Singing with the Hebrew Prophets

By David Alexander

This collection is intended for your singing along. Put in your earphones and call up a page. Click on the link to the tune. Most of those listed will get you there with a single click, a few need further futzing around. Listen and sing. Make this an occasion to hear yourself voicing once-familiar (or not-so-familiar) bits of scripture to tunes you may not have anticipated.

Assembling the contents of this collection a single work “Hebrew Prophets” in the title sent me out to seek a set of limits. My Protestant background informed me that these were the books from Isaiah to Malachi. But a Jewish source expanded that to include Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings. I had about 6 other compositions in the “bin”, including “The Song of Deb'ra” and “The Revolving Door”, which began their lives NOT as hymns, but as poems.

Be open to surprise. Those who first received the prophets' messages certainly were. Why not us?

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Alexander
• Release date: Nov 7, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463524015

David Alexander

Originally from Los Angeles Vietnam Veteran (18th Engineer Brigade, 577th Engineer Battalion) Undergraduate degree in Spanish Graduate degrees in Theology (MA) and Education (EdM) Clergy (Reformed Church in America and Presbyterian Church in Taiwan) 39 years of life in Taiwan. Took citizenship there in 2018 and promptly retired to Holland, MI. Life in Taiwan included college campus ministry, parish ministry, publications work and theological education. Finished career as a lecturer in practical theology and director of the language center of Tainan Theological College.

Book preview

Acknowledgments

The grace of God

The love of a good woman

The fellowship of colleagues

The wonder of Taiwan

Introduction

With too much time on my hands between 2007 and 2009 I began to set the suggested scripture readings for the Sundays and festivals between Reign of God and Epiphany in the Revised Common Lectionary for congregational singing. The resulting corpus of work totaled about 120 hymns and songs, about one fourth of which was from the prophets.

Assembling these into one work with the intention of Hebrew Prophets somewhere in the title, I sought out a set of limits. My Protestant background had informed me that these were the books from Isaiah to Malachi. But I checked a Jewish source and learned differently. Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings are also regarded as among the prophets. I went back to the bin and found about half a dozen more, including The Song of Deb'ra and The Revolving Door, which began their lives NOT as hymns, but as poems.

This collection is intended for your singing along. Put in your earphones and call up a page. Click on the link to the tune. Most of those listed will get you there with a single click, a few need further futzing around. Listen and sing. Make this an occasion to hear yourself voicing once-familiar (or not-so-familiar) bits of scripture to tunes you may not have anticipated. Be open to surprise.