Music Notes from Denise, July 26, 2025

Our Gospel reading in Luke this Sunday tells about Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, and after teaching the “Lord’s Prayer” he reminds them to “…Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”

Our Processional hymn will be How firm a foundation. It is a hymn that for over two centuries has assured believers of the faithfulness of Christ and the certainty of hope. The first verse acts almost as an introduction to the rest of the text, giving us cause to stop and ponder the Word of assurance that God has given us, described in greater detail in the next four verses. In the words of this hymn then, we carry with us the Word from God, and the call to trust in that Word. But God’s Word is expansive and not limited to letters on a page - the fifth verse moves us to a trust in the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. We are assured by the words we sing, the Word we are given, and the Word made flesh, of the steadfastness of God’s unfailing love. It is sung to the Southern Harmony, Sacred Harp tune Foundation. (Hymnary.org)

The Sequence hymn, Forgive our sins as we forgive, describes Jesus’ teaching about the Lord’s Prayer. Rosamond E. Herklots (1905-1987) wrote these words in 1966 after digging out weeds in her garden in England, and thinking how bitterness, hatred, and resentment are like poisonous weeds growing in the Christian garden of life. "Forgive Our Sins" is a hymn about being ready to forgive others again and again-as Jesus said, seventy-times-seven times! We have many hymns about God's forgiveness of our sins, but this one adds a most helpful guide in forgiving others' sins. (Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988) This hymn uses another American tune from Kentucky Harmony called Detroit and was written by William Bradshaw in 1820.

We will have a guest baritone soloist this Sunday and one of my good friends: Ben Silvermintz. Ben is the Vocal Music Director at Parkway Central High School and has been my co-worker directing our five Choirs for the past 17 years. He recently became the Performing Arts Department Chairperson for Central also. He directs the High Holiday choir at Congregation Shaare Emeth each fall for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are so fortunate to have him sharing his voice on two anthems: The Lord’s Prayer, a classic solo by Albert Malotte, and Down to the River to Pray arranged by Jay Althouse, incorporating Down to the River and Jesus walked this Lonesome Valley. (Copyright 2006 Alfred Publishing Co)

Our final hymn, When You Are Praying, was written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, in an effort to put the Lord’s Prayer in a fresh context: “God give us all we daily need and we will be content; Forgive our sins as we forgive the wrongs that we resent.” She also addresses the idea of asking for help from God by saying, “O Lord, we turn in trust to you, You know the things we need, and like a parent, you so love: The ones who ask, receive.” (Copyright 1998 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, www.carolynshymns.com, used with permission)