Notes on the Notes – March 16, 2025
Lent 2
This week’s music:
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” (VU #288)
“Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow –
Wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!”
Thomas O. Chisholm, a Methodist minister, wrote this poem in 1923 about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime. The conviction that God is always with us, through good times and bad, has always been a great source of comfort and strength for the faithful. William Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year and became popular among church groups. The song was exposed to wide audiences after becoming popular with Dr. William Henry Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham who played the song frequently on his international crusades. The version in Voices United is from the Hymnal of the Evangelical United Brethren (1957).
Hear a quiet instrumental version of the hymn at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoFJzsEF3ZM
Hear the Praise Team sing “He’s Always Been Faithful to Me” (2021), which includes a portion of the hymn at: He’s Always Been Faithful To Me WPUC Praise Team
“Don’t Be Afraid” (MV #90)
“Don’t be afraid.
My love is stronger,
my love is stronger than your fear.
Don’t be afraid.
My love is stronger
and I have promised, promised to be always near.”
The response for our Lenten candle liturgy is by John L. Bell and Graham Maule (1995) of the Iona Community in Scotland. Written in the voice of God, we are reminded of God’s love for us, even in times of fear and sorrow.
“And When You Call for Me” (MV #96)
“And when you call for me, I have already answered.
And when you call for me, I am already there.”
Our sung response to the Words of Assurance is also written from God’s perspective. We are assured that God is always there for us when we call. The song was written by Lynn Bauman in 2000, with music by Linnea Good (2004).
Hear the song at: And When You Call for Me WPUC
“Under His Wings”
“Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.”
During the late 19th century, William Orcutt Cushing wrote the hymn titled, “Under His Wings.” The words of this hymn reflected Cushing’s personal suffering, and were inspired by Psalm 17:8, which states “keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings.” Ira Sankey eventually added a tune to this piece.
In 1870 and shortly after his wife’s death, Cushing suffered from a “creeping paralysis” that caused him to lose his voice, requiring him to retire from the ministry after 27 years. After retiring, Cushing asked God for something to do to occupy his time. He discovered he had a talent for hymn writing and made that a way to keep busy after work in the ministry. Throughout the rest of his life, Cushing wrote 300 hymns. “Under His Wings” was one of Cushing’s later hymns. (Source: Wikipedia)
Hear the hymn at: “Under His Wings” WPUC Harmony Singers
“Trust in You”
“Letting go of ev’ry single dream,
I lay each one down at Your feet.
Ev’ry moment of my wondering
Never changes what You see.
I’ve tried to win this way, I confess.
My hands are weary; I need Your rest.
Mighty warrior, King of the fight,
No matter what I face, You’re by my side.
When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move,
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through,
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You,
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You.
Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings.
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen.
So, in all things, be my life and breath;
I want what You want, Lord, and nothing less.
You are my strength and comfort;
You are my steady hand.
You are my firm foundation,
The Rock on which I stand.
Your ways are always higher;
Your plans are always good.
There’s not a place where I’ll go
You’ve not already stood…”
This song by contemporary Christian artist Lauren Daigle (2016) speaks to trusting God through all the trials of life. In an interview she said, “Even when God doesn’t move the mountains or things are different than my heart desires, He’s still as faithful. Thinking on the trials that Jesus walked through on earth, it’s not just us trying to wade the waters in life. We experience the same heartbreaks that Jesus experienced. A lot of times we can feel isolated, but reflecting on how His heart was broken in greater ways than we can imagine, we need to press in and know that Jesus has been there and has experienced the greatest amount of loss. By His steps, it affords us comfort in times of loss.”
“These Lenten Gifts We Bring”
“These Lenten gifts we bring,
Our living faith expressed,
We offer them, most lovingly,
And thus our hearts are blessed.
O loving God receive
These gifts we gladly give,
That show our faith and hope and trust;
Your way we seek to live.”
Our Lenten offering response uses the tune FRANCONIA (VU #542), which was written by Johann Balthasar Konig (1738) and adapted by William Henry Havergal (1847).
“Be Thou My Vision” (VU #642)
“Be thou my vision, O joy of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art,
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, my calm in all strife;
I ever with thee, and thou in my life;
Thou loving parent, thy child may I be;
Thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.
Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower;
Raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.
Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.
Great God of heaven, after victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.”
The text of this hymn is based on an eighth-century Irish poem translated into English prose by Mary E. Byrne, and published in 1905. The tune, SLANE, is an Irish air, harmonized by OPC/URCNA in 2016. The words of the hymn are a commitment to keep God at the center of our lives.
Hear the hymn sung by 4Him at: https://youtu.be/jIMhshpf0Y4
Hear the hymn on violin and harp by The Webb Family at: https://youtu.be/AZfD5KrH5d8
“May the Christ Who Walks on Wounded Feet”
“May the Christ who walks on wounded feet
Travel with you all your journey through.
May you see Christ’s face in all you meet
And may all you meet see Christ’s face in you.”
Our benediction response was written by Allan Baer in 2013 and arranged by S. Porter. The words are adapted from a traditional Celtic prayer.
