Holy Manna

“Do we ask for 'holy manna' from above when we preach? Michael Ross says that asking for holy manna from above seems foreign to a generation of preachers reared in an age of church growth methodology and pragmatic church programming. [Related to this] William Moore put George Atkins words to music in 1825:

Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.”

“This is one of America's revival hymns. For it was authored during the middle years of America's Second Great Awakening ... God will work through a human agency to bring man to salvation in Christ and to renew a slumbering sin-sick Church...God works through His ordinary means of grace with extraordinary power when these normal means of grace are baptized with the unction of the Holy Spirit. Worship, preaching, prayer and fellowship can be empowered by God the Spirit so that sinners are converted, the lethargic are enlivened in soul and the Church is revived.”
http://www.reformationtheology.com/2006/05/brethren_we_have_met_to_worshi.php

http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Brethren_We_Have_Met_to_Worship/midi/

One of my goals as a musician (the mountain dulcimer) has been to play the old folk hymns during the worship service. These hymns are rich in there music, some having the pentatonic scale and some were written in the beautiful shape note form. Brethren We Have Come to Worship is one such hymn.

Enjoy and praise God.

Eutychus