Hymn Blog - September 6, 2009

 

MV 30 – It’s a Song of Praise to the Maker. Our opening praise hymn is by Ruth Duck, a United Church of Christ (USA) minister, who is professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois, and a widely-published author of hymn texts, including 10 in Voices United and 10 in More Voices. This text invites us to hear the sounds of God’s creation as a hymn of praise. The music is by Ron Klusmeier, prolific Canadian composer of hymn tunes and prominent United Church music leader.

 

 

VU 460 – This text by the late Sylvia Dunstan uses the image of manna in the wilderness for the bread of communion. It is set to the tune HOLY MANNA, written in the early nineteenth century and found in Southern Harmony, published by William Walker in South Carolina in 1835. The text of the first verse of the original words to this tune are:

 

Brethren, we have met to worship,
 

And adore the Lord our God;
 

Will you pray with all your power,
 

While we try to preach the word?
 

All is vain unless the Spirit
 

Of the Holy One comes down;
 

Brethren pray and holy manna
 

Will be showered all around.

 

 

VU 471 – Eat This Bread and Never Hunger. Our hymn during communion is by Dan Damon, a United Methodist minister in Richmond, California. Damon wrote and composed this hymn in 1992 for a completion sponsored by the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada.

 

 

VU 227 – For the Fruit of All Creation. This hymn, often sung in the season of thanksgiving, celebrates God’s gifts and calls us to responsible use of them. The second stanza’s reflection on human labour makes it especially appropriate for use on this Labour Day weekend. The text is by Fred Pratt Green, English Methodist cleric, poet and hymn writer. It was first set to the Welsh folk tune AR HYD Y NOS (All Through the Night) in “Songs for a Gospel People”, the 1987 supplement to the Hymn Book (1971).

 

 

MV 104 – Know That God Is Good. This simple refrain from Africa provides our sung blessing.