Table Talk Radio Twofer: Shows 74 and 75

Time to play Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller's favorite game, "Let's catch up with Table Talk Radio."
That is, until the next game comes along, and that will be his favorite!

Show #74: Vicars vs. Pastor
In this edition of Table Talk Radio, we are joined by Vicar Mark Pierson of University Lutheran Chapel in Los Angeles, CA--campus ministry for UCLA. Vicar Pierson talks about the campus ministry work at UCLA, the internet movie "Zeitgeist," then plays CACG with Pastor.

Show #75: Name that LCMS President
After playing Who Wants to be a Theologian, we are joined by Rev. Matthew Harrison to play "Name that LCMS President" and talk about his new book "In the House of My Fathers."

I really like the UCLA's campus ministry outreach with the sign RELIGION IS FOR THE WEAK.  Of course it is!  In the words of Martin Luther, "We are all beggars."  Vicar Pierson notes that for many who visit their table, it is the first time they are hearing the pure Gospel message, without any catches or snags or "You just have to..." following the message.

Introducing Higher Things Radio

Dare to be a Lutheran.  That's the motto of Higher Things, a "recognized service organization" of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.  The organization promotes Lutheran teaching and practice among today's youth. 

You may have noticed in the sidebar there is a blog called A My HT Fortress.  This is the blog of a pastor who is involved with Higher Things (HT).

Episode 66 features a discussion on Christmas myths.  There are many, and this show tackles a few of them.  I may have to start a new series called "What's Wrong with this Carol?"

Also, you will find a discussion of the appointed hymns of the day for Advent.

All for Hymn features these hymns as best as it can during Advent.

• Advent I: Savior of the Nations Come
• Advent II: Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending
  
• Advent III: Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding
• Advent IV: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
  

My parish uses the three-year lectionary, so the one difference is that this blog used On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry instead of "Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending" for Advent II.

It should be noted that three of these hymns have been or will be featured over at Lutheran Time Out this season.  Look for "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" with the companion "O Antiphons" each day from December 17-23.

Catch the current Higher Things Radio episode plus it's archive here.

There is a Higher Things promotional video here. (Note to HT: can I get an embed code for the video?)

Read about the mission and purpose of HT here.

This year's Higher Things conferences are in Logan, Utah, and Memphis, Tennessee.  There is a hunka-hunka burnin' information about it here.

Lastly, for those who think today's youth want Lite FM music in their worship services, here's a clip from the 2009 Higher Things conference in Grand Rapids, MI.  Yes, folks, this is today's junior and senior high schoolers singing Te Deum Laudamus in English to Gustav Holst's Jupiter movement in "The Planets."

Now for a confession: I was under the impression that this text and tune were a little cumbersome for my own congregation, then I found these children singing it! Perhaps I need to revisit this tune with my choir.

Look for more from this wonderful choir during Advent IV. Know of a good children's choir? Drop the link in the comment box and I will consider featuring them. There is a Schola Cantorum in Grand Rapids and another good children's choir in Fort Wayne. I can't find video or audio of them, though!

Time Out #43: Re-revisiting Jordan's Bank

This week's Time Out broadcast features the Hymn of the Day for Advent II, On Jordan's Bank.

Hear the golden voice Layman Dan from Necessary Roughness and Southern Lutheran Kantor on the mighty organ of Grace Lutheran Church in Little Rock, Arkansas.
 
In addition, All for Hymn featured this selection this week here, here, and here.

Advent II: Sound of Majesty

Sunday's Sound of Majesty featured themes from the readings for Advent II and excerpts of a sermon Martin Luther preached on this day.

The show gets a Handel on Malachi, featuring excerpts from Messiah.

Also of note is the Lee Scott Singers arrangement of "Rejoice, Rejoice Believers" to the same tune found in Lutheran Service Book.

All this, plus Martin Jean at the organ in the chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus on the campus of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.

You an catch the audio archive here, plus the playlist for this episode here.

Advent II: Jordan's Bank Revisited

Over at www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com, they have unearthed two alternate tunes to On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry.

It is important to note that this hymn is in Long Meter (four lines with eight syllables per line, or LM, or 88 88) and there are hundreds of tunes that could be sung to this text.  Lutheran Service Book alone has 40 tunes with this meter, plus a few that are Long Meter and Alleluias, and a few more that are Long Meter Double (LMD or 88 88 88 88), not to mention Long Meter and Refrain.  WHEW!!!

So, when it comes to alternate tunes, I am sticking with ones that are actually paired with this text in print somewhere.

The names of these tunes are not cited, so if you know them, feel free to enlighten us in the comment box.

Find out more about the author of this hymn here.

Find out more about the hymn itself here.

Sheet Music from John Clark Hollister, ed., The Sunday-School Service and Tune Book (New York: E. P. Dutton and Company, 1863, 1865), #2, p. 16.

Sheet music from A. B. Goodrich, ed., A New Service And Tune Book For Sunday Schools (New York: Gen. Prot. Episc. S. S. Union and Church Book Society, 1863, New Edition, Enlarged, 1866), #66, p. 72.

Weinachtslieder: The Ones I Didn't Know II

Another German carol with which I was not familiar was Leis Rieselt der Schnee.

A soloist sang the first three lines, and the congregation sang the final line, which was the same text in each verse.

Leise rieselt der Schnee,

Still und starr ruht der See,

Weihnachtlich glänzet der Wald,

Freue Dich, Christkind kommt bald.

Softly the snow trickles,

The lake rests silent and glassy,

the forest shines Christmas-like,

Rejoice, Christchild is coming soon.

Where "Ich Steh an Deiner Krippe Hier" has a very churchly melody (both tunes fall under the Lutheran chorale umbrella), "Leise Rieselt der Schnee" has a very folksy melody. Yet both are more introspective than objective. Yes, folks, Lutherans do get touchy-feely from time to time!

Weinachtslieder: The Ones I Didn't Know

There were a couple of German carols Sunday Night that I didn't know.

These are probably well-known in some circles (plenty of youtube videos available), but I think even those fluent in German struggled with this one.

Ich steh an deiner Krippe hier,

O Jesu du mein Leben;

Ich komme, bring und schenke dir,

Was du mir hast gegeben.

Nimm hin, es ist mein Geist und Sinn,

Herz, Seel und Mut, nimm alles hin

Und laß dir's wohlgefallen.

I remain here by Your cradle,

O Jesus my Life;

I come and bring and give to you

What you would have me give

Take it, it is my spirit and senses,

Heart, soul and strength, take all of it

And leave what is pleasing to you.

I believe this it the tune they used Sunday evening.

I am more familiar with this tune, which you might know as "The Day Is Surely Drawing Near." It's an interesting mix for me, a "baby Jesus" text with an "end times" tune. It places one both at the manger and at the second coming. His incarnation and His return meet up this way.