A Word On Writing Hymns

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A Word On Writing Hymns

A Liturgical Practice of Worship and Wonder

The word “liturgy” literally means “the work of the people.”  One of the most important works that we do in our worship is joining together in song to give glory to God.  However, many congregations struggle with finding their communal voice either because of their smaller size or perhaps because we live in an increasingly musically illiterate culture.

As a pastor of a small congregation on the east end of Long Island, I am continually searching for ways to craft liturgy and music that challenge the people to explore scripture and our God made known through it.  One of the most effective ways I’ve found to do this is in the writing of new hymn texts to be sung to common tunes.  

The most practical benefit of doing this is that the people sing a new text to a tune that is well known in their congregational repertoire.  For example, you would be hard pressed to find many congregants in the average church who are not familiar with the tune, NETTLETON, which is commonly used to sing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” (#475 in Glory to God).  A quick replacement with the following words reveals a new discovery embodied within a tune that requires little, if any, instruction.

Death has died, no longer holds us; God’s embrace and love endure.
Never ceasing, always blessing, grace has found us, made us sure.
God the Alpha and Omega gives us life anew each day.
Christ has died and Christ is Risen; all our fears have passed away.

 (Stephen M. Fearing, 2013)

This is not a new concept.  In fact, my dear friend and mentor, Michael Morgan, has been doing this for several decades and other folks for many centuries prior.  Michael first introduced me to this historic practice during my tenure at Columbia Theological Seminary (his paraphrases of the Psalms in his Psalter for Christian Worship are an indispensable resource for any congregation).

More recently, as I was preparing for the season of Advent, I was struck by a concept that my wife, Tricia, has often shared with me.  She loves to remind me that, although most of us think of Advent as a four-week preparation before Christmas, Mary’s advent was nine months!  How good to be reminded of this during the hectic weeks that precede the coming of the Christ-child!

One day, on a business trip to New Jersey, I sat down in a Panera Bread and wrote the following hymn for the season of Advent.  It is sung to the tune, VALET WILL ICH DIR GEBEN, which is commonly used to sing “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You” (#104 in Glory to God).  

Nine months was Mary’s advent, nine months her blessed wait.
Her travels long and toilsome, her path a joyful fate.
She carried Christ our savior within her blessed womb,
the journey just beginning would reach an empty tomb.

With Joseph, Mary pondered these things long in her heart.
Her trust was true and faithful, would guide them from the start.
Her Lord had chosen Mary to bear God’s only son,
this advent wait of blessing where grace had just begun.

With courage may we follow this Mary’s faithful feet,
and trust our God to save and to make our joy complete.
Help us to wait like Mary as when her tale began.
May we, like her, give fully ourselves to serve God’s plan.

(Stephen M. Fearing, 2015)

I truly believe that anyone can take part in this liturgical practice - pastors, choir directors, and congregants young and old!  You would be amazed what a dash of imagination, a cup of coffee, a smidgeon of wonder, and a rhyming dictionary can produce!

Happy singing, folks!  Remember Zephaniah’s call to “sing aloud, O Daughter Zion…[for] the LORD is in your midst!”

Click here for Advent Hymns by Stephen M. Fearing
Click here for Christmas Hymns by Stephen M. Fearing
Click here for Epiphany Hymns by Stephen M. Fearing
Click here for Advent Liturgy by Stephen M. Fearing

Click here for Stephen M. Fearing's Paraphrase of Psalm 80 for the Season of Advent.

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Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.