BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
April 20, 2025—Easter Sunday!
Prelude–Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing [VT 359] (arr. J. Wayne Kerr)
Were You There? [VT 329] (arr. Diane Bish)
Christ ist erstanden, BWV 627 [VT 358] (J.S. Bach)
Christ the Lord is Risen Today [VT 346] (arr. Jason Payne)
Will Wiebe-Friesen
Resurrection Proclamation– Elizabeth Schmidt
One: Christ is risen!
All: Christ is risen indeed!
One: Christ is risen!!
All: Christ is risen indeed!!
One: Christ is risen!!!
All: Christ is risen indeed!!!
Christ Candle Lighting
*Hymn–Low in the Grave He Lay–VT 333
Welcome
*Hymn–Lift Your Glad Voices– VT 340
(Children are invited to go to the chapel as hymn is sung.)
Introduction to Gloria–Joel Garber
Gloria in D Major RV 589 (Antonio Vivaldi)
Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
I. Gloria (Glory to God in the highest)
II. Et in terra pax (And on Earth, good will to all.)
III. Laudamus te (We praise you, we bless you
We worship you, we glorify you.)
[Virginia Mininger, soprano; Ron Garber, tenor]
Scripture Reading–Luke 24:1-12–Mary Ellen Hodge
IV. Gratias agimus tibi (We give thanks to you)
V. Propter magnum gloriam (For your great glory!)
VI. Domine Deus (Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty)
[Virginia Mininger, soprano]
Scripture Reading–Luke 2:8-14–Mary Ellen Hodge
VII. Domine fili unigenite (Lord, the only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.)
VIII. Domine Deus (Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father
Heavenly King, only begotten Son,
Who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.)
[Allie Soeken, Mezzo soprano]
IX. Qui tollis peccata mundi (Who takes away the sins of the world.)
X. Qui sedes ad dexteram patris (You who sits at the right hand of the father, Have mercy on us.
[Allie Soeken, Mezzo Soprano]
Meditation– Messy Glory–Joanna Harader
XI. Quoniam to solus sanctus (For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord
you alone are the most high, Jesus Christ.)
XII. Cum sancto spiritu (With the holy spirit,
in the Glory of God, the Father, Amen)
Prayers of God’s People
*Hymn–The Lord is Risen Indeed!–VT 357
(Children return during hymn.)
Children Share Resurrection Gardens
*Hymn–Christ the Lord is Risen Today–VT 346
*Benediction
Postlude–Toccata from Symphony 5 (Widor)–Will Wiebe-Friesen
*You are invited to stand VT—Voices Together Audio visual—Ben Lichti
Welcome and thank you to the orchestra members Sunday: Violin 1: Joan Griffing
Violin 2: Marta Prugar; Viola: Joey Menninga; Cello: Caleb Garber
Bass: Derek Jesse; Oboe: Aaron Robinson; Trumpet: Greg Bergman
And of course, thank you to the BCMC Chancel Choir, director Joel Garber, accompanist Will Wiebe-Friesen, and the soloists, Virginia Mininger, Ron Garber, and
Allie Soeken. Happy Easter to everyone!
Sunday’s service contains quite a variety of music! Some highlights—in addition to the Gloria—include some of the prelude and postlude music as well as congregational hymns. Christ ist erstanden is a chorale prelude—that’s music talk for a spiced-up setting of a hymn—from Bach’s Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book), in which he composed a chorale prelude for every Sunday of the Church Year. It is meant as a teaching tool, where the student can study different musical techniques in challenging, bite-sized pieces that are useful for worship. This hymn, which translates as “Christ is Arisen” and is found in VT 358, is interesting as it includes a joyful text paired with a minor tune, the oldest known German liturgical song, dating to around 1100.
Despite its somber tone, listen for the empathic alleluias in the third verse. The congregational hymn “The Lord is Risen Indeed” was composed by William Billings, regarded as the first American choral composer. His music has a distinct, primitive, folk-like sound and helped to shape the blossoming American Sacred Harp style of song. A tanner by trade, Billings was gifted in his art despite financial struggles, missing an eye, and being short in one leg. Ending the service is a portion of the famous toccata from Charles Marie Widor’s Fifth Organ Symphony. The toccata, a musical form named for the Italian “to touch,” is the final movement in the symphony and is his most well-known work. Imagine hearing it in the sonorous acoustics of the Parisian Church of St. Sulpice where Widor was organist for over 60 years.