Here is an example using the text from Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_C0I3YgMHiI

From there, you can click on others from the suggestion in the right margin.

Enjoy!

This past week we celebrated the Ascenion of our Lord. We have also been visiting Revelations recently as well. Along with that, we read Acts 1:1-11. Two particular verse’s that stand out in my thoughts are 10&11:

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11″Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.

“This same Jesus…..will come back…” Can we even begin to fathom this? Well, it is certainly our anticipation as Christians. It’s most definately our greatest comfort in knowing and believing “The best is yet to come!”

Onto the hymn now….. That favorite hymn is actually taken from the text from Paul Gerhardt’s “A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth” – the final verse. That verse has been set to Kurt Eggert’s tune “Wedding Glory.” The combination of the beautiful imagery set into the text along with the Eggert melody are priceless in my opinion.

I’ve included a link of the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Choir singing this as well.

Text: Lord, when Your glory I shall see
And taste Your kingdom’s pleasure;

Your blood my royal robe shall be,
My joy beyond all measure.
When I appear before Your throne,
Your righteousness shall be my crown;
With these I need not hide me.

And there, in garments richly wrought,
As Your own bride I shall be brought
To stand beside in joy beside You.

…….To stand in joy beside You……… Is there anything else?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xvmskep4is

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been dumbfounded to visit another church and walk in and hear excellent pre-service or a postlude piece. Then we start into the service and it’s a night and day difference. I had to take a double look to see it was still the same person on the bench. YUP! Wow…. I certainly appreciate the discipline they had in learning the pre-service/offeratory/postlude, but can we APPLY that same discipline to the actual service? Priorities were a little backwards in my opinion.

Certainly I understand that perhaps they are ‘newer’ or it comes harder to them to learn a piece, but lets focus on what’s more important.

Then I feel bad for even thinking this way. Then I realize that perhaps no one ever explained that to them.

One last quick comment. Has anyone ever watched people on YouTube in an actual live service playing a hymn? I won’t mention any names obviously, but I have to laugh at this one organist. Yes, this person is VERY good – but they play EXTREMELY TOO FAST. I’m not talking about, just a slight push of the tempo, I’m talking lighting speed. It’s actually commical listen to the congregation TRYING to keep up!! You can’t see them, but I can guarantee you some are turning blue, other’s breaking out in a sweat. Someone actually posted a comment (I don’t do that – I don’t feel it’s appropiate unless you have something nice to say….and I confess, I didn’t) and asked the organist that posted that “Were you in a hurry becuase you needed to use the restroom?” I died laughing!! It’s really not funny – but…..wow! It was like watching an old player piano turned up and pumping on HIGH speed!