Hymn of the Week: July 11
by the Rev. Brooke Myers
July 11, 2021 - Proper 10 B
Wonder, Love and Praise 766
“You’re called by name”, Sara H.
There are no hymns I know of which relate to the beheading of John the Baptist, the story of which is our Gospel reading for this Sunday. This week’s hymn is pertinent to the 2nd Reading, Ephesians 1:3-14, which speaks about our adoption by God and the bestowal of the Holy Spirit in baptism. It is taken from a supplement to our Hymnal 1982 called Wonder, Love and Praise.
The Rev. Rosalind Brown (b. 1953), an author and Residentiary Canon and Canon Librarian of Durham Cathedral in England, wrote the text for the baptism of her goddaughter, Sara; hence the name of the tune. It is rich in baptismal vocabulary: called, marked, adopted, family, signed, raised, free from sin, sustained and strengthened, and joined. The refrain articulates every baptized person’s mission: to make known the love of God.
Kevin R. Hackett’s (b. 1956) relaxed 4/4 tune gains momentum with a triplet at the end of each line; the refrain announces itself with another triplet; minor and major seventh chords add texture and color; and leaps of fourths and fifths occur occur throughout, giving the music a sense of strength and purpose.
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