Friday, March 27, 2020

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.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful. However, I think it would help if someone woud sing so the audience could join in. Some of the hymns were new to me.

Jana said...

Blessings to you, and thank you so much for your feedback!

I am recording these here at home to provide accompaniment for singing and am also trying to include mostly well-known hymns/songs. However, on the new-ish song this week that may have been unfamiliar to some, I linked a page where you can listen to and download, if you wish, a recording (MP3) that has vocals included, and you can even print out the sheet music if you'd like. Also, feel free to go to YouTube, type in the title of the hymn that is new to you, and you will find many recordings that include voice (and often these have lyrics printed right on the screen) so that you can hear someone singing and get more comfortable with that particular song. Hope that's helpful, and thanks again for your comment!