Suggested Hymns from HymnSite.com

Fifth Sunday of Easter

Unifying Theme:
Being Christ bearers
Scripture Theme Hymns
Acts 8:26-40 Bearing the message 156: I Love to Tell the Story
339: Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast
399: Take My Life, and Let It Be
569: We've a Story to Tell to the Nations
Psalm 22:25-31 Bearing the praise 62: All Creatures of Our God and King
89: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
213: Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates
675: As the Sun Doth Daily Rise
1 John 4:7-21 Bearing the love 92: For the Beauty of the Earth
126: Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
557: Blest Be the Tie That Binds
John 15:1-8 Bearing the fruit 203: Hail to the Lord's Annointed
663: Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name
671: Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy Blessing
694: Come, Ye Thankful People, Come

Featured Hymn
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Hymn #89
Words by Henry Van Dyke
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Arr. by Edward Hodges
Tune Name: HYMN TO JOY
Think of the greatest moment in your life. A moment when your happiness and fulfillment were so complete that nothing else existed. All of your senses fell to the background as you experienced complete, undiminished joy. Now try to think of something better. Can you do it? Here is a possibility: think of the Lord in heaven. Feel your joy in His presence. We have never been there. We have no senses that help us perceive heaven. And yet the joy is there.

Ludwig van Beethoven is well known as a great composer. Many people are unaware, though, that he suffered from a condition that would end the work of most musicians and composers. He had degenerative hearing problems. By 1820 he was deaf. In 1824 he completed his Ninth Symphony, complete with his musical setting to Friedrich Schiller's poem "Ode to Joy." The poem had first captured Beethoven's imagination nearly three decades earlier. When he made his final touches to the text and the music, the result was a masterpiece that has inspired great joy in generation after generation. All from the mind and the pen of a deaf composer--a man who lacked a sense that is critical to a musician.

We can hardly say that we understand the reason for our joy in imagining heaven. We can hardly say that we understand how joy can spring from a musical masterpiece written by a deaf man. And yet, the joy is there. Experience your own sense of joy as you read these words:

1. Joyful, joyful, we adore thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
hearts unfold like flowers before thee,
opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day! 		2. All thy works with joy surround thee,
earth and heaven reflect thy rays,
stars and angels sing around thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
flowery meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain,
call us to rejoice in thee.
3. Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our brother,
all who live in love are thine;
teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy divine. 		4. Mortals, join the mighty chorus
which the morning stars began;
love divine is reigning o'er us,
binding all within its span.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife;
joyful music leads us sunward,
in the triumph song of life.
The Lord wants us to know joy. So live joyfully. With music. With words. With your triumph song of life.

God bless you--
Lection at HymnSite.com

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Passages suggested are from The Revised Common Lectionary: Consultation on Common Texts (Abingdon Press, 1992) copyright © by the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT), P.O. Box 340003, Room 381, Nashville TN 37203-0003. Reprinted with permission of CCT.