ServiceBuilder provides free service planning & scheduling software, enabling churches to coordinate volunteers and more. Added Fall 2015: an automatic website creation tool for churches with neither budget nor expertise. ServiceBuilder is church organization software, for planning services, organizing teams, … Continue reading →
Handbells and voices lifted in song to praise God! All the arrangements are based on hymns in Lutheran Service Book, are in public domain and are made available for free to those who want to use them to enhance their … Continue reading →
The Plumb line image from the Amos 7:7-15 pericope. Using earth’s tilted axis as a metaphor for the warped nature of the world and the love of Christ as the standard.
The following lists known LCMS & affiliated churches that offer live streaming of their services so you and your members can attend virtually. Note that this does not include those who only prerecord services and post them online later. You … Continue reading →
Tenebrae “herse” (candelabrum) used during Holy Week, Mainz Cathedral (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I’ve never been satisfied with the sound of a slamming book for a Strepitus sound in the Good Friday Tenebrae service. I like the sound of a closing grave, so I created this sound effect, which sounds pretty good over most church sound systems.
So many people ask me to pray for them. With this, not only does it help me keep track of them, linking right with my address book if I want, but also allows me to notify them I’m praying for … Continue reading →
When our congregation looked into the various online giving/offering options, here’s our research, based on a small church and not expecting a lot of buy-in to start with, since we have a lot of older members without computers and smartphones. … Continue reading →
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. A. Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Shel Silverstein, 1974 Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would not take the garbage out! She’d scour the pots and scrape the pans, Candy … Continue reading →
I originally wrote this song with a contemporary feel, but the band complained that the tune had too many triplets in it, and with another look, I realized it worked well in a more traditional setting using the tune “Bunessan” (LSB #789), best known as the tune to “Morning Has Broken.” So I offer the lyrics and both settings in multiple formats. It’s based on the creeds and works well as a credal song and possibly as a Sanctus or hymn for Christ the King Sunday (AKA The Last Sunday of the Church Year) or Trinity Sunday.
One thing to note: using Bunessan, the first 3 stanzas use the tune twice, so think of it as 8 total stanzas for the purpose of accompaniment.
1. One God Almighty, Maker of ages
Father of all, knit me in the dark
Spreading the cosmos, fueling the atom
Birthing the nova, watching the lark
Majesty, glory, pow’r without limit
Yet in His mercy, He calls me, “Son”
Crafted from clay Divine exhalation
Formed by the Master, Three Who are One
2. For my salvation from my rebellion
Womb of a virgin, sent forth His Son
Feet above heaven too weak to stand up
One became two so all may be one
Carried my weakness, suffered by Pilate
Nailed to a tree for us in our sin
Buried, descended, risen, ascended
Coming to claim us, merit through Him
3. Sevenfold Spirit binds us together
Sent to give life from Father and Son
Wiser than reason, greater than power
Pours out the gift that bonds us as one
Mystical Body, holy communion
Rising to life without sorrow or end
All by His grace, Divine mediation
Father yet Brother, King and yet Friend
B: Open our eyes, Lord, to those in blindness
Open our hearts, Lord, kindness to show
Open our hands, Lord, reaching in service
Open our mouths that Your world may know
C. Immortal Myst’ry, Maker of hist’ry
You have revealed to all through Your Word
Eternal gifted, penalty lifted
Freed us from bondage we’ve all incurred
©2012 Strength and Song Publishing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
I Believe the Mystery-Chord Sheet (docx: Contemporary, Chord Sheet)
I believe the mystery (pdf: Contemporary, Lead Sheet)
I Believe the Mystery (PowerPoint lyrics)
Contemporary tune:
LSBX file for Lutheran Service Builder
Here’s a credal song that I wrote that we use around here. 1 By the Word the Father spoke light into the darkness By the Word all creatures came to be By the Word the Father broke the land from … Continue reading →
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