Hymn of the Day: “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?” ELW 241
Text: Paul Gerhart (1607-1676) tr. composite
Tune: WIE SOLL ICH DICH EMPFANGEN, Johann Cruger (1598-1662)
Paul Gerhardt, famous author of Lutheran evangelical hymns, wrote this German text in ten stanzas. The Psalter Hymnal contains three of those original ten stanzas inspired by Matthew 21:1-9, the Gospel reading for the first Sunday of Advent in the old Lutheran lectionary. Like so many of the psalms that use the first-person pronoun ("I"), this text moves from the personal welcome of the Savior (st. 1), to a confession of the reason for Christ's incarnation (st. 2), to the church's expectation of Christ's return (st. 3).
Gerhardt studied theology and hymnody at the University of Wittenberg and then was a tutor in Berlin, where he became friends with Johann Cruger. He experienced much suffering in his life; he and his parishioners lived in the era of the Thirty Years' War, and his family experienced incredible tragedy: four of his five children died young, and his wife died after a prolonged illness. In the history of hymnody Gerhardt is considered a transitional figure. He wrote at a time when hymns were changing from a more objective, confessional, and corporate focus to a pietistic, devotional, and personal one. Like other German hymns, Gerhardt's were lengthy and intended for use throughout a service, a group of stanzas at a time.
John Wesley and Catherine Winkworth both made famous English translations of Gerhardt's texts. As Paul Gerhardt was one of the chief German Lutheran hymn text writers, so Catherine Winkworth was the premier nineteenth-century English translator of German chorales. In 1855 and 1858 she prepared translations in two series called Lyra Germanica. In the second of these, she added a note to the preface in which she promised to respond to "inquiries... for tunes adapted to these hymns.” That led in 1863 to The Chorale Book for England, in which she made the translations fit the German meters and included the German tunes so they could be sung with the English texts. In 1869 she provided a substantial history of German hymns and poetry in Christian Singers of Germany.
Winkworth was educated privately while living with her father and sister in Manchester, England. An early champion of women's rights and the education of women, she was governor of the Red Maids' School in Bristol and supporter of the Clifton School for Girls.
Johann Crüger composed WIE SOLL ICH DICH EMPFANGEN for this text and published the tune in 1653; the tune name is the German incipit of Gerhardt's text. Enhancing a sense of personal and communal meditation, the tune gives the text reflective support. It is in isorhythmic form (all equal rhythms) as well as rounded bar form (AABA).
Offertory: “E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come” Paul Manz
E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" is a 1953 motet composed by Paul Manz with lyrics adapted by Ruth Manz. The piece is adapted from text found in the Book of Revelation. It is known as Paul Manz's most notable composition and has been frequently performed by numerous ensembles and choral groups. Paul and Ruth Manz wrote "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" in 1953 during a time when their three-year-old son was critically ill. Reflecting on the time, Ruth Manz reported, "I think we'd reached the point where we felt that time was certainly running out so we committed it to the Lord and said, 'Lord Jesus quickly come'". During this time, she had prepared some text for Paul for a composition based on the Book of Revelation. While at his son's bedside, Paul Manz began drafting the composition, which later became the current piece. Their son did recover, which the couple attributed to the power of prayer.
Peace be to you and grace from him
Who freed us from our sins
Who loved us all and shed his blood
That we might saved be
Sing Holy, Holy to our Lord
The Lord, Almighty God
Who was, and is, and is to come
Sing Holy, Holy Lord
Rejoice in heaven, all ye that dwell within
Rejoice on earth, ye saints below
For Christ is coming, is coming soon
For Christ is coming soon
E′en so Lord Jesus, quickly come
And night shall be no more
They need no light nor lamp nor sun
For Christ will be their All!
Opening Voluntary: “Burleigh” (My Lord, What a Morning) Richard Billingham (1934)
William Farley Smith (1941–1997), arranger of most of the spirituals in The United Methodist Hymnal, ascribed the tune name BURLEIGH to this spiritual after Harry T. Burleigh (1866–1949) whose concert versions of African American spirituals helped bring the genre into mainstream performances (Young, 1993, 490). Most recent hymnals use this tune name.
Richard Billingham worked for many years as Associate Professor of Music at the University of Illinois and Organist at the First Methodist Church, Chicago. BURLEIGH is a fairly old hymn tune, originating as an African-American spiritual written during the time of slavery in the Untied States. It is currently published in 22 hymnals.
Closing Voluntary: “Prepare the Royal Highway” Paul Manz
Paul Otto Manz was an American choir and organ composer. Also a performer, Manz was most famous for his celebrated hymn festivals. Instead of playing traditional organ recitals, Manz would generally lead a "festival" of hymns from the organ, in which he introduced each hymn with one of his famously creative organ improvisations based on the hymn tune in question. The congregation would then sing the hymn with his accompaniment. Many volumes of these neo-Baroque chorale prelude improvisations have been written out and published and are among his most famous organ works, played by church organists throughout the world. Today’s Voluntary is one of those improvisations.