With New Voices—The Small Catechism in Song

If you flip to the back of Evangelical Lutheran Worship in search of one of the indices, you might end up taking a quick tour through the Small Catechism first. Nestled between the daily lectionary and the copyright acknowledgments are the words every Lutheran has had to memorize (at least part of!) during confirmation class. Its physical presence in our primary worship book is a reminder that like the heritage of hymns, tunes, and liturgies contained in ELW, we are meant to carry these words with us as we worship, pray, and live faithfully in the world.

In 2016 Bishop Elizabeth Eaton invited the ELCA to read or re-read Martin Luther’s Small Catechism together as part of the commemoration of the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation. “The Small Catechism is a treasure too good for just early adolescence,” Eaton explained in her invitational video. To that end, Augsburg Fortress has just published a set of resources called By Heart: Conversations with Martin Luther’s Small Catechism which joyfully and colorfully explores the text in depth. We might add that it’s also a treasure too good not to explore in music. Below are some musical resources that interpret portions the Small Catechism and may be helpful to music directors looking to integrate their congregation’s study of the text with worship. This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully, it will be a good catalyst for other pieces in your libraries on the same themes.

General

• God’s Son Has Made Me Free—Grieg/Overby (SATB) 9780800645564
• Hear Our Prayer—Various 9780800678593
• Make My Life a Living Prayer—Aaron David Miller (SATB) 9781451401059
• When We Are Living—Hal H. Hopson (SATB, kbd) 9780800658304

Ten Commandments

• Let Your Heart Keep My Commandments—Jon Zehnal (SATB, org) ECS 6394
• We Trust in God Alone—Brad Croushorn (SATB, kbd) 9781506426242
• You Shall Love Your God—John Horman (SAB, piano) MSM 50-9067

Creed (Choral)

• The Apostles’ Creed—Sidney Davis (U, piano) MSM 80-851
• Creed—Calvin Hampton (U, opt. SATB, organ) GIA G-1959
• Gospel Mass—Robert Ray (SATB, piano, opt. rhythm section) Hal Leonard HL 44707014
• I Believe This Is Jesus—Undine Smith Moore (SATB) 9780800645281
• Vide Cantas Credas—Zebulon Highben (SATB div, opt. org) MSM 50-5207
• We All Believe in One True God—J.S. Bach (SATB) 9781451423709 (Augsburg Motet Book)
• We All Believe in One True God—Helmut Barbe (SAB) 9781506426303 (Augsburg Chorale Book) 

Creed (Organ)

• Credo for Trumpet and Organ –Wayne Wold (org) 9781506413754
• Wir glauben all—Jacob B. Weber (org) 9781506413600 (Augsburg Organ Library: Reformation)

Lord’s Prayer (Choral)

• Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive—Nancy Raabe (SAB, piano) 9781506408644
• Our Father, Who in Heaven Art—William Billings (SATB) MSM 50-9308
• Our Father, Who in Heaven Art—William Billings (SATB) 9781451423709 (Augsburg Motet Book)
• Our Father, God in Heaven Above—Bradley Ellingboe (SATB, handbell) 9781506426303 (Augsburg Chorale Book)
• The Our Father—Richard Hillert (SATB) GIA G-4007

Lord's Prayer (Organ)

• Vater Unser—Various settings (org) 9781506413600 (Augsburg Organ Library: Reformation)
• Vater Unser—Anne Krentz Organ (org) 9780800657239 (Organ Music for the Seasons 1)
• Vater Unser—Various settings (org) MSM 10-683 (Living Voice of the Gospel, ed. Burkhardt)

Baptism (Choral)

• Baptized and Set Free—Helgen (SATB, piano) 9781451420661
• Beloved, God’s Chosen—Robert Hobby (2-part, piano, flute) MSM 50-8707
• Children of the Heavenly Father—Scholz (SATB) 9780800659110
• I’m Going on a Journey—Hayes (2-part, piano) 9780800675523
• I’ve Just Come from the Fountain—Robert Hobby (SATB) 9780800659196
• O Blessed Spring –Cherwien/Farlee/Cherwien (SATB or 2-part, org, C-instrument, assembly) 9781451420753
• The Spirit of the Lord—Highben (SATB) 9781506413983
• To Christ Belong—Briehl/Farlee (SATB, org, flute, assembly) 9781451420791
• Wonder of Wonders—Sedio (Unison, org) 9781506426280

Baptism (Organ)

• Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Communion (org) 9780800623555
• Baptized and Set Free—Kenneth Kosche (org) 9780800663926

Confession (Choral)

• Create in Me a Clean Heart—Paul J. Christiansen (SATB) 9780800645847
• Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake—Richard Farrant (SATB) GIA G-3049
• Lord, for Thy Tender Mercy’s Sake—Richard Farrant (SATB) 9781451423709 (Augsburg Motet Book)
• Our Father, We Have Wandered—(SATB, piano, oboe) Ralph Johnson 9781451492576
• A Right Spirit—Stephan Casurella (2-part treble, org) 9781506414041 (Augsburg Easy Choirbook vol. 3)

Communion (Choral)

• As We Gather at Your Table—K. Lee Scott (SAB, org) 9780800678081
• Bread of the World in Mercy Broken—Carlton Young (2-part mixed, kbd) 9780800675592
• Come, Let Us Eat—Kwillia, arr. Campbell (SATB) GIA G-8786
• The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee—Jean Berger (SATB) 9780800645595
• For the Bread Which You Have Broken—Timothy Shaw (SATB, piano) MSM 50-9760
• Lamb of God—F. Melius Christiansen (SATB) 9780800652593
• What Shall I Render to the Lord—Tiefenbach (SATB) 9786000176006

Communion (Organ)

• Augsburg Organ Library: Baptism and Communion (org) 9780800623555
• Communion Hymns for Organ Vol. 1—Childs (org) 9781451420821
• Communion Hymns for Organ Vol. 2—Childs (org) 9781451424157

Morning/Evening/Table blessings (Choral)

• Behold Our Light: Music for Evening Worship—Aaron David Miller (assembly, piano) 9781451462524
• The Eyes of All Wait Upon Thee—Jean Berger (SATB) 9780800645595
• Give Thanks to the Lord—Mark Patterson (SAB, kbd) 9780800623845
• Holden Evening Prayer—Marty Haugen (assembly, piano, opt. C-instrument) 9781506427553
• Luther’s Morning Prayer & Luther’s Evening Prayer—Carl Schalk (SATB) MSM 50-8610
• Markings of Grace –Thornburg/Ferguson (SATB, org) 9781451498899
• May God Bestow on Us Grace—Aaron David Miller (2-part, kbd) 9781506426006
• O Laughing Light—David Sims (SAB, org) 9781451498929

Morning/Evening/Table blessings (Organ / Piano)

• By Day and By Night—Dave Mackie (piano) 9781451420890
• Joy in the Morning—Ashdown (org) 9781451401851

If I know any scripture by heart, it’s probably because I have sung it as a hymn or anthem. Singing allows us to embody the Word in a deeper way, and helps us carry that text within us for the rest of our lives. By singing the Small Catechism we can provide an opportunity to discuss those texts during rehearsals or bulletin notes as well as help our choirs and congregations carry those words with them, wherever they go, by heart.