922

All on Earth and All in Heaven

Scripture References

Confessions and Statements of Faith References

Further Reflections on Confessions and Statements of Faith References

According to the confessions, Christian worshipers are called to continue in service. Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 12, Question and Answer 32 instructs us to think of ourselves as “a member of Christ…[who] share in his anointing.” So we profess “I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a free conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for eternity.” We serve him with good works, “…so that with our whole lives we may show that we are thankful to God for his benefits, so that he may be praised through us, so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ” (Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 32, Question and Answer 86). And so we are moved to “…embrace God’s mission in [our] neighborhoods and in the world...” (Our World Belongs to God, paragraph 41). Christians, therefore, leave worship believing that “to follow this Lord is to serve him wherever we are without fitting in, light in darkness, salt in a spoiling world” (Our World Belongs to God paragraph 43).

922

All on Earth and All in Heaven

Words of Praise

We gather in your presence, King of the universe,
to acclaim your great salvation.
You have done marvelous things.
You rescued your people from sin and death,
through the mighty work of Jesus, your Son.
You send missionaries to the ends of the earth.
You raise up prophets to witness to justice.
You reveal your righteousness to the nations.
Send forth your Spirit, Lord;
renew the face of the earth.
The whole earth rejoices.
Waves crash over waves in echoes of praise.
Rivers proclaim your goodness as they cascade against their beds.
Mountains, standing together as a chorus, declare your faithfulness.
Wind whispering through the leaves makes music to you.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes join in the song.
Into this glorious harmony
send forth your Spirit, Lord;
renew the face of the earth.
We too raise our voices, almighty God.
With all the earth, we shout for joy.
We burst into jubilant song
for the marvelous things you have done.
For your faithfulness, for your love, for your salvation,
for the promise of your return in glory,
we make music to you, our Lord and King.
While we wait for your coming,
send forth your Spirit, Lord;
renew the face of the earth. Amen.
—based on Psalm 98; 104:30
— Worship Sourcebook Edition Two

Additional Prayers

Lord God Almighty,
by the power of your Spirit we can sing “Glory!” with the angels
and praise you with all of creation.
Holy God, receive the worship of those for whom you sent your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray. Amen.
— Psalms for All Seasons (http://www.psalmsforallseasons.org)

A Prayer of Confession and Acclamation
 
Holy God, we have tried to make you predictable.
But you are the God of thunder.
 
We have tried to make you domestic.
But you are the God of torrents.
 
We have tried to tame you.
But you are the God who makes mountains tremble.
 
Mighty God, we know the greatness of your power, but also the greatness of your love.
And so we acclaim you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
922

All on Earth and All in Heaven

Tune Information

Name
EBENEZER
Key
e minor
Meter
8.7.8.7 D
922

All on Earth and All in Heaven

Hymn Story/Background

The text is my original setting of Psalm 29 in the Psalter for Christian Worship. The tune, Ebenezer, strongly and rhythmically declares our praise for God and the peace that will come to us, while at the same time echoing the imagery of the Psalm – thunder and torrents, earthquakes and destruction. It expresses God’s might in terms of lasting glory and peaceful resolution to anger and destruction.
— Michael Morgan

EBENEZER originally came from the second movement of an anthem ("Goleu yn y Glyn" or "Light in the Valley") by Welsh composer Thomas John Williams. EBENEZER (meaning "stone of help" in the Bible) is named for the chapel in Rhos, Pontardawe, which Williams attended at the time he composed the tune.
 
First published as a hymn tune in the Baptist Book of Praise (1901), EBENEZER is often associated in Wales with "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah." Because an English folksinger claimed that the tune had been washed up on the Welsh coast in a bottle, the tune is known in some hymnals as TON-Y-BOTL (tune in a bottle).
 
Developed out of the opening motif, EBENEZER is a glorious tune built with just six notes and an energetic rhythmic pattern involving triplets. The tune is a rounded bar form (AABA) in which the "B" lines move momentarily into major. Sing stanzas 1 and 4 in unison and stanzas 2 and 3 in harmony. Sing with vigor and majesty, but do not rush!
 
In Welsh practice the triplet is sung heavily; do not worry about making the dotted rhythms distinct from the triplets. Use rhythmically energetic accompaniment with fairly full organ, adding a crowning mixture and/or reed for stanza 4. Try finishing the final stanza with a major chord.
— Bert Polman

Author Information

Michael Morgan is a church musician, Psalm scholar, and collector of English Bibles and Psalters from Atlanta, Georgia. After almost 40 years, he now serves as Organist Emeritus for Atlanta’s historic Central Presbyterian Church, and as Seminary Musician at Columbia Theological Seminary. He holds degrees from Florida State University and Atlanta University, and did post-graduate study with composer Richard Purvis in San Francisco. He has played recitals, worship services, and master classes across the U. S., and in England, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. He is author of the Psalter for Christian Worship , and a regular contributor in the field of psalmody (most recently to the Reformed collections Psalms for All Seasons and Lift Up Your Hearts, and the new Presbyterian hymnal, Glory to God).
— Michael Morgan

Composer Information

Although his primary vocation was in the insurance business, Thomas John Williams (b. Ynysmeudwy, Glamorganshire, Wales, 1869; d. Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales, 1944) studied with David Evans at Cardiff and later was organist and choirmaster at Zion Church (1903­-1913) and Calfaria Church (1913-1931), both in Llanelly. He composed a number of hymn tunes and a few anthems.
— Bert Polman
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