New Communion/Maundy Thursday/Good Friday Hymn: "Dear Jesus, Thou Did Favor"

This morning for our Passion Sunday I used a new hymn, written since The Christian LIfe Hymnal was published. I composed the hymn tune (which I have named CEDAR LANE) to an existing text in our hymnbook in 2001 but in 2008 my wife Dawn Rodgers and I wrote 3 stanzas of a new text, and incorporated one stanza attributed to John Donne. I am posting it here, and giving you permission to reproduce it in a service bulletin, and as needed for choir, accompanist, etc. If you report to CCLI, please report any usage. If you do not report to CCLI, you are still free to use this new hymn however you desire. Here are the lyrics:

Dear Jesus, Thou did favor,
To be our blessed Savior;
And Thine own Blood and Body
Were given to make us holy.

Oh, Jesus, Thou were taken,
And on the cross forsaken,
Yet, never did Thou falter
Upon that cruel altar.

Kind Jesus, in Thy passion
Redemption did Thou fashion;
The Bread and Wine we treasure
Remove sin’s curse forever!

Christ was the Word, that spake it:
He took the Bread and brake it;
And what that Word did make it,
I do believe and take it.

Text: St. 1-3, Dawn Rodgers, Eric Wyse, 2008; St. 4 attributed John Donne (1654)
Music: CEDAR LANE, Eric Wyse, 2001

For a PDF of the Music, click here: DEAR JESUS, THOU DID FAVOR (Score)

The tune is published in HYMNS FOR A PILGRIM PEOPLE (GIA/NACCC) with the text (by F. Bland Tucker and Donne) “When Jesus Died to Save Us.“

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.”