All glory be to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Psalm 136 is a liturgical litany with a repeated phrase throughout. That phrase ties together the historical review of Gods mighty deeds in the Exodus event. The text radiates a deep respect and fear of the Lord, yet with joy. The text is reminiscent of traditional Israeli music, and is best sung by solo voice, with everyone joining in on the response. With a confident leader who tells a story more than sings a solo, sing as a dialogue between leader and congregation with no accompaniment, or adding just enough support from keyboard and/or guitar to keep everything moving from beginning to end with no breaks between stanzas.

Marty Haugen (b. 1950), is a prolific liturgical composer with many songs included in hymnals across the liturgical spectrum of North American hymnals and beyond, with many songs translated into different languages. He was raised in the American Lutheran Church, received a BA in psychology from Luther College, yet found his first position as a church musician in a Roman Catholic parish at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was undergoing profound liturgical and musical changes after Vatican II. Finding a vocation in that parish to provide accessible songs for worship, he continued to compose and to study, receiving an MA in pastoral studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul Minnesota. A number of liturgical settings were prepared for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and more than 400 of his compositions are available from several publishers, especially GIA Publications, who also produced some 30 recordings of his songs. He is composer-in-residence at Mayflower Community Congregational Church in Minneapolis and continues to compose and travel to speak and teach at worship events around the world.