I Pray for You – Music Story

He was the youngest of seven and the first to die. Two months ago, I got an unexpected phone call saying he was gone. I never thought my baby brother would die first. I’m shaken and dazed.

Jim was a fluid power specialist, an antique motorcycle enthusiast, a miniature railroad hobbyist, a friend of stray cats, a country boy who never married but used his resources to help care for his single sisters. Family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers attended his funeral. Many told me how he had touched their lives. In 2009 Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus became my prayer for him. Someday I hope to learn how God answered that prayer.

From the album “Sing” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Ephesians 1.

Kathy

Click here for my brother’s obituary.

Print (PDF of Lead Sheet) and/or digital (MusicXML) sheet music is available for I Pray for You.

Click here for PDF.

Click here for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML files.)

The Hymn of Salvation by Grace – Music Story

There is an ancient song in the New Testament book of Titus! It is “hidden” in plain view in chapter three.

While it is not apparent in the NIV that verses four through seven are song lyrics, The Passion Translation (TPT) correctly calls these verses “The Hymn of Salvation by Grace.” The early church may have sung this hymn as part of a baptismal service. Paul says that the words are trustworthy.

The ancient songwriter used music to express this truth: we are saved by God’s grace. What was the melody like? What mode was it sung in? Was it sung in unison? Accompanied by instruments? I don’t know. Since the words are trustworthy, I offer them as a short rap, performed by percussion instruments. I will leave the melody and mode to you.

From the album “Sing” this video is scrolling playback of Titus 3:4-7 set to a beat.

Kathy

Click here to read Titus 3 in the NIV and here to read it in TPT.

Print (PDF) sheet music is available for The Hymn of Salvation by Grace.

Click here for PDF.

The Enigmatic Shroud of Turin

The Shroud of Turin is the most studied artifact of history. Who made the image? How?

Last October I gave a presentation on the Shroud of Turin. Twenty-five days ago, I uploaded the presentation to my YouTube channel. I’m stunned. YouTube tells me, “This video has gotten 1,534 views since it was published”!!! Apparently, the Shroud is a hot topic.

Kathy

Click here and here to read about Jesus’ burial.

Ordinary Lives – Music Story

God longs for “every day” Christians.

For ordinary Christians who represent him in the mundane things of life.
For Christians, every day, in every place, humbly clothed in heaven’s grace.

Every day in every place humbly clothed in heaven’s grace

 “…So that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.”

From the album “Main Street” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Titus 2:10.

Kathy

Click here to read Titus 2:10.

Print (PDF) and digital (MusicXML) sheet music is available for Ordinary Lives.

Click here for PDF.

Click here for MusicXML.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML files.)

Of the Father’s Love Begotten – Music Story

Who is that babe in the manger? God? Or a good man sent by God to save us? “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” is an ancient song affirming the deity of Jesus. It echoes the very earliest claims about Jesus.

The eyewitnesses proclaimed that Jesus is God.[1] The infant church believed that Jesus is God.[2] The ancient church officially acknowledged the deity of Jesus:

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
 eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.[3]

Spanish lawyer, Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, retired from public life to write poetry in defense of the deity of Jesus.[4]  The church used his fifth century poems to create liturgical hymns in worship of Jesus as God.[5] His poem, “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” is still sung at Christmas

For almost two thousand years Jesus has been proclaimed, believed, acknowledged, defended, and worshipped as God! From the album “The HymnBook – Thirty-Four Hundred Years of Praise” this video is scrolling playback of Prudentius’ Christmas carol.

Kathy

You can get print (PDF) and/or digital (MusicXML™) sheet music for Of the Father’s Love Begotten for Celtic Instruments.

Click here for print sheet music. 

Click here for digital sheet music.
(MusicXML™ is the standard open format for sharing digital sheet music. Check the help files in your music notation app for directions on importing MusicXML™ files.) 

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[1] John 1 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[2] Philippians 2 | NIV Bible | YouVersion
[3] The Nicene Creed: Its Significance in Church History and Today (christianity.com)
[4] Amazon.com: Prudentius' Hymns for Hours and Seasons: Liber Cathemerinon (Routledge Later Latin Poetry): 9781138202474: Richardson, Nicholas: Books
[5] Discipleship Ministries | History of Hymns: “Of the Father's Love… (umcdiscipleship.org)

Before Time Began – Music Story

I was recently asked how a creation filled with millions of years of pain, suffering, and death could be very good.

Pain and Suffering

I would agree that in the Garden of Eden there was:

•       No relational pain and suffering (Adam and Eve didn’t devalue or abuse each other)

•       No emotional pain and suffering (no depression, no panic attacks)

•       No spiritual pain and suffering (no guilt, no shame)

However, based on scripture, I am convinced that there was physical pain. After the couple disobeyed God, God told Eve that her pain in childbirth would greatly increase. You can’t greatly increase something that is not already present. If Adam stubbed his toe in the Garden, it would hurt. If a coconut fell on Eve’s foot, it would be painful.

Death

Job was a blameless and upright man who trusted God. Satan is a predator.[1] God allowed Satan to prey on Job, to destroy his family, his business, his health. When Job complained to God, God didn’t comfort him. Instead, God directed Job’s attention to very good creation, one filled with predators, prey, and powerful, frightening animals.

Satan was present in the Garden of Eden as a serpent. Adam and Eve were his prey. In a predator-prey relationship something is going to die.

if Adam and Eve’s desire for forbidden fruit didn’t die, they would die.

and, knowing they would eat forbidden fruit, God planned to die.

The serpent deceived Eve. So, God cursed the serpent, limiting its prey to dust.[2] Adam was made from dust, as was Job, as are we. Satan deceives and preys on us.

Pain, suffering, predation, and death have been part of God’s very good creation from the very beginning. Before time began God had a plan to use death to make life possible.[3] From the album “Sing” this video is scrolling playback of a song based on Titus 1:2.

Kathy

Click here and here to read about God’s plan.

Print (PDF) sheet music is available for Before Time Began.

Click here for PDF.

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[1] 1 Peter 5:8

[2] Gen 3:14

[3] Gen 3:15

Doxology – Music Story

The Doxology I grew up singing pales in comparison with the Doxology that ends Jude’s book.

                Now to him who is able

                to keep you from falling

                and to make you stand in his presence

                unblemished, faultless, and with great joy—

                to the only God our Savior

                through Jesus Christ our Lord,

                be glory, majesty, power, authority,

                before all time, now, and forevermore!

                Amen.[1]

From the album “A ChorusBook” this video is scrolling playback of the song.

Kathy

Jude is only 25 verses long. Click here to read Jude.

Click here to hear the Doxology I grew up singing.

Lead sheet (PDF) is available for Doxology.

Click here for PDF

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[1] The lyrics for Doxology are compiled from these versions of The Holy Bible:

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 ESV)

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 NASB)

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 NIV)

Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of his glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 Christian Standard Bible)

And to Him who is able to guard you not stumbling, and to set you in the presence of His glory unblemished, in gladness, to the only wise God our Saviour, is glory and greatness, power and authority, both now and to all the ages! Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 Young’s Literal Translation)

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24 – 25 KJV)