Sabbath Day Thoughts (and songs) — “Songs and Stories for Eastertide” John 20:19-29

This message includes hotlinks for each of the hymns. Click and sing along, if you wish!

Our first hymn features words originally written in Latin in the fifth century. These lyrics have been sung by Christians to celebrate the resurrection for more than 1,500 years! The Medieval melody was adapted by the German composer and organist Michael Praetorius in 1609. Praetorius was born Michael Schultze, the youngest son of a radical Lutheran pastor. Perhaps to distance himself from his father, Michael latinized his name from Schultze to Praetorius during his university studies.

We use the term “Renaissance man” to describe very versatile people with multiple specialties. By that definition, Praetorius certainly qualifies. He served as an organist, choirmaster, music theorist, and royal court official. As such, he composed a lot of music—and somehow found time to write an encyclopedic treatise on music that scholars have found very useful for more than 400 years.

Praetorious studied at Frankfurt and was organist and eventually court musician to Duke Heinrich Julius. After his patron’s death in 1613, Praetorius spent more than two years at Dresden, where he heard and was influenced by the intricate melodies and harmonies of the latest Italianate music. In his last years, he was asked to visit many German courts as a director, performer, and consultant. Zealous for the advancement of music, he had a predilection for rich and varied settings for voices and instruments. His musical encyclopedia was published in nine volumes between 1605 and 1611. It contains a whopping 1,244 chorale settings for sacred music. When he died in 1620, he was entombed beneath the pipe organ of his home church, the Marienkirche in Frankfurt. Let us sing “That Easter Day with Joy Was Bright.”

That Easter Day with Joy was Bright (PUER NOBIS NASCITUR)

Our next Easter hymn reflects the musical style of the 1970s charismatic church movement, which was heavily influenced by folk music.  The Charismatic movement emphasized baptism in the Holy Spirit and the active operation of spiritual gifts (charismata) among believers. These gifts include speaking in tongues, prophecy, healing, and discernment of spirits. Charismatic Christians believe these gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in the lives of people today. The boom in charismatic hymns was prompted by the accessibility of the guitar and the sing-ability of the tunes, especially for those worshipers who were unaccustomed to choral singing or liturgical (service) music.

This hymn was composed by Donald Fishel. He joined the Word of God, a charismatic Catholic community based in Ann Arbor, MI, where he was the group’s music leader and orchestral conductor from 1969 to 1981. Fishel’s principal instrument is the flute. He has taught and performed in a number of settings, including serving as principal flutist with the Dexter Community Orchestra in Dexter, MI. “Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks” was the first church music that Donald Fishel ever composed. According to Fishel, it came together very quickly – in about an hour! Let us sing “Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks.”

Alleluia, Alleluia! Give Thanks

Our next hymn features the beautiful hymn tune Suo Gan, a traditional Welsh lullaby written by an anonymous composer. It was first recorded in print around 1800. The words of the hymn were written by John Bell and Graham Maule. Bell is a minister in the Church of Scotland, a fellow of the Royal School of Church Music, and a member of the Iona Community. He gives music workshops throughout the United Kingdom and the United States. Bell is passionate about the importance of congregational singing. He says that Christian singing should lead to Christian action. His words often express the thirst for social justice and the Kingdom of God.

Bell says, “My frustration is that the church’s singing is full of churchy words. We don’t have songs with a word like economics in them, or a word like kitchen. A substantial amount of biblical witness tells us God is interested in economics. We know that much of Jesus’ time was spent in kitchens. But we are disenfranchised from singing about some realities in his and our lives.” As you sing “Christ Has Risen While Earth Slumbers,” listen for ways that Bell expresses the real experience of people in the pews. 

Christ has risen while earth slumbers HD

Our next Easter carol uses the allegory of the dying and rising of grain to allude to Christ’s resurrection. The lyrics were written by Anglican clergyman, author, and hymnwriter John Macleod Campbell Crum. His grandfather was the Scottish minister and Reformed theologian John Macleod Campbell, who was controversial for his preaching of universal atonement – the belief that Christ died for all humankind. This view conflicted with the teachings of the Church of Scotland. His scandalous belief led to a “presbyterial visitation.” A representative group of the leaders from the Church of Scotland appeared at his church one Sunday morning to hear Rev. Campbell and examine him. They didn’t like what they heard. He was accused of heresy and forced to leave the Scottish church.

Influenced by his grandfather’s thought and experience, John Macleod Campbell Crum emphasized that the good news of Jesus Christ is for all people. As you sing the hymn, pay attention to verse four. It celebrates the power of God to raise hearts to new life, even when we feel dead and barren. The hymn has had great appeal in Great Britain where it is sung in churches and has been recorded by popular musicians like Steve Winwood, David Harbottle, Laura Wright, and the King’s College Choir. Let us sing “Now the Green Blade Rises.”

Laura Wright – Now The Green Blade Rises

Our next hymn, “The Day of Resurrection,” teams 8^th century words by John of Damascus with a lively 19^th century English tune. John of Damascus was an Arab Christian monk, priest, and defender of the faith. John was born to a prominent Syrian family. His father was intent upon John receiving a classical education, and so the boy’s tutor was a monk by the name of Cosmas, who was kidnapped by Arab slave-traders from his home in Sicily. Seeing the value of such a devout and learned slave, John’s father paid a great price for Cosmas.

John served as a civil servant for the Caliph in Damascus before his ordination. He then became a priest and monk at the Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem. Perhaps his greatest service to the church was his defense of icons, holy images used to invite worshippers to prayer and reflection. John’s greatest opponent on the matter of icons was Emperor Leo III. In an effort to discredit John, Leo sent forged documents to the Caliph of Damascus which implicated John in a plot to attack the city. The Caliph was outraged and ordered John’s right hand be cut off and hung up in public view.

According to tradition, some days afterwards, John asked for his hand back. He prayed fervently to Mary the mother of our Lord before her icon, and his hand was said to have been miraculously restored. In gratitude for this healing, he attached a silver hand to the icon, which thereafter became known as the “Three-handed Mary” or Tricherousa. The icon can still be seen in the Hilandar monastery in Mount Athos, Greece. Let us sing “The Day of Resurrection.”

Hymn “The Day of Resurrection” | Lancashire

Our final hymn is “Woman, Weeping in the Garden.” The words tell the story of Mary Magdalene and her transformation from weeping to dancing as she encountered her risen Lord on Easter morning. The words were written by Daniel Charles Damon.

Daniel remembers that when he was in high school, he told his Grandpa Damon that he might want to become a minister. His Grandpa questioned whether young Daniel had the right stuff, “That’s the highest calling there is,” Grandpa said. Looking at his grandson’s long hair and bangs that hid much of his face, Grandpa said more, “You know, you can tell a man’s intelligence by the width of his forehead.” Clearly, Daniel’s conservative Free Methodist grandfather did not approve of his grandson’s church aspirations, so much for that idea.

After graduation from Greenville College, Daniel taught high school band and choir in South Dakota before moving to San Francisco to work full-time as a jazz musician. He found a job at a sing-along piano bar called the Curtain Call.

After a few years of making a living playing in hotels and restaurants, Daniel was burning out on the bar scene when a conversation with his pastor sent him back on a path to seminary at the Graduate Theological Union. There, Daniel discovered a deeper sense of calling to be a pastor and a hymnwriter. He served a number of small California churches where he preached, played the piano, led congregational singing, directed choirs, and even typed the bulletins.

Daniel often writes hymns on social justice themes. The way we treat people is very important to him. He has written hymns for children, women, the elderly, people living with disabilities, and for the poor and the oppressed. If his conservative Grandfather were still alive, he would undoubtedly not approve. That’s ok with Daniel. Let us sing “Woman, Weeping in the Garden.”

Woman Weeping in the Garden

John 20:19-29

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

²⁶ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”