Naptastic

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=====Vital Information=====
  * Title: A Wesleyan Hymn Study
  * Description: Joyfully singing and discussing the hymns of John and Charles Wesley
  * When: Sundays from June 14th - August 30, inclusive. 10:00 - 11:00 AM
  * Where: The Wesley Chapel (downstairs)
  * Contact: David Nielson

Here is the announcement slide:

{{fumc::2026-hymn-study-announce-slide.pptx}}

=====Intention and Design=====

There are twelve classes. Intentions for the series:
  * Fill twelve weeks
  * Hold singing in the space and time where choir warmups would be
  * Increase participation in choir when it starts back up
  * Get Nap's piano proficiency up in preparation for future projects.

We will meet in the Lee-Spratt room since the piano there is better. We just have to close the big doors to the hallway and leave the door near the elevator open for people to come in; otherwise too much sound carries between us and the sanctuary.

Intentions for every week:
  * Make "a few minutes late" still work
    * Start right on time by checking in with everyone
  * Begin and end with a prayer
  * Sing and discuss at least one hymn
  * Conclude promptly by 11:00 so people can do what they need to before worship service starts

The first will be introductory and maybe we just do one hymn in order to make extra time to explain the intention and design of the series.

=====Calendar=====

====June 7====
Pride Weekend; we didn't have Sunday School.

====June 14====
  * We read John Wesley's instructions for singing from the front of the hymnal.
  * We talked about the tension between going too fast and going too slowly.
  * We stretched and warmed up before singing. (I think.)

==UMH 67: O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing==

==UMH 698: God of the Ages [Whose Almighty Hand]==

====June 21====
This session started with the question "how is it with your soul?" which, I think, is a good way of making "a few minutes late" work. (I should say this to the class explicitly.)

==UMH 129 - Give To The Winds Thy Fears== 

==UMH 377 - It Is Well With My Soul==
This hymn was suggested by Teddy. It's one of my favorites as well, and it's in our hymnal, so YES PLEASE let's get it in there.
====June 28====
==UMH 339: Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast==

====July 5====
I missed this one due to an injury. Barbara played and Nancy led the discussion.

==513: Soldiers of Christ, Arise==
I had to look up two words from the hymn. Here are the definitions from Oxford English Dictionary:
  * Panoply
    - a complete or impressive collection of things.
    - a splendid display
    - a complete set of arms or suit of armor
  * Endued
    - endowed or provided with a quality or ability.

FIXME Attach the UMC document about Christian Nationalism

====July 12====
I was late to this one, so we didn't warm up, and you could tell.

==562: Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee==
(This is the same music as //Let Us Plead For Faith Alone//)

What we did with this hymn was to sing each verse on a different line (Soprano, then alto, then tenor, then bass, everyone in their own octave.) Then Barbara played verses 5 and 6 and everyone sang a part of their own choice.

The idea that I want to drive home is that there isn't a "right" or "wrong" part to the music. For you as an individual, there may be right and wrong parts to sing, but that's an individual thing. The idea that a group singing together, multiple different parts, and all of them are correct, is a revolutionary idea. I have believed for a long time that there is a close connection between polyphonic music and the Protestant reformation.

(Then we talked about grace for a while.)

====July 19====
==UMH 413: A Charge To Keep I Have==
==LDS 193: I Stand All Amazed==
This is a Protestant hymn that has been in many hymnals since it was written.
==LDS 270: I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go==
This hymn is specifically Mormon, but only for historical reasons; it would fit just fine in any Protestant hymnal. (I think.)

**do not forget to add the scripture references to Jeremiah**

Barbara said she'd encountered this hymn before but couldn't remember where. So I might be wrong about it being exclusively Mormon.
====July 26====
==UMH 173: Christ Whose Glory Fills The Skies==
==UMH 553: And Yet We Are Alive==
==I Stand All Amazed==

We went long. (Oops)

====August 2====
For special music this week, the class sang //I Stand All Amazed//. The words were on the screen, so the congregation joined in for the refrains for verses 2 and 3.

Here's the plan:
  * Check in
  * Warm up enough to cover the range of the hymn
  * Sing verse 1 with accompaniment and try to fix the one S that's out of place
  * Sing verse 2 //a capella// to make sure I'm hearing things right
  * Sing verse 3 with accompaniment
  * Move to the sanctuary by 10:30 so we can sing the hymns with Teresa
  * Hopefully finish early

====August 9====
Song #2: UMH 474: Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Song #1: //I'll Walk With You// by Carol Lynn Pearson (Mike Green played)

Mike and I both spent a while eulogizing Carol Lynn Pearson, sharing memories, talking about her accomplishments and contributions. After that we sang, um... FIXME I don't remember.

====August 16====
Recap of singing in service:
  * We sang ALL of the hymns correctly, not just the one we practiced in advance
  * Our phrasing and dynamics were beautiful and felt completely natural
  * Every word was clear. If there were any mistakes I didn't hear them.
  * Feedback was universally positive.

==384: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling==

==128: He Leadeth Me==

====August 23====
Mike's going to play this week. I haven't been able to get these two hymns under my fingers.

===Christ The Lord Is Risen Today===
===Hark The Herald Angels Sing===
====August 30====
==UMH 709: Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above==

This is the last class of the series. Some points that can't be left out:
  * Plug the next Sunday School series and note if the time is changing
  * Suggest singing with the choir for Christmas

=====Hymns=====
Here are the 18 hymns we've selected for the class; we are going to use twelve of them. For a complete list of hymns Charles and John have in the blue book, consult the page history, or (better) the author's index in the hymnal.

^ Number ^ Title ^ Remarks ^
^ Hymns we have already sung ^
|57| O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing|June 14|
|129| Give to the Winds Thy Fears|June 21|
|339| Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast |June 28|
|513| Soldiers of Christ, Arise|July 5|
|385| Let Us Plead For Faith Alone |July 12|
|562| Jesus, Lord, We Look to Thee |July 12|
|413| A Charge to Keep I Have |July 19|
|173| Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies|July 26|
|553| And Are We Yet Alive |July 26|
^ Hymns we have not sung (yet) ^
|60| I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath|I need to hear this.|
|196| Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus |Hyfrydol; only 2 verses.|
|240| Hark! The Herald Angels Sing |about half ready|
|302| Christ the Lord Is Risen Today |about half ready|
|384| Love Divine, All Loves Excelling |90% ready|
|417| O For a Heart to Praise My God|40% perhaps|
|627| O the Depth of Love Divine |I need to hear this.|
|709| Come, Let Us Join Our Friends Above|20% maybe|
|715| Rejoice, the Lord Is King|I like this one but I //really// like the LDS version...|