapt. Mason Martens Anthem Consider the Lilies   -Roland E. Martin Organ Voluntaries Theme and Variations on Stuttgart   -G. Winston Cassler   God of Grace   -Paul Manz    ...

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost July 28, 2019 As we conclude our summer focus on hymns from Wonder, Love, and Praise , we will sing one of the best known hymns from this supplement: "We all are one in mission." The text is written by Rusty Edwards (b. 1955). An Illinois native, Edwards graduated from the University of Nebraska and taught at a parochial school in Elgin, Nebraska following graduation. He completed his M.Div. degree at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1985 and was ordained as an ELCA minister. He served several churches in his home state from 1985-1998. Edwards now serves as Senior Pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Marietta, Georgia. This hymn was written in 1985, the year of Edward's ordination. It was published in his first collection of hymns in 1993. It has been included in over two dozen hymnals and collections, and it has been paired with a variety of tunes. It is the most frequently published of his hymns. The tune used i...

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost July 21, 2019 As we continue to explore hymns from the Wonder, Love, and Praise hymnal supplement this summer, we'll travel through music to South Korea singing "Come now, O Prince of Peace" ( O-so-so ).  Geon-yong Lee, born in 1947 in North Korea, wrote both the words and the hauntingly beautiful hymn tune. The English paraphrase was written by Marion Pope. After the Korean War, Lee's family moved to Seoul, South Korea. He studied music in Germany, then returned to South Korea, where he works as a university professor and church musician. Lee serves as the choirmaster of the Anglican Cathedral in Seoul. He was also the editor of the Korean Anglican hymnal. In 2018, Lee was awarded the Thomas Cranmer Award for Worship for his outstanding contribution to Korean language Christian worship music. The award was presented by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  Prayers for reconciliation and peace resonate with the concerns o...