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Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: O Love of God, how Strong and True | DUNEDIN

The text of this hymn was written in the 19th century by Horatius Bonar, a minister in the Church of Scotland (Reformed). Despite its relative age and the fact that it appears twice in our hymnal, its use is excluded from both of the modern English hymnals. Bonar explores the great depths of the love of God from strong and mighty to gentle in creation. The text speaks of God’s love in the midst of all of the darkness and temptation of the world. 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: Jesus Calls Us; o’er the Tumult | GALILEE

Irish poet, Cecil F. Alexander, conceived this text originally for St. Andrew’s day. Its main themes reflect that of this past Sunday’s sermon to love all people more than anything earthly and of a commitment to following Jesus no matter what life throws your way. This hymn occurs in our hymnal using two tunes, but the tune presented here, GALILEE, is its most frequent pairing. This text is present in many hymnals and a cursory glance of hymnody shows its use with more than 35 different tunes. 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 Day of Peace | JERUSALEM

This past Sunday, we commemorated the life of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his commitment to non-violent peaceful witness to equality for all people. His message was rooted in God’s love for all people. This 20th century text by Carl Daw pays witness to these ideals and has references to many passages in Holy scripture. The tune that Daw uses is well known, especially in England where it is one of many national hymns/anthems. Its triumphant melody shows moments of reflectiveness; an attribute that Daw expertly uses as a canvas for his poetry. 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 for that promised day of peace.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: The Sinless One to Jordan Came | SOLEMNIC HAEC FESTIVITAS

The Baptism of our Lord is one of the major baptismal feasts of the church year. In it, we are united with Christ through his baptism in the Jordan river. In the waters of the Jordan, we are washed clean of all our sin and marked as Christ’s own forever. The words of early 20th Century English Cleric, George B. Timms found in this hymn are the perfect summation of what the Baptism of our Lord means for the baptized. 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 Light of Light, Love Given Birth | ELMHURST

This week, we transferred the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6) to Sunday so that we would have a chance to celebrate this major feast. The Magi finally reach Bethlehem led by the star that brightly lent its light to lead the way to the newborn Jesus. We follow that same light today and we pray shines forth within us for all the world to see. Until the publishing of The Hymnal 1982, it was most common for this 10th century Latin text to be sung to the plainsong tune known as Jesu dulcis memoria. While this tune may not be familiar to many, Cary Ratcliff’s modern setting explores the beauty of the original text with a new tune. If you don’t have a hymnal at home, you can find the text and tune together on hymnary.org. 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 Savior of our Fallen Race | GONFALON ROYAL

The hymn meditation this week offers a 20th Century melodic interpretation of a 6th Century text. On the page preceding this hymn in our hymnal, the chant melody that originally accompanied this text is present. While the text of this hymn does focus on the early church’s understanding of the Incarnation as a rebuke of sin, there are other messages for a 21st Century understanding. As Episcopalians, we don’t reject that earlier understanding of the Incarnation, but we delve deeper into the meaning of the light that Christ’s birth brings to the world. That light can’t be blocked out by anything as Rev. Gethin Wied spoke of on Sunday. Be sure to watch his sermon from this past weekend to put this hymn in greater context. 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.

This Contemplative Visual Meditation for Christmas, prepared for us by Lisa Cerrina, features readings, images, and music which together tell the story of Christmas throughout Scripture.

Organist Jason Klein-Mendoza offers a weekly hymn reflection on last Sunday’s sermon. Hymn: Hark! The Glad Sound! The Savior Comes | RICHMOND

The hymn meditation this week is somewhat of a paraphrase of the Isaiah reading from Sunday (Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11). On Gaudete Sunday, we rejoice at the coming of the savior. The first and fourth verses of text celebrate all creation’s rejoicing at the coming of the savior while the second and third verses extoll the need of the savior to help the down trodden of humanity. If this text is not familiar but the tune is, our hymnal uses this tune not just for this Advent carol, but also an Easter Hymn (#212). 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.