Eastertide 2012

This past Sunday at St. Bartholomew’s, after 40 days of Lent, and then the contrast of joy and passion during Holy Week, we welcomed Resurrection Sunday (Easter) with joy and gladness, lift our voices in songs of “Alleluia!”

We began the services with  a new acclamation, based on the traditional Easter proclamation:

LEADER: Alleluia! Christ is risen!

PEOPLE: The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I wrote this setting  to be easy for both celebrant and congregation to sing, with a desire that in its simplicity it not be trite or quickly boring. For “learning-as-we-go,”  it seemed to go pretty well on Sunday. I’ll use it each week of Easter up until Pentecost. For a PDF of the score, which you are free to reproduce and use if you desire, click [HERE].

We began the Processional with a choral introit I had written last year for the choir, based on Antiphon 2 the Antiphons for Easter, segueing to “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today”

TOM HOWARD (1950 – 2010)

My dear friend, associate music director at St. Bartholomew’s, keyboardist, conductor/orchestrator, and composer Tom Howard died two weeks ago. He was taking a walk in a local park with his wife, Dori, and suffered a fatal heart attack.

Tom composed, with Darrell Harris, “It Is Finished” #629 in The Christian Life Hymnal. This is a Memorial Acclamation that we have used at my church in communion each week for the past 5 years. I would encourage you to consider incorporating this music into your worship.

It could be used in the communion service, or during Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday services. It would make a wonderful Call to Worship for Easter Sunday, as well as Ascension Sunday.

If you want to sing it more than once, you can do so by simply playing the last chord as a G7 rather than C chord, and repeat as often as you like.

(PHOTO: Eric (left) and Tom (right) at the piano in the choir loft at our church


You can check out Tom’s music at Tom Howard’s Amazon Store
A memorial site has been set up on FaceBook: FACEBOOK GROUP: In Memory of Tom Howard

In conclusion, here is the prayer we prayed at Tom’s memorial service a week ago Wednesday. “Into your hands, O merciful Savior, we commend your servant, Tom. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech you , a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a sinner of your own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of your mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.”

"THE RISEN CHRIST" HYMN #189

One of the modern hymns included in The Christian Life Hymnal is “The Risen Christ”, written by Phil Madeira & Keith Getty. While it is appropriate any time of the year, in this season of Easter it is especially fitting. Not only is the melody singable, memorable, and interesting, but the lyric is Trinitarian in form, with the final verse a Trinitarian Doxology.

Verse 1 invokes the Holy Spirit (“O breath of God…”)

Verse 2 the Son (“O Word of God…”)

Verse 3 the Father (O Love of God…”)

And then the final verse sums it all up doxologically (“May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit…”).

During Easter season last year at my church, I used the final verse in place of the traditional “Praise God from Whom…” for the Doxology when the offering is brought to the front of the church and it fit very well in the Easter season. (Note: in the topical index of the hymnal you’ll find on page 676 a listing of all last verse doxologies that would work at this point in a service.)

If this is a new hymn to your congregation, here’s one way to introduce it:

• Verse 1 can be sung by a soloist accompanied by piano as a call to worship to start the service.

• Verse 2 can be sung by a choir before the sermon to prepare to hear the Word of God

• Verse 3 can be sung by all, led by a soloist or choir during communion as a reflection on God’s love, and the spiritual nourishment and refreshing found in communion

• Verse 4 sung by all, accompanied by organ and piano, or band, or all instruments as a benediction/final blessing.

I’d love to hear from you if you’re using this hymn in your services, and how it is being introduced.

If you’d like to hear a vocal sample recording of the hymn, it can be found at Getty Music

A full-length recording is available on New Irish Hymns 2

A full-length Easter musical, built around this hymn, was created by ClearCall Music (distributed by LifeWay Music). It was nominated for a GMA Dove Award this year. Click here for more information: THE RISEN CHRIST