Tag: hymns

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Hymns & Music for Third Sunday After Epiphany

🎼🎶Bind us together, Lord, bind us together with cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, Lord, bind us together in love. “There is only one God, there is only one King; There is only one body, that is why we sing.”.🎼🎶 | Hymns & Music for Third Sunday After Epiphany

COME SING WITH US THIS THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY  

 Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, which refreshes the spirit. We also sing new or well-known hymns and “gospel and folk songs.” PUMC music ministry includes a handbell choir, children, youth, and adult choirs. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young, and help them find faith and hope. 

Our hymns go well with our scripture passage “Romans 12:1-16,” and are in line with Pastor Jenny Smith Walz’s sermon, “Weave Us Together In Sharing.” Pastor Jenny’s message is that “we are Christ’s body of chosen people, and each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. Therefore we must go ahead and be what God has created us to be, not trying to be something we are not.” Listen to Pastor Jenny explain how members of PUMC should share as individuals, and together as a community, in supporting our church with our prayers, our presence, our financial and spiritual gifts, our service, and our witness.  

Video “Bind Us Together, Lord”

“Bind Us Together, Lord,” was written by English songwriter Bob Gillman and published in 1974. The hymn refers to 1 Corinthians 13: 13 and Colossians 3:14. 

Video. “When We are Living”

“When We Are Living” {Pues Si Vivimos} is a traditional hymn from Mexico. It is a song of hope, trust, belonging, and discipleship. Verse One refers to Romans 14:8. 

 

Click here to watch the PUMC worship service, listen to the beautiful music, the children’s story time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

Images Source: Google Images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Hymns & Music for Second Sunday After Epiphany

“Give Me Jesus,” “I Have a Dream,” “In Unity, We Lift Our Song.” | Hymns & Music for Second Sunday After Epiphany

COME SING WITH US THIS SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY  

Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, which refreshes the spirit. We also sing new or well-known hymns and “gospel and folk songs.” PUMC music ministry includes a handbell choir, children, youth, and adult choirs. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young, and help them find faith and hope. 

This Sunday, we commission the elected leaders of our beloved PUMC (virtually) in worship.  God has blessed us enormously with the incredible and many leaders we have among us! You can find a list of the elected leaders here. The hymns that we sing at this worship service go perfectly with our scripture passages Acts 2:41-47 and 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 and are in line with Pastor Jenny Smith Walz’s sermon, “Weave Us Together with Compassion.” Pastor Jenny is inviting us to look at OUR PUMC community. “How can WE be more of a beloved community for one another and those beyond our church family?” she asks. To survive these challenging times we live in, Ephesians 2:14 reminds us, “Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us.” 

  Video: “Give Me Jesus.” 

 During worship, watch our two music interns Christina Griffin, soprano, and Emily McDonald, piano, perform Mark Hayes’ arrangement of the traditional spiritual, “Give Me Jesus,” for the Music Ministry.

  Video: “I Have a Dream”

Pamela J. Pettitt, a Methodist minister in Britain, wrote the hymn “I Have a Dream” and published it in 2005 to the tune  REPTON. “The hymn’s title, “I have a dream,” stems from Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech delivered to over 200,000 civil rights supporters on 28 August 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In his speech, King called for racial equality and an end to racial discrimination.” Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday, will be observed tomorrow Monday, January 18, 2021.

                            Video: “In Unity, We Lift Our Song” 

Ken Medema, blind from birth, is a songwriter, composer, recording artist, and storyteller through music and is the author of the hymn “In Unity, We Lift Our Song.” It is set to the tune EIN’ FESTE BURG. This hymn teaches us that we are all welcome in God’s kingdom. It refers to Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“

Click here to watch the PUMC worship service, listen to the beautiful music, the children’s story time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

Image Source: Google Images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Hymns and Music for First Sunday after the Epiphany

“Down by the Jordan,” “Down to the River to Pray,” “Baptized in Water.” | Hymns and Music for First Sunday after the Epiphany

COME SING WITH US THIS FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY  

Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, which refreshes the spirit. We also sing new or well-known hymns and “gospel and folk songs.” PUMC music ministry includes a handbell choir, children, youth and adult choirs. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young, and help them find faith and hope. 

This Sunday, we celebrate Christ’s baptism, and we reaffirm our baptismal vows as we come to the waters to renew our commitments to Christ. This recommitment will remind us of how Christ heals us, especially in light of what is going on around us today. The hymns that we sing at this worship service go perfectly with our scripture, Mark 1:4-11, and are also in line with Pastor Jenny Smith Walz’s sermon, “Baptism of Christ.”  Here are three of the hymns:

  Video:  “Down by the Jordan”

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette wrote the hymn “Down by the Jordan; a Prophet named John was Baptizing” and published it in 2000. It draws from Bible scripture in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and tells about the chosen one, birth and baptism, love and joy. The tune generally used for this hymn is LOBE DEN HERREN. 

  Video:  “Down to the River to Pray” 

“Down to the River to Pray” is a traditional American song differently described as a Christian folk hymn, an African-American spiritual, Appalachian music, and a gospel song. The text contains some scriptural references. Ephesian 4:5 tells us, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism.” This profoundly spiritual hymn is about “keeping the faith in a time of darkness.” It gained popularity in 2000 after Alison Krauss performed it for the film’s soundtrack, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” 

     Video:  “Baptized in Water”

Michael Saward wrote “Baptized in Water” in London on May 29, 1981, a few days after the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination to the ministry. The tune generally used for this hymn is BUNESSAN. The text is rich in baptismal images and scriptural references. It is a great hymn for infant or adult baptism. It also tells of being cleansed by Jesus’ blood for salvation, godly living, dying and being buried with Jesus and rising again, free and forgiven, becoming God’s children and praising God.                                                 

Click here to watch the PUMC worship service, listen to the beautiful music, the children’s story time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

Image Source: Google images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Hymns and Music for Epiphany

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” “Beams of Heaven As I Go” | Hymns and Music for Epiphany

COME SING WITH US THIS EPIPHANY SUNDAY 

Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, which refreshes the spirit. We also sing new or well-known hymns and “gospel and folk songs.” We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young, and help them find faith and hope. Here are two of my favorite hymns that we will sing at this Communion Sunday service:

Video: “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us” is a gospel song written by Dorothy A. Thrupp (1836). Each verse of this hymn contains a promise we have received from God and a prayer we make because of that promise. We must, therefore, live our lives as Christ’s followers with faith and in prayer. 

Video: “Beams of Heaven As I Go”

“Beams of Heaven As I Go,” originally titled “Some Day,” is a congregational song written by Rev. Dr. Charles Albert Tindley, an African American Methodist minister and gospel music composer. In this hymn, he asks the oppressed to stand fast in Christ, the one who guides us through this wilderness to peace and glory. “Often referred to as “The Prince of Preachers” and “father of gospel music,” he became a minister and founded one of the largest Methodist congregations serving the African-American community on the East Coast of the United States” (Wikipedia). The historic Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia got its name because of Reverend Tindley. 

Click here to watch the PUMC worship service, listen to the beautiful music, the children’s story time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

Images Source: Google Images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Hymns for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

“O Sing a Song of Bethlehem,” “My Soul Gives Glory to My God,” “Il est né le Divin Enfant: |Hymns for the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

COME SING WITH US THIS FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 

Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At Princeton United Methodist Church, we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, which refreshes the spirit. We also sing well-known or new hymns and “gospel and folk songs” that lift us to Heaven. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young, and help them find faith and hope. Our hymns this Fourth Sunday of Advent – the last Sunday before Christmas – resonate with the theme of peace as we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth in a few days. The Messiah’s coming will indeed bring liberation.

Video “O Sing a Song of Bethlehem” 

“O Sing a Song of Bethlehem” was written by Louis Fitzgerald Benson of Philadelphia (1855-1930). It portrays Jesus’ life from birth,  his growing up to adulthood, his ministry, death, and resurrection. The stanzas describe scenes about Jesus in Bethlehem, Nazareth, Galilee, and Calvary. They speak of ordinary human experiences such as our desire to hear angels, our enjoyment of nature, our praying for God’s peace, and our longing for Jesus’ second coming:

‘The light that shone on Bethlehem fills all the world today; of Jesus’ birth and peace on earth; the angels sing always’

Video  “My Soul Gives Glory to My God”  

“My Soul Gives Glory to My God,” written by Dr. Miriam Therese Winter, paraphrases the “Magnificat,” Mary’s Song, as recorded in Luke 1: 46-55. For centuries, people thought that with the “Magnificat,” their leaders were bent on changing the status quo with a reversal of economic fortunes. They considered the “Magnificat” a dangerous hymn because it sings of promising food for the hungry, power for the powerless, and resource sharing. However, Dr. Winter notes. “It is a song of hope for times of disparity and for any situation in which we feel personally or systemically overwhelmed. It is just the song for a time such as this:”

‘My soul gives glory to my God; My heart pours out its praise. God lifted up my loneliness; In many marvelous ways.’

Video   “Il est né le Divin Enfant” 

“Il est né, le Divin Enfant,” published for the first time in 1862 by R.  Grosjean, a French organist, is a traditional French Christmas carol. The English translation is “He is born, the Heavenly Child.” The song describes Jesus’ birth as the prophets had foretold and the 4000 years wait for this happy event. It acknowledges Christ’s’ humble birth in a stable and calls on the Kings of the Orient to look after the Holy Child:

‘He is born, the Heavenly Child. Oboes play; set bagpipes sounding. He is born, the Heavenly Child, Let all sing His nativity.’

Click here to watch the PUMC worship service, listen to the beautiful music, the children’s time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

 Images Source: Google Images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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Hymns for Brown Bag Sunday

WHAT WILL WE SING THIS BROWN BAG SUNDAY?

 Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At PUMC we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, and that refreshes the spirit.  We also sing well-known and new hymns as well as “gospel and folk songs” that lift us to Heaven. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young and help them find faith and hope.                          

“Mountains Are All Aglow” 

“Mountains Are All Aglow” is a song of adoration, praise, and gratitude, thus suitable for Thanksgiving – uniting people and sharing God’s blessings. It was written by Ok In Lim in 1967 and sung to the tune KAHM-SAH by composer Jae Hoon Park. The melody is similar to Korean folk songs. The original Korean text was translated in 1988 by Hae Jong Kim, the first Korean United Methodist bishop (1992-2005). “It is the Asian equivalent of a favorite harvest hymn for Euro-North American Christians, “Come, ye thankful people, come” by British Anglican, Henry Alford.” Hymns from Asia are recent additions to our hymnals. 

The first stanza echoes Psalm 65:9-10:“You take care of the land. You water it and make it fertile……” Stanza two emphasizes human partnership with God: “Working hard, God has given us reasons for deep gratitude.” Stanza three emphasizes the role of humanity, “Working hard, tilling God’s earth; making preparation.” Stanza four invokes the feeling of trusting God’s promises and planting his word deep in our hearts. To watch a video of this hymn, click here.

“All Things Bright and Beautiful” 

“All Things Bright and Beautiful” is an Anglican hymn, also sung in many other Christian denominations. Cecil Frances Alexander wrote the words and published the song in 1848 in her Hymns for Little Children. The melody originated from the 17th-century English country dance tune “The 29th of May,” but there have been other adaptations. The chorus was recommended as a Christian song for children to learn, even those as young as five and it has remained popular with them.

This hymn consists of a series of stanzas that emphasize the verses of the Apostles’ Creed and may have been inspired by Psalm 104, verses 24 and 25: as well as by a poem from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner: “For the dear God who loveth us: He made and loveth all.” The stanzas tell us that God’s world is wonderfully made and we must relax with nature. God made all things bright and beautiful, wise, and wonderful. He made the little flowers, the little birds, the green grass, the big animals, the tall mountains, the great forests, the sun, the rivers, the sunset, the moon and stars in the sky, the different seasons, the rich man, the poor man, the air that we breathe and the food that we eat. God’s creation reminds us of how great He is. To watch a Youtube video of this hymn, click here.

This Sunday is traditionally our Brown Bag and Thanksgiving Sunday, when we fill the front of the sanctuary with non-perishables for the ‘Arm in Arm’ food pantry. For what are you giving thanks? This year, ‘Arm in Arm’ is asking for cash donations instead. If you’d like to give an extra offering for this purpose, please designate your gift ‘Arm in Arm.’

Click here to listen to the PUMC worship service, hear the beautiful music, the children’s time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers, and the story sharing.

Images Source: Google Images

Written by Isabella Dougan

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“My Hope is Built,’ “Rock of Ages,” “This Little Light”: Hymns for Laity Sunday

                           

WHAT WILL WE SING THIS LAITY SUNDAY?

         Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

At PUMC we play beautiful classical and sacred music during worship, and that refreshes the spirit.  We also sing well-known and new hymns as well as “gospel songs” that lift us to Heaven. We pray that our music will inspire everyone, old and young and help them find faith and hope.                          

The hymns that will be sung this Sunday describe personal feelings of pain and suffering, and the hope, which we get from God’s presence especially in church.  

 “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” was written by Edward Mote, a pastor at Rehoboth Baptist Church in Horsham, West Sussex as a Christian hymn. The refrain of the hymn refers to the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Builders and the metaphor of Christ as a rock according to 1 Corinthians 10:4 [Wikipedia]. This hymn tells us to trust in God when we face the unknown, for Christ will give us support and hope. It also tells about Christ’s triumphant second coming, as recorded in (Matthew 24:43, Acts 1:9-11, 1 Corinthians 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 16:15).To watch a YouTube video of this hymn, click here.

“Rock of Ages” is a Christian hymn sung to the tune “Toplady” by Thomas Hastings in the US. It is believed that the Reverend Augustus Toplady  was inspired to write it after seeking shelter from a thunderstorm in a cleft in a rock at Burrington Combe in Somerset, England in 1776. “In “Rock of Ages,” the singer confesses, and is comforted, that in life, death, and eternity his standing before God depends entirely on the merits of Christ—the only safe place, or rock, where lawbreakers can hide from the curse they have brought upon themselves.”To watch a YouTube video of this hymn, click here.

“This Little Light of Mine” is a popular gospel song, its origin unknown, but sung all around the world. It is often thought of as an African-American spiritual, but can be found in The United Methodist Hymnal and other hymn books. It was sung as a Civil Rights anthem in the 1950s and 1960s, especially the version by Bettie Mae Fikes. It became a popular children’s song and is also included in Christian children’s song books. In 2018, counter-protesters sang “This Little Light of Mine” defiantly before a crowd of white supremacists and alt-right supporters in Charlottesville.“This Little Light” is also sung in several scenes of the 1994 film Corrina, Corrina starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. A version of this popular song was played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Merkle in May 2018. To watch a YouTube video of this hymn, click here. 

 Click here to listen to the PUMC worship service, hear the beautiful music, the children’s time, the scripture readings, the sermon, the prayers and the story sharing.

Images Source: google images

Written by Isabella Dougan

 

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“What Gift Can We Bring,” “As a Fire Is Meant For Burning:” Hymns For Pledge Sunday

COME SING WITH US

     Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

What are the stories behind these hymns?”

“What Gift Can We Bring” 

“What gift can we bring” written by Jane Marshall is a hymn of pure gratitude. A lifelong Dallas resident, she composed this hymn in 1980 for her congregation’s twenty-fifth anniversary, Northaven United Methodist Church. Stanza two reflects on heritage, giving thanks for the past and those “who planted and watered so dreams could come true.” Stanza three looks to the future that is “full of surprises,” yet knowing that regardless of what happens, “we rest in God’s keeping and live in God’s love.” Jane Marshall wrote both the text and the tune for this hymn. Tune writers usually name tunes, so Marshall chose the name that fit the occasion, ANNIVERSARY SONG.

“As a Fire Is Meant for Burning”

“As a Fire is Meant For Burning” was written in 1982 by Ruth Duck, professor of worship at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Illinois, using sources 2 Corinthians 4:7 and Matthew 4:14-16. The text uses tunes such as JOYOUS LIGHT and BEACH SPRING. There is a Spanish translation by Georgina Pando-Connolly, ‘Como un Fuego Brilla y Querna.’ 

In the first stanza, Duck uses terms of purpose. The fire’s action is that of warmth and light and the church’s action should reveal the commandment that we love one another as we love ourselves. Her vision of mission calls us to work among those in need gently and to allow the light of Christ to be apparent through our actions. In the second stanza,” Her language of clay pots helps us remember that we are fragile. Christians and non-Christians are made of this same ordinary, breakable stuff, and our gentleness in action may ensure we don’t fracture others as we light the way to God. In the third stanza, purpose and action turn toward hope– the hope of renewed life and God’s grace. Our lives as reflections of the love and forgiveness of God. Christ’s light will lead us out of the darkness of the world into the love of God.

In Ruth Duck’s hymn text, Christ’s light is within us, and we carry the light within us as learners, teachers, pilgrims, seekers, and givers who point to the One who transforms lives as we work in mission. As we walk forward in serving others through music, worship, and mission, may our lives indeed “reflect the radiance of ‘God’s new and glorious dawn.’“

This Sunday, our musicians will include the Virtual Handbell Choir and Julia Hanna.

To worship with us, hear our beautiful music, sing with us, enjoy our children’s time, scripture readings, sermons, prayers, and story sharing, go to our Facebook page, or click here.

Click here to enjoy a Youtube video of“What Gift Can We Bring” 

Click here to enjoy a Youtube video of “As a Fire Is Meant for Burning”

This Sunday, November 8 is Pledge Sunday for 2021. Please consider Christ’s love and what Princeton UMC means to you and your family. Complete your pledge online or fill out a pledge card and return it by mail to the church by November 30. Visit our giving page for more information.


Written by Isabella Dougan

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“For All The Saints” – Hymns for All Saints’ Day

                         

COME SING WITH US

        Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

What is the story behind the hymn “For All The Saints“?

“For All the Saints” was written as a processional hymn by the Anglican Bishop of Wakefield, William Walsham How. It was first printed in Hymns for Saints’ Days, and Other Hymns, by Earl Nelson, 1864. (Wikipedia)

The hymn was sung to the melody Sarum, by the Victorian composer Joseph Barnby.  In 1906  Ralph Vaughan Williams used a new setting which he called Sine Nomine (literally, “without a name”) about its use on the Feast of All Saints, 1 November (or the first Sunday in November). It is “one of the finest hymn tunes of [the 20th] century.” 

“For All the Saints” describes the ordinary life of all the saints. We thank Jesus Christ for drawing us all to him, for the strength and guidance that we continue to draw from Him and for our joint communion in Christ. We pray that Christ will guide us in the continuing struggle against evil and lead us to the coming day when the dead shall rise, and we shall all worship together before God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “No matter what path each of us travels, we all will enjoy the same glorious eternal life.” 

 On Sunday, we will name our PUMC family members and others connected to us who have passed on since last All Saints’ Day. We will also honor and celebrate the work of God’s saints in the church, in the community, and the world today. “For All the Saints” is a beautiful, accessible thanksgiving prayer in remembrance of those who’ve gone before us.

Our musicians will include Tom Shelton, Camilla Pruitt, Delaney McCarty, Julia Hanna, John Girvin, the PUMC Youth Choir and Hyosang Park who will be playing the “bell tree” as we pray.

Click here to enjoy a Youtube performance of “For All the Saints” Hymn by The Choir of Paisley Abbey, a parish church of the Church of Scotland.

To worship with us, hear our beautiful music, sing with us, enjoy our children’s time, the scripture readings, the sermon, our stories, and join in our communion and our prayers, go to our Facebook page, or click here.

Written by Isabella Dougan

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HYMN: ”Lord of all Hopefulness” 10/11/2020

COME SING WITH US

              Come to a church that’s refreshing, inspiring, and fun!

What is the story behind the hymn “Lord of all Hopefulness?”

“Lord of all Hopefulness” is a Christian hymn written by English writer Jan Struther, originally published in 1931, and set to the melody of an Irish folksong Slane. The hymn is used in liturgy, at weddings, and at the beginning of funeral services.  

“Lord of all Hopefulness” was played at the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2019, and also sung at the Commonwealth Service 2018 at Westminster Abbey.  It is one of the most popular hymns in the United Kingdom.

To worship with us, hear our beautiful music, our children’s time, the scripture readings, the sermon, and our prayers,“ go to our Facebook page or click here

Written by Isabella Dougan