Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/1189424
2 WHAT WONDROUS HOPE – SATB FOREWORD As we enter the final dark days of the Savior's life, we remember that there is hope in the face of despair. Knowing that His betrayal and crucifixion lay ahead, Jesus tried to prepare His disciples, assuring them that death would not be the end. But while He was with them, they could not imagine the desperate need for hope in the hours to come. In the words of Paul, "Hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?" The challenge came for them, as it does for us, when the world seemed to close in around them, when the darkness of the tomb appeared to seal their own fate. Even in these somber days of Holy Week and the Passion, a ray of hope shines, for Easter is on the other side of the cross. That wondrous hope is this: Love will triumph! A tree of death is not the end. Hope fulfilled is a tree of life! (Proverbs 13:12) PERFORMANCE NOTES This work includes spoken parts for a pastor/worship leader and one narrator, but feel free to use as many narrators as you wish. Two separate endings are included, depending on when the piece is performed. For Good Friday performances, the work ends at the crucifixion and closes with the anthem "What Wondrous Love Is This?," followed by an optional benediction. For those who perform the work on Easter, it ends at the resurrection and closes with the anthem "Easter Song." This ending also includes an optional benediction. Most of the anthems and their individual narrations can also function as standalone pieces for use during specific days of the season (from Palm Sunday through Easter). For an added visual component, symbols (lamb, palm branches, cup, bread, pieces of silver, whip, crown of thorns, nails and cross) may be placed in the worship space or represented with banners. If you are using the work as a Tenebrae service, you may continue the tradition of draping the sanctuary symbols in black and/or remov- ing the lighted Christ candle from the auditorium before the congregation exits in silence. As always, we encourage you to adapt this template to meet your congregation's unique needs and to fit the worship style of your church. For Preview Only