Sunday, March 16th, 2014

Second Sunday of Lent

Organ Prelude: If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee, BWV 642

Processional Hymn: 470 There’s A Wideness in God’s Mercy

Trisagion S-102

Psalm 121, Chanted on Tone 2

Before the Gospel: 565 He Who Would Valiant Be, Stanzas 1 & 2

After the Gospel: 565 He Who Would Valiant Be, Stanza 3

Offertory Anthem: My Spirit Longs for Thee from Oxford Easy Anthem Book

Doxology

Sanctus S-114, Healy Willan

Lamb of God S-158, Willan

Communion Anthem: O Holy Jesu from Oxford Easy Anthem Book

Organ Meditation: If Thou But Trust in God to Guide Thee, BWV 647, by: J. S. Bach

Communion Hymn: 675 Take Up Your Cross, the Savior Said

Recessional Hymn: 690 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah

Music Notes, by: Ashley Sosis

The organ prelude and meditation in this morning’s service is based on the hymntune, “Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten”. The tune appears in our hymnal paired with a translation of its original text, “If thou but trust in God to guide thee”, #635.

You’ll see Bach’s organ music listed in concert and worship programs alike with the letters “BWV” followed by numbers. The letters stand for “Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis number” or “Bach works catalogue number”, a system created by Wolfgang Schmieder in 1950. Something you may have not known is that, unlike opus numbers of other composers, the BWV system groups the works of J. S. Bach thematically, not chronologically. In the BWV system, choral works are listed first including all of Bach’s Cantatas (BWV1-524), then organ works (BWV525-771), other keyboard works (BWV772-994), Chamber works (BWV995-1040), Orchestral works (BWV1041-1071), Canons (BWV1072-1078), two late contrapuntal works (BWV1079-1080), and recent BWV additions (BWV1081-1128). Therefore, a low BWV number does not necessarily indicate a work written by a young Bach. A great majority of Bach’s works were printed posthumously, making it almost impossible to order his works chronologically. Since the lost works of many long-dead composers tend to turn up in European attics, there’s no telling how many new works will get lumped into the final section of the catalogue of one of the church’s most prolific composers!