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Music
*OPENING HYMN May 4, 2008
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“A Mighty Fortress is Our God”Martin Luther’s
"A Mighty
Fortress Is Our God" has often been called the "Battle Hymn of the Reformation" and has been translated into almost every known language. It was perhaps the
single most powerful hymn of the Reformation, as it was a great source of
strength and inspiration for those who were persecuted and even martyred for
their convictions.
Martin Luther used Psalm 46 as
the inspiration for "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Luther’s four stanzas
interpret this psalm from his own experience during the troubled times of the
Reformation. He interpreted the psalm to be not merely expressing God’s
protection and strength for God’s people of Jerusalem, but for God’s people of
all times. And he understood the battle described in the psalm to be more than
an earthly battle but a spiritual battle. So Luther saw in Psalm 46 a great
encouragement for him and the Reformers that God would be a strong refuge and
strength for them in their current time of trouble—a battle against not merely
fleshly armies but in the realm of spiritual warfare as they defended the Gospel
itself.
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*OPENING HYMN April 27, 2008 - For the Beauty of the Earth
Hebrews 13:15 - "Let us, then, always offer praise to God as our sacrifice through Jesus, which is the offering presented by lips that confess him as Lord."
Folliott Piermont was born in Bath, England in 1835 and was 29 years old when he wrote the words to this song. It was first published as a poem entitled “The Sacrifice of Praise”. He wrote the song after becoming overwhelmed with emotion while enjoying the countryside surrounding Bath and its winding, cool and peaceful river, Avon in the distance.
The tune was written by Conrad Kocher.. It is also the tune to another beautiful hymn “As With Gladness Men of Old”. Kocher was a musician and reformer of German Church music.
EARTH DAY was Tuesday of this past week. For the Beauty of the Earth--- What a beautiful tribute to God’s gift to us---this beautiful place we call home-----Earth!
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*CLOSING HYMN April 20, 2008 - I’ll Fly Away
Albert E. Brumley was born on a cotton farm near Spiro, Oklahoma on October 29, 1905. Before his song writing career, he attended the old Hartford Musical Institute at Hartford, Arkansas and sang with the Hartford Quartet. Later he taught singing schools in various parts of the Ozarks. He met his wife-to-be, Goldie Edith Schell at one of these schools in Powell, Missouri. They were married in 1931 and continued to live at Powell, where they raised their six children.
It was in 1929 that Brumley actually composed "I'll Fly Away". He recalled that he was picking cotton and singing the popular song, "If I Had The Wings Of An Angel". Suddenly, he thought about flying away. Quote, "actually, I was dreaming of flying away from that cotton field when I wrote I'll Fly Away". That thought, of course, like the thoughts that underlay all his many songs, was based upon his own deep spiritual convictions.
Mr. Brumley had tried his hand at writing music for a number of years but for the most part this had been just for his own pleasure. Goldie encouraged him to try to have more of his songs published. Albert agreed to try to sell one of his songs and I'll Fly Away was mailed to the Hartford Music Company one hot afternoon in July of 1932. Goldie was right and the Hartford Music Company published the song in the book, The Wonderful Message. The song began to gain national recognition while numerous others began asking to be allowed to use it in their church books. At the time that the song was accepted and published he was working in his father-in-law's general store for a dollar a day and was then shortly afterward employed by Hartford as a $12.50 a month staff writer.
The song' "I'll Fly Away" became Mr. Brumley's most recorded song.
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Nemaha United Methodist Church
120 N 4th Ave
Nemaha, IA 50567
Carl K. Benge, Pastor
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