"LIGHT!" - Anabaptist Festival Choir 2026

Lesson Transcript

Well, good morning. We're happy to be with you this morning and share some music that we've been working on this weekend. It's such a gift to be able to get this many people together in a group. They've done a little bit of work beforehand, but we do lots of work over the weekend and see what we can bring together. And it's a blessing. It's something that doesn't happen often. And so we want to share that with you today. We'll begin with two songs of praise.

The first one is "Be Thou My Vision." We'll sing a small opening to that and then ask you to join us for the first verse. Be Thou My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, O Lord, Lord of my heart. Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart. Not be of else to me saint as Thou art. Thou mightest haunt my day or my night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. Be Thou My Wisdom, be Thou Thy true word. I ever waited and Thou with me, go with me, go with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I Thy true Son.

Dwell in me, dwell in me, dwell in me, dwell in me, and I am with thee one. Be Thou my buckler, my sword, nor Thy sword for the foot and my dignity. Thou my delight, Thou my sole shelter, Thou my height, Thou my tower. Raise Thou me hammer of power around my thigh. Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart, Lord of my heart, my heart. High King of heaven, when victory is won, may I reach heaven's shores of bright and sound. Heart of my heart, whatever we've ever before, still be my vision, O ruler of all.

Be Thou My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, My Vision, O Lord of my heart, Lord of my heart. Be Thou My Vision, Lord of my heart. Wingeniwana, wimbo wengia, shangileniwana, nchi yote! Wingeniwana, wimbo wengia, shangileniwana, nchi yote! Wingeniwana, nchi yote! Wingeniwana, nchi yote! There is a heart of praise, wingeniwana, wingeniwana, shangileniwana, nchi yote! My shelter, tower of refuge and strength, let every breath of the Lord, Lord of heaven's peace, peace to all, wingeniwana, wingeniwana.

Wingeniwana, wimbo went the eye, nchi yote! To the Lord, wingbound went the eye, nchi yote! May the tall clouds majesty grace! To the mountain, nchi yote! Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name. I sing your joy, wimbo wengia, nchi yote! May the tall clouds majesty grace! Wingbo went the eye, nchi yote! Nothing compares to the promise I have in you. Wingbo wengia, kamungu, wimbo, wimbo wengia, kamungu, wimbo, wimbo, wengia, kamungu, wimbo asifa.

Chanted and awed, wingbo went the eye, nchi yote! May the tall clouds majesty grace! Wingbo went the eye, nchi yote! Mountains bow down and the seas will roar at the sound of your name. I sing your joy, wimbo wengia, nchi yote! May the tall clouds majesty grace! Wingbo went the eye, nchi yote! Nothing compares to the promise I have. Nothing compares to the promise I have. Nothing compares to the promise I have in you. Wingbo wimbo wengia, kamungu, wimbo, wimbo, wengia, kamungu, wimbo, wimbo, wengia, kamungu.

If you look at your bulletin, the title of it is "Light." And we're looking at light, especially in thinking about Christ's death and resurrection. We know that at his death there was darkness, literally and figuratively. It seemed like it was the end. And then with his resurrection, light. And so as we sing the rest of the music, I challenge you, I guess, to find references to light in the songs we sing. Some of them speak about it directly, some of them a little more indirectly.

But the first, this next piece we sing called "Light" sort of lays out the story where God created the world and said, "Let there be light," and then with sin came darkness. And Isaiah says, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." So it ties the idea of creation, light, to darkness, and then the darkness in the hearts of man coming to light through the work of Christ. And so then we would like to unpack that through this program this morning.

And so look for references to light and look at the story of light through Christ's redemptive work. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. Darkness was upon the face of the deep. Darkness was upon the face of the deep and gusted; let there be light, let there be light, and there was light. And I will bring the blind by a way that they do not. I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them. I will make darkness light before them.

The people who have seen the deep, the people who have seen the deep, have seen a great light, have seen a great light. Upon them hath the light shined. In him was life and the life was the light of man. In him was life and the life was the light of man. The people who have seen the deep, the people who have seen the deep, have seen a great light, have seen a great light. Upon them hath the light shined. I am the light for the world. He who followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

For God hath granted the light to shine out of darkness and shine in our hearts. For God hath granted the light to shine out of darkness and shine in our hearts. To give the light of the glory, of the glory of Jesus Christ. How long, O Lord, will Thou forget me forever? How long will Thou hide Thy face from me? How long, O Lord, how long, O Lord, how long, O Lord, were You there? How long, O Lord, will Thou forget me forever? How long will Thou hide Thy face from me? How long must Thou hide there behind?

In whom are my soul and have sorrow in my heart? And have sorrow in my heart. All the day my flesh trembles for fear of the end. I am afraid of my judgment alone. Were You there, who shall now come to widen me? The exalted Our Lord, Thou still let lamps turn me, O Lord my God. Let my face shine in Thy eyes, let Thy spirit pass through. In the heart of death, lest my enemies see me. Sometimes it causes me to tremble. As He does, I am shaken. My flesh trembles for fear of the end.

Were You there, when they're nailed into the tree? Judgment. Were You there, were You there, when the sun refused to shine? Were You there? Were You there, when they lay dim in the western vast low? Were You there, when they lay dim in the western vast low? I will sing to the Lord. I will sing to the Lord. Wake the lies he has sown. Sometimes it causes me to tremble. Wings and tremble before faith. Were You there, when they lay dim in the truth? Were You there, were You there, when they crawled?

Sing to lies the lies low. Earth's it's high, my Lord. For the past few years, the Anabaptist Festival Choir has commissioned new music for the weekend. The new commission this year is "Alas and Did My Savior Bleed." It's a new setting of a text to which we're very familiar, I think.

And the composer, the friend of mine, Drew Roth, looked at the text and saw it as reflective, a person looking, I, you looking at Christ's suffering, His bleeding for us, and reflecting on what that means for me, what have I done that I would deserve such a gift. And so he set the melody of it as you could call it a palindrome. But when he described it to me, he said it's like looking at your two hands that are reflections of each other. They're not exactly the same. They're kind of opposites.

And so the melody he wrote, you can sing it forward and backward toward the center, each section of the melody, and it ends up being pretty much the same. And so that was just his little artistic insertion into the piece of music. The text is familiar. The music is new. As ended my Savior be and did my sovereign die, would He depart hast there, brother? For such a worm as I was, such a worm as I was, would He depart at hand?

For as ended my Savior be and did my sovereign die, for thousand miles of mine Lord, for thousand miles of mine Lord, and in the tree of the tree of misermating grace, an ordinary degree of ungrace is great, but grace and love beyond degree is it for me. For thousand miles of mine Lord, for thousand miles of mine He ruled upon the tree. Will might unsung in darkness unsung in darkness find? Will might I hide my blushing face? What is Your cross appeared into my heart in vain? All else and bound my heart to tears.

All else and bound my heart in vain and bound my heart to tears. As might I hide my blushing face? What is Your cross appeared? For drops of grief can bear every pain. The death of love I owe. Herefore I give myself away. There's all that I can do. There's all that I can do. I give myself away. For drops of grief can bear every pain. The death of love I owe. Ride on, O Lord, and deliver me. Ride on, O Lord, and deliver me. Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me.

You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Jesus. No man can I hinder me. You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me. You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Jesus. No man can I hinder me. You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me. King Jesus rides a milk-white horse. No man works like Him. Like Him, the river of Jordan he did cross. No man works like Him. Like Him. Ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Jesus. No man can I hinder me.

You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me. King Jesus rides in the millet and the land works like Him. Like Him. He causes saves all everywhere. The land works like Him. Like Him. Ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Jesus. No man can I hinder me. You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me. No man can hinder. No man. No man can hinder me. Oh, no man can hinder. No man. No man can hinder me. Ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Jesus. No man can I hinder me.

You're gonna ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on. No man can I hinder me. No one, no one, no one, no man can hinder me. No one, no one, no one, no man can hinder me. No man can I hinder me. No one, no one, no one, no one, no man can hinder me. No one, no one, no one, no man can hinder me. No man can I hinder me. Ride on, Ride on, Ride on, King Jesus. Ride on, Ride on, Ride on, Jesus. Jesus. Wine flesh shall slumber in the ground. Wine flesh shall slumber in the ground. In the ground. In the ground. In the ground.

In the ground. In the ground. Still the voice from the joyful sound. And birds the jays, the jays, the jays, the jays the sings arise. And in my Savior's image rise. And in my Savior's image rise. His heart the drives and waves to show. But the bright worlds to which I go. And joy sounds and jostles hands in sea. Hands in sea. Hands in sea. Hands in sea. Hands in sea. When shall I wake and find me there? When shall I wake and find me there? When shall I wake and find me there? When shall I wake and find me there?

Where shall I wake and find me there? There. There. There. I have been blessed this morning. I hope you all have as well. As was mentioned, we will be lifting an offering for commissioning of music this year. As I haven't mentioned, the way we commissioned "Alast and In My Savior Bleed" by Drew Roth. Last year, we commissioned "Light" by Samuel Heatwell. Thank you for that.

I want to also thank Sheppensburg Christian Fellowship here for hosting us this weekend and allowing us to use your building as well as hosting us as well. This time, lift the offering for that. Let's stand and sing number 30. Number 30. So come with us, Lord, and let our joys be known. Join in a song with sweet accord. Join in a song with sweet accord. And thus who's up around the throne? And thus around the throne. We're marching home to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion.

Zion, the beautiful city of God. But those refused to sing who never knew our God. But children of the heavenly King. But children of the heavenly King may speak their joys, our joys, our promises. Speak their joys, our promises. We're marching home to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. Zion, the beautiful city of God. The hills of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets. Before we reach the heavenly fields. Before we reach the heavenly fields.

For what the garden streets and shades are of the garden streets. We're marching home to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. Zion, the beautiful city of God. And let our songs abound and every tear be dry. We're marching through Emmanuel's ground. We're marching through Emmanuel's ground. To fair worlds, our worlds on high. To fair worlds on high. We're marching home to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. Zion, the beautiful city of God. You may be seated.

Yes. Song number 50. Number 50. No hope. Tell holy eye, the world rejoices as morning breaks and shadows part. All nature blends her lyrique voices to greet the day's spring from on high. Pray for glory for excelling, O light. Eternal love divine. Let thy bright beams all shake dispelling around us and within us shine. The heavenly host fall down before thee. And holy pride, your ever rest. The saints on earth with them adorning creator. Savior spirit last.

Accept the Father we hear entrething the worship which thy children bring. O grant us grace in them to greet thee and with all saints thy love to sing. Number 76. 76. No slope to God he adore. We grateful see hath done. So loved he the world that he gave us his Son, who yielded his life and atonement for sin. And opened the life gate that all may go in. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice.

Hope bound to the Father through Jesus the Son. And give him the glory grateful he hath done. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood. To every believer the promise of God. The mightiest offender who truly believes. That moment from Jesus a pardon receives. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice. Hope bound to the Father through Jesus the Son. And give him the glory grateful he hath done. Great things he hath taught us.

Great things he hath done. And great are rejoicing through Jesus the Son. But fewer and higher and greater will be. Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice. Hope bound to the Father through Jesus the Son. And give him the glory great things he hath done. The Lord is risen deep. Hallelujah. The Lord is risen deep. Hallelujah.

Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of them that slept. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. And did he rise, did he rise. And did he rise, did he rise, did he rise. Hear all ye nations, hear it, all ye dead. He rose, he rose, he rose, he rose. He burst aboard of death. He burst aboard of death.

He burst aboard of death and triumphed o'er the grave. And did he rise, did he rise. And did he rise, did he rise, did he rise. Did he rise, hear all ye nations, hear it, all ye dead. He rose, he rose, he rose, he rose. He burst aboard of death. He burst aboard of death. He burst aboard of death and triumphed o'er the grave. Shout, shout, earth and man. Listen all good to man. Whose nature then took wind. Whose nature then took wind. Whose nature then took wind. Whose nature then took wind.

And mountain with him from the tomb. And mountain with him from the tomb. Then, then, then I rose. Then I rose. Then I rose. Then I rose. Then first humanity triumphed and passed the crystal ports of light. And seized eternal youth. And seized eternal youth. Men, all immortal hail. Hail. Heaven, all lavish of strange gifts to man. Thine all the glory, man's aboundless bliss. Thine all the glory, man's aboundless bliss. Thine all the glory, man's aboundless bliss. I am the resurrection and the Lord. Saith the Lord.

He hath believed hathay in me. Though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me. Shall never die. Shall never. Shall never die. Poverty, wondering, misery, suffering. Loneliness, bitterness. My soul is tender and sinks in me. Poverty, wondering, misery, suffering. Loneliness, bitterness. My soul. My soul sinks in me. Sinks in me. Sinks in me. Each and each of us. Oh, whether angelic or. Suffering day for the dead. In paradise or deadly. Say he in paradise or dead.

Poverty, whatever he misery, suffering. Loneliness, bitterness. My soul. My soul. Yet I dare to wallow. Remember this. I call to mind. Call to mind. And therefore I have home. Yet I dare to wallow. Remember this. I call to mind. Call to mind. And therefore I have home. Therefore I have home. Therefore I have home. Each and each of all. Whether angelic nor. Be taken for rest in paradise or deadly. Faith in paradise or dead. Faithfulness never ends. Mercy's new. Great, great, great. Great is your faithful battle.

That shall never end. Mercy's new. Faith. Great, great, great. Great is your faith. Your battle passed the day. Great is your death. Death is swallowed up. Is every swallowed up in victory. For I know that my believer lives. And he shall stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed. Yes I know. Yes I know. That in my flesh I shall see God. I shall see God. Remember this. I call to mind. Call to mind. And therefore I have sworn. Great is your faithful battle. That you have ever lived. Mercy's new.

Faithfulness. Great, great, great. Great is your faithful battle. Never ends. Mercy's new. Great, great, great. Faithfulness. Great, great, great. Faithfulness. Faithfulness. Great, great, great. Great faithfulness. Great is your faithfulness. Great is your faithfulness. And your sorrow, like that in stranger. I'm traveling through. Is what we love. And there's no sin. There's no danger. In that vast world to which I go. I'm going there to see my father. My father. I'm going there and never too far to roam.

I'm just going over Jordan. Over Jordan. I'm just going home. I'm going home. I know dark clouds will gather or will gather or will. I know my path is rough and stiff. Is rough and stiff. But cold and deep. Is cold and deep. Lie out before me. Lie out before me. Where weary eyes. No more shall we. No more shall we find. I'm going there. I'm going there to see my mother. My mother. I'm going there. And never too far to roam. I'm just going home. I'm going over Jordan. Over Jordan. I'm just going home.

I'm just going home. I'm going home. I want to see. I want to see salvation story. Salvation story. Blood surged with. Blood surged with. A blood washed bell. A blood washed bell. I want to wear a crown of glory. When I get home. When I get home to that good man. I'm going there. I'm going there to see my Savior. My Savior. Shall prove Savior. His precious, precious blood. I'm just going. I'm just going over Jordan. I'm just going. I'm just going over. I'm just going. I'm going over. I'm going home.

When we leave this low land. We will cross the Jordan. Past this chilly torrent. Heaven's joy awaits. Heaven is just beyond the horizon. Heaven's just above our starry skies. Far up the sky. Far up on. Far up on. Let's find our sorrow. Let's find our sorrow away. Every tear and sigh. Every sigh. Heaven's just above our dusty forest. Heaven's just above our dusty forest. We're so glad to wait. Patiently wait. We're so glad to wait. So we can sing angelic chorus. Angelic chorus. For our knowledge.

Heaven's just above our joy awaits. Heaven's breezes blowing. Gently to me calling. I will soon be going. Going home. Through the pearly gates. Heaven is just beyond the horizon. Heaven's just above our dusty skies. Far up the sky. Far up on. Far up on. Let's find our sorrow. Let's find our sorrow away. We're so glad to wait. Every tear and sigh. Every sigh. Heaven's just above our dusty forest. Heaven's just above our dusty forest. We're so glad to wait. Patiently wait. We're so glad to wait. Every angelic chorus.

Angelic chorus. For our knowledge. Heaven's just above our joy awaits. Heaven's just above our dusty forest. His angel and door. His angel and door. His angel and door. His angel and door. Continue. Continue. Forever. Forever. And men shall be blessed. The Creator, hallelujah. Shall be blessed in him. King of kings and Lord of lords. And men shall be blessed. The Lord, Emmanuel. Shall be blessed in him. Amen. Nations shall come. Wonderful counselor. To know his name. Mighty God, everlasting Father.

Nations shall come. Prince of peace, Messiah. Shall be blessed. Nations shall come. Nations shall come. Nations shall come. And blessed be the Lord God of Israel. And blessed be. Blessed be the Lord who does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever. Forever. Forever let him. Let the earth be filled with his glory. His name shall endure. Nations shall come. Nations shall endure. Savior, Redeemer, Adulterer. Nations shall endure. Great is our Israel. Great is our Israel. Blessed be his glorious name.

Forever. And blessed. Let the earth be filled with his glory. With his glory. Blessed. Blessed be his glorious name. Forever. And blessed. Let the earth be filled with his glory. With his glory. Holy one of Israel. Prince of God. The. The land Omega. Bright morning star. God eternal. Sustainer. Light of the world. Holy Spirit. And home. Great Israel. Great Israel. Great Israel. Great Israel. Great Israel. The great Israel. Shall endure. His name shall endure. His name shall endure. His name shall endure.

Nations shall continue. Continue. Forever. Forever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Who were.