“Zion hears her watchman’s voices” – “Wachet auf!” The piece of music for today is a perennial favorite for many folks. The fourth movement from Bach’s cantata Wachet auf! Ruft uns die stimme, BWV140, based on the tune of the same name, known to us as “Sleepers, wake! A voice astounds us” (UMH 720). The […]
Author: Sarah Boice Stecker
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 8
E’en So Lord Jesus, Quickly Come Today’s offering is an a cappella motet based on the 22nd chapter of Revelation, composed by Paul Manz (1919-2009) in 1953. The piece has quite an emotional back story: Paul and his wife Ruth were sitting at the bed-side of their gravely ill son, praying to God for his […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Days 6 & 7
“Comfort ye, my people” from Messiah by G.F. Handel and “Ev’ry valley” by John Ness Beck Hi folks, My apologies for the delay on sharing Sunday’s advent calendar selection with you. We have had quite the flurry of musical activity at the church in recent days, rehearsing and recording music to be shared; since Saturday, […]
Sunday School From Home Week of December 6
Sunday School From Home This week our Advent study is about Mary’s visit from the angel Gabriel. Our activities include a skit, a video, coloring pages and the game of dominoes. The activities are appropriate for a variety of ages including adults. You can forward this on to your adult groups and anyone else in […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 5
Lo! he comes with clouds descending For today, we have a wonderful advent hymn to share, one which may be less familiar to you. “Lo! he comes with clouds descending” is a vibrant musical imagining of the glorious return of Christ, in words inspired by scripture and written by the Rev. Charles Wesley. An incredible […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 4
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring The musical offering for today is a very well-known piece of music, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, played on alto recorder by Sarah Boice. The music is an arrangement of a movement from a cantata composed by J.S. Bach in 1723, the first year in his position as director of music for […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 3
Nun Komm Krumhorns The offering for day 3 of our Musical Advent Calendar is almost certainly something a little outside of your typical experience. The tune you’rehearing is called “Nun komm der Heiden Heiland” – “Savior of the Nations, Come” in English, found in our hymnal at UMH#214. It is a traditional Advent hymn with […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 2
Psalm 40 Today’s musical offering is from the Book of Psalms – that favorite book of scripture often called “the Bible’s hymnal”. There are a number of Psalms that prophetically herald the coming of the Christ, such as the 72ndPsalm, or that otherwise evoke elements of the long-awaited Messiah. Among them is Ps. 40, bringing […]
Musical Advent Calendar – Day 1
Today’s offering on the “Musical Advent Calendar” is an improvisation on the spiritual “I Want to be Ready”. The text is loosely based on descriptions of the New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City, as shown to St. John the Divine and described in the Book of Revelations. The text can be found in the UMC Hymnal […]
Sunday School From Home Week of November 29
Sunday School From Home This week marks the first Sunday of Advent! Our story is one of preparation, as Zechariah and Elizabeth learn they are to have a baby. The activities are appropriate for a variety of ages including adults. You can forward this on to your adult groups and anyone else in or out […]