Hymn Sing—August 15

Congregational minister Isaac Watts (1674-1748), the "father of English hymnody," gave centrality to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, an area that could never be covered by strict adherence to the Psalter. His work marked the transition from versified psalmody to hymnody. The texts of his Hymns and Spiritual Songs were appreciated for “their simplicity, literary quality, and practical detail.” For example, of the 140 original words in his hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” 139 were of one syllable. By making each line a complete thought he made it easier for leaders to line out the hymns for the congregation to sing. (This was a common practice in which the leader would sing a line which would then be repeated by the congregation.)

The work of Isaac Watts paved the way for new hymn writers, most notably Charles Wesley, the brother of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. Charles wrote over 6500 hymns. It was on a voyage to America that the Wesley brothers encountered the Moravians and were impressed by the complete assurance of these people in their salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. During a raging storm while all the other passengers were filled with terror, this small band remained calm and sang hymns. Throughout his life Charles wrote hymns which were sung during the Revivalist movement throughout England. He was "the celebrator of Christ and the Holy Spirit." When Watts and Wesley are compared:
"Watts is more reverential; Wesley the more loving. Watts is stronger; Wesley sweeter. Watts appeals profoundly to the intellect; Wesley takes hold of the heart. Watts will continue to sing for the Pauls and Peters of the Church; Wesley for the Thomases and the Johns" (Dr. David R. Breed).

Hymns of the 18th and early 19th centuries reflect the romantic sprit of the era. Many of the hymns were personal, adventurous, and imaginative. An example is "Abide with Me" by Henry Francis Lyte. Lyte was a poor orphan, who struggled through college, entered the ministry and always served poor fisherfolk and sailors, but due to his ill health was forced to spend his winters in warmer climes. "Abide with Me," was written after Lyte preached his farewell sermon. After tea, he retired to his study, and returned an hour later with this hymn. On his way to the south of France, he died of consumption. The hymn is based on the encounter of the two disciples and Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

This period saw the organization of extensive missionary societies, both denominational and
interdenominational, in both the United States and on the Continent. Reginald Heber, a missionary bishop to India, wrote the most famous of missionary hymns, "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. Its sentiments seem very dated today:

From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver
Their land from error's chain."

An important innovation in music notation appeared in 1801 with the publication of The Easy Instructor in the United States which introduced shape notes. Shapes were added to the note heads in written music to help singers find pitches within major and minor scales without the use of more complex information found in key signatures on the staff By using the same shapes for do-re-mi as for fa-sol-la, only four shapes were needed to cover the octave (fa-sol-la-fa-sol-la-mi). [FA ?, SOL ?, LA ?, and MI ?.] Though this system began in the North, it and the repertory associated with it were perpetuated in tune collections and singing schools of the South and West. The repertoire included English tunes, folk hymns, and camp-meeting spirituals, some of the best known tunes from these collections are MORNING SONG, NETTLETON, and AMAZING GRACE.

Only after the Civil War were the spirituals of African Americans put in print. Generally, they are scriptural, placing strong emphasis on the liberation described in Exodus; heaven-centered or otherworldly with a vision of jubilation and plenty; and full of appeal to the Savior as Comforter for the suffering. They expressed the reality of work-weariness and bondage. This distinctive genre often utilized call-and-response forms and included musical traits that can be traced to both the people’s African heritage and their American experience. “Guide My Feet” which we sang last Sunday is based on a metaphor for discipleship, running the race, as well as the race to elude capture while seeking freedom from slavery. The verses would have been sung by the leader as a call, with the response “For I don’t want to run this race in vain” sung by the congregation.

With religious revivalism in the mid-nineteenth century came gospel hymns, usually simple statements of humankind’s sinfulness and God’s redeeming love, often with a highly personal perspective. The music was lighter and livelier than the more traditional hymns with a chorus similar to popular parlor songs. The best known hymn writer of the era was Fanny Crosby. She produced thousands of hymns which were carried across the globe by British and American missionaries, e.g. “Blessed Assurance.” This movement influenced the architecture of churches. Traditionally the choir and organ were located in a rear galley. With the advent of gospel hymnody, the choir and organ were moved front and center where the musical minister could lead the congregation directly, and the piano often replaced the more expensive organ.

To hear more about hymns and their place in modern worship, come to the Hymn Sing on August 15 at the 10 a.m. service. Sing a few of our favorites and hear their unique stories.

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A New Shelter Proposal

County officials recently contacted MOC to ask for the group’s input on a new proposal for aiding the homeless in Marin. The county wants to move toward providing permanent supportive housing for those in need, rather than funding an additional emergency shelter. The proposal, called Housing First, is modeled on similar programs in Denver and San Francisco. The idea is to place the chronically homeless into an affordable living situation and provide social support services to help them stay there. Residents must pay 30 percent of whatever income they have, whether from a job or SSI; the rest would be subsidized by funds set aside for the homeless.

The Housing First model has gained attention and support from the federal government. County officials hope that a similar approach in Marin would attract additional federal dollars to help expand the program in the future. A local Housing First program would attempt to house 30 homeless persons the first year.

If the Housing First concept is approved, the county views its first year (including this coming winter season) as a transitional year, with $150,000 or so allocated for a rotating emergency shelter hosted by church congregations, as it was last winter. The rest of the $400,000 that the county has designated for the homeless would be used for getting housing and support services in place for the following year. After the transition year, no more county funds will be put toward additional shelters, aside from the existing Mill Street shelter which will be fully funded by the county.

MOC leaders presented the county’s Housing First proposal at three informational meetings held July 25-28. After hearing the outline of the plan, those attending the meetings broke into small groups to discuss their reactions to the proposal. All the comments, pro and con, will be compiled and studied before MOC’s official response to the county is decided.

For three years, MOC’s long term goal has been a new permanent “open” emergency shelter to serve up to 80 persons per night. However, each suggested location for the shelter has been met with fierce opposition. Remodeling the old Honor Farm, off Smith Ranch Road, once seemed the most viable option, but the property owner has firmly rejected the idea. Building a new facility, even if a site was found, would be incredibly costly. For all these reasons, many MOC members take a positive view of the Housing First proposal.

Proponents of the new proposal say it will ultimately save money because people with permanent housing don’t frequently wind up in a hospital or jail. Denver statistics show a definite drop in police and emergency room costs since the Housing First program began.

However, some people at the meetings expressed their concerns about the plan. What happens to the
homeless who are not among the fortunate 30 to be housed? Who will offer the others shelter from the rain? Will $400,000 be enough to house and support 30 people in Marin County for a year? Where will these “affordable units” be found? And what about the next year? Won’t these same 30 people still require on-going support? If no federal funds arrive, how do we expand the program to others?

Others wanted reassurance about three points: (1) that Housing First will be an on-going program, not a one or two year experiment; (2) that the shelter program will be continued for the homeless not helped into permanent housing; (3) if churches are expected to continue hosting the rotating shelter program during the winter, then the county and various municipalities must be willing to waive fees and burdensome administrative procedures such as those imposed last year by the City of San Rafael.

MOC leaders have appointments with each of the supervisors to discuss the concerns raised at the MOC meetings. After these discussions, MOC will make its recommendation to the full Board of Supervisors.

- Linda Xiques, Jack Bartlett
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