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844

Lift Up Your Hearts unto the Lord

Scripture References

Further Reflections on Scripture References

Following both oral tradition and the format in various published hymnals (includ­ing Hymns for Today's Church, 1982), Lift Up Your Hearts precedes Stassen-Benjamin's stanza with four other stanzas derived from early Christian liturgies and the "Easter Canticle," which quotes from 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 and 15:20-22. So the text contains biblical and liturgical phrasing familiar to all English-speaking Christians. Together these textual ingredients make a powerful praise chorus. Following the tradition of many praise choruses, other stanzas can be added, for example:

 

     Jesus is risen from the dead!

 

     Christ is the Lord of heav'n and earth.

     

     Praise be to God forevermore!

844

Lift Up Your Hearts unto the Lord

Additional Prayers

A Prayer of Acclamation
Great God, magnet for human love, we lift up our hearts to you. You feed us with the body and blood of Jesus. You feed us with your life-giving love. Always, everywhere, you feed us. So we sing Alleluia and lift our hearts to you in Jesus’ name. Amen.
— Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.
844

Lift Up Your Hearts unto the Lord

Tune Information

Name
SING ALLELUIA
Key
c minor

Recordings

844

Lift Up Your Hearts unto the Lord

Hymn Story/Background

Immensely popular, this praise chorus has been included in hundreds of songbooks, both in North America and in other continents. Linda L. Stassen-Benjamin originally composed what is now stanza 5 rather instantaneously (while she was in the shower!) in June 1974. The song was published and recorded by Maranatha! Music, a ministry of Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, California, of which Stassen-Benjamin is a member.
 
Following both oral tradition and the format in various published hymnals four stanzas precede Stassen-Benjamin's stanza derived from early Christian liturgies and the "Easter Canticle," which quotes from 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 and 15:20-22.
 
The song can be sung in various ways: (a) have the congregation sing the main melody, and have a choir or any small group sing the second part in the manner of an e ho or descant; (b) divide the singing of the two parts between similar-size groups within the congregation, such as left side and right side, or men and women; (c) use other instruments such as guitars, trumpet, recorder, and handbells, and improvise some percussion rhythms. Sing this music at a moving tempo without breaks between stanzas.
— Bert Polman

Composer Information

Dale Grotenhuis (b. Cedar Grove, WI, 1931; d. Jenison, Mi, August 17, 2012) was a member of the 1987 Psalter Hymnal 1987 Revision Committee, and was professor of music and director of choral music at Dordt College, Sioux Center, Iowa, from 1960 until he retired in 1994 to concentrate on composition. Educated at Calvin College; Michigan State University, Lansing; and Ohio State University, Columbus; he combined teaching with composition throughout his career and was a widely published composer of choral music. He also directed the Dordt choir in a large number of recordings, including many psalm arrangements found in the 1959 edition of the Psalter Hymnal.
— Bert Polman

Author and Composer Information

Linda L. Stassen-Benjamin (b. Laporte, IN, 1951) was educated at Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, and EI Camino College, Torrence, California. During the 1970s she sang and recorded for various ensembles, including David and New Song. In 1981 she became secretary, songwriter, and vocalist with New Song Ministries in Costa Mesa.
— Bert Polman

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