Monthly Calendar of Events

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September 2010

For the latest version and information on our bi-monthly newsletter the "Here and Now" please visit our This Week at Our Church page.

Macalester Plymouth United Church Hymn Contest

2010 HYMN WRITING CONTEST

March 1, 2010

For immediate release

For more information, call (651) 698-8871

Macalester Plymouth United Church of St. Paul, Minnesota, announces a fifteenth international contest for English language hymn writers. It is our understanding that hymns can motivate the church to be more actively involved in social reform, a vital part of its ministry. It carries a prize of $500 for the winning entry. Our 2010 contest will be a search for new hymns giving thanks for our nation’s many blessings and calling the church to work for social reform. The texts should celebrate the country’s beauty and goodness while asking for God’s help to “mend our every flaw.” A model for this kind of hymn is Katherine Lee Bates’ 1904 classic America the Beautiful. Grateful for what God has given us, we are confident that God will help us to address such issues as the growing gap between rich and poor, the persistence of racism and sexism, and our stubborn unwillingness to work together to solve the nation’s challenges.

This contest is part of a continuing memorial to Macalester Plymouth church member A. A. ("Al") Heckman, widely known as Minnesota's "Dean of Philanthropy." One of the first men in the nation to earn a graduate degree in social work, he went on to create many private and public partnerships to help the needy. He was a pioneer in the establishment of integrated social services at the city, county and state level, and served on the boards of many philanthropic foundations. His life was an inspiration to those seeking to integrate Christian faith with social action.

This is a search for new texts. We strongly encourage the use of familiar meters which may be sung to familiar tunes, but if you have an original tune for your text, it is certainly welcome. New music for the winning hymn may also be sought in the future. Hymns previously published or currently entered in other contests should not be submitted. It is certainly permissible, however, to have a local congregation or other group sample your hymn before submitting it.

Macalester Plymouth United Church, a member of both the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the United Church of Christ, is a liberal and inclusive church with a history of active involvement in contemporary social issues. We suggest avoiding archaic language (e.g. "Which wert, and art, and evermore shall be") and non-inclusive language (e.g. "O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother").

There is an entry fee of $3 for each hymn submitted, and checks should be made payable to "Macalester Plymouth United Church" with a memo entry for "Hymn Contest." Entrants should provide four copies of each hymn which should not include the entrant’s name. Please provide a cover letter with your name, address, telephone number, and the title of your entry or entries. All entries will be acknowledged within two weeks of receipt.

All entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2010. The judges will arrive at their decision by February 15, 2011, and their decision is final. The winning hymn will be announced by March 15, 2011. Only one winning entry is anticipated, but the judges may decide to split the prize among several co-winners. The judges also reserve the right not to select any hymn as the winner. Each entrant will receive notification of the contest winner and a copy of the winning hymn.

Copyright for the winning hymn will be retained by the author, but the author agrees to permit the use of this hymn by Macalester Plymouth United Church in perpetuity. Churches of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (Presbyterian Church/USA), and churches of the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ shall be permitted to use the winning hymn(s) for one year (March of 2011 through February of 2012).

Please send entries and correspondence to

Hymn Contest

Macalester Plymouth United Church

1658 Lincoln Avenue

St. Paul, MN  55105-1949

E-mail: office@macalester-plymouth.org

Web site: www.macalester-plymouth.org

2009 Fourteenth Annual Macalester Plymouth United Church Hymn Writing Contest Winners Selected

March 1, 2010

Macalester Plymouth United Church of St. Paul, Minnesota, is pleased to announce the winners of its 14th annual hymn contest, a search for new hymn texts to be sung on Labor Day. The contest specifically asked for “words that especially address the plight of the unemployed. Traditionally, we have celebrated work on Labor Day.  But what if one does not have work or is under-employed?  Denied the opportunity to earn a living, an unemployed worker often questions his or her value and worth. We hope to explore the role of the church in addressing these issues.”

The winning hymn, God, Bless the Work Your People Do, was written by the Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles, the pastor of Wekiva Presbyterian Church in Longwood, Florida. He is a graduate of both Lancaster Theological Seminary (UCC) and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PCUSA). A life member of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, his hymn texts have been published in a number of denominational hymnals.

An honorable mention was awarded to the Rev. Dr. Pamela Payne of Huntsville, Alabama for her hymn When Work of Heart and Hand Align. She is a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and completed her Ph.D. in theology at Vanderbilt University in 2003.

The permission of the authors should be obtained by those wishing to use and celebrate these hymns.

To see and hear Dr. Dalle's winning hymn performed at our church, please click here or go to mpucvideos.org.

            2009 Winning Hymn – God, Bless the Work Your People Do

                            by John A. Dalles, Longwood, Florida

            (Suggested tunes – KINGSFOLD or FOREST GREEN)

            Meter - CMD

            God, bless the work your people do throughout each working day,

             the contributions that they make, the talents they display.

            God, bless the work your people do with minds and hands and hearts,

             to benefit the common good, the sciences and arts.

            For all who have no respite, God, from labor without ease,

             for those for whom their work is filled with danger or disease.

            For all who labor without gain or have no rest this day;

             for all who labor without hope, O God, we humbly pray.

            We pray for those who cannot work or seek for work in vain,

             Great God, we pray your mercy shall encourage them again!

            We pray for those whose work is hard on body, spirit, soul,

             the underpaid, under-employed, who fill a vital role.

            Grant unto each a day designed for worship, joy and rest;

             a Sabbath time of holiness, in which they may be blessed.

            As you achieved creation’s work, then rested from your task,

             God, bless the work your people do, and call it good, we ask!

            © John A. Dalles, Longwood, Florida

            E-mail – jdalles@wekivapresbyterian.org

            2009 Honorable Mention – When Work of Heart and Hand Align

                            by Pamela Payne, Huntsville, Alabama

            (Suggested tunes – HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING)

            Meter - 8.7.8.7.D Iambic

            When work of heart and hand align,

             our labor turns to playing.

            We dwell in light, time disappears,

             we might as well be praying.

            The Spirit in the midst of this

             inspires, cajoles, conveying

            the effervescent grace of God,

             unique, steadfast, unswaying.

            But what of those whose work is lost,

             their livelihood upended?

            And midlife workers, unemployed,

             their sense of worth suspended?

            Or those whose work devours the soul,

             their hopes laid waste, untended?

            Can hearts where shame, despair encroach

             find hope and joy – be mended?

            When all who follow Jesus Christ

             reach out to those in anguish,

            Then through God’s love, they’ll find a way

             to work, to love, to flourish.

            For in the steadfast heart of God

             no hurting one shall perish.

            For we are more than what we do:

             beloved of God, and cherished.

            The Church of God in trying times

             must face the world, unguarded,

            And stand by all the unemployed,

             let none become discarded;

            Speak truth to power, unashamed,

             demand redress be started,

            And in the name of Jesus Christ

             bind up the brokenhearted.

            © Pamela Payne, Huntsville, Alabama

            Email - pampayne@knology.net

Congregations of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area (PC/USA) and the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC) may use these hymns freely through February, 2011. Any other permission for use must be secured from the authors.

The 2010 Macalester Plymouth United Church hymn contest theme is also being announced: We seek new hymns giving thanks for our nation’s many blessings and calling the church to work for social reform. The texts should celebrate the country’s beauty and goodness while asking God’s help to “mend our every flaw.” A model for this kind of hymn is Katherine Lee Bates’ 1904 classic America the Beautiful. Grateful for what God has given us, we are confident that God will help us to address such issues as the growing gap between rich and poor, the persistence of racism and sexism, and our stubborn unwillingness to work together to solve the nation’s challenges.

For more information, contact the church website – office@macalester-plymouth.org

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An Historical Overview of the Macalester Plymouth United Church Hymn Writing Contest

The Macalester Plymouth United Church Hymn Contest began in 1996 as part of a continuing memorial to A. A. (“Al”) Heckman, a church member who was widely known as Minnesota’s “Dean of Philanthropy.”

Click Historical Overview to download PDF file with details.