Playlist for February 17, 2013

I recently found an accompaniment recording of “Abide With Me” on One in Christ: Hymns of the Month published by Concordia Publishing House. Our hymn book has four verses but the recording has a total of six.  A quick web search revealed that the original poem by Scottish Anglican Henry Francis Lyte contained a total of eight verses. So, not wanting to stop or fade the recording after four verses (which creates an awkward end to the hymn), I prepared slides of the four verses from our hymnbook as well as two additional verses (from the original eight) for the projection screen.

For instrumental music during the morning offering, I prepared a medley of “Ashokan Farewell” and “Be Thou My Vision” which I played on my McSpadden mountain dulcimer.  I played the first half of “Ashokan” then segued into a verse of “Be Thou”.  I followed that with the second half of “Ashokan” and then a second verse of “Be Thou.”  Personally, I thought it all flowed together nicely.

Although “Ashokan Farewell” is not a hymn or spiritual song, I felt that the combination of this modern “Scottish lament” with the ancient Irish folk tune of “Be Thou My Vision” was a natural mashup (in my humble opinion).  Some purists may scoff at mixing the secular with the sacred but, the more I study hymn history, the more I find that many of our great hymns of the faith combined sacred poems with traditional secular tunes.  Plus, I don’t see that “Ashokan” is associated with anything profane so my conscience is at ease.

All Sunday School and morning worship hymns and choruses are from “Living Hymns.” All evening worship hymns and choruses are from The Wilds Songbook (8th Edition).

Sunday School
Chorus – “Christ for Me!”

Morning Worship
Hymn – “A Shelter In The Time Of Storm”
Hymn – “Abide With Me”
Offering – “Ashokan Farewell/Be Thou My Vision”, Ken (mountain dulcimer)
Special Music – “Men of God, Arise”, Sacred Music Services Quartet (recording)
Hymn – “All That Thrills My Soul Is Jesus”

Evening 
Hymn – “O It Is Wonderful to Be a Christian”
Chorus – “Lord, Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart”
Hymn – “Create in Me a Clean Heart”
Offering/Special Music – “I Surrender All”, Ken & Steve (guitars, vocals)
Hymn – “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”