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Here’s one for Danny McKenzie, who created our “From the Choir Loft” category.   The lyrics were composed by Charles Wesley in 1739, based on verse 26 in the sixteenth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.  Here’s the 4th Stanza: Long my imprisoned sprit lay, fast bound in sin and nature’s night; thine eye diffused a quickening [...]

What line in what musical piece was inspired by / taken from one of the verses in today’s lesson scripture: Isaiah 52:7-12?

Back in early December when this blogging thing was going pretty strong, one of our lesson discussions led us to the choral anthem “He Comes to Us,” arranged by Jane Marshall.  The text of the anthem is the last paragraph of Albert Schweitzer’s 1948 book The Quest of the Historical Jesus: “He comes to us [...]

Since you’ll probably want to get your tailgate tents out and set up on the church lawn so you can get a sanctuary seat, please be advised that the First United Methodist Church Chancel Choir’s Christmas program is scheduled for Dec. 9. This year’s program — as is usually the case with the Divine Miss [...]

Be sure to read Wesley’s Directions on Singing. As Danny suggested earlier, I made a special effort to attend to the words and the music this morning. We do indeed enjoy a special heritage from Charles Wesley. We don’t sing in unison — not always in harmony — but we do sing together.  As the [...]

Take a look at the list of Charles Wesley’s hymns that we (and the youth and chancel choirs) will be singing tomorrow at the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services.  Are there some other Wesley hymns that you would have included if you could? Several times this past week, the subject of favorite hymns has come [...]

“Are you going onto perfection?” was first asked of new Methodist ministers by John Wesley more than 250 years ago, and it’s still being asked today. While reaching perfection seems an impossible task, it helps (greatly) to consider an older definition of that term. In her book Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, author and [...]

As I read through today’s message I was comforted by the statement that “sin is a condition”, not just an occasional act, and we are all born into this unhealthy state.  In other words…I did not have to work at becoming sinful, I just “am”.  I also realize that I, on my own, can do [...]

Don’t forget today’s Wesley Hymn lesson. I don’t know how many of you have ever seen the old movie One Foot in Heaven (1941), but there’s a scene near the end that evokes the power of music in bringing us together as a community.  If you haven’t seen it, the movie’s about a Methodist preacher [...]

Why do we sing – As people? As individuals? As Christians? Why do you sing?  In what way can singing be transformative?  Can you recall an event where singing was integral — part of a defining moment in either your life or in the life of others? My friend Bill Williams has on occasion sung [...]