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Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: Come, Thou Almighty King | MOSCOW

The hymn meditation for Trinity Sunday focuses not only on the individual branches of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), but has a deeper meaning that connects with the sermon from Sunday. The anonymous author of this text calls on each part of the Trinity to take a significant role in our daily life. This text invites us to pray for unity with God so that we may be in union with the world around us. The tune MOSCOW by Felice Giardini is also known in many hymnals as ITALIAN HYMN as its composer was born in Italy. He was a violin virtuoso and composer and was considered one of the greatest violinists of his time. Later in life, he went to Russia, but his fame did not follow him. He died in Russia in solitude in 1796. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: Holy Spirit, Come, Confirm Us | ALL FOR JESUS

This week’s hymn comes to us from The New English Hymnal which is the primary hymnal Church of England. The tune was written by John Stainer during the reign of Queen Victoria and is perhaps best known when paired with the hymn text that shares the same name as Stainer’s hymn. The text, however, is relatively newly written by Brian Foley in 1986. Echoing themes of our Pentecost celebration, Foley’s text is a prayer to the Holy Spirit to live with us and be among us. It is a prayer that invites God into every aspect of our daily lives by asking God to breath the Spirit into us. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: See the Conqueror Mounts in Triumph | IN BABILONE

This past weekend, we transferred the feast of the Ascension to Sunday so we could celebrate this feast together. This feast concludes Jesus’ earthly ministry. Rather than a huge celebration, Jesus spends time with the disciples in the upper room before climbing the Mount of Olives to ascend to be with the Father. Next week, we’ll celebrate Pentecost; the birth of the church and the sending of the Spirit to be among us. The feast of the Ascension is closely linked with the next two weeks in the life of the Church as we look to celebrate God in Three “persons” on Trinity Sunday. We sing this Dutch tune to other texts. It wasn’t until Ralph Vaughan Williams discovered the tune in Leipzig that it became common place. Vaughan Williams included it in the 1906 version of The English Hymnal and has found a standard place in western hymnody. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service | BEACH SPRING

This weekend’s Gospel (and all the lessons) were all about God’s love. The sermon by the Rev. Dr. Michelle Baker-Wright referred to God’s love as an ever-flowing tap but we can only accept that love with the vessel we have. Through prayer, the size of that vessel will grow. As our vessel is full with the risen Christ, we overflow with love and are called to serve and love one another. The text of this hymn by Albert Bayly is especially appropriate for our times of great need and great loss. Bayly’s text calls us to reflect the Gospel message this week and pour out our love for all those in need. Though this text is in our hymnal, the tune BEACH SPRING from The Sacred Harp is a more familiar and more accessible tune for us to sing this extraordinary text to. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: O Blessed Spring | BERGLUND

From John’s Gospel this past Sunday, we heard the message Christ is the Vine and we are the branches. Rev. Gethin’s homily spoke at length about abiding in Christ as he abides in us. It is through the waters of baptism that we are claimed as God’s own so that Christ can dwell within us. This hymn text by Lutheran Susan Palo Cherwien beautifully explores this symbiotic nature of this relationship as it relates to a life lived through Christ the Vine. This is a newer hymn in the church having been written in the 1990’s. It is in several denominational hymn resources and comes to us from the Episcopal Hymnal supplement, “Wonder, Love, and Praise.” As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: The King of Love My Shepherd Is | ST COLUMBA

We continue this week in the season of Easter with a gentler parable about the resurrection. This Good Shepherd Sunday, we heard a parable of a shepherd who was willing to lay down his life for his sheep that follow him. What John presents as a parable of Jesus, however, is an everyday reality for those of us that live into the Easter message. Christ has already laid down his life for those who follow him. As such, Psalm 23 is our prayer of hope and dedication to our shepherd for protection through all of life’s ups and downs. The hymn text we sing this week is a paraphrase of Psalm 23 by Henry Williams Baker in the 19th century. The tune, ST COLUMBA, is a lilting Gaelic melody which is most often sung to this text in modern times. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: That Easter Day with Joy was Bright | PUER NOBIS

This tune is so spectacular, that The Hymnal 1982 has more than one use of it. We sing this tune during Advent, so its use here in Eastertide provides a remarkable book end to the life and ministry of Jesus as we continue to live in Resurrection joy! From an early 5th century Latin hymn, Michael Praetorius adapted this tune in the 16th century to the version that we know today (although with a modern harmonization). Praetorius’ music was revered by Martin Luther and other reformers of the church. It is no wonder that we have several instances of his writing in our hymnal still to this day. This simple lilting tune provides a joyful character to the text from the 15th century. The last verse harmonization found here is by Paul Halley. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: Love’s Redeeming Work is Done | SAVANNAH

Easter isn’t just one day that we pull out all the big festival music and brass, but a season. That season this week continues as we remember Thomas and the restoration of his belief in Jesus’ resurrection. In this week’s Gospel, Jesus calls blessed those who have believed though they haven’t seen his wounds themselves. Nearly 2000 years after his death and resurrection, this message of love’s redeeming work done on the cross still calls to us and forms the basis of our faith. Not often sung in many Episcopal parishes, this hymn by Charles Wesley speaks to both the mystery of the resurrection and our own jubilant expression of praise because of it. Our hymnal only carries three verses of Wesley’s text, so the other two verses provided here come from The New English Hymnal. As always, we invite you to either sing along at home or just follow along with the text and music as you continue your week in prayer.