How Shall I Come Before The Lord

The United Methodist Hymnal contains one hymn based on the Micah 6:1-8 passage -- an excellent one by Albert Bayly at no. 441. Unfortunately, the tune by Erik Routley (also a fine work) has never caught on with pew singers; and Bayly's meter of 66.66.336 does not lend itself to many musical options. There is also the wonderful choral setting, "Offertory," by John Ness Beck (his final composition), but it is choral and not congregational. And there is Jim Strathdee's setting in The Faith We Sing (no. 2174), "What Does the Lord Require." Its unique structure, not a round or a canon and not a through-composed hymn setting, uses endlessly repeating phrases by different voice parts. It can be quickly learned by congregations or choirs.

This new hymn text and musical setting by Dean McIntyre is in traditional hymn form, through-composed, set to the familiar O Waly Waly tune used in The Faith We Sing, number 2283. The tune is also known as Gift Of Love in The United Methodist Hymnal (no. 408). McIntyre's harmonization is new.

How Shall I Come Before the Lord (PDF format)