This week on Time Out, the featured hymn is If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee.
Southern Lutheran Kantor is at the organ, and Layman Dan once again offers his golden voice.
Some comments are already posted over there, so let's keep the party rolling!
I will add my own in the next day or so.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Issues, Etc.: The Nicene Creed
The Lutheran Confessions refer to the three ecumenical creeds as the Apostles, the Nicene, and the Athanasian. The Western Church subscribes to all three of these "because" they are the correct exposition of Scripture, and not "insofar as" they are the correct exposition of Scripture.
The Eastern Church sees only the need for the Nicene Creed. A little research revealed that they view their entire liturgy as creedal, so they did not adopt additional creeds. Their version differs in a couple of spots, the most significant of which is that the third article does not include the words "and the Son."
Notes:
* There was some issue with the embed codes (probably a user error) so links are provided instead of direct broadcasts.
* A download will start when you click on the link
* The some of the differences between ICET, ELLC, and LSB translations will be discussed in a future post.
* Latin Lesson 1: A "because" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quia (pronounced quee-ah)
* Latin Lesson 2: An "insofar as" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quatenus (pronounced quah-tay-noos)
* Latin Lesson 3: The "and the Son" controversy is often referred to by the single Latin word that has the same meaning, filioque (pronounced fee-lee-oh-quay).
The Eastern Church sees only the need for the Nicene Creed. A little research revealed that they view their entire liturgy as creedal, so they did not adopt additional creeds. Their version differs in a couple of spots, the most significant of which is that the third article does not include the words "and the Son."
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]
Issues, Etc. did an entire week on the Nicene Creed with Pastor Wil Weedon. You can catch the "and the Son" controversy and more on the Nicene creed all right here.
Notes:
* There was some issue with the embed codes (probably a user error) so links are provided instead of direct broadcasts.
* A download will start when you click on the link
* The some of the differences between ICET, ELLC, and LSB translations will be discussed in a future post.
* Latin Lesson 1: A "because" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quia (pronounced quee-ah)
* Latin Lesson 2: An "insofar as" subscription is often referred to by it's Latin word, quatenus (pronounced quah-tay-noos)
* Latin Lesson 3: The "and the Son" controversy is often referred to by the single Latin word that has the same meaning, filioque (pronounced fee-lee-oh-quay).
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Table Talk Radio: Show 66
A new episode has surfaced for Table Talk Radio. Here are the show's highlights.
No word from the show's hosts. I want to give out "frequent commenter points" to my readers, and I was hoping Table Talk Radio would sponsor the points in exchange for these shameless plugs, but apparently the points are in short demand since Seminarian Goeglein was given something like 2 million of them. This is my hypothesis, since they didn't return my emails.
That's Table Talk Radio, where the points are like infant baptism in a Pentecostal church, pretty much non-existent.
Show #66: Old Time Games
It seems it's been awhile since we placed Google It or Who Wants to be a Theologian. So that's what we play in this edition of Table Talk Radio, finishing up with some Bible Bee.No word from the show's hosts. I want to give out "frequent commenter points" to my readers, and I was hoping Table Talk Radio would sponsor the points in exchange for these shameless plugs, but apparently the points are in short demand since Seminarian Goeglein was given something like 2 million of them. This is my hypothesis, since they didn't return my emails.
That's Table Talk Radio, where the points are like infant baptism in a Pentecostal church, pretty much non-existent.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Introducing Sound of Majesty...
...to those of you who have not yet discovered it!
Sound of Majesty features choral and instrumental music interspersed with readings from Scripture and theologians (both ancient and modern). The program airs at 11 pm Central Sunday through Friday on wmbi.fm or you can check out the audio archive, which is currently showing the entire week's episodes.
You will find a mix of music from the Protestant tradition, including liturgical, classical, spiritual and gospel.
The goal here at All for Hymn is to feature one program a week.
The October 13 broadcast features an interesting combination: Organist Martin Jean playing Bach's Orgelbuchlein "In Dir Ist Freude" (in English, "In Thee Is Gladness") followed by the spiritual, "I Can Tell the World" as performed by the Calvin College Alumni Choir.
Martin Jean has served Concordia College-Ann Arbor (now a university), Valparaiso University, and is now with Yale University. I believe he is playing the organ at the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary-St. Louis.
Sound of Majesty features choral and instrumental music interspersed with readings from Scripture and theologians (both ancient and modern). The program airs at 11 pm Central Sunday through Friday on wmbi.fm or you can check out the audio archive, which is currently showing the entire week's episodes.
You will find a mix of music from the Protestant tradition, including liturgical, classical, spiritual and gospel.
The goal here at All for Hymn is to feature one program a week.
The October 13 broadcast features an interesting combination: Organist Martin Jean playing Bach's Orgelbuchlein "In Dir Ist Freude" (in English, "In Thee Is Gladness") followed by the spiritual, "I Can Tell the World" as performed by the Calvin College Alumni Choir.
Martin Jean has served Concordia College-Ann Arbor (now a university), Valparaiso University, and is now with Yale University. I believe he is playing the organ at the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary-St. Louis.
Fine Tuning: Choir Director or Song Leader
Join the discussion over at Fine Tuning, where the topic of the kantor's/music director's/organist's/conductor's participation in leading congregational song (or even choir parts) is in the choir loft, but perhaps the microphone is not turned on ;)
You can chime in here. Please bring your own handbells hehe
Also covered is the role of pastors leading congregational responses.
My last comment over there seeks advice on using microphones when a solo verse is in order.
You can chime in here. Please bring your own handbells hehe
Also covered is the role of pastors leading congregational responses.
My last comment over there seeks advice on using microphones when a solo verse is in order.
Monday, October 12, 2009
A Multitude of Mighty Fortresses: One Song, Two Meters
One thing a person might ask if they looked closely at most hymns in the Lutheran Service Book is "What are all those numbers at the bottom of the page?"
There are two different sets of numbers, one for each version of the hymn.
A MIGH-TY FOR -TRESS IS OUR GOD (8 syllables)
A TRUST-Y SHIELD AND WEAP-ON (7 syllables - rhythmic)
or
A BUL-WARK NEV-ER FAIL-ING (7 syllables - isorhythmic)
Things get a little sticky a few lines down, as the number of syllables differs from rhythmic to isorhythmic.
NOW MEANS DEAD-LY WOE (5 syllables)
DEEP GUILE AND GREAT MIGHT (5 syllables)
ARE HIS DREAD ARMS IN FIGHT (6 syllables)
ON EARTH IS NOT HIS E-QUAL (7 syllables)
Isorhythmic:
FOR STILL OUR AN-CIENT FOE (6 syllables)
DOTH SEEK TO WORK US WOE (6 syllables)
HIS POW'R AND CRAFT ARE GREAT (6 syllables)
AND, ARMED WITH CRU-EL HATE, (6 syllables)
ON EARTH IS NOT HIS E-QUAL. (7 syllables)
Both tunes are recognizable as "A Mighty Fortress" yet the texts are not exactly interchangeable. In this version of Hans Leo Hassler's setting, they used an isorhythmic text with the rhythmic tune.
The video uses a different translation. It will help to have those words for the sake of discussion. This was not easy to track down. It is a newer translation by Omar Westendorf.
You can hear them "double down" near the end of lines six and seven. In the rhythmic tune, these lines are all half notes (each note is held for two counts). In this version, the second last half note is changed to two quarter notes.
Perhaps a visual will help. The capital letters represent beats with a spoken syllable, the small letters represent beats with a non-spoken syllable. The text from
Rhythmic text from LSB:
Isorhythmic text (Hassler recording):
As much as the isorhythmic text's capital letters (SEAS RAMPAGE and MOUNTAINS FALL) and bold TWO beat stand out, you can hear that extra syllable in the recording.
So we have multiple translations, two meters, and two versions of the same tune. Yet the differences make it difficult to switch tunes and translations around.
Now, this all feels wordy to me. I welcome comments that will help simplify things.
Next in the series, translating the first verse.
There are two different sets of numbers, one for each version of the hymn.
- 87 87 55 56 7 (Rhythmic)
- 87 87 66 66 7 (Isorhythmic)
A MIGH-TY FOR -TRESS IS OUR GOD (8 syllables)
A TRUST-Y SHIELD AND WEAP-ON (7 syllables - rhythmic)
or
A BUL-WARK NEV-ER FAIL-ING (7 syllables - isorhythmic)
Things get a little sticky a few lines down, as the number of syllables differs from rhythmic to isorhythmic.
Rhythmic:
THE OLD E-VIL FOE (5 syllables)NOW MEANS DEAD-LY WOE (5 syllables)
DEEP GUILE AND GREAT MIGHT (5 syllables)
ARE HIS DREAD ARMS IN FIGHT (6 syllables)
ON EARTH IS NOT HIS E-QUAL (7 syllables)
Isorhythmic:
FOR STILL OUR AN-CIENT FOE (6 syllables)
DOTH SEEK TO WORK US WOE (6 syllables)
HIS POW'R AND CRAFT ARE GREAT (6 syllables)
AND, ARMED WITH CRU-EL HATE, (6 syllables)
ON EARTH IS NOT HIS E-QUAL. (7 syllables)
Both tunes are recognizable as "A Mighty Fortress" yet the texts are not exactly interchangeable. In this version of Hans Leo Hassler's setting, they used an isorhythmic text with the rhythmic tune.
The video uses a different translation. It will help to have those words for the sake of discussion. This was not easy to track down. It is a newer translation by Omar Westendorf.
A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Protecting us with staff and rod,
And power all prevailing.
What if the nations rage
And surging seas rampage;
What though the mountains fall,
The Lord is God of all;
The Lord of hosts is with us.
You can hear them "double down" near the end of lines six and seven. In the rhythmic tune, these lines are all half notes (each note is held for two counts). In this version, the second last half note is changed to two quarter notes.
Perhaps a visual will help. The capital letters represent beats with a spoken syllable, the small letters represent beats with a non-spoken syllable. The text from
Rhythmic text from LSB:
ONE two ONE two ONE two ONE two ONE two
Now means dead - ly woe
Deep guile and great might
Deep guile and great might
Isorhythmic text (Hassler recording):
ONE two ONE two ONE two ONE TWO ONE two
And surg - ing SEAS RAM- PAGE
What though the MOUN-TAINS FALL
What though the MOUN-TAINS FALL
As much as the isorhythmic text's capital letters (SEAS RAMPAGE and MOUNTAINS FALL) and bold TWO beat stand out, you can hear that extra syllable in the recording.
So we have multiple translations, two meters, and two versions of the same tune. Yet the differences make it difficult to switch tunes and translations around.
Now, this all feels wordy to me. I welcome comments that will help simplify things.
Next in the series, translating the first verse.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
From Cyberstones: Preaching Law to the Choir
As I am not an ordained minister of the Word, I will be linking to other blogs written by experienced pastors.
Rev. David Peterson is the pastor of Redeemer, Fort Wayne. His Cyberstones blog post, Preaching Law to the Choir, got my attention simply from the title, of course! It talks about the appropriate preaching of the law to a congregation.
The law needs to convict the listeners of their sins as opposed to getting them to agree that the behavior is wrong.
Our pride gets in the way as usual. Rev. Peterson notes that old-time Reformation Services included preaching against the pope. Since none of the people present were the pope, preaching the law in this manner does not convict the listeners of their own sin.
Peterson writes:
How beautiful, that even though our sinful nature tells us we are doing fine, the Law comes around and convicts us that we are not, the the Gospel kicks in and even though we do not deserve it Christ's forgiveness, bought for us on the cross, is offered.
Rev. David Peterson is the pastor of Redeemer, Fort Wayne. His Cyberstones blog post, Preaching Law to the Choir, got my attention simply from the title, of course! It talks about the appropriate preaching of the law to a congregation.
The law needs to convict the listeners of their sins as opposed to getting them to agree that the behavior is wrong.
Our pride gets in the way as usual. Rev. Peterson notes that old-time Reformation Services included preaching against the pope. Since none of the people present were the pope, preaching the law in this manner does not convict the listeners of their own sin.
Peterson writes:
We preach the Law not to condemn the absent, but to condemn sin and sinners, to teach sinners the hard and humility work of examining themselves, of confessing the pitiful lies we've told and our self-absorption, our thousand pretend ways meant to fool ourselves and our neighbors into thinking we are better than we are, to confront what is really in us and who we really are, not as a way of nagging us to better behavior or to make us feel superior to other people, but to show us how great and selfless Christ's rescue is.
How beautiful, that even though our sinful nature tells us we are doing fine, the Law comes around and convicts us that we are not, the the Gospel kicks in and even though we do not deserve it Christ's forgiveness, bought for us on the cross, is offered.
The Law of God is good and wise
And sets His will before our eyes,
Shows us the way of righteousness,
And dooms to death when we transgress.
The Gospel shows the Father's grace,
Who sent His Son to save our race,
Proclaims how Jesus lived and died
That we might thus be justified.
- LSB 579 and 580
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