My Shepherd Will Supply My Need | For All the Saints

Liturgy Lessons: February 19, 2017
Call to Worship: Psalm 46:1-7
Hymn: “God, All Nature Sings Thy Glory” (#122)
Confession of Sin: From Psalm 91
Assurance of Pardon: From Psalm 107
Song of Assurance: “My Shepherd Will Supply My Need”
New City Catechism & Congregational Prayers
Offertory: “Thou Lovely Source of True Delight”
Doxology: #731
Sermon: Infant Baptism – Rev. Eric Irwin
Meditation: “O Day of Rest and Gladness” (Dillow)
The Lord’s Supper: Lord of the Sabbath, Hear Us Pray (#390); My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone
Closing Hymn: “For All the Saints” (#358)
Benediction

“There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. Then Ilúvatar said to them:

Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Ilúvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Ilúvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.”

J.R.R. Tolkien, AINULINDALË, or The Music of the Ainur, from Silmarillion

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and void,
Darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
Genesis 1:1-2

Music, like water, is a nourishing, life-giving spring that flows from the Source of all life. The elements of both—so essential to human flourishing—are not created by the hands of man, but rather are channeled, harnessed, stewarded, and enjoyed as a gift. The Great Composer wrote his themes into our hearts, and without his spirit singing in and through us, we become parched and lifeless. The church is an oasis, a grand waterwheel, spinning with the Spirit’s music that is poured forth into each heart. And as this music is lifted back up in praise, it spills out into the world around it, bringing life and bearing fruit. Apologies to Maestro Handel, but this is the supreme Water Music: the Lord’s promised opening of “rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys” (Is. 41:17-18). People of God, are you spiritually dehydrated? Are you thirsty, tired, weary? Rend your heart before the Lord, and let Him open up a deep well within you. Drink of His Spirit, and let His song burst out. Our God is the cosmic Old Faithful, a gushing geyser that ceaselessly brings “a pool in the wilderness, and springs in the desert. Then we may see and know, may consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One has created it” (Is. 41:18-19).

My Shepherd Will Supply My Need
Text: Isaac Watts (1719)
Tune: RESIGNATION, American folk melody (Southern Harmony, 1835)

Psalm 23 is a transcendent and iconic bit of poetry that inspired one of Isaac Watts’ most powerful paraphrases. First published in his 1719 collection The Psalms of David Imitated, Watts’ hymn exchanges the original Psalm text for rhymed couplets that seek to maintain and illuminate the spirit of the original. Consider the opening stanza:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
For his name’s sake.”
(Psalm 23:1-3, ESV)

My Shepherd will supply my need,
Jehovah is His name.
In pastures fresh, He makes me feed
Beside the living stream.
He brings my wandering spirit back
When I forsake His ways,
And leads me for His mercy’s sake
In paths of truth and grace.

Psalm paraphrases were very controversial in the 18th century. Why submit the word of God to poetic whimsy? Is not the original, by its very spirit-inspired nature, superior? Yes, but the Psalms are intended to be sung, and song is beholden to meter and melody. When we consider that the Psalms were not originally written in English (in fact, Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, and 145 are originally acrostic poems in Hebrew), then we understand that some elements of the language’s internal rhythm and syllabic flow would be lost in translation. The gift and genius of Watts’ versification was to find an English-language accommodation in meter and rhyme that could house the meaning, metaphor, and imagery of each original Psalm. This opens up the possibility of pairing these texts with some beautiful and memorable tunes, and Watts’ version of Psalm 23 benefited greatly from that possibility. It is coupled with one of the most beautiful American folk tunes ever created. Strong, yet serene, it has phrases that arch hopefully and then settle down to rest. Its long phrases make it a bit more challenging for the untrained singer, but the internal rhythm (eighth-notes that precede each barline) give the melody a forward flow and space to breathe. It is in AABA form, so there is enough repetition for even the smallest child to hum along. And, it is the comforting nature of this melody that enhances that sense of childlike belonging that we find at the end of Psalm 23. With his interpretation of the last line of the Psalm, “and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever,” Watts gives a new understanding to the original: “No more a stranger or a guest, but like a child at home.” Here we have a powerful image of dwelling: a child, at home in the arms of the Shepherd, safe and secure in a protective place of love and comfort.

A Capella Folk version (similar to original Southern Harmony): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q0HK1-QDtM
Classical Choir Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbdYv0cXNcY

For All the Saints
Text: William How (1864)
Tune: SINE NOMINE, Ralph Vaughan Willliams (1906)

Ralph Vaughan Williams is a well-known composer of chamber music, symphonies, choral music, and opera. He collected English folk music and song, and served as editor of the English Hymnal of 1904. He wrote with an effortless mix of sophistication and simplicity, and one of his most well-known works is an opera based on Paul Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress.” His composition SINE NOMINE, which means “without a name” in Latin, was written for a hymn that honors all those saints whose names are known only to God. Written by Anglican Bishop William How, the original hymn had eleven stanzas, six of which appear in our hymnal. Each stanza is followed by a double “Alleluia” refrain. Inspired by Hebrews 12:1-2, The hymn is a beautiful broad stroke in celebration of the church victorious, past, present, and future. There is thanksgiving for the “cloud of witnesses” gone before (st. 1-2), prayer of courage for present believers (st. 3), promise of peace that all saints share (st. 4), and a vision of unending worship in “that more glorious day” (st. 5-6). A few of the original stanzas that are commonly omitted in modern hymnals began with “for all the apostles,” “for all the evangelists,” and “for all the martyrs.” But there were no original stanzas offered for the singers, who certainly must have been invited to the heavenly banquet. So, to remedy that, I offer the following verse. Not sure how the original author would feel about this one:

“For all the singers, who doth belt and croon,
Though your egos be sharply out of tune,
You still make the faithful congregation swoon,
Alleluia, Alleluia!”

Sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/188238
Suggested recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qnEO1-jnL4