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As you are planning for Holy Week and for Good Friday, or even for an Easter Vigil, this PowerPoint presentation – which I posted last year – might be helpful.
It’s bilingual, but should be easily edited if you have PowerPoint (and if you don’t, and would like it edited, let me know) to make it appropriate for your church situation.
In His Peace,
Tom
Before I had ever heard anyone else do Psalm 121 (“I lift up my eyes to the hills; where does my help come from?”), I wrote this, rather early both in my songwriting and Christian life. In fact, it’s the second song I ever finished writing for the LORD. My good friend, Tom Helm, helped me with the bridge.
I find it amusing that – having written it as a bit of a rocker, and one derivative of Jethro Tull! – all other renditions of Psalm 121 are done slowly, with reverence and not a hint of 70s art-rock!
Ah, well! Here’s to a different take on the Psalm. Enjoy.
I’ve been inspired – as have many songwriters – to write songs based on a number of the Psalms. I decided that this, the second half of Lent, would be a great time to introduce them in a short series. I think I’ll try to do several in the next week or two, as Lent fades into Holy Week…
Today’s song is called “A Meditation on Psalm 119″:
I wrote this song waaaaaay back in 1999, while we were living and serving at Chicago’s Holy Trinity Church. As I’ve said before, the pastors, David Helm and Jon Dennis were amazingly forward-thinking in utilizing the gifts and talents of almost everybody at the church – certainly everyone who was willing. I am eternally thankful for that kind of encouragement.
I had been reading Psalm 119, thinking it would make great fertile soil for a song – or a whole album!
When I recorded it, I was blessed to be accompanied by two amazing talents: Jennifer Atala on the flute and the wonderful voice of my good friend, Gwen Camera. I’ve sung this song with others, but this original version has a special place in my heart.
A Meditation on Psalm 119 by Thomas George Fisher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://blendedworship.wordpress.com.
done
Thanks Be to God – Lead Sheet for Voice and Guitar
I lead music in three of the four chapel services we have weekly at our school: lower elementary, upper elementary and middle school (the high school, for better or for worse, is pretty much doing it on their own).
In our liturgically-starved environment, I like to bring little moments of reverence and consistency into the worship setting, and it’s surprisingly easy and well-received.
At my first-ever Anglican church experience (Church of the Resurrection, near Chicago) my then-girlfriend/now-wife, Anne led children’s church. It was an odd, yet rich and beautiful experience for me to see. One of the things I learned was how the kids were led into and out of the reading of God’s Word, with a little song – “This is the word of the Lord, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks be to God” (before) and “Thanks be to God for the reading of His Word; thank You, God, thank You, God” (after).
For the youngest group at our school, I began using that exact tune (which I’ll post sometime, because it’s really sweet and easy for the kiddos to learn!), but for the upper elementary, I wanted something a little less sing-songy, so I created the simple tune you hear on the video above.
It’s the first of several liturgical songs I’ll post in the coming weeks. I hope you can use them or – better – be inspired to sing these ancient words with your own tune!
In His Peace,
Tom
A couple of collects for this week:
Ascension Day
Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to His promise, He abides with His Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that as we believe Your only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into heaven, so we may also in heart and mind there ascend, and with Him continually dwell; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Seventh Sunday of Easter: The Sunday after Ascension Day
O God, the King of glory, You have exalted Your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to Your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us Your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Read the rest of this entry »
Sixth Sunday of Easter
O God, You have prepared for those who love You such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards You, that we, loving You in all things and above all things, may obtain Your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Read the rest of this entry »
For those of you who may not know, a collect (pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable) is an ancient prayer of the church. As I go through the daily offices (regular times of prayer), I have the joy of praying these along with millions of other Christians world-wide.
This week’s collect just rocks:
Blessed Father, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which You have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
What a passion for God’s word is ingrained in that prayer! The desire (that we should all have) of reading, marking, learning and (most awesome of all) digesting God’s very words brings such a powerful word-picture to my head. The writer of this prayer nailed it. And it makes the same desire rise up in me; I hope it does that to you, too!
