Young Talent: Trevor and the Rach II

Trevor is a junior in high school and son to Cheryl of A Round Unvarnish'd Tale.

You might also know Trevor's dad from Fine Tuning and Liturgy Solutions.

Trevor played this piece in competition earlier this month. There must have been some stiff competition, as he did not even earn honorable mention.

If you've seen the movie Shine, you may remember that the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3 (aka the Rach III) was considered the most difficult piano piece ever.

Here's Trevor with what I would consider the second most difficult piano piece ever, the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2. I have listened to this now over five times and each time is as thrilling as the last!

In case you are wondering, That's Trevor on the front piano and his dad on the piano in the background.

ENJOY!

If you know of, or come across any young talent out there, feel free to drop the info into any comment box here at All for Hymn.

Air on the G String

Grab your favorite stringed instrument and play along! Note the use of the movable C-Clef in the tenor. Middle C is whatever space or line runs through the center of the C-Clef symbol. In this case, Middle C is the center line of the staff. If you want Middle C to be a different line or space, you can simply move it up or down the staff.

Note: the music begins playing about 20 seconds into the recording.

New Feature on Lutheran Time Out

This week introduces a new segment on Lutheran Time Out.

After the regular reading of Scripture and a hymn, there is a reading from The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Paul E. Kretzmann, Ph. D., D.D.

The latest episode includes:

• Luke 24:13-52
• Hymn: 830, Spread the Reign of God the Lord
• Kretzmann Commentary: Genesis

Check out Episode 50 of Lutheran Time Out here!

Catching Up With Lutheran Time Out

Now that the holidays are long past us, it is time to get back to the weekly feature of Lutheran Time Out.

Here is what you missed, if you are not following along at LutheranTimeOut.org.

Time Out, Episode 45
Dec 24th, 2009
Text: Luke 2:1-21
Hymn: 359, Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Time Out, Christmas Bonus Edition
Dec 25th, 2009
Hymns:
LSB 360, All My Heart Again Rejoices
TLH 92 (words on LSB 386), Now Sing We, Now Rejoice
LSB 363, Silent Night, Holy Night

Time Out, Episode 46
Dec 31st, 2009
Text: Isaiah 60:1-7
Hymn: 343 from The Lutheran Hymnal

Time Out, Episode 47
Jan 7th, 2010
Text: 1 Peter 1
Hymn: 412, The People That in Darkness Sat


Time Out, Episode 48
Jan 14th, 2010
Text: Ephesians 5
Hymns:
590, Baptized Into Your Name Most Holy
601, All Who Believe and Are Baptized

Time Out, Episode 49
Jan 21st, 2010
Text: 2 Corinthians 4
Hymn: 398, Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Lutheran Time Out (LTO) airs weekly on Pirate Christian Radio at Noon ET, and is archived each week at lutherantimeout.org shortly after the broadcast.

The goal hear at All for Hymn is to feature LTO weekly after the show airs on Pirate Christian Radio. Look for the next LTO post later today around 2:00 PM ET.

Arvo Pärt: Cantus and Magnificat

Southern Lutheran Kantor recently did a post on Arvo Pärt. Dovetailing on his post, here is some more information on this unique composer.

Arvo Pärt was born in Estonia, and after emmigrating during the Communist regime, returned there around 2000. Arvo Pärt is still living, according to Wikipedia (and if you found it there, it must be true!).

Some of Pärt's music sounds like ringing bells, which he called "tinntinnabuli".  An example of this is his Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten. He uses the orchestral chimes throughout, but also has the other instruments playing a descending scale similar to Purcell's Bell Symphony.

On the religious side of things, here is a live performance of Pärt's Magnificat.

If you'd like to follow along with the music, here's one from King's College Choir.

Contemporaries of Arvo Pärt include Henryk Górecki and John Tavener.

Check out Southern Lutheran Kantor's Recommended Church Music Recordings List for more information on select works of Arvo Pärt.  You can catch snippets of these recordings on his original post.

Just for Fun: It - Can - not - Wait - I'm - Yours!

Dale Witte of Composing My Thoughts and conductor of this wonderful WLA Christmas concert posted this to his Facebook page.

What can I say, the kid's got talent!

Conversion of Paul: Z. Randall Stroope

Caedite, vexate, ligate vinculis!
Saul! Murder, harass, bind into chains! Saul!

Vinculis, condemnate vexate!
Chain, prosecute and harass!

Why do you persecute me, Saul?
Why, why, why?
Fall down on your knees, turn hatred into love.
Turn darkness into light.
Bow down, Saul! Bow down, Saul!
Saul, Saul, Saul.

Conversion of Paul: Egil Hovland

And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Acts 8:1b-4; 9:1-4

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (d)

Lutheran Book of Worship and Lutheran Worship changed the scope of the Gloria and referred to this part of the Divine Service as "The Hymn of Praise." This carried over to Lutheran Service Book, which has the rubric

HYMN OF PRAISE
During Advent and Lent, the Hymn of Praise is omitted.

It should be noted first that the Lutheran tradition has two historic hymn paraphrases of the Gloria (LSB #947 and 948) plus the relatively new alternative "This Is the Feast" found in Lutheran Service Book's Divine Service I and II.

Here is a setting of LSB #947, All Glory Be to God on High, done in the classic tradition of an organ improvisation for the introduction followed by congregational singing.

Here is a wonderful setting featuring "a full medieval percussion section, penny whistles, and a saxophone ensemble."

The newest tradition is to substitute the Gloria for "This Is the Feast," first published as "Festive Canticle: Worthy Is Christ." As Lutherans follow the Latin Rite, they tend to assign Latin words to new liturgical works, and this is no exception, going by Dignus Est Agnus, or "Worthy Is the Lamb," taken from the first line of the first verse.

There is some discussion among Lutherans as to whether we should substitute ANYTHING for the Gloria. The text of "This Is the Feast" is drawn from the book of Revelation, and hence is appropriate for Easter and it's Season as well as any time there is an End Times theme, such as All Saints Day and the last Sundays of the church year. It is also excellent if the Divine Service is celebrated at a funeral.

As Micah at Liturgical Variations states

The image of Christ as the Lamb of God is repeated with added imagery from Revelation. The concept of praising God for Who He is and what has done is also continued. The imagery of Christmas has been replaced with the imagery of the End Time, when the angels will sing in response to Immanuel. "...has begun His reign:" We pray that Christ begins His reign in our hearts, through the hearing of His Word.

That being said, the chief text is the Gloria, and the secondary text is "This Is the Feast." Think of "This Is the Feast" as seasoning salt. It adds flavor to our church year. Think of it as coming alongside the Gloria and not replacing it. Use it wisely and use it when it is appropriate.

Here it is, sung at Easter Vigil. By the way, this would most likely be in place of the Gloria at a Roman Catholic church. They are using the Richard Hillert setting originally published as "Festival Canticle: Worthy is Christ." That last descant is always challenging, no matter who the choir is.

This is the forth and final post in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (c)

What about English versions of the Gloria? There are some issues with modern translations of the text into English.
If you are singing from an older Anglican or English Lutheran hymnbook, or your translation contains words like "Thee" and "Thou," chances are you have a good translation.

It probably reads something like this...

Glory be to God on high.
And in earth peace goodwill towards men.
We praise Thee.
We bless Thee.
We worship Thee.
We glorify Thee.
We give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory.
O Lord God, heavenly King
God the Father almighty.
O Lord, the only-begotten Son Jesus Christ.
O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy upon us.
Thou that takest away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer.
Thou that sittest at the right of the Father,
have mercy upon us.
For Thou only art Holy.
Thou only art the Lord.
Thou only, O Christ,
with the Holy Ghost,
art Most High in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

This is very close to Iggy's Literal Translation, with the exception of today's "you" and "your" instead of "thou" and "thine." Please ask permission before borrowing this translation.

Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of goodwill.
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King
God the Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen

The International Counsel on English Texts (ICET) took some liberties with the translation, and used almost a paraphrase of the Latin.

To begin with, while the literal translation is "men" the application is "people" so I won't get hung up on that one. However, what happened to "goodwill?"

Latin
Gloria in excelsis Deo
Et in terra pax hominibus voluntatis

Iggy
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace goodwill toward men.

ICET
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to His people on earth.

On another note, the current trend is to change the word "His" to "God's" in the second phrase of the ICET text. Curiously enough, if they had been faithful to the original text, there would be no pronoun there to begin with. That being said, pronouns keep us from being too repetitive with names, so the use of "His" is not only theologically correct, it is also grammatically correct.

The ICET text also loses the repetition in the beginning. In the ICET text we only worship, give thanks, and praise. We do not bless or glorify. The original text builds and builds and builds, heaping one form of praise upon the other. The ICET text is truncated at best, condensing five clauses into three.

Latin
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam

Iggy
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.

ICET
We worship You,
We give You thanks,
We praise You for your glory.

Another thing that is lost is the allusion to the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God) that will appear later in the Divine Service, just before we receive communion. This echo reminds us that we are preparing to partake in the Holy Supper and receive the Body and Blood of our Lord, as Scripture states, "given...and shed for the forgiveness of sins."

Latin
Dómine Deus Agnus Dei Fílius Patris
qui tollis peccáta mundi
miserére nobis
Qui tollis peccáta mundi
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris
miserére nobis

Iggy
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.

ICET
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

Note to hymnal committees around the world: if you would never consider The Living Bible or The Message for corporate worship, then perhaps the ICET text is not for you, either. Let's take a more literal approach to the Gloria, something along the lines of the English Stander Version instead of The Living Bible.

At any rate, here is a setting of the ICET text. This one takes the first full line of text as the refrain.

And here is the Healey Willan setting of the historic translation. I believe this one was commissioned by Concordia Publishing House for use with children. When you hear "children" in this sense, think about a classic music education for middle grade children, as opposed to songs for younger children, such as "Jesus Loves Me" or "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb."

This is the third post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, the "other" hymn of praise, "This Is the Feast."

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (b)

The historic mass follows the Kyrie with the Gloria. The Lutheran Rite now offers "This Is the Feast" as an alternate.

Regarding the Gloria, Micah at Liturgical Variations says

Assured He will come with mercy, we burst forth in song, proclaiming Who He is and what He has done for us. We sing the very same song that the angels sang when Christ physically came to earth (Immanuel- God-with-Us) to pay for the sin of all people...

The Gloria is drawn from the Latin Mass. Here is a look at the historic Latin text and a literal translation of it.

Historic Latin Text
Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam
Dómine Deus Rex cæléstis
Deus Pater omnípotens
Dómine Fili unigénite Jesu Christe
Dómine Deus Agnus Dei Fílius Patris
qui tollis peccáta mundi
miserére nobis
Qui tollis peccáta mundi
súscipe deprecatiónem nostram
Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris
miserére nobis
Quóniam tu solus Sanctus
Tu solus Dóminus
Tu solus Altíssimus
Jesu Christe
Cum Sancto Spíritu
in glória Dei Patris
Amen

Iggy's Translation
[Please ask permission before borrowing this translation]
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to men of goodwill.
We praise You;
We bless You;
We worship You;
We glorify You;
We give thanks to You
for Your great glory.
Lord God, Heavenly King
God the Father Almighty.
Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ;
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
Who takes away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us;
Who takes away the sin of the world,
receive our prayers;
Who sits at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For You alone are holy,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit
in the glory of God the Father.
Amen

The Gloria and its counterpart This Is the Feast are often omitted in Advent and Lent. This reflects the penitential nature of these seasons.

We get the term "Gloria" from the Latin Bible. It is the first word in the song the angels sang to the shepherds.

Gloria in excelsis deo
Glory to God in the highest

Below is a straight-forward Latin Gloria set to Gregorian chant.

Here is a wonderful setting of the Latin Gloria sung by a boys choir.  The setting is by Valentin Rathgeber, an early Baroque composer.  It is common even today that a cantor introduces (or intones) the first phrases of the Gloria with a chant, and then the choir or congregation responds with the rest of the text.

Bach and Vivaldi have wonderful settings of the Gloria. They provide a setting for each sentence or phrase of the Gloria, so these will be less practical for congregational worship. Bach's version takes over six minutes just to get through the first line. If you are looking to highlight the Gloria in your annual Christmas concert, though, these would be wonderful options.

JS Bach, Part I
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis



Vivaldi, Part I
Gloria in Excelsis Deo

A contemporary composer who takes a shorter approach is John Rutter. This one is three sections, but still about 20 minutes long. If you use this in the Divine Service, you might have the choir sing one of the three sections, and have a cantor chant the other two.

Rutter, Part I
Gloria in excelsis Deo
et in terra pax hominibus bonevoluntatis
laudamus te
benedicimus te
adoramus te
glorificamus te
gratias agimus tibi
propter magnam gloriam tuam
Gloria excelsis Deo

If you are looking for a straight-forward setting and you want ot show off your choir's Latin skills in a single, brief setting, try this Mozart work.

This is the second post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, comparing English translations of the Gloria.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part IV (a)

Micah over at Variations on a Liturgical Theme has posted his latest installment of Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.

Topics include:

• The Kyrie
• Gloria in Excelsis/This Is the Feast

Regarding the Kyrie, Micah says...

Because we have rebelled against His perfect Law, we cower in terror and plead with Him not to destroy us for our insurrection (sin), but to deal with us graciously. We beg our benevelant King to have mercy on us, a sinner. (Luke 18:13)

The word kyrie is the first word the Greek liturgy for this section. In it, the phrase Kyrie eleison means, "Lord, have mercy." Sometimes the Greek term is retained in its entirety.

Here is the Kyrie from Bach's Mass in B minor. Bach used the Latin Mass, which retained the Kyrie in the Greek form.

The Kyrie has been known to expand and contract over time.  The historic English translation is "Lord, have mercy upon us."  The words "upon us" have been added.  The phrase can stand on its own or it can be a response to a series of petitions, where a deacon or pastor chants the petition and the congregation responds with "Lord, have mercy."

Here is an expanded Kyrie from the Eastern Rite in Greek. I would like to thank the GreekOrthodox over at youtube for posting the words in Greek and English.

Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον.
Ἔτι δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ τοῦ εἰσακοῦσαι Κύριον
τὸν Θεὸν φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεως ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν,
καὶ ἐλεῆσαι ἡμᾶς.
Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον, Κύριε ἐλέησον.

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Again we pray that the Lord God
will hear the voices of the petitions of us sinners
and have mercy on us.
Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy.

And from the Latin Rite, here it is in Gregorian Chant.

Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison, Christe eleison, Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.

For more on the Kyrie and for a setting from Luther's German Mass, check out this post here at All for Hymn.

This is the first post of four in a series about the Kyrie and Gloria in the Divine Service based on a post by Micah at Liturgical Variations.  Next in this series, settings of the Gloria in Latin.

Check out all of Micah's posts over at Liturgical Variations.  Micah is a student at Concordia University Texas.

Table Talk Radio: Table Scraps

Occasionally, Table Talk Radio will produce programs that air outside of their regular broadcast time called "Table Scraps." These programs can vary in length and tend to cover just one topic. Here are the latest summaries for Table Scraps...

~~~~~

Table Scraps: Religious with Vicar Pierson

For this edition of Table Scraps, we are joined by Vicar Mark Pierson of University Lutheran Chapel in Los Angeles, CA (located at UCLA) to discuss the documentary by Bill Maher entitled "Religious."

~~~~~

Table Scraps: John 1 and the Incarnation

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" John 1:14 is one of the most wonderful passage of the incarnation in all of Scripture. In this Table Scraps, we talk to Pastor Dale Dumperth of Grace Lutheran Church in McPherson, KS to talk about the Incarnation and John chapter one.

~~~~~

Table Scraps Live: Creationism vs. Evolution with Dr. Jackson

For the first Table Scraps Live we interview Dr. Charles Jackson of Creation Truth Foundation taking calls and email questions about Evolution and Creationism.

~~~~~

Catching Up with Table Talk Radio

Apparently I've given up Table Talk Radio for Advent and Christmas, so now that we are squarely in the Epiphany season here is the backlog of show synopses.

~~~~~

Show #76: The Worst of Table Talk Radio

There are some games we play on Table Talk Radio that only make a single appearances. This is because they are really bad. In this edition of Table Talk Radio, we are bringing all the worst games back for one hour of horror. Listen at your own risk.

~~~~~

Show #77: Emails, Praise Songs, Baptism

In this edition we are joined by Vicar Brian Bucklew of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Mobile, AL after responding to listeners, we crunch a couple praise songs, and talk about baptism. Vicar Bucklew wrote a newsletter article entitled Baptism Works the Forgiveness Sins, which can be read here, under the articles tab.

~~~~~

Show #78: Merry Christmas from Table Talk Radio

By way of our Listener Response Line, 866-851-5523, we mix Bumper Sticker Theology and Which Ladder. After that we play Name that Theologian and end up with Book of Concord Bee.

~~~~~

Show #79: The Predictable Pastor

Introducing the new game, The Predicable Pastor, where Evan tries to guess how Pastor will respond to different news clips. Pastor and Evan also go head-to-head in Bible Bee and end up by playing Ten Commandments in the News.

~~~~~

Show #80: 2009 Idolatry Award Show

As our review of 2009, and for the second year in a row, we are joined Chris Rosebrough to be the judge for the 2nd Annual Idolatry Award Show to discern what is wrong with the marketing gimmicks found in the Christian church today.

~~~~~

Straight Schlueter on Baptism vs. Pietism

Reverend Paul Schlueter, whose blog is aptly named Straight Schlueter, contrasts the baptismal life of a Christian with self-serving pietism. You can check out his post here.

I draw your attention to this post as Pastor Schlueter doesn't speak of pietism in vagueness, but goes so far as to help us define it.

Pietism has at its heart the notion that the individual is and can be better than they are. Pietism promotes a self-delusion of personal righteousness that one must hold on to at all costs. Because pietism is built on your moral improvement you have to hold out for your own goodness, you have to pretend on the surface that you are "pulling it off", that you are living the Christian life, that you are an example for everyone else to follow. As a result, pietism forces us to overlook the sin that lurks within.

Speaking for myself, I am a great poseur.  It's easy to make like I am pulling it off, like I am holier than this guy or that gal because at least I have never done "that."  And THAT is way worse than anything I have ever done.

It is important to note that there is  "piety" and then there is "Pietism."

Piety shows itself in our personal devotional lives in the form of reading the Bible, singing hymns together as a family, saying a prayer before and after a meal, etc.

Pietism takes our everyday piety to the extreme, and turns the focus of our piety on ourselves instead of on Jesus.

A good hymn that speaks of appropriate piety is "Let Us Ever Walk With Jesus."

Let us ever walk with Jesus,
Follow His example pure,
Flee the world, which would deceive us
And to sin our souls allure.
Ever in His footsteps treading,
Body here, yet soul above,
Full of faith and hope and love,
Let us do the Father's bidding.
Faithful Lord, abide with me;
Savior, lead, I follow Thee.

Let us suffer here with Jesus,
To His image, e'er conform;
Heaven's glory soon will please us,
Sunshine follow on the storm.
Though we sow in tears of sorrow,
We shall reap with heavenly joy;
And the fears that now annoy
Shall be laughter on the morrow.
Christ, I suffer here with Thee;
There, oh, share Thy joy with me!

Let us also die with Jesus.
His death from the second death,
From our soul's destruction, frees us,
Quickens us with life's glad breath.
Let us mortify, while living,
Flesh and blood and die to sin;
And the grave that shuts us in
Shall but prove the gate to heaven.
Jesus, here I die to Thee
There to live eternally.

Let us gladly live with Jesus;
Since He's risen from the dead,
Death and grave must soon release us.
Jesus, Thou art now our Head,
We are truly Thine own members;
Where Thou livest, there live we.
Take and own us constantly,
Faithful Friend, as Thy dear brethren.
Jesus, here I live to Thee,
Also there eternally.

Just for Fun: Muppet takes Beethoven

Careful, Beeker. Careful!!!

Martin Luther King Jr.: We Shall Overcome!

We shall overcome...



We'll Walk Hand-in-Hand...



We Shall Live in Peace...

Martin Luther King Jr.: I Have A Dream!

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair,
I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face
the difficulties of today and tomorrow,
I still have a dream.
It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream
that one day this nation
will rise up and live out
the true meaning of its creed:

We hold these truths to be self-evident,
that all men are created equal.



LET FREEDOM RING!

Confession of Peter: Tu Es Petrus

Tu es Petrus
et super hanc petram
aedificabo ecclesiam meam
et portae inferi
non praevalebunt adversum eam
et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum

You are Peter
and upon this rock
I will build my church
and the doors of hell
shall not prevail against it
and to you I will give the keys
of the kingdom of heaven

Palastrina: Choral Work on "Tu Es Petrus"


Liszt: Organ Work on "Tu Es Petrus" from Christus


Please also check out
this wonderful choral work
(composer unknown)
and this wonderful organ work by Mulet.

For a wonderful setting with visuals that are Catholic in nature,
check out this setting by William Byrd.

Confession of Peter: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God

Jesus said to them,
"Who do you say that I am?"

Simon Peter replied,
"You are the Christ,
the Son of the Living God."

You are the Christ, You're the Messiah,
You are the Son of the living God,
Faithful and True, my eyes are on You
As we expect You to return like You promised.

Just for Fun: Pants on the Ground

Aaaalrighty then!  If you have half an ear to pop culture, you have seen or heard this one a few times already.

Let me just say that if you haven't seen people walk around an urban neighborhood, you might not quite understand the song. I once saw a teen wear his pants below his "cheeks" with boxers coming up to his waistline. He still managed to walk a normal stride, so I guess somehow his belt helped create enough static to keep his pants off the ground.  I dedicate this song to him!

If Flor Peeters and Francis Couperin met Kenny G...

Flor Peeters: Suite Modale: II - III



~~~~~

F. Couperin: Dialogue en trio du Cornet e de la Tierce

The Baptism of our Lord: From Fallen Adam Frees Us

The eye of sense alone is dim,
And nothing sees but water;
Faith sees Christ Jesus, and in Him
The Lamb ordained for slaughter;
She sees the cleansing fountain red
With the dear blood of Jesus,
Which from the sins inherited
From fallen Adam frees us,
And from our own misdoings.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 7

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: Man's Inborn Sin Brings All to Naught

Who in this mercy hath not faith,
Nor aught therein discerneth,
Is yet in sin, condemned to death,
And fire that ever burneth;
His holiness avails him not,
Nor aught which he is doing;
His inborn sin brings all to naught,
And maketh sure his ruin;
Himself he cannot succor.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 6

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: He That Believes and Is Baptized

Thus Jesus His disciples sent:
Go teach ye every nation,
That lost in sin they must repent;
And flee from condemnation:
He that believes and is baptized,
Obtains a mighty blessing;
A new-born man, no more he dies,
Eternal life possessing,
A joyful heir of Heaven.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 5

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: The Holy Ghost from Heaven's Gate

In tender manhood Jesus straight
To holy Jordan wendeth;
The Holy Ghost from Heaven’s gate
In dovelike shape descendeth;
That thus the truth be not denied,
Nor should our faith e’er waver,
That the Three Persons all preside,
At baptism’s holy laver,
And dwell with the believer.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 4

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: This Is My Well-beloved Son

To show us this, He hath His Word
With signs and symbols given;
On Jordan’s banks was plainly heard
The Father’s voice from Heaven:
“This is My well-beloved Son,
In whom My soul delighteth;
Hear Him.” Yea, hear Him every one
Whom He Himself inviteth,
Hear and obey His teaching.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 3

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: Not Simple Water, but the Word

So hear ye all, and well perceive
What God doth call baptism,
And what a Christian should believe
Who error shuns and schism:
That we should water use, the Lord
Declareth it His pleasure;
Not simple water, but the Word
And Spirit without measure;
He is the true Baptizer.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 2

Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Baptism of our Lord: All Righteousness Fulfilling

To Jordan came our Lord the Christ,
To do God’s pleasure willing,
And there was by Saint John baptized,
All righteousness fulfilling;
There did He consecrate a bath
To wash away transgression,
And quench the bitterness of death
By His own blood and passion;
He would a new life give us.
Christ, Unser Herr, zum Jordan Kam, Stanza 1



Special thanks to the original CyberHymnal at hymntime.com

for providing the lyrics that are in public domain.

The Epiphany of our Lord: To Thee All Angels Cry Aloud

Te Deum laudamus:

te Dominum confitemur.

Te aeternum Patrem

omnis terra veneratur.

We praise Thee, O God,

we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee

the Father everlasting.

Tibi omnes Angeli;

tibi caeli et universae Potestates;

Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim

incessabili voce proclamant:

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,

Dominus Deus Sabaoth.

Pleni sunt caeli et terra

maiestatis gloriae tuae.

To Thee all Angels cry aloud,

the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.

To Thee Cherubin and Seraphin

continually do cry:

Holy, Holy, Holy,

Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full

of the Majesty of Thy glory.

Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,

Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,

Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.

Te per orbem terrarum

sancta confitetur Ecclesia,

Patrem immensae maiestatis:

Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;

Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee.

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee.

The noble army of Martyrs praise Thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world

doth acknowledge Thee;

The Father of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.

Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.

Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,

non horruisti Virginis uterum.

Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,

aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.

Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.

Iudex crederis esse venturus.

Thou art the King of Glory O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When Thou tookest upon thee to deliver man

Thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death

Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:

quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.

Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

Salvum fac populum tuum,

Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae.

Et rege eos, et extolle illos usque in aeternum.

Per singulos dies benedicimus te;

Et laudamus Nomen tuum in saeculum, et in saeculum saeculi.

We therefore pray Thee, help thy servants

whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save Thy people

and bless Thine heritage.

Govern them and lift them up for ever.

 Day by day we magnify Thee;

And we worship Thy Name ever world without end.

Dignare, Domine, die isto sine peccato nos custodire.

Miserere nostri domine, miserere nostri.

Fiat misericordia tua,

Domine, super nos, quemadmodum speravimus in te.

In te, Domine, speravi:

non confundar in aeternum.

Vouchsafe, O Lord to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us;

Have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let Thy mercy lighten upon us

As our trust is in Thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted;

Let me never be confounded.

Te Deum from Matins

The Epiphany of our Lord: Shine in My Heart, Lord Jesus

Please join the children in singing

from Lutheran Service Book, Hymn 411

In Him there is no darkness at all.

The night and the day are both alike.

The Lamb is the light of the city of God.

Shine in my heart, Lord Jesus.

Liturgical Variations: Understanding Liturgical Worship, Part III

Micah over at Variations on a Liturgical Theme has posted his latest installment of Understanding the Liturgical Worship Service.

Topics include:

• Confession
• Absolution
• Introit (Latin for "Entrance")

Regarding Confession and Absolution, Micah says:

Before we enter the presence of God we must be pure. Thus we confess, or acknowledge, to Him who and what we are: sinners. We are honest- knowing He already knows our sinful condition- but confident of His forgiveness and mercy.

This is where the pastor, on behalf of Christ, announces to all that they are absolved, or forgiven of their sins. Many Protestants struggle with this, however Jesus says in Matthew 16:19, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you free on earth shall be freed in heaven," (translated by yours truly) and in John 20:23, "If you forgive the sins of anyone, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)

For those who don't quite understand the sacramental nature of Absolution, it is important to remember that the pastor is not the one who absolves, but Christ himself. The pastor stands in the place of Christ as His representative. As the TLH Order of Holy Communion and LSB (Divine Service, Setting Three) state,

...in the stead and by the command

of my Lord Jesus Christ

I forgive you all your sins

in the name of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit.

Those words, "in the stead," let us know that Jesus is present here in the proclamation. The words "by the command" let us know that these are not the pastor's words but the very Word of Christ Himself.

Hymn of Confession

From depths of woe I cry to Thee,

In trial and tribulation;

Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,

Lord, hear my supplication.

If Thou rememberest every subm

Who then could heaven ever win

Or stand before Thy presence?

Hymn of Absolution

Jesus speaks to us in this hymn.

In the first line, "he" refers to Satan.

Though he will shed My precious blood,

Me of My life bereaving,

All this I suffer for your good;

Be steadfast and believing.

Life will from death the vict'ry win;

My innocence shall bear your sin

And you are blest forever.

LSB 556, Stanza 8

The tune from LSB 508

is also associated with this text.

Deacon Dulas on Epiphany

Deacon Jerry Dulas, member of ELDoNA, submits this article on the Epiphany of Our Lord, offering an historic perspective on the day and the season.

~~~~~

In the ancient eastern lands, when a king would come to visit one of his cities, they would be welcomed with all due honor and pomp. There would be much feasting and revelry. Special gifts and privileges would be granted to certain individuals. It was an expensive and lavish event that was entirely paid for by the king himself by his own decree. These festive visitations became to be known as "theophanies" or "epiphanies" -- "an appearance of a god." It was as if a divine being had come to earth himself.

In our dear Lord Jesus, we find the true Epiphany. The One True God appears to us in our flesh. Our King Jesus has come to earth, and laviously bestowed upon us great gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. And we enjoy those gifts, through our feasting and joyful celebration of our dear Lord's arrival.

This reality is portrayed for us in the Gospel reading for the day, which is the visitation of the Magi from the East. The Magi arrive rejoicing, and bestow gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh upon our dear Lord Jesus, and they bend the knee before Him in worship and adoration. Such is our example, this is why historically, during the Gospel reading, the whole congregation genuflects at the words "and they fell down and worshipped Him."

In this Feast is the zenith of the Christmas cycle. From here on our eyes will slowly be focused toward the cross and Easter. This is portrayed in the historic practice of announcing the dates of the movable feasts on this day after the Gospel reading by the Celebrant. Following is an example:

Celebrant: Dearly beloved brethren, ye shall know that as we have rejoiced in the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, so there is announced to thee by the mercy of God the joyous observance of the Resurrection of same our Lord and Savior: _____ shall be Septuagesima Sunday; _____ shall be Ash Wednesday, the beginning the most holy season of Lent; On _____ we shall celebrate with great rejoicing the holy Easter Festival, the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; _____: the Feast of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ; _____: the Feast of Whitsunday; _____: the Feast of the Holy Trinity; _____ shall be the First Sunday in the Advent of Our Lord Jesus Christ; to Whom be honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

The Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord begins this journey to Easter by filling us with a theme of light. This is portrayed in the star that led the Magi from the East. The light comes from the East, the place of the dawn, and the seat of God's revelation. This is why the altar is spoken of as residing in the East, even if it isn't oriented that way, the altar is the liturgical East; it is the place where God sheds His light of grace upon us.

The star which rises from the East, leads the Maji to Judea. According to some ancient Fathers, this star was the Holy Ghost appearing as a star, in the same way that He revealed Himself as a dove. Other ancient Fathers, consider this star an angel of the Lord, sent specifically to the Magi to lead them to our Savior. Still others consider it an actual star specifically created to announce the birth of God in the flesh.

Whatever this star was, it was the light that led Gentiles, as by means, to the Savior. This is why Epiphany has always had an evangelical nature. The texts for this season, call all peoples out of darkness, into the Saving Light. Jesus reveals Himself, or manifests, or enlightens Himself, to the whole world, at the Temple as a boy, in the waters of His Baptism, at the wedding at Cana--His first miracle--through the healing of the leper and the Centurion's servant, through the calming of the wind and the waves, and as the eternal judge between wheat and tare on the Last Day, Jesus reveals that He is the God who dwells in man's flesh. And at His Transfiguration, He fully manifests that He is the true Light of the World as His clothes shine like no fuller* on earth could launder.

Then having learned that Jesus is God in the flesh, we are called to work in His vineyard, that is called into the Church. In the Church we hear the Word of God planted into our ears, as the Sower, through the voice of His Minister, sows the seed, and by that seed He heals us of our blindness, and opens our eyes, so that we are no longer blind and living in darkness, but now see clearly the Light of our salvation.

Having gained the sight of salvation, we are led through the valley of temptation, and through the onslaught of the powers of sin, death, and the devil, all the way to the cross, where the Light, becomes for us, Life.

Today our King comes to us, showers His gifts of forgiveness, life and salvation upon us abundantly, and reveals to us and all the world, that He is the one True Lord and Savior of all the world. So rejoice! Bend the knee! Worship and adore your Savior King.

~~~~~

The only Son from heaven,
Foretold by ancient seers,
By God the Father given,
In human form appears.
No sphere his light confining,
No star so brightly shining
As he, our Morning Star.

~~~~~

*A "fuller" is a launderer.

Deacon Dulas is ordained into the pastorate and member of the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (eldona.org).  In his own words, "My call is to serve as deacon and missionary-at-large to MN and WI at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Tony, WI.  We are starting a mission here in Mayer, MN, and the surrounding area called St. Matthew Ev. Luth. Mission."

The Epiphany of our Lord: A Pledge of Peace from God I See

The "chorales" are the unique hymn contributions of the Lutheran movement to the Church Universal.

These include:

• A Mighty Fortress (Ein Feste Burg)
  
• Savior of the Nations, Come (Nun Komm Der Heiden Heiland)
  
• Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (Nun Freut Euch)
• Lord, Let at Last Thine Angels Come (which is Stanza 3 of "Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart, aka Herzlich lieb hab ich dich, o Herr)
  

The "King of the Chorales" is "Wake, Awake, for Night is Flying."  It is sometimes called "Sleepers, Wake!" and is also known by it's German title Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme.  This is often sung on the Last Sunday of the Church Year.  In the 1-year lectionary, the Gospel reading is the Wise and Foolish Virgins, and this hymn goes nicely with that text.

You can check out posts for this hymn here at All for Hymn: Stanza 1, Stanza 2, Stanza 3, Stanza 3, and Stanza 3.  There was a lot of material for Stanza 3!

Over at Lutheran Time Out, you can hear the English translation and view the text and tune.

The "Queen of the Chorales" is "How Lovely Shines the Morning Star."  It is also known in LSB as "O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright" and by its German title Wie Schön Leuchtet Der Morgenstern.

This week's Lutheran Time Out features a broadcast of the English translation and also a PDF of the text and tune of the TLH version.

Here at All for Hymn, please enjoy these choral and instrumental versions.

Here is JS Bach (BWV 1),

complete with the printed music

so you can follow along.

Improvisation from St. Mark's Church, Hannover, Germany

Johann Pachelbel and the organ at Grosshartmannsdorfe

Straight-up vocal arrangement of JS Bach by a youth choir

Vocal arrangement with organ accompaniment

Organ Improvisation

Organ Setting by Danish Composer Niels W. Gabe

Max Reger: Fugue from the Chorale Fantasy

(The German text comes across the screen

when the melody is introduced)

Finally, a repost of this gem by Max Reger,

which is followed by "Jerusalem, Thou City Fair and Bright"

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas: Tidings of a Gospel True!

Infant holy, Infant lowly,

For His bed a cattle stall;

Oxen lowing, little knowing,

Christ the Babe is Lord of all.

Swift are winging angels singing,

Noels ringing, tidings bringing:

Christ the Babe is Lord of all.

Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping

Vigil till the morning new

Saw the glory, heard the story,

Tidings of a Gospel true.

Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,

praises voicing, greet the morrow:

Christ the Babe was born for you.

W zlobie lezy! Któz pobiezy

Koldowac malemu

Jezusowi Chrystusowi

Dzis do nas zeslanemu?

Pastuszkowie przybywajcie

Jemu wdziecznie przygrywajcie,

Jako Panu naszemu.

My zas sami z piosneczkami

Za wami pospieszymy,

A tek Tego Malenkiego

Niech wszyscy zobaczymy;

Jak ubogo narodzony

Placze w stajni polozony,

Wiec go dzis ucieszymy.

Lullaby, Jesu, like stars are Your eyes, --

Lullaby, Jesu, now hush Your low cries. --

'Round You the kind beasts and dear birds are standing;

They, too, do love You; o'er You they are watching.

Lullaby, Jesu, my flower of beauty,

Lullaby, Jesu, Thy Mother shall rock Thee.

Near You the shepherds in rev'rence are kneeling;

They, too, do love You; o'er You they are watching.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, moja perelko,

Lulaj, ulubione me piescidelko.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, lulajze, lulaj!

A ty Go, Matulu, w placzu utulaj.

Zamknijze znuzone placzem powieczki,

Utulze zemdlone lkaniem usteczki.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, lulajze lulaj!

A ty Go, Matulu, w placzu utulaj.

Lulajze, piekniuchny nasz Anioleczku,

Lulajze, wdzieczniuchny swiata Kwiateczku.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, lulajze lulaj!

A ty Go, Matulu, w placzu utulaj.

Lulajze, Rzyczko najozdobniejsza,

Lulajze, Lilijko najprzyjemniejsza.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, lulajze lulaj!

A ty Go, Matulu, w placzu utulaj.

Lulajze, przyjemna oczom Gwiazdeczko,

Lulaj, najsliczniejsze swiata Sloneczko.

Lulajze, Jezuniu, lulajze lulaj!

A ty Go, Matulu, w placzu utulaj.