January 26, 2025

The prelude is based on a beautiful hymn tune not in our hymnal: "Come, O Thou Traveler Unknown", a traditional Scottish melody.  The setting is by the California native and prolific composer, Dale Wood (1934-2003).

Our processional hymn is the well known "The spacious firmament on high", from "Creation", by Franz Joseph Haydn, hymn 409.  The Gospel hymn is 632, "O Christ the Word Incarnate", harmonized by Felix Mendelssohn, as you may note; the melody of course, dates back to the 17th century.

More Haydn at the offertory!  Audy Walker will sing "When I Think Upon Thy Goodness", a wonderful text.

Both communion hymns relate to the day's reading from Corinthians; they are "Like the murmur of the dove's song" (513), and "God is love, and where true love is, God himself is there" ("Ubi caritas" 577).

Closing, we will sing the ever popular "O Zion, haste, thy mission high fulfilling", 539, which relates back to the Gospel reading from Luke.

Another hymn tune not in our hymnal — "Let us ever walk with Jesus" — is the basis for the postlude, a setting by the contemporary American and Lutheran, Jacob B. Weber.