+Herb Brokering+ 1926-2009: No More Dying, Only Light

Hymn writer Herb Brokering entered eternal glory this past Thursday.

In Lutheran Service Book, he authored the following hymns:

• 474: Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!
• 680: Thine the Amen, Thine the Praise
• 817: Earth and All Stars
• 879: Stay With Us

His texts are paired with tunes written by his contemporaries, such as Walter Pelz, Carl Schalk and David N. Johnson.  This provides a unique combination, in that the tunes are usually written to reflect the texts.

One text and tune that has grown on me over the years is "Stay With Us."  My ear had to get used to descending down the scale by three notes and turning around and heading up before the dropping to the D.

Normally when the descent is G-F#-E, the next note is automatically a D.  With this tune, our ear is put on hold, since the D doesn't show up until the next measure.  I like it now, but for years it was outside of my aural comfort zone.

Speaking of comfort zones, "Earth and All Stars" is often outside the comfort zone of pastors and musicians.  This will not be the place to lash out on this hymn.  I will say one thing, though.  If "loud, boiling test tubes" are not your thing, review the Psalms 146 through 150 and a few others, then choose the verses that best reflect Scripture.  Also, remember that which we confess in the Te Deum, "All creation worships You, the Father everlasting."

Thinking outside the box, here, but you could change out the lyrics and keep the repetition.

Mother and son,

Father and daughter,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Uncle and aunt,

Cousin and neighbor,

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Another option is to pair the refrain of this hymn with a psalm tone.  Have a cantor chant the prose text from the psalmody and the congregation respond with "He has done marvelous things.  I, too, will praise Him with a new song."

It's good to struggle with hymnody.  Like all of God's creation here on earth, it isn't perfect.  It takes good knowledge of Scripture, theology, and liturgy to prepare a worship service and to draw on the vast resources of your hymnal.

Check out hymn writer Stephen Starke's retrospective on his blog starke Kirchenlieder.

Recordings of Brokering's texts are fairly scarce on youtube.  This one commemorates the anniversary of Messiah Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Lindsborg, Kansas.

Contemporary LSB: Before the Throne of God Above

Once in awhile an old text picks up a new tune, thrusting it into pop Evangelicalism. If you listen to Christian radio , sometimes you might know the contemporary song before you have the chance to explore it in a new hymnal. Such is the case with Hymn 574 in Lutheran Service Book.

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea.

A great High Priest whose name is Love

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart.

I know that while in Heaven He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Saviour died

My sinful soul is counted free.

For God the just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,

My perfect spotless righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

The King of glory and of grace,

One in Himself I cannot die.

My soul is purchased by His blood,

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ my Saviour and my God!

The words are by Charitie Lees De Chenez (aka Charitie Lees Bancroft, né Smith) (1841-1923). Not much is known about Charitie. Her father was an Anglican priest in Ireland. She was probably widowed twice (hence all her surnames) and died here in the US, in Oakland, California.

One of the more common tunes associated with this text is BRESLAU. The tune is soloed out the second time.

The Lutheran Hymnal Project chose a newer tune, DUNEDIN, for Lutheran Service Book. I couldn't find the tune recorded anywhere, but you might try substituting O WALY WALY. If you grew up in a Lutheran grade school in the late 70's or 80's, you probably know this tune from Hal Hopson's "The Gift of Love." The tunes have a similar arc (they rise and fall in a similar fashion) and overall rhythm, although they are different styles. The tune O WALY WALY can be found in Lutheran Service Book, Hymn 595.

Your local megachurch might be singing this very text. They use a tune written by Steve and Vikki Cook. While LSB breaks the text up into 6 short verses, the Cooks combined the verses to make three long ones. A preview copy of the sheet music has the notation "Celtic feel" just above the time signature.  This setting is by the group Selah.  The sign you see in the video is from the historic Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago.

A word about Pacific Garden Mission: they still produce the radio drama Unshackled.  For an interactive map to see if it broadcasts in your area, click here.  If you'd just like to hear an episode via mp3, click here.

Historic Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago's South Loop

Current location, still in Chicago, but a little further south

US Veteran's Day: Wrapping Up the Week

Here is an oral history of our National Anthem.

Thanks go out to a post at Composing My Thoughts which brought this one to my attention.

There are four verses to the Star-Spangled Banner, by the way.  You will find them all below the video.

The Star Spangled Banner, like you've never heard it

Smittys Place | MySpace Video

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,

O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?

And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,

Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:

'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,

A home and a country should leave us no more!

Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.

No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:

And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Table Talk Radio: Promo Available on YouTube!

Well, video editing can be an interesting journey.

I was able to edit the audio clip to the show opening, add some photos and titles, and then upload to youtube.

Watch it below, or watch it here and get the embed code.

Introducing the Open Hymnal Project

While looking for images for the potential Table Talk Radio youtube post, I came across the Open Hymnal Project.  Texts, tunes and settings of hymns are available on this site.  Some choral works are also available.  The files are in .gif format, so you can copy them into Word or PowerPoint documents or even, perhaps, into your Sunday bulletin.

Table Talk Radio: Trying to Get to YouTube

Alright!  Iggy's first venture into youtube was Show 71 of Table Talk Radio.

This is a self-taught production, here.  Vicar Goeglein said I probably had Windows Movie Maker and I did!  From there, I thumbed around to figure out how to gel pictures and audio together.

I hit the "publish" button and 30 minutes later the complete video was in my computer.

Posting to youtube took 30-45 minutes (I lost count).

After another 15 minutes of "Uploaded, Please Wait..." Youtube rejected the video because it was too long.

Youtube videos must be 2GB or less and up to 10 minutes in length.  Facebook can be up to 1024MB and up to 20 minutes in length.

So, does anyone know, can the video be uploaded here on blogspot?  I've got 75.8MB and just under 60 minutes in length.  I tried uploading it as a "picture" and all that did was crash my computer.

Also, is there a site that will allow larger video files?

How about the Wittenberg Trail?  Will that take larger video files?

Any ideas, post them here contact the guys at TableTalkRadio.org.

Right now you'll have to come over to my place to watch the first TTR video, and that's just not practical ;)

Matzke's reMarks: Theology Must Sing

Rev. Mark Matzke features a quote from hymn writer Martin Franzmann.  The quote begins "Theology is doxology.  Theology must sing."

A quick look at some hymns by Martin Franzmann will reveal that he lived up to this edict.

~~~~~

Let all our deeds, unanimous, 

Confess Him as our Lord

Who by the Spirit lives in us,

The Father's living Word.

~~~~~

In Adam we have all been one,

One huge rebellious man;

We all have fled that evening voice

That sought us as we ran.

~~~~~

From the cross Thy wisdom shining

Breaketh forth in conqu'ring might.

From the cross forever beameth

All Thy bright redeeming light.

~~~~~

Though some be snatched and some be scorched

And some be choked and matted flat,

The sower sows; his heart cries out,

"Oh, what of that, and what of that?"

~~~~~

Thou camest to our hall of death,

O Christ, to breathe our poisoned air,

To drink for us the dark despair

That strangled our reluctant breath.

How beautiful the feet that trod

The road that leads us back to God!

How beautiful the feet that ran

To bring the great good news to man!

~~~~~

What we sing matters.  What we sing teaches us about our faith.  Whether we sing, "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb" or "At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing," we are proclaiming in song that which we believe; we are proclaiming that which the church has taught from the beginning.  When choosing music for worship, one must ask, "Is this hymn proclaiming that which has been taught throughout the ages? Is our liturgy in line with those who have gone before?"

The Lutheran Reformation was not about uncovering something new, rather it was about restoring the historic teachings of the church.  The Confessions and other writings of the Lutheran reformers are filled with references not only to Scripture, but also to the Church Fathers, showing continuity between the first Christians and those of the present day.  As Lutheran Christians, we do not have a faith that dates back to 1517, but rather a faith that dates back to the ancient church, to the apostles, and to the forerunners of Christianity: the great prophets who foretold of the coming Messiah and all those who trusted in this promise.