Center for Church Music

“So Wonderfully Near…through Every Coming Year”

What a great gift it is to start the new year with a long Epiphany season! So much time to sit back and reflect on the Light of Immanuel. Perhaps there are still lingering moments from all the recent Advent and Christmas services and concerts that come back to mind and put a smile on your face.

One thing that stood out to me was in American popular culture--the theatrical release of a major film on the life and sacrifice of Lutheran martyr, Dietrich Bonhöffer. Despite many personal struggles and setbacks, Bonhöffer certainly reflected the Light of Immanuel in his own vocation. His hymn continues to offer hope, healing and forgiveness, even in our times.

“By Gracious Powers”

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,
and confidently waiting come what may,
we know that God is with us night and morning,
and never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented,
still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;
Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation,
for which, O Lord, you taught us to prepare.

And when this cup you give is filled to brimming
with bitter suff’ring, hard to understand,
we take it thankfully and without trembling
out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world you give us
the joy we had, the brightness of your sun,
we shall remember all the days we lived through
and our whole life shall then be yours alone.

By gracious powers so faithfully protected,
so quietly, so wonderfully near,
I’ll live each day in hope, with you beside me,
and go with you through ev’ry coming year.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Text: Dietrich Bonhöffer, 1906-1945 (Tr. F. Pratt Green, 1903-2000)

Copyright ©1974 Hope Publishing Co. Used by permission.

Immanuel--God is with us, now and always!

Amen.

Barry Bobb

Director

Resource Room

• Books, magazines, recordings, the Schalk American Lutheran Hymnal Collection (541 volumes) and the ever-expanding archives of the original manuscripts of great American Lutheran composers & hymn writers.
• Liturgical Choir Music Library

Digital Initiative

• All of the volumes in the hymnal collection can be perused online at www.hymnary.org or from this website. See "Hymnal Collection Index."
• Many of the original manuscripts are accessible online at the Center’s website (including Manz, Schalk, Hillert, Pelz, Thoms, Busarow, Bouman and others...) See "Composer Manuscript Indices".

Website

• Devotions, interviews, profiles, essays, forums, ideas, an arts registry

Print publications

• Books and monographs in the Shaping American Lutheran Church Music series available through Amazon and Fortress Press

Encouragement of the next generation

• Hillert Award in Student Composition---open to any undergrad or graduate student at a Lutheran university or seminary in the United States
• Schalk Scholars
  • Creates awareness and access to current research in the areas of music and the arts
  • Provides stipends for research as well as publication and venues for presentations for these emerging scholars
  • Arts Registry
  • Contact information and samples from composers, visual artists, writers, designers, media artists.