Live Alive // Forays Into Hymnwriting

I decided a while ago that I wanted to be a hymnwriting pastor. I've always preferred Charles to John (Wesley, that is) for his massive contribution to hymnody, and more recently I was inspired by discovering the work of Andrew Pratt on the General Board of Discipleship's website in a collection of resources for times of crisis (which is an excellent place to find ways to address world events in a timely and theologically sound manner). Pratt has studied the history of hymnody extensively and writes new hymns for everything from natural disasters to welfare reform. Check out his blog for some new texts set to old tunes, which he allows to be used locally for free.

Anyway, I decided this long after I had abandoned my plans of becoming a music major in undergrad, so the decision to be a hymnwriting pastor was followed by much bewailing of my lack of training in music theory and composition. I've had some of that, but only some, and it's been a while. I've sat in this rut of feeling called to do something I wasn't equipped to do. I did find an outlet in arranging hymns for use in contemporary worship, something that has been a lot of fun and to which I also feel called; but writing hymns still seemed beyond me.

Then I remembered a saying I heard once: "God doesn't call the equipped; God equips the called." And I realized, maybe I need to equip myself. Joining the Vespers Ensemble again was not a random decision, nor was my signing up for voice lessons. I'm looking for any way to be more intentional about my musical training and to absorb well-written music.

I also realized that the only way I'm ever going to get good at writing hymns is to DO it. I have friends at Duke who are accomplished composers--why wouldn't I take advantage of that resource? So my plan is just to start spitting out music and see if I can get people who are better at this than I am to give me pointers. It'll be embarrassing--my counterpoint is awful, and yesterday I wrote a tune that I was excited about until I realized it was just a lame version of one of my favorite melodies in the hymnal. But that's how you get better at something, right?

I did succeed in setting a text between yesterday and today. Back story: my grandfather, Tom Stockton, is a retired Methodist bishop, and in the 80s he recorded and published a sermon series called "Live Alive!", based in part on John 10 (the whole "good shepherd/giving life so that we may have it abundantly" thing). Over Christmas break, he gave me a set of the cassette tapes (because this was, you know, 1986), and I found a way to convert them to mp3s, which was exciting for me. Whether my grandfather grasped the concept or not, I don't know, but I think he appreciated me listening to his sermons.

Anyway, I took the John 10 passage and the titles of each part in the series and voila, a hymn text called "Live Alive." This is the one for which I wrote that tune that wasn't all that original, so I just went back and set it to FOREST GREEN, the tune I accidentally ripped off (which is already used 3 times in the Methodist hymnal, I think). Click here for a really crummy audio of the hymn tune (in this instance, "I Sing the Mighty Power of God"). Check out the "Live Alive" text below. One day I'll write a hymn tune and call it LIVE ALIVE (funny story--there's already a tune called STOCKTON in the UMH).


Text: Thomas B. Stockton and Sarah S. Howell (John 10:9-11) © 2011
Tune: FOREST GREEN

Oh, live alive, for Christ has come
To open wide the door;
The goodly Shepherd calls his sheep
To save and to restore.
Though thieves may come to steal and kill,
Our Christ will set us free,
For he gives life that all may have,
And have abundantly.

Through God's own actions we receive
The strength to live alive,
And through our actions we respond
To grace that helps us thrive.
Although perplexed, we trust and lean
On love so freely giv'n.
All servants of the Servant King
May hope to enter heav'n.

And as we face the trials of life,
We learn how to respond,
E'en in the strife to work for peace
With love to correspond.
And weary though we well may be,
Our faith will help us stand.
No storm could ever hope to shake
The rock on which we stand.

Oh, live alive, for Christ has died
And risen once again.
The sum of all that we could know
Can ne'er compare to him.
Christ died for us to truly live,
Not merely to survive.
Oh, praise the Lord, in whom we all
Will ever live alive.