I Love the Lord - Psalm 116
A service plan for Lent from Psalm 116 focused on praising the Lord for his deliverance from death in a Lenten series on the Psalms.
Also in this Series
Psalms for a Lenten Journey
This series of worship services for Lent is built around a sampling of the Psalms.
Theme of the Service
Maundy Thursday is the day for the church to remember the last evening before Christ's crucifixion. At that time Christ was in the upper room with his disciples and instituted the Lord's Supper. Therefore, this service includes the celebration of the Lord's Supper. We have selected Psalm 116 as the theme of this service so that the testimony of praise to the Lord for his deliverance from death can be prominent.
We are grateful for the collaborative efforts of Professor Carl Bosma, Associate Professor of Old Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary, who is providing helpful information on each of the Psalms during this season. You will find the information he has provided at the end of the worship service.
WE GATHER IN WORSHIP
Prelude: "Variations on 'How I Love You, Lord, My God' " [see
"My Jesus, I Love Thee"
"What Wondrous Love"
The Welcome and Call to Worship [see
*God's Greeting with Congregational Amen!
*Response Reading:
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;
He heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to him
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord-
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 116:1-2, 17-19)
*Song of Love: "I Worship You, O Lord" PsH 30
GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH HIS WORD
He loves us without a reason
Meditation [see
Responsive Reading from Psalm 116:
I love the Lord for he heard my voice,
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me;
the anguish of the grave came upon me.
I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
"O Lord, save me!"
For you, O Lord, have delivered.
my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord
in the land of the living. (Psalm 116:1-4, 8-9)
Prayer
*Song of Thanks: "Father, Long Before Creation" PsH 464:1, 3, 4; RL 353: 1, 3, 4
He gives us rest
Meditation
Responsive Reading from Psalm 116:
I love the Lord for he heard my voice,
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearted;
when I was in great need, he saved me.
Be at rest once more, O my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you. (Psalm 116:1-2, 5-7)
Solo: "My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone" PsH 62:1, 2
Prayer
Sung Prayer: "Nearer, Still Nearer" The Celebration Hymnal 567:1, 4
We vow to repay the Lord
Meditation
Responsive Reading from Psalm 116:
How can I repay the Lord
for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of his saints.
O Lord, truly I am your servant;
I am your servant,
the son of your maidservant;
you have freed me from my chains.
I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord-
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 116:12-19)
The Offering
Our offering of music: "I Love the Lord, for He Has Heard My Voice" [see
We offer our gifts for..
WE GATHER AT HIS TABLE
The Welcome and Invitation to the Lord's Table
The Institution of the Lord's Supper: Matthew 26:17-30
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The Prayer of Consecration
Our Participation in the Bread
Anthem: "To Your Table We Come," Pethel
Our Participation in the Cup
Songs of Faith: "I Love the Lord, for He Has Heard My Voice" PsH 116
"I Love the Lord" PH 362, SNC 227 or
"What Shall I Render to the Lord" PsH 178, RN 116, TH 637
The Prayer of Thanksgiving
WE LEAVE WITH PRAISE FOR GOD
*The Benediction with Congregational Amen!
*Song of Praise and Thanks: "What Wondrous Love" PH 85, PsH 379, RN 277, SFL 169, TH 261, TWC 212, UMH 292 [see
Postlude: "What Wondrous Love" [see
* You are invited to stand.
Sermon Notes
Introduction to Psalm 116: "Love and Gratitude No Matter What"
by Carl Bosma
When I was a youngster in the Netherlands, the Genevan version of Psalm 116 was drilled into my mind by its repeated use in the liturgy. It became part of my spiritual DNA. Then our family moved to the United States. After our family joined the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA), the music and words of Psalm 116 became silent. The following exposition of this psalm, however, aims to demonstrate that this intensive psalm merits another hearing in the CRCNA, especially for Maundy Thursday.
Like Psalm 118, Psalm 116 is also a psalm of thanksgiving. Unlike Psalm 118, however, Psalm 116 contains no elements of a communal hymn. Moreover, whereas the primary focus of Psalm 118 is on victory, Psalm 116 centers on the psalmist's agonizing experience of and rescue from the imprisoning cords of death. In fact, this terrible word, "death," is a thematic word of Psalm 116 that occurs in verses 3, 8, and 15. This fact already makes Psalm 116 an appropriate psalm for Maundy Thursday. The walking motif in verse 9 also enhances the journey theme throughout this series of expositions.
I. The Unity of The Psalm
In the Greek and Latin Bibles, Psalm 116 is divided into two separate psalms. Verses 1-9 appear as Psalm 114 and verses 10-19 as Psalm 115. However, the repetition of key terms (e.g., "death" in vv. 3, 8, 15 and "return" and "benefit" in vv. 7, 12) and phrases (e.g., "call on the name of the Lord" in vv. 4, 13 b and 17 b ) argue for the compositional unity of the Hebrew text of Psalm 116.
II. Compositional Structure
The compositional structure of Psalm 116 is, in the words of Leslie C. Allen, "not at all obvious."
III. Literary Genre
Psalm 116 is a song of thanksgiving that narrates the story of an anonymous individual's deliverance from death. Depending on the interpretation of verse 11 (see below), the near-death experience is connected with being falsely accused. A comparison with Psalm 30, the paradigm of songs of thanksgiving by individuals, reveals that Psalm 116 does not follow the regular order of this type of psalm. For this reason, Claus Westermann follows Hermann Gunkel, the pioneer of form criticism, in rearranging the order of this psalm's various modes of speech.
IV. Exposition
A. Declaration of Love (vs. 1)
The opening of Psalm 116 is unique. Unlike Psalm 30:1, Psalm 116:1 does not begin with a voluntary proclamation. Instead, like Psalm 18:1, it begins with a declaration of love, "I love" (vs. 1 a).
The unique opening declaration of love is followed by a causal clause (cf. the conjunction kî) that explains the chief reason/ground for the celebrant's love for God: "because the Lord hears my cry for mercy" (vs. 1b).
B. Renewed Vow to Praise (vs. 2)
The opening proclamation in verse 1 is followed by a renewed vow to praise
a Because he inclined his ear to me,
b I will call on him as long as I live (lit. "in my days").
Because the causal clause in verse 2 a parallels the causal clause in verse 1, verses 1-2 are frequently read together. The parallelism between verses 1 b -2 a could be an argument in favor of this reading. But the emphatic prepositional phrase "in my days" (cf. Is 38:20) in verse 2 b indicates that verse 2 is actually a renewed vow to praise that is formally similar to Psalm 30:12 c: "O Lord, my God, I will praise you forever." As the example of Psalm 30:12 c shows, the renewed vow to praise normally occurs at the conclusion of a song of thanksgiving. In Psalm 116, however, it stands at the beginning. In this renewed vow the psalmist commits himself to the lifelong task of retelling the story of his marvelous rescue from death,
C. Condensed Narrative Report of the Distress (vv. 3-4)
This next section (vv. 3-4) is a condensed report of the speaker's distress and deliverance, another representative feature of a song of thanksgiving (Ps 30:2-3).
In language that recalls Psalm 18:4-5, verse 3 reports the distress in chiastic word order. Like Jonah, the psalmist had become a prisoner of the grave. As Claus Westermann has underscored, being under the power of death is a common way to describe the distress in songs of thanksgiving.
In verse 4 he recalls in condensed form the prayer that he invoked
D. A Personal Testimony to God's Graciousness (vv. 5-6)
The speaker's recollection of his dreadful experiences with (near-) death in verses 3-4 prompts a testimony to the Lord's graciousness and righteousness in verses 5-6. The opening part of this testimony (vv. 5-6 a) is a third-person declaration about the Lord. This fact and the reference to "our God" in verse 5 lead Erhard S. Gerstenberger to postulate that the community spoke verses 5-6.
As the following synoptic comparison shows, like Psalm 112:4, Psalm 116:5 is a modified version of the first part of Israel's core testimony about God in Exodus 34:6-7.
Exodus 34:6 |
Psalm 116:5 |
"The Lord, the Lord, |
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; |
In his modification of this Old Testament hermeneutical magnet the poet has inverted the adjectives "merciful" and "gracious" (cf. Ps 111:4 b) and, strikingly, inserted the adjective "righteous." He has inserted the adjective "righteous" in the verse because, as is evident from Psalm 7:9, 11 (cf. Ps 11:7), this adjective describes God as a righteous judge. As a righteous judge, he condemns the wicked but loves and saves the upright.
Verse 6 a provides the basis for this claim: "The Lord protects the simple." Significantly, the adjective "simple" occurs primarily in Proverbs.
To prove the truth of his claim in verses 5-6 a, the psalmist appeals to his personal experience in verse 6bc. The NIV and NRSV translate these clauses as a single past event, "When I was brought low, he saved me" (NRSV). In this case, the speaker returns to telling the story of his trouble and reports the important missing piece of the cycle of trouble- lament- audition- deliverance in verse 6 bc, namely, his deliverance. In other words, the Lord heard his plaintive plea, "O Lord, deliver me!" reported earlier in verse 4. However, the verb translated as "saved" is actually a YQTL (=Imperfect) verb. In light of the preceding active participles "showing mercy" and "protecting," we suggest that the psalmist is referring to a frequent occurrence. For this reason we would translate verse 6 bc as follows:
Whenever I am brought low,
he saves me.
On this translation one need not separate verse 6 bc from verses 5-6 a, as Willem A. VanGemeren proposes.
E. A Unique Soliloquy (vs. 7)
Apparently this important lesson overpowered the poet's emotions. Alleviated from the threat of death, he exhorts his soul in an ecstatic outburst to return to rest (cf. Jer 6:16).
The basis for this assurance, according to verse 7 b, is the recognition that the Lord has acquitted him from his false accusers. Frequently, the Hebrew verb gamal in this clause is translated as "has been good" (cf. NIV), but this translation fails to express the more technical nuance of the expression gamal 'al in juridical contexts, such as laments "to recompense."
F. A Personal Address to God (vv. 8-9)
In verses 8-9 the speaker returns to describe his deliverance from distress. Unlike verses 3-4, however, this condensed report is addressed directly to the Lord. In fact, this is the first and only time that the speaker addresses God directly in Psalm 116.
As the following synoptic comparison shows, verses 8-9 are almost identical with Psalm 56:13.
Psalm 56:13 |
Psalm 116:8-9 |
a For you have delivered my soul from death, and my feet from stumbling, |
8 a For you have delivered my soul from death, |
Introduced by an affirmative conjunction kî,
The significance of the liberation of the speaker's feet becomes evident in verse 9. In place of a purpose statement in Psalm 56:13 b, verse 9 is a vow in which the speaker acknowledges the purpose of a new lease on life. Rescued from mortal danger, he promises to walk in the presence of the Lord, exactly like God required from Abraham in Genesis 17:1.
G. Further Account of Trouble (vv. 10-11)
In verses 10-11 the speaker returns to his narrative account of the distress in verses 3-4.
Verse 10 |
Verse 11 |
I kept my faith when I was saying |
I said in my alarm: |
"I am greatly afflicted!" |
"All men are liars!" |
On the assumption that verses 10-11 pick up the story line of verses 3-4, it seems plausible that the quotations in verses 10 and 11 should be read together with the actual prayer quoted in verse 4.
Like verse 1 a, verse 10 a begins with one word clause, "I believed." This clause is followed by another clause that is introduced by the conjunction kî followed by an imperfect verb, "I am saying." This has posed a problem for translators and commentaries. The Septuagint, for example, translated the verb in question in past tense, and its translation of verse 10 ab is quoted in 2 Corinthians 4:13.
Two things are clear from verse 10. First, echoing verse 6 b (cf. Ps 142:6), the speaker admits that he was in the pits and suffering greatly. Second, despite his awful suffering, he continued to trust in God.
The opening words of verse 11 a are identical to Psalm 31:22 a. Like Psalm 31:22 a, the initial words of verse 11 a are also followed by a quotation. The content of the quotation, however, is different. In verse 11b the speaker reports the charges that he had lodged against his accusers in his prayer to God: "Every human being is a liar."
H. Announcement of Fulfillment of Vows (vv. 12-14)
In verses 12-14 the celebrant turns to the Lord in gratitude. Structurally, these verses consist of a rhetorical question (vs. 12) and a promise to perform three liturgical acts (vv. 13-14).
Verse 12 asks an important rhetorical question: "What shall I return to the Lord for all his benefits to me? With respect to this rhetorical question, it should be noted, first of all, that the verb "return" is used as a synonym of the verb gamal (Ps 18:21, 24). Next, attention is called to the Hebrew noun tagmûlôhî, "benefits," (cf. Ps 103:2) which comes from the Hebrew verb gamal used in verse 7. Consequently, it is inferred that the verb "return" in verse 12 means, "to repay." As is evident from 2 Chronicles 35:25, in verse 12 the verb denotes the obligation of a grateful response. Finally, it should also be observed that this rhetorical question echoes a similar question in Micah 6:6. Unlike Micah 6:6, however, no answer is given in recognition of the fact that it is impossible to repay the Lord.
Consequently, in verses 13-14 the speaker announces his intent to perform three liturgical acts as a token of his immense gratitude. First, he resolves to lift up "the cup of salvation" (vs. 13 a).
Next, the psalmist resolves to "call on the name of the Lord" (vs. 13 b). Remarkably, the words of this resolve are an exact repetition of verse 4 b. Whereas in verse 4 b this conventional expression refers to the celebrant's prayer, here it is part of the thanksgiving ritual.
In obedience to the directive found in Psalm 50:14 b, the celebrant then announces in verse 14
Two features of this announcement of his vow fulfillment merit special attention. First, the announcement of fulfillment underscores the intimate relationship between lament psalms and songs of thanksgiving. As we noted in our exposition of Psalm 118, the vow to praise in a song of thanksgiving picks up where the vow to praise in laments stop. Second, the celebrant promises to pay this vow in the presence of the worshiping community ("all his people"). The fact that he resolves to do this publicly shows once more that thanksgiving does not occur in a vacuum. The purpose of this public presentation is to encourage the people of God to trust in the Lord in times of adversity.
I. Public Testimony and Rededication (vv. 15-16)
The announcement to fulfill his vow in verse 14 is followed by verses 15-16, both of which are rather unusual and complex.
The fact, however, that the declaration, "To the Lord (belongs) deliverance!", in Jonah 2:9 [10] occurs in conjunction with an announcement of fulfillment of vows suggests that verse 15 in Psalm 115 has a similar function. Like the declaration in Jonah 2:9[10], verse 15 also represents the content of the promised public testimony: "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints."
The assuring axiomatic statement of verse 15 effectively leads the speaker to humbly reaffirm his total allegiance to the Lord in verse 16
O Lord,
truly
I am your servant, the son of your maidservant.
You have loosed my bonds.
In this pledge of allegiance the psalmist reaffirms that he is the Lord's servant (cf. Ps 143:12), which could mean that he is the Lord's anointed (Ps 78:10).
As Artur Weiser notes,
J. Reiteration of Fulfillment Vows (vv.17-19)
The poem concludes with a reiteration of the fulfillment of vows (vv. 17-19). The fact that verses 17 b -18 are an exact repetition of verses 13 b -14 demonstrates that together these verses bracket and highlight effectively the psalmist's testimony in verses 15-16. Moreover, they also suggest that the three cultic acts of verses 13-14 and verses 17-19 are parallel. Consequently, the lifting up of "the cup of salvation" in verse 13a and the promise to sacrifice a thank offering in verse 17 a are intimately related. As an additional result, "the cup of salvation" in verse 13 a is probably not related to the cup of the Passover meal referred to in Luke 22:18, but more likely parallels the cup of wine that was drunk at the festal meal that climaxed with a thank offering (cf. 22:26, 29; Lev 7:11-21).
V. Canonical Context
Like Psalm 118, Psalm 116 also belongs to the collection of psalms called the "Egyptian Hallel." Consequently, like Psalm 118, it was also sung or recited at Passover time. Determinative for its use at Passover are the reference to the "cup" (vs. 13) and "sacrifice of thanksgiving" (vs. 17). The reference to the "cup" in verse 13 also facilitated the use of Psalm 116 in connection with the Lord 's Supper (cf. 1 Cor 10:16), especially in connection with the celebration of communion on Maundy Thursday.
VI. Reflections for Preaching
How does one preach Psalm 116 for Maundy Thursday? How does one preach a message based on this psalm to an audience that has become estranged from it?
In response to this question we begin with a general observation. In Psalm 116 an unidentified believer recounts in the presence of the worshiping community his desperate prayer, his dramatic deliverance, and his rededication to walk in the presence of the Lord. The purpose of this testimony is to teach the audience an important lesson for life.
For preaching we should isolate five important lessons on Psalm 116. The first theme is the Lord hears prayer. The implication is that in times of distress one should pray to God. This is the same message as the well-known hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus":
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged-
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Second, the Lord is a gracious, righteous, and compassionate God, who protects the weak and oppressed, especially those who have been falsely accused. For this reason one can trust that the Lord will adjudicate our plaintive pleas with righteousness. Third, verse 15 underscores that the death of the believer(s) is (are) precious in the eyes of the Lord. Fourth, believers who have experienced that the Lord hears the plea of the righteous and rescues them from the imprisoning cords of death should rededicate themselves to God to walk in his presence. Fifth, those who have been rescued should give public testimony about their experience in the worshiping community. The cycle of drastic prayer, dramatic rescue and rededication of life must be shared because, as this ritual at AA meetings shows, such sharing is a powerful witness to the reality of God and helps keep the believer on track. Consequently, more time should be given in the liturgy for testimonies of heard prayers. In Latin America this practice has proven to be an important key to church growth.
More specifically, with respect to the challenge of preaching a sermon on Psalm 116 on Maundy Thursday, we would note, first of all, that in the Gospel accounts of Holy Week, we encounter a dramatic reversal of the lament-thanksgiving cycle. Normally believers in mortal distress first cry out to God (lament). After God has heard their prayer and has rescued them, they bring thanksgiving. Apparently the thanksgiving process involves two stages. In Psalm 116 the rescued person promises to thank the Lord in the temple (vv. 18-19). This suggests that he has not yet arrived there. In Psalm 118, however, the rescued person does enter the temple. The Gospel accounts reverse this cycle. They begin with their use of Psalm 118:25-26 in their account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and the temple and return to the use of Psalm 116 at the institution of the Lord's Supper. When Jesus and his disciples sang a hymn after Jesus' installation of the Lord's Supper (Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26), they may have sung Psalm 116 because during the Passover meal Psalms 115-118 were recited in connection with the fourth cup. The reference to "the cup of salvation" in Psalm 116:13 increases the probability of this suggestion.
Second, we recall that a motif of paramount importance in songs of thanksgiving is the persistent claim that God heard the suppliant's prayer. Like Psalms 34:4, 6 and 118:5, Psalm 116:1 also underscores the effective power of prayer. On the reasonable assumption that Jesus and his disciples recited Psalm 116, which recalls the awful reality of suffering the pangs of death from the flip side, it is interesting to note that, after they sang, Jesus took his disciples to Gethsemane to pray (Mt 26:36-45 par.). There his soul "was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Mt 26:38 par.). There he pleaded with his Father to take the "cup (of wrath)" away (Mt 26:39, 42).
In relation to this proposed thematic connection between Psalm 116 and Jesus' agonizing time of prayer in Gethsemane, two other features of Psalm 116 merit attention. First, according to our interpretation of the quotation of the psalmist's prayer in verse 11, the suppliant claims that he was falsely accused (see above). In Gethsemane Jesus prays as one who will be falsely accused and sentenced to capital punishment. However, on resurrection day the Father acquitted him of the false charges. Wolfhart Pannenburg recognized this dramatic reversal when he wrote:
Under the presupposition that there is an element of substitution active in all social relationships, one is permitted to understand Jesus' death as a vicarious event in view of the unique reversal that the one rejected as a blasphemer is, in the light of his resurrection, the truly just man, and his judges, in contrast, are now the real blasphemers.
Moreover, if Jesus and his disciples had just sung Psalm 116, then certainly the desperate prayer and dramatic restoration of the suppliant, as well as that most comforting of all verses, verse 15, must have been a source of reassurance for Jesus. With this reassurance, he was able to pray, "may your will be done" (Mt 26:42). The fact that the Father resurrected the Son confirmed this precious assurance! The apostle Peter recognized this important fact in language that echoes Psalm 116:3, "But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him" (Acts 2:24).
The Father's public vindication of the Son's desperate prayer from the cross on resurrection day should be a powerful source of comfort for Jesus' disciples today, especially those who are struggling with terminal illnesses. On the basis of Jesus' dramatic restoration to life, Psalm 116 ought to be sung more. From this side of Jesus' death and resurrection, we may sing Psalm 116 in a spirit of thanksgiving and assurance that we too will "walk in the presence of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps 116:9), yes, even into eternal life. When we sing it, however, we should pay particular attention to the opening line, "I love because the Lordhears my cry for mercy."
Music Notes:
Glossary of Hymnal Abbreviations:
PH The Presbyterian Hymnal (Presbyterian Church USA; Westminster/John Knox Press)
PsH The Psalter Hymnal (Christian Reformed Church; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
RL Rejoice in the Lord (Reformed Church in America; W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)
RN Renew! (Hope Publishing Company)
SFL Songs for LiFE (children's songbook; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
SNC Sing! A New Creation (Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Christian Reformed Church,
Reformed Church in America; Faith Alive Christian Resources)
TH Trinity Hymnal (Orthodox Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church in America; Great
Commission Publications)
TWC The Worshiping Church (Hope Publishing Company)
UMH The United Methodist Hymnal (United Methodist Publishing House)
WOV With One Voice (Augsburg Fortress)
Suggestions for prelude music are as follows:
ABERYSTWYTH ["How I Love You, Lord, My God"]
Organ:
Haan, Raymond H. Welsh Hymn Tune Preludes. SMP KK426 [1989] (E-M)
Held, Wilbur. Those Wonderful Welsh, set 2. Morningstar MSM-10-842 [1992] (E-M)
Krapf, Gerhard. Sing and Rejoice, vol. 5. SMP KK323 [1984] (adaptable for piano, E-M)
Linker, Janet. Suite for Holy Week. Beckenhorst OC5 [1989] (E-M)
Near, Gerald. Augsburg Organ Library - Lent. Augsburg 11-11036 [2000] (E-M)
Willan, Healy. Ten Hymn Preludes, set 1. Peters 6011 [1956] (E-M)
Young, Gordon. Preludes on the Familiar. Fischer 0 4886 [1972] (E-M)
Piano:
Organ, Anne Krentz. Christ, Mighty Savior. Augsburg 11-10819 [1997] (E-M)
GORDON ["My Jesus, I Love Thee"]
Organ:
Bish, Diane. The Diane Bish Organ Book, vol. 1. Fred Bock B-G0548 [1980] (M)
Goode, Jack. Seven Communion Meditations. Flammer HF-5084 [1976] (E-M)
Piano:
Wilson, John F. This Is the Day. Hope 243 [1992] (E-M)
Handbells:
Sanders, Patricia A. My Jesus, I Love Thee. Beckenhorst HB 96 [1990] (3-4 octaves/C
instrument, E-M)
Choral Resource:
Sjolund, Paul. My Jesus, I Love Thee. Hinshaw HMC-935 [1987]
(SATB with flute or violin and keyboard; E-M)
WONDROUS LOVE ["What Wondrous Love"]
Organ:
Barber, Samuel. Wondrous Love. Schirmer 44477 [1959] (M-D)
Callahan, Charles. Six Meditations on American Folk Hymns. Concordia 97-6140 [1992] (E-M)
Cherwien, David. Interpretations, bk. 9. AMSI SP-106 [1992] (E-M)
Johnson, David N. Hymns Settings for Organ. Augsburg Fortress ISBN 0-8006-7498-7 [2002]
(E)
Johnson, David N. Wondrous Love. Augsburg 11-0821 [1965] (E)
Manz, Paul. God of Grace. Morningstar MSM-10-599 [2004] (M)
Middleswarth, Jean E. Were You There. Broadman 4570-64 [1984] (E-M)
Phillips, Don. All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name. (ed. Lyon, Sharron) Broadman 4570-31 [1976]
(E)
Young, Gordon. Preludes on the Familiar. Fischer 0 4886 [1972] (E-M)
Piano:
Carter, John. Folk Hymns for Piano. Hope 240 [1987] (E-M)
Carter, John. The Wondrous Cross. Hope 1747 [1994] (E-M)
Wilhelmi, Teresa. Hymns.Light Jazz Style. Word 301 0136 315 [1997] (M)
Handbells:
Larson, Lloyd. What Wondrous Love. Beckenhorst HB 150 [1994] (3-5 octaves, E-M)
Wagner, Douglas E. What Wondrous Love. Agape 1312 [1988] (3-5 octaves, E-M)
Suggestions for offertory music can be found in the following resources:
GENEVAN 116 ["I Love the Lord, for He Has Heard My Voice"]
Organ:
Schuurman, Adr. C. Psalm 116. Wagenaarstichting D. 425 [1956] (M-D, a set of variations)
van der Panne, Wim. Variaties over Wie maar de Goede God laat Zorgen. Musicript MR122
[1986] (E-M, an additional piece in this publication of If You But Trust in God to Guide You")
The communion anthem "To Your Table We Come" by Stan Pethel has a Maundy Thursday text and is published by Choristers Guild CGA824 [1999]. It is scored for SAB voices and keyboard (E-M).
The suggestions for the Songs of Faith sung during communion are all based on Psalm 116. Each comes from a musically different era and style.
Alternative harmonizations for the singing of the closing hymn can be found in:
Alternative Harmonization for Organ:
Burkhardt, Michael. As Though the Whole Creation Cried. Morningstar MSM-10-555 [2001]
Alternative Harmonization for Piano:
Cherwien, David. Let It Rip! At the Piano. Augsburg 11-11045 [2000]
Postlude suggestions can be drawn from the resources listed under prelude suggestions based on "What Wondrous Love."
1. We suggest that the Call to Worship extend a warm welcome to all and briefly set the tone for this worship service by describing the scene in the upper room when Jesus met with his disciples shortly before his death. An explanation of how Psalm 116 will permeate this service may also be helpful.
2. The format for this worship is somewhat different in that the pastor will provide several brief meditations that will weave together the events of the upper room, the themes of Psalm 116, and the liturgy of moving toward the table of the Lord. Each of the meditations will precede the readings of Psalm 116. Notice how the three subsections-He loves us without a reason, He gives us rest, and We vow to repay the Lord-structure our worship around three themes of Psalm 116.
3. We assume that your local congregation has its own customary practices for the liturgy of the Lord's Supper on Maundy Thursday. We have provided a basic structure, and you may complete it with your usual pattern. You may also find helpful material in The Worship Sourcebook, pages 305 ff. and pages 593 ff.