Mount Olive Lutheran Church issued the following announcement on July 2.
Cantor's Corner
Today’s hymns include the universally known “Amazing Grace” and the African American Spiritual “Standing in the Need of Prayer.”
One year while traveling for Augsburg/Fortress with their summer clinics, Mark Sedio and I happened on a large gathering of tie-died shirt clad people in Philadelphia. They were singing Amazing Grace - over and over again. Mark said, “Jerry Garcia must have died!” That is exactly what had happened - and the group, looking for something religious to sing, sang Amazing Grace (first stanza) over and over.
I’m fascinated by this hymn which seems to be so universally known. Not everyone connects to it. Many have quibbled about what it says, or doesn’t say, but for some reason it is probably the most widely known song. It has been embodied by different musical styles than any other church song I can think of.
I thought coming from the heart of unrest in our city/country/world, perhaps we can stop and at least be grateful that there is a “common song.”
- Cantor David Cherwien
Original source can be found here.
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