Message From Ryan: August Newsletter
With summer’s end on the not-too-distant horizon, here’s a reminder that choir rehearsals will resume the first week of September. The Chancel Choir will hold its first rehearsal of the season on Wednesday, September 4, 7:00p.m., in the choir room. The Luther Ringers handbell choir will hold its first rehearsal on Sunday, September 8, 9:00a.m., in the north choir loft. All are welcome. Contact Ryan Luhrs, ryan.luhrs@lr.edu or 507-461-3713, for more information.  
 
We are also nearing the end of our newsletter series on the ordinary texts of the divine service. This month we explore the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), which is typically sung by the Emmanuel congregation as part of the communion liturgy, just as the distribution begins. The text’s origins are likely the Gloria in excelsis, where we sing “Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the word: have mercy on us” and John the Baptist, who, when he saw Jesus approach him proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
 
The text was first incorporated into the liturgy by Pope Sergius I (687-701) to accompany the breaking of the bread, a process that took considerable time in an era when leavened bread was used. Consequently, the “have mercy on us” petition was repeated as needed. During the 10-12th centuries, the three-part form we use today took was established, and the final “have mercy on us” was replaced with “grant us peace.”
 
Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) includes 18 musical settings of the Agnus Dei/Lamb of God and closely related texts. The settings below span nearly 1,500 years of compositional activity and represent musical cultures of three continents.
 ​p. 112 - Mark Mummert (b. 1965)
 p. 135 - Marty Haugen (b. 1950)
 p. 146 - Richard Hillert (1923-2010)
 p. 154 - Ronald Nelson (1927-2014)
 p. 164 - arr. Regina Fryxell (1899-1993) and Richard Hillert
 p. 174 - James Capers (b. 1948)
 p. 182 - Misa popular nicaraguense
 p. 191 - Jay Beach (b. 1960)
 p. 201 - Joel Martinson (b. 1960)
p. 208 - attr. Lucius Chapin (1760-1842)
 ELW 194 - Plainsong, Mass XVIII
 ELW 195 - Jeremy Young, b. 1948
 ELW 196 - J. Begenhagen, Christliche Ordnung, 1528
 ELW 197 - Matti Rantatalo, 1992 (Finnish)
 ELW 198 - Mabel Wu (Chinese)
 ELW 199 - Franz Schubert (1797-1828), Deutsche Messe
 ELW 336 - Twila Paris (b. 1959)
 ELW 357 - Nikolaus Decius (1485-1550)
 

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Choir Practice  7:00 PM Wednesday nights in the Choir Room:
Rehearsals begin on Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Handbell Practice 9:00 AM Sunday mornings in the Sanctuary​: 
​Rehearsals begin Sunday, September 4, 2019 at 9:00 AM 

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2019 Lutheringers

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2019 Choir

Choir practicing before service