Recent Highlights

Jun 16

Friends, I hope you have found the recent music enlivening, restorative, or inspirational. I wanted to highlight a few notes, and say some public kudos and thank yous!

Sunday, May 30, I was given a request for I Love to Tell the Story, which has a lovely, nostalgic tune-but as Presbyterian minister and hymnwriter Chris Shelton points out in his hymn collection, Sing No Empty Alleluias, it never tells the story! Instead Katherine Hankey focuses on how the story makes her feel, not unusual, and has its place for sure. I’ll let Chris’s beautiful reasoning tell his story of why he gave us new words, while still holding onto the spirit of the original-

I have always loved “I Love to Tell the Story.” It figures into my Baptist upbringing in such a deep way that it is one of a handful of hymns that almost always brings tears to my eyes. That said, whenever I’ve tried to program the original into worship, I’m reminded that Katherin Hankey’s text does not, in fact, tell the story at all. (Indeed, her original poem, The Old, Old Story, in Two Parts, does tell the story – in 50 stanzas no less – but the narrative stanzas did not become a part of the hymn.) The hymn text casts it as a tale of “unseen things above,” that “satisfies… longings” and is “wonderfully sweet.” I thought it would be worthwhile to bring the text back down to earth, and let the story take center stage.

From shepherds, to freedom, feeding the hungry, turning tables, sharing bread and cup, death and resurrection, Chris packs a bunch of the gospel into one hymn!

I love to tell the story

of Jesus here on earth,

of Mary and the shepherds

who welcomed him at birth.

I love to tell the story

of how he dared to speak

of freedom for the captives,

of blessings for the meek.

Refrain:

I love to tell the story;

to sing God’s grace and glory-

the never-ending story

of Jesus and his love.

I love to tell the story

of how he fed the crowd,

of how he blessed the hungry,

and warned the rich and proud.

I love to tell the story

of stories that he told:

of seeds, and sheep, and seekers-

God’s kindom to behold. Refrain

I love to tell the story

of all he did and said,

of how he turned the tables;

of how he broke the bread,

and poured the cup of blessing,

and gave his life away,

and rose on Easter morning,

and still he lives today. Refrain

June 7, as we celebrated Imago Dei Sunday, I felt it was a banner day for Grace. We sang the hymn that Deb Loftis adapted from our welcome statement, God Reaches Out and Welcomes Us. Theresa’s sermon was insightful, and she and Ron sang beautifully. Thank you Ron and Theresa! The piece they sang, Fearfully, Wonderfully Made is a hymn from the collection Songs for the Holy Other, which I have mentioned before. This collection was published by The Hymn Society in 2019, and features hymns written explicitly to include those the Church has too often excluded.

You were known, known before birth, woven deep, deep in the earth.

You were formed from stardust. Sing praise!

You are fearfully, wonderfully made

Yes, you are fearfully, wonderfully, made.

You belong, you are redeemed. Love by God, God is well pleased.

Now embrace what God has ordained:

You are fearfully, wonderfully made

Yes, you are fearfully, wonderfully, made.

When you walk, walk through the flame. God is there, calling your name.

God has said, “Do not be afraid.”

You are fearfully, wonderfully made

Yes, you are fearfully, wonderfully, made.

-Nathan Crabtree and Erik Whitehill, 2019 (shared with permission of the writers)

We also had the opportunity to sing a hymn by Eli Cooper-Nelson, who I wrote about last month in this blog. Eli says he was inspired to write this hymn to give words to the gentle work needed to help a friend process with PTSD after experiencing anti-trans violence. I love a depth-building double (or triple) entendre, and Eli gives us one right off the bat with “Breath of compassion, conspire with us here.” Conspire-meaning breath with, but also spirit with, and in modern parlance work with, but subversively, in one phrase gives depths of description to the work of the Holy Spirit in our healing work together.

Breath of compassion, conspire with us here;

soothing Divine, keep your calm breezes near.

Comforting whisper, become our delight:

be our deep breathing by day and by night.

Raindrops of wonder, infuse our mundane;

tender Divine, flow in peace and in pain.

Sweet living water, alleviate thirst:

nourishing us whether dry or submersed.

Welcoming fire, help our quick pulse to slow;

hope-filled Divine, wrap us in your soft glow.

Wayfinding starlight, your darkness brings rest:

be our relief amid times of distress.

Spirit most holy, bear witness to life;

tender and hope-filled, you soothe us in strife.

Partner in wisdom, remain in our tears:

be our companion and grounding through fears.

Unfortunately we do not have an archive to share of the July 7 service, but that just means we will need to sing this music again, soon!

June 14 saw Aaron give a perfect follow-up to Theresa’s sermon. I typically don’t like to leave the hymnal in the rack for an entire service, but after a great suggestion by Theresa, it was clear the hymns we needed to sing. Theresa’s suggestion was to begin with Marva Dawn’s Come Away from Rush and Hurry which set up the theme of finding, and standing in, grace, in the invitation as the end of the first stanza: “come to join the people gathered here to seek and find God’s grace.” You can read more about Marva Dawn in this lovely reflection by a student of her’s. We’ve sung this text in the past to the more stalwart BEACH SPRING, but this time it was right to sing it to the gentler CIVILITY, which allowed our guest guitarist John White to join in!

John then was able to transform this season’s Doxology hymn. Typically the tune LASST UNS ERFREUEN (which we usually associate with All Creatures of Our God and King), is very triumphant, but I found it to be beautifully meditative on the guitar.

Then we finished with Ruth Duck’s reimagining of God, and God’s grace, plainly stating- “No longer picture God dispensing fiery wrath.”

1 Grace is a gift of God,

as priceless as it’s free.

It is not earned by sacrifice,

by status or degree.

Believe what God has said:

“I love and honor you,

and you are precious in my sight.

I shall make all things new.”

2 Grace is the gift of God,

poured out upon the earth.

The One who called each creature good

still gives each person worth.

No longer picture God

dispensing fiery wrath.

Come, cast your eyes on Jesus Christ

who leads toward faithful paths.

3 Grace is a gift of God,

whatever we may bear.

No flood or storm or fire of hell

shall keep us from God’s care.

Believe the word of Christ,

who whispers, “Do not fear,

for I am with you till the end;

my Spirit will be near.”

4 Grace is the greatest gift.

God, teach us each to know

deep down in bodies, minds, and souls

the kindness you bestow.

Then make us means of grace,

that we may take our part

in living by the law of love

inscribed upon our hearts.

The choir then finished by singing a new anthem we have prepared over the last few months, God Be With You ‘til We Meet Again, by Kyle Pederson. Kyle also wrote the setting of A Mighty Fortress is Your God, for choir and electric guitar, that we sang with John White back in November, 2024. Both pieces use the guitar ethereally, almost like an electrified harp. It was a particularly moving way to wish God be with Theresa and John until we meet them again on the other side of Theresa’s well-deserved Sabbatical!

You can relive last Sunday’s music on our YouTube:

And, if you are worried we didn’t open our hymnals once last week, we make it up to you this week with three favorites in our beloved Chalice Hymnal:

254 Breath on Me, Breath of God

566 Be Still, My Soul

609 Take My Life

Lastly, I want to take a moment to remember my favorite ODU fan, Bernie Henderson. You all know and love him well, and he really is a, “I want to be like him when I grow up” kind of guy. He was never afraid to stand up for what is right, even and especially when it was hard or unpopular. May we all be so blessed as to move rivers the way he did and still does today. We will get to sing two of his favorites, 705 Battle Hymn of the Republic and 59 This is My Father’s World.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

with a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;

as he died to make us holy, let us die to make all free,

while God is marching on.

. . .

Our God has made this world:

oh, let us ne'er forget

that though the wrong seems oft so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

Amen, Bernie. Amen.

Grace Baptist Church

Recent Highlights

Happy Pentecost 2026!