Expert Hymn Recommendations

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot  -  The prophet Elijah, accompanied by Elisha, crossed the river Jordan and was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:11). Crossing the Jordan has long been a metaphor for crossing from this world to the next. This spiritual extends the metaphor to include the chariot as we pray for God to come for us as well “to carry me home.”

The Glory of These Forty Days  -  Transfiguration Sunday as well as the following season of Lent offer an opportunity to reflect not only on life of Jesus, who fasted and prayed throughout his life on earth , but also on several Old Testament saints who fasted and prayed during their lives, including Moses and Elijah, who met with Jesus on the high mountain (Matthew 17:3; Mark 9:4).

God of the Prophets  -  This hymn begins with a reference to Elijah’s departure in a chariot of fire, when Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle also to strike the Jordan River (2 Kings 2:13-14). All the stanzas were originally cast in third person ("Anoint them") since it was originally written as an ordination hymn for clergymen; the revised text in first person ("Anoint us") now includes all God's people as ministers or servants. The text refers to various biblical offices to depict Christian ministries: prophets, priests, kings (Old Testament offices), and apostles (1 Peter 2:5-9.)

Alleluia! Jesus is Risen!  -  Though the name of the town of Emmaus is not mentioned, the entire second stanza of this Easter hymn recounts Easter evening as two were “walking the way, Christ in the center, telling the story to open our eyes.”

For Such a Time As This  -  Esther 4:14 was selected as the opening line of all four stanzas of this hymn, set to the well-known hymn tune MELITA (often set also to “Eternal Father, Strong to Save”). The hymn is a prayer for God to send grace and guidance in times of great need.

For All the Faithful Women  -  A “catalog” hymn in which the first and final stanzas frame one or more of the 9 additional stanzas celebrating women in several stories in Scripture who were faithful to God’s call, including Eunice and Lois (2 Timothy 1:5) in st. 11. Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) includes every stanza. Miriam, Hannah, Ruth and Naomi in the Old Testament, and Mary, the mother of our Lord, sisters Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene, Dorcas, plus Eunice and Lois in the New Testament

Shall We Gather at the River?  -  A much loved hymn inspired by Ezekiel 47:1-12.

Song of the Prophets  -  This “catalog” hymn offers an opening and closing stanza that could frame any one of the inner (16) stanzas that each focus on a biblical prophet. St. 4 includes themes of Ezekiel, including stony hearts that will become flesh, dry bones that will dance, and all proclaim that the Lord will come, and joy will supplant despair.

Break Thou the Bread of Life  -  A hymn remembering how Jesus once broke the loaves beside the sea, feeing thousands, and now confessing, “You are the bread of life” (st. 3), both in Word and Sacrament.

Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult  -  A prayer that God, who called the disciples to follow him “by the Galilean lake,” also call us in in the “tumult of our life’s wild restless sea,” and that we also be willing to leave all to follow Christ.

Go to Dark Gethsemane  -  An invitation to follow Christ during his journey to the cross, from the Garden of Gethsemane to the cross.

Shadows Lengthen into Night  -  A recounting of Jesus and his disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, and then moving on through the trial, Peter’s denial, and the crucifixion. A hymn very appropriate for a Tenebre service, since each of the 8 very shirt stanzas ends with the refrain “Shadows lengthen into night.”