Saturday, November 7, 2009

Time Out #38: Behold a Host

The latest Time Out broadcast is available here

The featured hymn is "Behold a Host Arrayed in White" from Lutheran Service Book #676.

Once again the broadcast features the golden vocal tones of Layman Dan and the talented fingers and feet of Southern Lutheran Kantor at the organ of Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The myriad angels raise their song;
O saints, sing with that happy throng!
Lift up one voice;
Let heav'n rejoice
In our Redeemer's song!

Peters on Prayer II: Speaking of "The King of Love..."

Speaking of "The King of Love My Shepherd Is," Pastor Peters has another excellent post on prayer titled Whose Goodness Faileth Never.  The title comes from the second phrase of the first verse.

The King of love my shepherd is
Whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am His
And He is mine forever.

Pastor Peters writes
The purpose of prayer is not to achieve the desired outcome (healing, lengthening of life, material goods and resources, certain feelings, etc.). The purpose of prayer is for me to trust in the goodness of the Lord which never fails and which can never fail me. It is my confidence in this goodness that is the object of my prayer.

And for those of you who know this text to be paired with the tune St. Columba, here is a wonderful setting.



Where streams of living water flow,
My ransomed soul he leadeth
And, where the verdant pastures grow,
With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me
And on his shoulder gently laid
And home rejoicing brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill
With thee, dear Lord, beside me,
Thy rod and staff my comfort still,
Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spredst a table in my sight;
Thine unction grace bestoweth;
And, oh, what transport of delight
From thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days
Thy goodness faileth never.
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
Within thy house forever.

Sound of Majesty: Hymn-Tune Prelude on Dominus Regit Me

Also, on the November 5 Sound of Majesty program, the Vaughan Williams string piece, "Hymn-Tune Prelude on Dominus Regit Me."  The tune is for the metrical version of Psalm 23 known as "The King of Love My Shepherd Is."

Until today, I only knew this tune though Vaughan Williams' eyes. When I listen to it, I hear the tune O Welt Ich Muss Dich Lassen (in LSB, that would be #880, the tune for "Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow").

Here is the Vaughan Williams piece.



Here is "Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow." For those of you with a German Grandmother, tell her Nun Ruhen Alle Waelder and she will probably sing the words while the music plays.



And finally, a straight-up, four-part choral version of Dominus Regit Me.



LATIN ALERT:
Dominus regit me: The first words of the 23rd Psalm in Latin. The numbering is different in the Latin Bible, though, so if you look it up, you will find it under Psalm 22.