MCPC Archives - Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

Reflections on Singing Brahms

by Peter Wallace | Feb 7, 2024 | Family, Pastor Peter Wallace, Repentance, Worship

Dear Congregation,
On Saturday evening I had the opportunity to sing in the Brahms’ Requiem at Notre Dame with all seven of my children (and around 100 other singers!). (A link to the video is below)

Rehearsing and performing the Requiem has been good for my soul in several ways — one of which has been the constant meditation on the texts that we are singing. Let me walk you through the Requiem, if you are so inclined to go for this walk. I am trying to learn to express my emotions — and this is one way that I am able to do so.

1. Selig sind, die da Leid tragen…
Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4). The opening movement of the Requiem provides the overarching statement of the theme of the whole piece. Too often we think of blessing only in terms of the “good things” of life — but Jesus says “blessed are they that mourn.” What do you do when it hurts? You mourn. You lament. Lament is proper for those who are stricken by grief. And indeed, this is where I have been living for the last year.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. They that go forth and weep, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with them (Psalm 126:5-6). Weeping lasts for a night, but joy comes in the morning (as Emorja Roberson’s opening gospel song reminds us!). There is a future for those who weep.

2. Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away (1 Peter 1:24). This theme is propounded four times in second movement — each time in unison. The effect is not exactly monotonous (Brahms is too good a composer to feel monotonous!) — but you start thinking, “you already said that!” The first two uses of the them are woven together with James 5:7 — Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold the husbandman waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receive the morning and evening rain. But then he comes back again (twice) to Denn alles Fleisch… and you start to realize that we are stuck in the middle of a never-ending story that always ends in death. The glory of man fades and withers.

Aber (but!)

But the word of the Lord endures forever (1 Peter 1:25). And what is the word of the Lord for “alles Fleisch”? And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10). Notice the importance of the future tense. This is the promise. This is the word of the Lord that comes to those who mourn — to those who are presently living in the misery of this age.

3. Herr, lehre doche mich
The baritone soloist (the incomparable Emorja Roberson) sings the first person singular (with echoes from the chorus).
Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee. Surely every man walks in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heaps up riches, and knows not who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in thee (Psalm 39:4-7). What is the point of life in this vale of tears? The final “Nun Herr, wes soll ich mich troesten” (now Lord, what do I wait for?) is a plaintive cry, bouncing from part to part with some of the largest leaps (intervals) in the whole piece mingled with lots of tight harmonies that express the dissonance of our experience of waiting — now Lord, what do I wait for?

Then the soloist sits down and the chorus takes over (as if the soloist is demonstrating the point — he knows not who shall gather them…):

My hope is in thee — an incredible series of triplets running against quarter/half note rhythms (I think that I finally got it [partly] right in the concert). But that glorious confession of hope leads to the promise:

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God and there shall no torment touch them (Wisdom of Solomon 3:1). The Wisdom of Solomon is not in the canon of scripture — but the author was a faithful believer, and the sentiment here is exactly right! Even death is not the end. Here Brahms launches into a magnificent fugue where the parts keep swirling back and forth (the tenors have the privilege of opening the fugue Der Gerechten Seelen — the souls of the righteous). This is both the most difficult part of the whole Requiem, and the most amazing when you get to the point where you can actually hear what is going on! To be in the hand of God — where no torment can touch you — is characterized musically by a maelstrom of sound and ever-changing lines where it starts the same as last time — but goes a different direction, or lands a third higher (or lower). In other words, to be in the hand of God does not mean utter stillness and calm! The storm still rages! But you are in the hand of God. And so no torment (keine Qual) can touch you.

4. Wie Lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Herr Zabaoth!
Here at the very center of the Requiem, Brahms placed Psalm 84:1,2,4 (You are welcome, Sally) — How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, yea, even faints for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cries out for the living God. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will always be praising thee. This is the heart of the Requiem. Where does your soul find rest? What do your heart and your flesh cry out for? Do you cry out for the living God?

And it is important to note that Brahms ends the movement back with verse one: “How lovely are your tabernacles!” This theme will remain central through the rest of the piece — with the theme of the heavenly city.

5. Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit
Anne Slovin, the soprano soloist, did a lovely job with this movement. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you (John 16:22). Behold with your eyes, how that I have but little labor, and have gotten unto me much rest (Ecclesiasticus 51:27).

The chorus is largely in the background singing the refrain: As one whom his mother comforts, so will I comfort you (Isaiah 66:13). This is a lovely reminder that while my own mother died 18 years ago, the God of all comfort continues to comfort his people — and, as this is taken into the voice of the chorus — we, together, as citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem are the means of that comfort to one another.

6. Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt
The chorus opens with the statement, For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come (Hebrews 13:14). And then the baritone soloist interjects, Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, [At this point the soloist sits down — he has introduced the text, but the chorus, who have been echoing his lines up until this point, will now announce the message] Death is swallowed up in victory. Death, where is thy sting? Hell, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, 54-55). Brahms has the singers almost throw their words at Death and Hell! And then, after a massive crescendo of shouting at the devil with all your voice, the altos lead forth with a new fugue:

Lord, you are worthy to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created (Revelation 4:11). This fugue (mercifully) is slightly easier than the earlier one, though still with all sorts of twists and turns — because the glory and honor and power of God is no less beautiful and complex than being in the hand of God (#2). Indeed, there are some very similar features of these two fugues, which probably reflect the fact that being in the hand of God (#2) is exactly the same thing as proclaiming his worthiness!

7. Selig sind die Toten
Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, from henceforth. Yea, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them (Revelation 14:13). I suspect that we all sighed with relief when we got to this point — because while the seventh movement is just as beautiful as the text, as long as you remember the eighth note triplets for the “selig sind die Toten” in the middle, the rest is smooth sailing. Which is fitting. As long as you remember “blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” — the rest is “smooth sailing” (so long as you remember that “smooth sailing” is the same thing as “the obedience of faith” that Paul speaks of in Romans 1 — you still have to hit the right notes at the right time!).
Thirty years ago I sang the Brahms’ Requiem in college, and it instantly became my favorite choral piece that I ever sang — so when I had a chance to sing it with all of my children, I could not say no. But singing Brahms at the age of 53 is very different from the age of 21. Then it was powerful and beautiful. Now it is filled with so much more meaning and emotion. I have learned so much more of the truth of the words that I could only feel so much more deeply the power of the music to embody the words — which could only happen because a hundred and fifty people came together to join body and soul in the work of producing this.

It was a special privilege to be able to sing under the direction of Dr. Mark Doerries (who has taught all my children for so many years!) and to be able to sing a composition by Dr. Emorja Roberson (who also taught many of my children when he was a student at Notre Dame). I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity.

(If you want to read Dr. Doerries comments on the Requiem — he includes some reflections on his own encounter with cancer — Saturday was the two year anniversary of his surgery)
https://performingarts.nd.edu/meet-the-artist/brahms-mark-doerries/

If you would like to hear it, the Sacred Music Department at Notre Dame has posted the video.

(Fiona is on the left side in the soprano sections — then you’ll see Robert, William, and Peter in the bass section — I’m the bouncy tenor — then Bee, Lorna, and Geneva are with the altos).

If you want to see an English translation alongside the original German:
https://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Ein_deutsches_Requiem%2C_Op._45_(Johannes_Brahms)

Blessings,
Peter

Officer Training

by Michiana Covenant | Dec 27, 2013 | MCPC, Office

This is the officer training class used at MCPC in 2012-2013. While we seek to improve it every time, the basic pattern has remained intact for many years. We used to have a shortened course for deacon training, but over the years we discovered that the deacons needed the same sort of training in counseling and shepherding. Further, Paul says nothing about how to train elders/bishops, but he does say that deacons should be “tested first, then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless” (1 Timothy 3:10). It would appear that Paul is assuming that (ordinarily) a man should serve as a deacon first, and then, if he serves well there, and has the requisite gifts and graces, he may advance to the presbyterate. Any man who says “I could be an elder, but I couldn’t handle being a deacon,” does not understand the nature of the eldership.

Officer Training Class Michiana Covenant PCA, Granger IN

Dr. Peter J. Wallace

Purpose:

The purpose of the Officer Training Class is to prepare and equip men to serve in the church as elders and deacons. We assume that a man will only embark on this course after he has already been a Christian for a while. Various parts of this training course will be “review” for some people – while other parts may be new. But the goal is to provide the tools needful for church officers (both in terms of knowledge and skills). Elders and deacons should know the scriptures and the church’s confessional standards. They should also understand the human heart and be able to apply the word of God to the situations they encounter.

Structure and Requirements:

The Officer Training Class includes two distinct courses: 1) Introduction to Reformed Theology (a study of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms), 2) Introduction to Practical Theology (a study of the work of the church and her officers).

Each week during part 1, students will turn in a written outline/summary of the week’s reading (any length is acceptable, so long as it demonstrates basic comprehension), along with any questions.

Required Reading:

Christopher Wisdom, Lectures on Servant Leadership (handout, 2010)

Reformed Theology:
Harmony of the Westminster Confession & Catechisms (Southern Pbn Press, 1997)
Robert Letham, The Westminster Assembly (P&R, 2009)
Chad Van Dixhoorn, The Westminster Confession of Faith, A Commentary (manuscript)
Richard Gaffin, By Faith, Not By Sight (Paternoster, 2007)
Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan (IVP, 2002)

Practical Theology:
Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship (John Knox, 2002)
Paul S. Jones, Singing and Making Music (P&R, 2006) chapters 1-4, 9, 18, 21-24
Timothy Z. Witmer, The Shepherd Leader (P&R, 2010)
David Powlison, Speaking Truth in Love (Punch, 2005) chapters 1-15
Timothy J. Keller, Ministries of Mercy (P&R, 1997)
Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert, When Helping Hurts (Moody, 2009)
John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad (Desiring God, 2010)

Coursepack:
D. G. Hart, Recovering Mother Kirk (Baker, 2003) chapters 1-2
Gregory Reynolds, “The Spirituality of Mission Work”
http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=160&issue_id=47
Gregory Reynolds, “Ambassadors of the Heavenly King”
http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=159&issue_id=46
Charles G. Dennison, “Evangelism and the Church”
http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=158&issue_id=46
T. David Gordon, “Evangelistic Responsibility”
http://www.opc.org/os.html?article_id=155&issue_id=46
James S. Gidley “Biblical Theology and the Session,” 9:3 (Jul. 2000): 50-54.
Classic pastoral care www.religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1938&C=1738

Conclusion:
Gregory the Great, Book of Pastoral Rule (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2007)

I. Introduction

At the beginning of the course each nominee will take a Bible knowledge quiz to ascertain where he is in his knowledge of the scriptures.

May 20 Servant Leadership Wisdom, Parts 1-2
May 27 Servant Leadership Wisdom, Parts 3-4

II. Confessional Standards    WCF   LC       SC
June 10                                          Introduction                        Letham 1-119
June 17                         1   1-5     1-3             Letham 120-158          VD 2-17
June 24                                                  2-3   6-14     4-8         Letham 159-197          VD 18-36
July 1                                                     4-6   15-29   9-19      Letham 198-223          VD 37-59
July 8                                                    7-9   30-56   20-28    Letham 224-241          VD 60-91
July 15                                               10-11   57-74   29-33      Letham 242-292          VD 92-108
July 22                                               12-13   75-78   34-36      Gaffin, 1-52                  VD 109-117
July 29                                              14-18   79-81               Gaffin, 53-111              VD 118-153
August 5                                           19-20   91-152 39-84      Letham 293-318         VD 3-24
August 12         [break]
August 19                                         21-24   178-96 98-107                                              VD 24-57
August 26                                        25-26   153-60 85-90      Letham 319-359          VD 58-71
September 2                                  27-29   161-77 91-97                                                   VD 71-97
September 9                                 30-33   82-90   37-38      Letham 360-367          VD 98-121

III. Church Order

September 16               1-15     (Church Members, Officers and Courts) [& MCPC bylaws]
October 7                    16-26   (Vocation and Ordination)
October 14                  27-46   (Rules of Discipline)
November 4                 47-63   (Directory for Worship)
October – December
Read Graeme Goldsworthy’s According to Plan and write answers to specific questions, due January 1. Meet one-on-one with current elders

Nominees will be examined by the session in Bible, doctrine, and church order at the beginning of January. Those who pass the exams will enter into a period of internship.

IV. Internship

Throughout 2013, interns will serve a practicum with the elders & deacons:
1) Elder interns will be expected to attend session meetings regularly
2) Elder interns will also be expected to attend at least one deacon meeting, one MCA board meeting, and other committee meetings as needed.
3) Elder interns will also be expected to participate in visitation, and will be asked to teach the adult Sunday school class at least once.
4) Elder interns must attend presbytery at least once

1) Deacon interns will be expected to attend deacon meetings regularly
2) Deacon interns will also be expected to attend at least on session meeting.
3) Deacon interns will participate in organizing at least one diaconal project.

V. Practical Theology: the Work of the Officers

April 7                          Worship                                               Old, chs 1-4;
April 21                        Worship                                               Old, chs 5-10; Hart, ch 1, 6
May 5                          Worship                                               Study Papers
May 19                        Mission                                                Piper, 1-132
June 2                         Mission                                                Piper, 133-260
June 16                        Evangelism/Mission                               (OS readings – 2009)
July 7                         Catechesis/Education                            (Augustine/Shepperson)
July 21                         Shepherding                                         Witmer, 1-105
July 28                         Shepherding                                         Witmer, 106-264
August 25                     Shepherding/Visitation              (OS readings)
September 1                 Counseling                                            Powlison, 1-97
September 15               Counseling                                            Powlison, 99-194
September 29               Mercy Ministry                         Keller, 1-66
October 13                  Mercy Ministry                         Keller, 67-122
October 27                  Mercy Ministry                         Keller, 123-233
November 10               Diaconal Ministry                                  Corbett & Fikkert, 11-99
November 24               Diaconal Ministry                                  Corbett & Fikkert, 103-220
December 8                 Gregory, Book of Pastoral Rule, books 1 & 2, 9-85
January 5                      Gregory, Book of Pastoral Rule, books 3-4, 87-212

Note: the elders will certify those who may stand for election at their December, 2013, meeting.
Elections, January 2014

20th Anniversary/Building Dedication

by Michiana Covenant | Oct 29, 2013 | Building

Last Sunday evening (October 27) we welcomed folks from several sister churches around the area — as well as representatives from the Great Lakes Presbytery and some of our original charter members for a 20th anniversary / building dedication / Reformation Day service. With seven ministers participating in leading the service, and a great dinner afterwards, it was a delightful evening.

With 50 guests and visitors from sister churches, we had around 140 in attendance (a number which the old sanctuary could never have seated!)

The singing was amazing!

Okay, so I picked some long Psalms (can you blame me for wanting to hear them sung by a congregation of 140?!):

Psalm 102 to Jerusalem, Psalm 68 to the old Genevan tune, Psalm 132 to Blaenwern (a lovely Welsh tune), and Psalm 90 to Suilven (a new Scottish tune) — along with Andy Deliyannides’ setting of “Hail, O Daystar” (a medieval advent hymn).

The sermon (on Numbers 10) will be on sermon audio soon:

http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=michianacovenant

The final view

by Michiana Covenant | Oct 15, 2013 | Building

The sanctuary is coming together! Thanks to the diligent labors of many, many hands, all 26 pews are now belt sanded, rough sanded, detail sanded, and fine sanded (and then sanded again in many instances!) — and then given 3-4 coats of polyurethane — and then the book racks were sanded, poly-ed, and re-attached — and then they were installed!

When you think about it, every pew has passed through the hands of at least 20-30 different people: those who loaded and unloaded the pews in August
those who cut them down and organized them in the fellowship area
those who took them out and sanded them
those who poly-ed them
those who installed them in the sanctuary

Two months of hard work later — here is the result!

Here is the sanctuary as the carpet was being laid:

As the poly-ers finished the pews, we started installing them, so the following Sunday we had a *few pews* installed…

And then came the ceremonial “carrying of the last pew” — as we finished the sanding on Saturday afternoon…

And here is a view of the pews from the front — with all but the last six pews installed…

Here is what it looks like with all the pews in place. It’s a pretty dramatic change from the old white and purple square!

Here is the view from the back:

And here is the view from the front:

Thank you to all who made this possible through your labor, your gifts, your prayers, your encouragement, and your love.

Building Update

by Michiana Covenant | Sep 17, 2013 | Building

Here’s another update on the building project. We pulled everything out of the sanctuary on Sunday evening.

On Monday, the painter began his work. We still hope to see everything ready for carpet by Thursday. Lord willing, by this Sunday the transformation should be almost complete:

Of course, the pews won’t be ready for Sunday. On Saturday we had yet another sanding party:

And the indefatigable Phyllis brought lunch! (Thank you, Phyllis!!!)

But at least now the sanded pews outnumber the unsanded pews!

And thanks to Hugh and Jacob, the pulpit platform is almost ready for the carpet guy on Thursday…

Stay tuned — the dedication service/20th anniversary celebration will be on Sunday evening, October 27!

Pew Day

by Michiana Covenant | Aug 24, 2013 | Building

Today was pew-day at MCPC! More than 40 people turned out — well, maybe half of those were under the age of 15, but given Abby’s sanding, and Elijah and William’s drilling/screwing — not to mention childcare and general usefulness — I’d say the 8-14 year olds did their fair share!

Thanks to Hugh Lynn for capturing this day on camera — and thanks to the whole crew for a hard day’s work. All 26 pews are now cut down to size, and due to the sanding efforts of Rachael and Deborah and Jay and Karen and Margaret (and Abby!!), we have a pretty fair estimate of what it will take to finish the job.

At the beginning of the day, the task looked daunting: turn all these 19-foot pews into 14-foot pews… and start sanding them down.