I can hardly believe that it's been over two months and twenty-two episodes since I first launched the Hymns From Home series. What began as a simple idea to bring joy to others and continue to play violin with other home-bound musicians during the pandemic season has morphed into a much bigger life-of-its-own type project. I've been so blown away by the feedback and encouragement I've gotten from each of you saying that these hymns have brought you peace and comfort in times of uncertainty. The events of the past few weeks have brought more hurt and division in our country and as I learn and grow and take time to reevaluate what it means to love my neighbor, I've found that I'm increasingly taking more comfort in the peace that music brings to my soul. With that in mind, I'm so excited and grateful to announce that I've begun work on a new album based on the video series I've been doing these past few months. "Hymns From Home" will be an instrumental collection of ten hymns...some familiar favorites and some lesser-known tunes...all arranged simply yet beautifully for violin and accompanied by piano, guitar, cello and others. Because making a record is expensive, I've decided to use the crowd-funding tool Kickstarter to help offset some of the cost. (If you're not familiar with Kickstarter, you can CLICK HERE and read their "Project Backer FAQ" ) By contributing to this project, not only will you help make this record a reality, you'll also be able to get great perks like digital or physical copies of the music before it's available for sale to the public, a devotional guide I'm writing to go along with the record, multi-packs to share with your friends and some "bigger" donation tiers where you can get fun things like a violin video greeting, your name in the liner notes or even bring me to play at your church. I've created a little video below to share some of the heart behind the project, as well as a button where you can click to support this project on Kickstarter! I know there is so much going on in the world right now, but I hope this record can be part of the soundtrack of hope, healing and peace we so desperately need.
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PRAY Lord, thank you for those who have given up their lives in pursuit of the freedom and justice our country was founded on. We remember today their courage and the great sacrifice they made. For those currently serving our country in the military we pray for comfort, strength and safety for them and for their families, and we ask for wisdom for our leaders. Amen. LYRIC O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law! O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife, Who more than self their country love And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness, And every gain divine! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea! Oh beautiful for halcyon skies For amber waves of grain For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea! O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress, A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrims foot and knee! Oh beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife, When once and twice for man’s avail Men lavished precious life! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till selfish gain no longer strain The banner of the free! O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years, Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed His grace on thee, Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee! SCRIPTURE John 15:12-13 BACKGROUND America The Beautiful was written by Katharine Lee Bates. Bates graduated from Wellesley College and taught at both the highschool and the collegiate level. She wrote all manner of things from textbooks to children's books, poetry and travel guides. In 1893 while lecturing in Colorado, she went to the top of Pike's Peak and was inspired by the views she experienced there that she sat down and wrote the first four verses, which were published as a poem in a weekly journal soon thereafter. She continued to revise the lyrics until 1913. The tune, MATERNA, was written in 1882 by American organist and composer Samuel Augusus Ward. Ward originally composed the tune for a different Hymn, "O Mother Dear, Jerusalem." However after Ward's death, a publisher combined the tune with Bates' poem (then simply titled "America") and the result obviously became wildly popular. Bates and Ward never met. He was posthumously inducted into the songwriters hall of fame in 1970. PERSONAL Since today we celebrate memorial day, I thought it was in order to share something patriotic and since America The Beautiful is frequently included in the hymnal, it seemed a perfect choice. Today's scripture reference connects with the first part of the lesser-sung third verse of this tune...I've put that specific portion in red italics above. The scripture says that there is no greater love than if a man lays down his life for his friends, and in this sense I am going to broadly define the term "Friends" as not only those who we have willingly stepped into relationship with based on mutual admiration, but also as our family, and our countrymen...yes, even those countrymen who vote differently than the way you do.
Although I have several veterans in my family tree the one that I am most connected to was is my late maternal grandfather, George Christophersen who served in the U.S. Army during the second World War. Although he was lucky enough to come home from the war and raise a family and lead a long and productive life after serving, the stories he told have certainly stuck with me. I have deep amounts of respect for his character that he would endure hardship selflessly for the greater good. Thank you to each of you who have served, or who have borne the sacrifice of having a loved one serve. May we remember you today and each day. PRAY Lord, thank you that through your life you bring comfort when I am faint, silence to my fears, and calm to my troubled heart. In this difficult season, I trust that you are already planning on redeeming this season and bringing unimaginable life and beauty out of it beyond what we can even comprehend. Amen. LYRIC I know that my Redeemer lives; what joy this blest assurance gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my everliving Head. He lives triumphant from the grave, He lives eternally to save, He lives all-glorious in the sky, He lives exalted there on high. He lives to bless me with His love, He lives to plead for me above, He lives my hungry soul to feed, He lives to help in time of need. He lives to grant me rich supply, He lives to guide me with His eye, He lives to comfort me when faint, He live to hear my soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears, He lives to wipe away my tears, He lives to calm my troubled heart, He lives all blessings to impart. He lives, my kind, wise, heav'nly friend, He lives and loves me to the end; He lives, and while He lives, I'll sing; He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath; He lives and I shall conquer death; He lives my mansion to prepare; He lives to bring me safely there. He lives, all glory to His name! He lives, my Jesus, still the same. Oh, the sweet joy this sentence gives, "I know that my Redeemer lives!" SCRIPTURE Job 19:25-27 BACKGROUND This lyric was written by Samuel Medley, and although there are a few slight variations in a few lines based on which hymnal you happen to be using, all versions of the hymn are attributed to Medley. Born the son of an English schoolmaster, he received a great education, but joined the Royal Navy upon his dissatisfaction with an apprenticeship he was completing. He was wounded in a battle with the French and converted to Christianity after hearing a sermon by Dr. Watts during his recovery process. He went on to run a school and ultimately become a preacher at a local Baptist church where he served, while also writing hymns for pamphlets and literature until his painful health struggles brought him into the arms of his Redeemer. Although the tune DUKESTREET is only used in conjunction with these lyrics about 50% of the time, it is the most popular tune associated with the hymnists words and the tune we have used in this particular Hymns from Home series. It was composed by John Warrington Hatton in 1793. Hatton supposedly lived on Duke Street in Lancashire, England, which is where the name for the tune was derived, and basically nothing else seems to be known about him other than he was likely a Presbyterian, and he was supposedly killed in a stagecoach accident. PERSONAL For the past few months or so our beloved church organist needed to take a short leave of absence, and somehow we were blessed enough to have the talented but also incredibly kind-hearted Jane Metcalfe fill in as our substitute. Not only is being at the helm of the pipe organ on a worship team that also includes guitars and drums and such no small task, but the timing lined up with this bizarre season of pandemics and Jane has slid right into her roll with such ease as if she's been playing the pipe organ on live-streamed church services her entire life.
She graduated with her degree in organ performance last year from Covenant College in Chattanooga, TN where she currently lives, and i've no doubt that both her talent and the care and gentleness with which she approaches all those she meets will carry her far. I've had the pleasure of being part of the 4 person skeleton music crew for the live-stream worship services at my church and getting to play with Jane each week during this season has been a true joy. A few weeks ago we did this particular hymn and I was moved not only by Jane's incredibly beautiful extended intro, but also by the lyric. As soon as the service ended I asked her if she'd be willing to play through it once more and let me film for this series, and with absolutely no notice whatsoever she kindly obliged. I love the confidence with which the lyricist proclaims all the things he knows to be true about his heavenly father. Like Job who originally proclaimed "I know that my Redeemer lives and at last He shall stand upon the earth..." author Samuel Medley had also experienced loss and hardship, so it is with no small faith that he recounts all that the Lord has done for him despite the hardship he has endured. I also love the use of the word Redeemer. There are so many names that we can call God that are accurate and true and describe facets of His Nature. But instead of calling out to God as his "Savior" or "Lord" or "Master" I think it's worth noting that Job chose Redeemer signifying that God will "bring goodness and honor back" to him. That he won't erase the hardship, but that he will allow it to remain all the while bringing greater value and beauty than ever existed before which was certainly true in Job's story. I'm certain the pain of loosing his family remained for the rest of his earthly life, but God also brought new joy by giving him additional family and descendants as well as multiplying his earthly possessions beyond their original value. I would encourage you to begin to ask the Lord to redeem what has been lost in this season. To bring an experience greater than the one that was missed, a job better than the one that was lost, a depth of relationship that didn't exist when we we were all so preoccupied with the trimmings of earth. PRAY Lord, thank you for being our comfort when our souls are weary and troubled, for being the ultimate conqueror of death, and for never failing us. May we turn our eyes upon you and fix our gaze there until in Glory we can see nothing but your beauty forever and ever. Amen. LYRIC 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! 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! 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. 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! 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. SCRIPTURE Hebrews 12: 1-3 BACKGROUND Both the lyrics to Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and the hymn-tune LEMMEL were written by Helen H Lemmel in the early part of the twentieth century. Lemmel was a prolific hymnist who wrote an entire hymnal, and well over 500 hymns during her lifetime. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister and emigrated to America from England with her family when she was 12 years old. She moved around bit serving as a vocal coach, teacher and conductor of vocal groups as well as teaching at Moody Bible College in Chicago for some time. This particular tune was written after she read a tract published by missionary Lilias Trotter called "Focussed: A Story + A Song" act Although the two women had never met, Lemmel was so moved by the last line of the tract which reads, "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, and the Divine "attrait" by which God's saints are made, even in this 20th century, will lay hold of you. For "He is worthy" to have all there is to be had in the heart that He has died to win." There are also claims that Lemmel wrote this tune after she lost her vision and her husband left her due to the development of this disability. I have been unable to find specific details to substantiate these claims however - many people are of the opinion that it is true, and certainly it would make for a powerful story behind the text, however many others claim this is just an urban legend. This beautiful piano arrangement of the tune was written by tonight's special guest, Randy McClellan. Randy is a brilliant singer/songwriter/instrumentalist who also serves as the director of music at Church of The Good Shepherd in Brentwood, TN. He and his wife Pamela live in East Nashville with their two human kiddos and one four-legged fur-baby. PERSONAL I'll admit that at this point in the pandemic age, my soul is weary and troubled. Not just by the process of living in survival mode for the past 54 days, but by the state of the world in general. It's hard to understand why we are living in an age where an entire race of people don't feel safe going out for a jog. An era where just last night in my beloved town of Nashville, TN someone scaled a fence and put an actual target on the house of a family because of the equality they continue to fight for. If you feel like "no light in the darkness you see," take heart. You are not alone. But also, take truth...there is a light in the darkness...one bright enough that we can see the Savior. Admittedly, these days I often feel like stamping my foot a la my toddler and saying, "but Jesus my eyes ARE fixed on You! I'm straining in the darkness begging to see even a flicker of the brilliance of Your Glory. Show yourself to me!" But as the hymnist penned, His Word will not fail me. And I know that soon, these things of earth will grow strangely dim, and His Glory and Grace will be all illuminated beyond comprehension so that His Face is all I see. I had the great fortune to attend church with Randy McClellan and his wife Pamela for several years at St. B's. Whenever I saw either of their names on the musician list for a Sunday morning I knew it was going to be a good day. But I will never forget the first time I really heard Randy play. We were having some sort of special evening service and Randy did a vocal/piano solo...I'd never had the opportunity to hear him by himself in a "let loose" and boy did he ever let loose. I about fell off the pew in amazement. In a bittersweet turn of events, Randy was hired shortly thereafter to be the music minister at Church of The Good Shepherd and while we are all very proud of him and how he serves this sister congregation, he and his family are dearly missed as our church body will never be quite the same without their spirits and their talent. See Randy "LIVE" in concert every week! Like many musicians, Randy as made musical lemonade out of the lemons that 2020 has handed us all thus far. Covering Gospel favorites, jazz classics, 90's country and everything in-between live from his official FaceBook page, Randy continues to bring joy and inspiration to the greater online community. I would encourage you to tune in every Friday at noon (central) to hear his livestream concerts. PRAY Lord, may we continually praise you for who you are, and what you do daily in our lives providing shelter, health, and ultimately salvation. Thank you that your goodness and mercy attend us daily. May we praise you forevermore. LYRIC Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation! O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation! Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near, join me in glad adoration. Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning; sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining! Have you not seen all that is needful has been sent by his gracious ordaining? Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you; surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do, if with his love he befriends you. Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him. Let the Amen sound from his people again; gladly forever adore him. SCRIPTURE Psalm 103:1-6 & Psalm 150 BACKGROUND The lyric to Praise To The Lord The Almighty was originally written by Joachim Neander in the late 1600s. Joachim was an unlikely hymnist...as a young man he was "riotous and fond of questionable pleasures." In fact, he and two friends once went to church on the sole mission to make fun of the preacher but instead, Neander found himself deeply moved by the sermon and joined the German Reformed Church. He would be their most important hymn-writer and many of his works center on praise and thanksgiving. He also deeply felt God's presence in nature and it is likely that many of his songs were written in a cave that he particularly enjoyed visiting. Almost two hundred years after it's composition, his text "Lobe den Herren den mächtigen König" was translated into English by Catherine Winkworth who was basically well known for her knowledge of German Hymnody and German-to-English translations of hymn texts, and for her pioneering work in the area of women's rights. The tune, LOBE DEN HERREN, was anonymously written around 1665 and is most frequently paired with this set of lyrics, although occasionally used with other texts. This particular arrangement was created by Ronnie Dennis, worship leader at Avenue South Church, a regional campus of Brentwood Baptist Church. As a college student and young twenty-something he traveled with a successful regional Christian band, and then served as a worship leader at several churches before moving to Nashville and accepting his current position at Avenue South. Ronnie and his wife Shaunti have two awesome kiddos and live in Nashville, TN. PERSONAL Tonight I am so glad to have Ronnie Dennis as my special guest. I've been a friend of the congregation at The Church At Avenue South for a long time now, and I'm grateful to get to serve with Ronnie every few months on Sunday mornings. He is a kind and humble soul who finds joy in giving others the opportunity to use their gifts, values input from those serving alongside him, and generally puts others ahead of himself. Ronnie is a fellow Mississippian which is always sweet to get to serve with someone who knows where you've come from...even if where you've come from is leading worship at a Bible study in a bar on Monday nights when they were closed...which we actually did together on several occasions back in the day.
Yesterday Nashville had a line of storms come through. Wind speeds were clocked at 76 miles per hour. Lots of damage happened. 101,000 customers are still without electricity, down from 130,000 last night. Two of our friends have trees on their cars, a few more have trees on their houses and fences. On this, the 10-year anniversary of the great Nashville Flood of 2010, many citizens of our fair city are now facing the reality of being quarantined, without power, in damaged homes or without vehicles. We're still limping along from the tornados and COVID-19 and now we're gearing up for a second night of straight line winds. I know many of you might feel this way about things in your own lives...maybe you keep experiencing loss or hardship or sadness and it seems overwhelmingly too much. This hymn has long been a favorite of mine. The melody is sing-able and lilting, the words uplifting and comforting. It pulls you in to a joyful space where one can't help but simply sing, "Praise to the Lord! Praise! Praise!" When I scheduled this one for tonight, I certainly had no idea it would come on the heels of more bad weather and loss for our town, but maybe it's the reminder that we need right now. That even in this, the Lord is still worthy of adoration and praise. That He is our health, our salvation, He is wondrously reigning, He shelters us, sustains us...I find that comforting in a season like this where everything seems upside down. |
#lifeontheroadStories and thoughts and current happenings in music and life Archives
January 2022
CategoriesAbout BethanyBethany is a freelance violinist/fiddler and tour manager who works with artists & events such as Kelly Minter, Cultivate: A Gathering Around The Word and Laura Story. She and her husband Keith live in Nashville, TN with their daughter Clare, cat & 6 backyard chickens. For more info on Bethany, visit her bio page!! |