For God So Loved the World

This piece is a setting of the beautifully poetic King James version of John 3:16. It is simple and elegant, and suitable for church choirs. It was commissioned in 2001 for Pastor Douglas R. Roper on the occasion of his retirement from Minnewashta Church, Shorewood, Minnesota. Pastor Roper, who sang in his church choir, had been rehearsing the piece for weeks without knowing it was a special commission or even a new piece. On his last Sunday, it was announced that the piece had been written in his honor.