Music for at-home worship: Sunday, March 29

Here is music to encourage you as you shelter in place and worship at home this Sunday.  The piano accompaniments on the hymns are fairly simple so that you can focus on singing along with zeal!  The prelude is intended to help you prepare your heart for worship, and the postlude is meant to help you "go out with joy!"

For the best sound, turn up the volume on your device or use headphones OR external speakers.

For family worship, each person can sing along looking at the lyrics on their device while one device plays the music. OR if you have hymnals at home . . . now is the time to dust them off and use them!

IF YOU ARE LISTENING/VIEWING ON A MOBILE DEVICE/TABLET:

If given an option on your mobile device, click "LISTEN IN BROWSER" (rather than "Play on SoundCloud") on the audio player windows so that you stay on this page and can sing along using the printed lyrics. 

PRELUDE

to prepare your heart for worship . . . listen while reading through the lyrics posted below.

Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus

Photo by Carolyn V on Unsplash

Words and music by Helen H. Lemmel. Arranged for solo piano by Marilyn Thompson

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrew 12:1-2)

This hymn by Helen Howarth Lemmel (1863-1961), sometimes titled "The Heavenly Vision," points us to the source of our hope, Jesus Christ.  Helen Lemmel was a gifted singer who studied music in Germany, taught voice at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and wrote over 500 hymns during her 97-year lifetime. In 1918 she was given a tract written by artist and missionary Lilias Trotter which contained the following lines:

Turn full your soul's vision to Jesus, and look and look at Him, and a strange dimness will come over all that is apart from Him.

Helen Lemmel was inspired by these words to write "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" in 1922. Helen suffered the loss of her own sight (and her husband soon after abandoned her) but she continued to devote her long life to glorifying God through her gifts and talents.

(To learn more about Helen Lemmel and Lilias Trotter, read  "A Story and A Song.")

This is a reassuring hymn for this challenging season . . . when it sometimes seems that we see "no light in the darkness."

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro' death into life everlasting,
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion--
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you--He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

HYMNS FOR AT-HOME WORSHIP

Lift up your voices!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Photo by James Wheeler from Pexels

Words by Thomas O. Chisholm, Music by William M. Runyan

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23)



Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
all I have needed thy hand hath provided--
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! [Refrain]


I Will Wait for You (Psalm 130)

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Words and Music by Keith Getty, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker and Stuart Townend

This is a moving, beautifully crafted contemporary hymn we've been singing at our 8:00 Sunday service for a few years now.  See this post for the complete story behind the song, as well as free downloadable sheet music and MP3 files.


Out of the depths I cry to You
In darkest places I will call
Incline Your ear to me anew
And hear my cry for mercy, Lord

Were You to count my sinful ways
How could I come before Your throne
Yet full forgiveness meets my gaze
I stand redeemed by grace alone

CHORUS
I will wait for You
I will wait for You
On Your word, I will rely

I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
Till my soul is satisfied

So put your hope in God alone
Take courage in His power to save
Completely and forever won
By Christ emerging from the grave

CHORUS

Now He has come to make a way
And God Himself has paid the price
That all who trust in Him today
Find healing in His sacrifice

CHORUS
I will wait for You
I will wait for You
Through the storm and through the night
I will wait for You
Surely wait for You
For Your love is my delight


It is Well With My Soul

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Words by Horatio Spafford, Music by Philip P. Bliss

Per request, here is a beloved hymn of comfort that was written in the aftermath of great tragedy.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
"It is well, it is well with my soul."

Refrain
It is well with my soul;
it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control:
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and has shed his own blood for my soul.
Refrain

My sin oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
my sin, not in part, but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more;
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
Refrain

O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
even so, it is well with my soul.
Refrain

If you've never heard the story behind the hymn, you might like to watch this video:




POSTLUDE

(For you shall) Go out with joy, and be led forth with peace! (Isaiah 55:12)

O God Our Help In Ages Past

Words by Isaac Watts, Music by William Croft.  Arrangement for solo piano by Stan Pethel

Enjoy this classic hymn of assurance cleverly arranged with a few classical twists!


Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home:

Under the shadow of your throne
your saints have dwelt secure;
sufficient is your arm alone,
and our defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting you are God,
to endless years the same.

A thousand ages in your sight
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night
before the rising sun.

The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
with all their lives and cares,
are carried downward by your flood,
and lost in foll'wing years.

Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
bears all its sons away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the op'ning day.

Our God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come:
O be our guard while troubles last,
and our eternal home.

Music for at-home worship: Sunday, March 22

Greetings, dear brothers and sisters in Christ!

Oh, how I have missed seeing you on Sunday morning and hearing your voices singing!  We will have more weeks of social distancing to come where we cannot gather together in person to praise the King of Heaven.  However, we can enjoy music "together" in our homes and sing, either by ourselves or with our families, with hearts full of praise to God.

By sharing at-home worship music with you today and in coming weeks, I pray that your spirits will be lifted, your souls will be encouraged, and you will be edified knowing that others will be singing the same songs.  We will be in harmony even though we are in our individual homes, looking forward to the day when we can once again be united as a family in our place of worship.

Each week I have the privilege to be able to play prelude music on Sunday mornings at our 8:00 service to help everyone prepare their hearts for worship.  We also enjoy congregational hymns/songs together, and I share a piano postlude at the conclusion of the service so that everyone can "go out in joy." Here are some musical offerings I've selected for this week that reflect that exact routine, complete with lyrics as well as links for further enrichment.

Disclaimer: these were all recorded in one take today, complete with the occasional note (or two) that doesn't "speak," etc.  They are not perfect or professionally rendered recordings nor did I try to do anything particularly fancy with the hymn accompaniments so that the focus can be on your own singing.

If you have any requests please let me know in the comments section (or feel free to email me!)

TIPS 

SOUND QUALITY: If you have external speakers that you can connect to your computer, laptop, tablet or phone you will be able to get a fuller sound to support your singing.  Otherwise just turn up the volume on your device. 

AUDIO PLAYER WINDOWS: In the music player windows, if given a choice (other than just the little "play" arrow) you'll want to click "listen in browser" so that you stay on this page and can follow along with the lyrics.  

To God Alone Be the Glory!  

1. PRELUDE

Jebulon / CC0

Crown Him with Many Crowns

It's stating the obvious to affirm that our news is full of one subject: coronavirus.

Corona = Crown

A wonderful blog post I read today, Corona As a Reminder of My King (by Melissa Edgington on Your Mom Has a Blog) spoke of this connection and reminded me of this majestic hymn.

I usually include this each year as part of my Easter morning prelude, but wanted to share it now.  This is a powerful arrangement for solo piano by Mark Hayes, one of my favorite arrangers of all time!



Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of life,
who triumphed o'er the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife
for those he came to save;
his glories now we sing
who died and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring,
and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of love;
behold his hands and side,
rich wounds, yet visible above,
in beauty glorified;
no angels in the sky
can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends their burning eye
at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of years,
the potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
for thou hast died for me;
thy praise shall never, never fail
throughout eternity.

Sheet music and background information on the hymn available here.  

2. HYMNS FOR YOU TO SING

How Can I Keep From Singing?

Scripture Reference: Psalm 30:12, Psalm 149:1-5

The refrain of this beautiful hymn by Robert Lowry is so timely and comforting right now.



My life flows on in endless song;
above earth’s lamentation,
I catch the sweet, though far off hymn
that hails a new creation.

Refrain:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]

What though my joys and comforts die?
I know my Savior liveth.
What though the darkness gather round?
Songs in the night he giveth. [Refrain]

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]

Sheet music and background information on this hymn available here.

The King of Love My Shepherd Is

Here is a calming, soothing hymn for you with such a beautiful tune.  Yes, it uses some old-timey language here and there.  And yes, I believe that we can all sing the old words and still make sense of them!

Scripture reference: Psalm 23

The King of love my shepherd is,
whose goodness faileth never.
I nothing lack if I am his,
and he is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow,
my ransomed soul he leadeth;
and where the verdant pastures grow,
with food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,
but yet in love he sought me;
and on his shoulder gently laid,
and home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill,
with thee, dear Lord, beside me;
thy rod and staff my comfort still,
thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spreadst a table in my sight;
thy unction grace bestoweth;
and oh, what transport of delight
from thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days,
thy goodness faileth never;
Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise
within thy house forever.

Sheet music and background information for this hymn can be found here

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

Scripture reference: Psalm 18:2-3

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus at a time when everything else seems to be sinking sand.  He alone is our strength and shield, a mighty fortress, our hiding place, "when all around (our) souls give way."


My hope is built on nothing less

than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus' name.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,
all other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils his lovely face,
I rest on his unchanging grace;
in ev'ry high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil. [Refrain]

His oath, his covenant, his blood
support me in the whelming flood;
when all around my soul gives way,
he then is all my hope and stay. [Refrain]

When he shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in him be found,
dressed in his righteousness alone,
faultless to stand before the throne. [Refrain]

Sheet music and background information for this hymn can be found here

POSTLUDE

He's Got the Whole World In His Hands

Scripture Reference: Job 12:10

On Sunday, May 8, I shared this arrangement by Larry Shackley of the beloved African-American spiritual as our postlude at the early service. I decided to record it today and re-share it here as an encouragement to all!



He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the wind and the rain in his hands.
(Sing three times)
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got the little tiny baby in his hands. . . .
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got you and me, brother, in his hands. . . .
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got you and me, sister, in his hands. . . .
He's got the whole world in his hands.

He's got everybody here in his hands. . . .
He's got the whole world in his hands.