Commissioned Hymns
Sunday, February 8, 2026
“You Are Not Alone” by Molly Ijames
Shared during worship by the Chancel Choir.
Commissioned by Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, this anthem is dedicated to honoring the many years of faithful service of retired Music Director, Rebecca Prater.
Lyrics: When the sun spills glory on the road ahead, or when looming rainclouds in the sky are spread, every path is charted, every step is known, I am walking with you; You are not alone. Do not be afraid, my beloved child, do not be dismayed, I am still your God. I will never leave you; trust the truth you know: I will journey with you everywhere you go When the shadows deepen in the moonless night, And the mist surrounds you, hiding stars from sight, With the dark descending, dimming all you see, Look up, my beloved, lift your eyes to Me. When the winds of summer freshen youthful days, When the autumn splendors, fill midlife with praise. When the snows of winter burden age with care, Through each turning season, you will find me there.
Based upon Joshua 1:9: "Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.”
Words shared by Chris Krug, introducing “You Are Not Alone” by Molly Ijames:
"Just over 1 year ago now, we were preparing our final advent season with Rebecca Prater as our Director of Music Ministries. In the midst of all the preparation for transition we were pondering what we might do to appropriately acknowledge Rebecca's ministry with our congregation. Commissioning a new sacred choral work seemed to be a fitting way to ensure her legacy would live on. We reached out to several composers and entered into an agreement with Molly Ijames. Molly is a prolific speaker, composer, keyboardist, and musician known for balancing her compositions with not only beautiful choral harmonies but also equally balanced and beautiful accompaniments.
Finding the inspiration for the commission fell into place very simply as things often do when God is involved. Molly reached out to Rebecca asking for some favorite hymns and scriptures, Rebecca responded with a few that were meaningful to her, and one of those, Joshua 1:9, immediately struck a chord with Molly as she had just recently purchased a sign to hang above her keyboard workstation with that very verse. Joshua 1:9 reads “Remember that I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you everywhere you go.” Molly said she loved the quiet strength and divine reassurance it gave, and hoped it would give her newfound encouragement when she needed it during her work. As it happened she had also just finished working with a favorite colleague, a highly-gifted lyricist who was interested in taking on the task for crafting lyrics around this verse.
A short three months later, the lyricist completed her work on crafting the lyrics for this new piece and Molly began her work on composing the music. And only one month after that, in June of 2025, her primary work on this new piece honoring Rebecca's tenure was complete. She next completed her work with an editor and publisher, and in just a few moments, you are going to hear this beautiful music come to life for the first time in the sanctuary of the church that commissioned it into being. It's a piece that will surely be sung with frequency here as well as in congregations around the world.
Do not be afraid, you are my beloved child.
Do not be dismayed, I am still your God.
I will never leave you, trust the truth you know.
I will journey with you, everywhere you go.
May these words be not only a blessing to Rebecca, but also to this congregation and to all who hear them proclaiming God's abiding, persistent, and unending presence with us.
I'm honored to introduce You Are Not Alone, words by Elieen Berry, music by Molly Ijames, commissioned by Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church of Overland Park Kansas to honor Rebecca Prater for her many years of music ministry."
