A Worship Magazine
Easley Presbyterian Church
Easley, SC
August 2017 Vol. 3 Issue 4
A common thread that joins us together with Christ and with each other.
Unity and Identity in a Robe A few years ago, I received an email with a question about the function, purpose, and history of the choir robe. I thought this would be a good opportunity to research and share about the robe. The earliest evidence of a formal choir is found in pictures in ancient Egyptian tombs form 2700 BC. Choirs were quite popular in Greek theater from around 425 BC. Urn paintings show the beginnings of a unified attire for the choir. There are a number of choirs mentioned in the Old Testament. There are specific robe requirements given for the temple leaders, so it is possible that the choirs wore unified, formal robes, but nothing specifically addresses the choir. It is the Medieval Church that first develops specific clergy robes and choral robes soon followed. The Renaissance, Classical, and Romantic periods brought about very elaborate robes for choirs with lots of brocade and embroidery. It was a garment of honor and high esteem. (Everyone wanted to join the choir!) Our modern
sensibilities of clergy and choral robes developed during the Reformation period. Our traditional black clergy robes were originally educational robes and represented the minister as a scholar. Choral robes followed the trend to a more simple, respectable garment. Throughout the history, from Old Testament temple to modern day churches, the Robe is a garment that is used to signify someone as “set apart” as a leader and servant in worship. The robe sets an identity as a part of a group. There is no “I” in choir! (OK so that doesn’t really work out so well.) But the word “Choir” is singular — it is one unified group rather than a number of individual members. The robe helps visually unify the group. The robe unifies and equalizes the group. So, why do we wear choir robes? The robe identifies us as a member of the Choir. It sets us apart as leaders and servants for worship. It unifies us as One singular group. It unifies us in function and in purpose — to bring glory and honor to God —not to us as individuals. (It also just makes us look so classy.) —Robert
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Sunday, August 6 “Sabbath” Genesis 2:1-3 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2 And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3 So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.
Hymn Meditation: “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship” click on title to listen
The apostle Paul’s favorite name for fellow believers was “brethren”. He used this term at least sixty times throughout his various epistles. Pul’s concept of the local church was a worshiping family — the family of God. While we need to worship God daily in our individual devotional lives, every believer also needs the enriching experience of worshiping and serving God with others on a weekly basis. Only a church of faithful worshiping members is prepared to do its work and fulfill its witness in the world. Our worship of God, both personally and corporately, should reflect these five elements from Isaiah’s call, found in Isaiah 6: Recognition (vs 1), Praise (vs 3), Confession (vs 5), Pardon (vs 7), and Dedication (vs 8). This hymn tune: HOLY MANNA has been a favorite tune since it first appeared in 1825. —Osbeck “Amazing Grace 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories”
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 come down. Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around. Sisters, will you come and help us? Moses’ sister aided him. Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin? Tell them all about the Savior. Tell them that he will be found. Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.
Is there here a trembling jailer, seeking grace and filled with fears? Is there here a weeping Mary pouring forth a flood of tears? Brethren, join your cries to help them; sisters, let your prayers abound! Pray, O pray, that holy manna will be scattered all around. Let us love our God supremely; let us love each other, too. Let us love and pray for sinners till our God makes all things new. Christ will call us home to heaven; at his table we’ll sit down. Christ will gird himself and serve us with sweet manna all around.
— George Atkins, 1819
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Hymn Meditation: “All People That On Earth Do Dwell”
click on title to listen
Disagreements about church music are nothing new. When the Reformation swept across Europe in the 1500s, there was a division among Protestants concerning congregational singing. Some of the reformers, like Martin Luther of Germany, advocated singing hymns and carols. Others, like John Know that the Lord is God indeed; Calvin of Geneva, thought that only the Psalms should be Without our aid he did us make; sung. We are his folk; he doth us feed, And for his sheep he doth us take. Calvin was a fierce advocate for the use of metrical versions of the Psalms. He felt that church worship should be O enter then his gates with praise; simple, consisting of prayer, preaching, and the singing of Approach with joy his courts unto; Praise, laud, and bless his name always, Psalms. Like Augustine, he believed that a person cannon For it is seemly so to do. “sing things worthy of God unless he has received them from Him,” and that there are “no better songs nor more approFor why? The Lord our God is good; His mercy is for ever sure; priate to the purpose than the Psalms.” His truth at all times firmly stood, Louis Bourgeois was one of the primary music writers for And shall from age to age endure. — William Kethe, 1560 the Genevan hymnbooks, setting many metrical Psalm versions to music. Although originally written in 1551 for Psalm 134, this tune was used for Rev. William Kethe’s Psalm 100, published in the 1561 hymnal. The tune has been known as “The Old One Hundreth” ever since. It is the familiar melody used for the Doxology, but for five hundred years, it has been more closely associated with William Kethe’s rendition of Psalm 100. All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice; Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell. Come ye before him and rejoice.
—from “Then Sings My Soul 2, Robert J. Morgan
Hymn Meditation: “How Lovely, Lord, How Lovely” click on title to listen
A Home For Sparrows Matthew 10:29-31 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest near your altar. Blessed are hose who dwell in your house. Psalm 84 I can imagine the psalmist walking to the temple, finding inspiration to write this text. He feels his own longing to be close to God and be in the house of God. “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”
4 And in that rapturous moment, he looks How lovely, Lord, how lovely is your abiding place; up at the altar of the Lord and sees that My soul is longing, fainting, to feast upon your grace. birds have made nests in the shelter of The sparrow finds a shelter, a place to build her nest; that sacred space. It might be easy to And so your temple call us within its walls to rest. view that and be outraged and disgust- In your blest courts to worship, O God, a single day ed that these pests and vermin would Is better than a thousand if I from you should stray. dare desecrate the holy place—-the I’d rather keep the entrance and claim you as my Lord Than revel in the riches the ways of sin afford. very altar of God Most High. But in that moment of inspiration, the A sun and shield forever are you, O Lord Most High; You shower us with blessings; no good will you deny. psalmist knew that even the sparrow The saints, your grace receiving, from strength to strength shall go, finds a place of refuge in the house of And from their life shall rivers of blessing overflow. the Lord. He ends his thoughts on the — Arlo D. Duba, 1984 sparrow and the altar by saying: “Blessed are those who dwell in you house; they are ever praising you.” He imagines no greater joy than to be like the sparrow and dwell in the house of the Lord and be continually praising his God. It’s a beautiful image. It is echoed in the text from Matthew — not even the sparrow is beyond our Father’s care. So don’t be afraid. We don’t always have the same sentiment, but perhaps we should. Our anthem shares this view of “My Father’s House” as a place of comfort and safety and refuge. Are we welcoming to the stranger — the outcast—-the intruder — who comes into our church and desecrates the holy space? Do we offer a safe place for the “least of these”? The psalmist and the gospel writers caught the vision. Can we?
Holy Father, we come broken and battered to your house, longing for healing. We come outcast and lost to your house, searching for community. We come sinful and ashamed to your house, seeking forgiveness. Come, Lord, make this church your house. Come, Lord, make this heart your home. Amen. —Robert Norris
Anthem Meditation: “Lord, I Lift My Hands to You” click on title to listen The “Creation of Adam” is a fresco painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Anyone who views this cannot mistake the special relationship of Man and the Creator God. The face of Adam is one of an innocent person who looks toward God as if looking for instruction and relationship, a look for love. God appears resolute but also shows a fatherly countenance. Adam’s nakedness indicates a certain vulnerability and helplessness. He stretches his hand as if to turn for refuge and direction; very dependent on God. The hymn ‘Lord I Stretch My Hands to You’ by Jay Althouse with lyrics adapted from Charles Wesley, succinctly described the vulnerability-dependency realities of the man-creator relationship.
5 In God we will find abundance but unfortunately, many of us fail to recognize this. We want to assert our independence and in so doing, we lose sight of God. What a pity! We withdraw our hands and go our separate ways. In this zealousness to break free, we become blind to our spiritual inheritance and lose the wisdom of God’s counsel. God’s hand however remains outstretched. Is 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Philip Yancey in his book, ‘Finding God in Unexpected Places’ recounted this story, “Theologian John S Dunne tells of a group of early Spanish sailors who reached the continent of South America after an arduous voyage. Their caravels sailed into the headwaters of the Amazon, an expanse of water so wide the sailors presumed it to be a continuation of the Atlantic Ocean. It never occurred to them to drink the water, since the sailors presumed it to be saline, and as a result many of them died of thirst. That scene of men dying of thirst even as their ships floated on the world’s largest source of fresh water has become for me a metaphor of our age. Some people starve to death spiritually while all around them manna rots.” Is 41: 17-18 “The poor and needy search for water but there is none, their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. John’s Gospel recorded a gentle conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman; a woman looking for meaningful love and relationship. John 4:7-13, “When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal If only we all can recognize our lack of spirituality and wisdom! Then we would stretch Lord, I stretch my hands to you; no other help I know. our hands to God to establish a relationIf you should leave me all alone where, then, shall I go? Oh, Lord, I give my soul to you. I seek your care and love. ship that was meant to be from the dawn No other blessings do I need but those from you above. of time. Psalms 121:1-3 “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come Lord, I ask you give me faith, and help me understand. And, Lord, when I this life shall leave, just hold me in your hand, from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let Lord, I stretch my hands to you; no other help I know. your foot slip— He who watches over you If you should leave me all alone where, then, shall I go? will not slumber.” Oh, Lord, I stretch my hands to you. Amen. — Charles Wesley and Jay Althouse —-from “Contemplation” Lionel Lee
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Sunday, August 13 “The Breath of Life” Genesis 2:4-7
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the Lord[a] God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7 then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,[b] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.
Hymn Meditation: “Sing Glory to the Name of God” click on title to listen
Psalm 29 offers something powerful. It’s no secret that inten- Sing glory to the name of God, tional and mindful silence is one of the central practices of my Whose holy splendor shines abroad. life. It can be too easy to associate that practice with a tame Alleluia, Alleluia! Enthroned above the crashing waves, view of God – a safe view of God, and connect it to images The God of grace and glory saves. such as those given in 1 Kings 19:12 where God is present with Alleluia, Alleluia! Elijah in a gentle whisper (ignoring the potency of what came before). This can lend itself to a familiarity that robs us of some- The name of God is full of might: Resounding thunder, flashing light. thing. The closeness that comes with such an approach is imAlleluia, Alleluia! portant, and should feed our very being, but it’s good to hold it The wilderness cannot contain in tension and also allow it to be fueled by something else – The echoes of the great refrain: Alleluia, Alleluia! God’s awesomeness. Silence can and should be a response to God’s love, fueled The name of God is wild and free, by the desire to be in union with and shaped by Him. It’s a A whirl in holy mystery. practice that puts aside all other things that seek to crowd out Alleluia, Alleluia! A secret wrapped in smoke and fire, our sense of who we are, and it brings us back to the simple Still chanted by the temple choir: truth that we are loved – this should be the seat of our identity. Alleluia, Alleluia! But there is another understanding of God that gives that story of love its strength, stops it just from being an empty, warm fuzzy May God forever be our peace; May hymns of glory never cease: experience, and helps us to truly grasp its significance, bringing Alleluia, Alleluia! us to silence in another way – here’s where Psalm 29 steps in for Let all the faithful people come; Sing praise to God, the Three in One: me. Alleluia, Alleluia! You’ll notice Psalm 29 builds to this: The voice of the Lord — David Gambrell, 2009 strikes with flashes of lightning! The voice of the Lord shakes the desert… Sit with those words for a moment – sense the majesty and fearsomeness of them. The Psalm builds this awesome (in the true sense of the word) image of God, smashes through with that quote, then drives the point home, finishing on this very God giving strength to, and blessing his people.
7 The Psalmist leaves no question – God is big, awesome, mighty, powerful and anything but tame and safe. This is the creator of the universe. His majesty is all engulfing. When I truly consider this it makes me tremble and I ‘get’ the idea that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). This isn’t the sort of fear that is known in the terror I felt as a child waking up from nightmares drenched in sweat and so scared I couldn’t scream though I wanted to – a terror that crushes the heart. Rather, Psalm 29 shows us an awe that makes me tremble, leaves my voice quivering and my heart beating fast and it leaves only one response – a silence entered into on my knees. This awe of God makes me mirror the words of Job: I am unworthy – how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer – twice, but I will say no more. And it draws me to the question uttered by the Psalmist (Psalm 8:4): …what is mankind that you are mindful of them [me], human beings that you care for them? That fearsome majesty of God puts things into perspective, brings me to silence and it’s in the knowledge of that power and strength that the wonder of God’s mercy, grace, forgiveness and love become truly potent. Out of that silence my gut response is to mirror the sentiment of the shout of ‘Glory!’ in verse 9. The God who could crush all chooses to whisper to us and out of who He is, chose to become one of us. Then through that becoming, He draws us into union with Himself. In that process I see who I am – the good, the bad and the ugly and am freed from that which binds me. I am made new. The beauty of it all begins not with God being small, tame and familiar, but with God being big, powerful, majestic and all encompassing – to the point where it should cause our knees to knock together in awe. When I truly sit with Psalm 29, it does this for me. It’s this that makes the story of Jesus and our union with Him a thing of wonder, and truly transforming. — Rev. Francis Richie “Exploring the Journey of Life and faith”
Anthem Meditation: “Hush! Somebody’s Callin’ My Name” (click title to listen) The LORD said,
“Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. — 1 Kings 19:11-13
Hush, hush, somebody’s callin’ my name. Hush. Somebody’s callin’ my name. Hush, hush, somebody’s callin’ my name. O, my Lord, o, my Lord, what shall I do? I’m so glad that trouble don’t last always. I’m so glad that trouble don’t last always. I’m so glad that trouble don’t last always. O, my Lord, o, my Lord, what shall I do? I’m so glad I got my ‘ligion in time. I’m so glad I got my ‘ligion in time. I’m so glad I got my ‘ligion in time. O, my Lord, o, my Lord, what shall I do? I’m so glad. The Lord breathed life in me. I’m so glad. The Lord breathed life in me. O, my Lord, o, my Lord, what shall I do?
Hush, hush, somebody’s callin’ my name. Hush. Somebody’s callin’ my name. We have had some power- Hush, hush, somebody’s callin’ my name. ful storms the last several nights. O, my Lord, o, my Lord, what shall I do?
It certainly gets your attention! A storm would certainly be an
— Traditional Spiritual
8 extraordinary way for God to call us out of our ordinary lives that distract us from following him. But in this story, God is not in the storm, or the earthquake, or the fire. God is in the whisper. And that is remarkable. There is also an amazing power in speaking a person’s name. It says that you know them. To know someone by name, implies that you know about them and care enough to learn more. The story does not tell us what the whisper said, but something made it clear to Elijah that God was in the still, small voice. Perhaps it was the whisper of his name. Listen. Really listen. Can you hear the whisper?
Lord, you have called us. Lord, you have called us by our name. Lord, you have whispered. Lord, you have called us in Your name. Lord, we come to your table. Fill us. Clear the clutter and noise from our lives so that we can more clearly hear and respond to your most powerful and loving whisper. Amen.
Hymn: “Breathe on Me Breath of God” click on title to listen
Breathe Worship Wait! Before you read another word — just breathe. Take a deep breath in and then sigh as you exhale. Worship is as necessary to our lives as breathing. This is a fairly major claim to make, and yet, as I think about what breathing does to sustain us, I can’t help applying the analogies to how worship sustains us as well. Here are some observations: Worship is a time and place where we are “in-spired” (to breathe Breathe on me, Breath of God, in) by the Word and the story of Jesus Christ in our midst. As God is Fill me with life anew, praised, we are refreshed and replenished, given strength and new That I may love what thou dost love, And do what thou wouldst do. life. Worship is an opportunity to cast off, or “ex-spire” (to breathe out) those things which we do not need. Burdens, confessions, exhortations are given up to God. We are made new in the casting off, making room for life and love.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, Until my heart is pure, Until with thee I will one will, To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, Worship is also the experience of “con-spiring” with (to breathe Till I am wholly thine, with) the Spirit in discerning our role as the Body of Christ active in the Till all this earthly part of me Glows with thy fire divine.
world, bringing about the reign of God.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
How can we increase the possibility that our worship will be like life- So shall I never die, giving breathe? Do we just go on hoping and praying that it will hap- But live with thee the perfect life pen? Or are there also ways to facilitate vital and meaningful worship Of thine eternity. — Edwin Hatch, 1878 experiences?
9 A greater understanding of ourselves, our history, our creative abilities, and one another can bring about incredible excitement and facilitate deep, caring, and meaningful worship for our communities. Moreover, it is the community that must be involved in this process (not just the staff or pastor). In order for “liturgy” to literally become what that word means — the work of the people — we must engage in process to evaluate, study, and design our worship together as a community. It will be fun, inspirational, and sometimes difficult. But it is a faithful act to struggle with sometimes conflicting feelings regarding our rituals. We get to talk about what matters to us, learn about each other, and learn more about why we do the things that we do. So, take another breath… together, one Body. And pray as we worship together and breathe in the Spirit’s inspiration, breathe out, casting off the old burdens, and breathe together with the Spirit, creating worship. Breathe. — Marcia McFee “The Worship Workshop”
Hymn Meditation: “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” click on title to listen
“His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who
called us by glory and virtue.” 2 Peter 1:3 After their marriage, Charles and Sally Wesley set up housekeeping in Bristol, England, heading up the Methodist activities there. Later they moved to London so Charles could work more closely with his brother, John. All the while, however, he was writing hymns. There aren’t many stories behind specific hymn, because Charles was constantly writing hymns. He didn’t need special events to inspire him, he just continually wrote. He had within him a treasury of poetry. He constantly experienced the emotions of a true poet, his mind instinctively invested words with harmony, and hymn after hymn flowed from his pen. Henry Moore, one of his friends, described Charles like this: “Even when he was nearly eighty, he rode around on a little gray horse. He wore winter clothes even in the height of summer. He kept a card in his pocket so he could jot down any let us all thy life receive; thought that struck him. On these Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down; suddenly return and never, cards, he would often compose a fix in us thy humble dwelling; nevermore thy temples leave. hymn in short hand. Not infrequently all thy faithful mercies crown! Thee we would be always blessing, he had come to our house crying, Jesus thou art all compassion, serve thee as thy hosts above, pray and praise thee without ceasing, ‘Pen and ink! Pen and ink!’ These be- pure, unbounded love thou art; visit us with thy salvation; glory in thy perfect love. ing supplied he wrote the hymn he enter every trembling heart. had been composing in his head.” Finish, then, thy new creation; How many hymns did Wesley com- Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit pure and spotless let us be. Let us see thy great salvation pose? No one has been able to count into every troubled breast! perfectly restored in thee; them all. Experts put the number be- Let us all in thee inherit; let us find that second rest. changed from glory into glory, tween three and six thousand. “Love Take away our bent to sinning; till in heaven we take our place, Divine, All Loves Excelling” is certainly Alpha and Omega be; till we cast our crowns before thee, a favorite of many. It continues to en- end of faith, as its beginning, lost in wonder, love, and praise. — Charles Wesley rich and inspire. set our hearts at liberty. Come, Almighty to deliver,
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Sunday, August 20 “To Till and Keep the Garden” Genesis 2:8-15
And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14 The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.
Hymn Meditation: “When Morning Gilds the Skies” click on title to listen “From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.” exclaims Psalm 113:3. That’s the theme behind this anonymous German hymn, first published in 1744. It was translated into English a hundred years later by Edward Caswall, a Roman Catholic priest. Edward had grown up in an Anglican parsonage in Yately, England, where his father was a Church of England minister. Edward took great delight in translating Latin hymns into English. in translating “When Morning Gilds the Skies,” he rendered the verses freely and even
When morning gilds the skies My heart awakening cries: May Jesus Christ be praised! Alike at work and prayer, To Jesus I repair: May Jesus Christ be praised! The night becomes as day When from the heart we say: May Jesus Christ be praised! The powers of darkness fear When this sweet chant they hear: May Jesus Christ be praised! Let all the earth around Ring joyous with the sound: May Jesus Christ be praised! In heaven's eternal bliss The loveliest strain is this: May Jesus Christ be praised! Be this, while life is mine, My canticle divine: May Jesus Christ be praised! Be this th' eternal song Through all the ages long: May Jesus Christ be praised! — Anonymous
11 added some of his own. The original English version had twenty-eight stanzas. On Sunday, we will sing only the four stanzas printed in our hymnal. “Be this the eternal song through all the ages long: May Jesus Christ be praised!”
Anthem Meditation: “The Lord is My Shepherd” click on title to listen
How many times have you read the 23rd Psalm, or heard it recited, and yet never listened closely to the sheep/shepherd relationship that King David, the writer, cherished with all of his The Lord is my shepherd. Nothing shall I want. h e a r t ? My shepherd makes me lie in fields of green, We, the Leads me beside still waters. The Lord is my shepherd, who restores my life. children Leads me in the paths of righteousness of GOD For the sake of the Lord’s name. a r e And even though I walk through the valley sheep in Of the shadow of death. need of a shepherd, longing to find rest beside green I will fear no evil. For you are with me, pastures, to be led by streams of living water, desperYour rod and staff will comfort me. The Lord is my shepherd. Nothing shall I want. ate for our souls to be restored. Look about yourself; do My shepherd makes me lie in fields of green, you see the Savior leading you in paths of righteousLeads me beside still waters. The Lord is my shepherd, who restores my life. ness? Fear not child of the most High GOD, for though we are surrounded by death, there is nothing to fear, Leads me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of the Lord’s name. for the rod of the Lord will protect you. Come, those of You prepare a table before me, you who seek to do the Father's will and dine at the In the presence of my enemies. table of the Lord. Drink the blood and eat the flesh of You anoint my head with oil, the crucified Lamb, for the Holy Spirit of GOD has My cup overflows. anointed you for service in His kingdom. You now are Surely goodness and mercy, shall follow me All the days of my life. filled with the abundant life, your cup runs over! And in the house of my God I will live forever. —Psalm 23
And as you freely receive and drink from this cup, freely give away the life it contains, for this abundant life is drawn from the well that shall never run dry. Truly your cup runs over when you are filled with the Spirit, for streams of living now flow from you. Seek those around you who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for like you, they too want to taste the sweetness of eternal life. Give dear Christian, give and it shall be given unto you for in you through the divine power of the Lord GOD of Heaven through whom everything has been given to you pertaining to life and GODliness. Do this and live abundantly. Surely goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. And when all that has been required of you is accomplished, and with Christ you can say it is finished, our Father shall say unto you, well done thou good and faithful servant, come dwell in the house of your LORD forever. AMEN.
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Hymn Meditation: “For the Beauty of the Earth” click on title to listen
“The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.” Acts 17:24 One of the delights that we as adults have in being around children is to hear their squeals of pleasure as they observe and discover some ordinary object about them. No doubt our heavenly Father is also pleased when His children take time to observe and appreciate his creation and then to simply express joyous gratitude to Him for His countless blessings. This hymn reminds us of the common blessings of life that many of us often take for granted — the beauties of nature, our parents, family, friends, church. The lyrics direct our “grateful praise” to God Himself, the giver of every good and perfect gift.
For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth Over and around us lies; Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For the beauty of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale, and tree and flower, Sun and moon, and stars of light; Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of ear and eye, For the heart and mind's delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight; Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child, Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild; Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For thy church, that evermore Lifteth holy hands above, Offering up on every shore Her pure sacrifice of love; Lord of all, to thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise. For thyself, best Gift Divine, to the world so freely given, for that great, great love of thine, peace on earth, and joy in heaven: Lord of all, to thee we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.
— Folliot S. Pierpoint
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Sunday, August 27 Rally Day “Gifts of Rules” Genesis 2:16-17
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
Hymn Meditation: “Joyful, Joyful” click on title to listen
While gazing at the magnificent Berkshire mountains of Massachusetts, Henry van Dyke described in “Joyful, Joyful,” the many aspects of life that should bring us joy. He insisted that his text, written in 1911, be sung to the music of “Hymn of Joy” from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. This combination of words and great music makes “Joyful, Joyful” one of the most joyous expressions of any hymn in the English language. One of the forceful ideas expressed by van Dyke is that Go’s gracious love for us should create a greater “brother love” for all of mankind. With God’s help we can become victorious over strife and be “lifted to the joy divine” as we daily show more love to others. Henry van Dyke was a distinguished Presbyterian minister. He also served as ambassador to Holland and Luxembourg under President Wilson. He later served as a professor of literature at Princeton University. Even with all of the accolades, this simple hymn of praise stands as his greatest achievement and for which he is best remembered. What could possibly be better than to leave a legacy of joyful praise.
Joyful, joyful, we adore thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flowers before thee, opening to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away. Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day! All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy rays, stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee. Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blest, well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest! Thou our Father, Christ our brother, all who live in love are thine; teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine. Mortals, join the mighty chorus which the morning stars began; love divine is reigning o'er us, binding all within its span. Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife; joyful music leads us sunward, in the triumph song of life.
— Henry van Dyke
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Anthem Meditation: “When In Our Music God Is Glorified” click on title to listen Meditation: “Let Everything That Has Breath” Psalm 148, 149, and 150 all command creation to sing praise to the Creator. Psalm 148 begins: “Praise the Lord from the heavens. Praise him in the heights above. Praise him, all his angles. Praise him, all his heavenly hosts. Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him, How often making music we have found all you shinning stars. Praise him, you highest heavens A new dimension in the world of sound, and you waters above the skies. Let them praise the As worship moved us to a more profound name of the Lord.” Alleluia! The psalm continues to command each tree and Let every instrument be tuned for praise! plant, each bird and fish and animal to praise the Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise! And may God give us faith to sing always: God, the Creator. Psalm 150 ends with: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!” Alleluia! —Fred Pratt Green, 1972 The heat of Summer is upon us. And it just seems like everything is bursting into glorious songs of praise. The plants and trees and flowers and bursting into color (and pollen — do sneezes count as sounds of praise?) The birds are singing away, the tree frogs are chirping merrily. Even the rain and thunder have to join in the cacophony. I have read that scientists have now catalogued approximately 5, 400 species of singing animals. Some creatures even show the capacity of learning and repeating musical lines, improvising melodies, and composing new tunes. Just sit in your backyard and listen to the varied music of creation around us. God created this universe with a capacity for song, from the tiny cricket to the massive blue whale. All of creation is designed to sing his praises. I don’t want to be left out! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! When in our music God is glorified And adoration leaves no room for pride It is as though the whole creation cried: Alleluia!
Great Creator and Giver of every good and perfect gift, You have created us for praise. You have given us this glorious gift of music, and we now give it back to you. May each note, each song, each breath, each sigh be a gift of gratitude to you. Amen —Robert Norris
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Hymn: “O Word of God Incarnate” click on title to listen Anglican Bishop William Walsham How (1823-1897) is best know for one of the great All Saints Day hymns, “For all the saints who from their labors rest.” But he wrote many hymns during his life. This Oxford-educated clergyman had a “high” view of Scripture as “O Word of God Incarnate” attests. This hymn in praise of the Bible is based on Psalm 119:105, “For the com- O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high, O Truth unchanged, unchanging, O light of our dark sky: mandment is a lamp; and the law is We praise you for the radiance that from the hallowed page, light; and reproofs of instruction are the A lantern to our footsteps, shines on from age to age. way of life.” It first appeared in a joint publication, Supplement to Psalms and The church from you, dear Savior, received this gift divine; Hymns (1867), with T.B. Morrell. And still that light is lifted on all the earth to shine. It is the chart and compass that, all life’s voyage through, The first line of the hymn echoes Amid the rocks and quick sands still guides, O Christ, to you. John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Successive biblical O make your church, dear Savior, a lamp of purest gold metaphors elaborate the nature of the To bear before the nations your true light , as of old; O teach your wandering pilgrims by this our path to trace, Word: “Wisdom” (James 3:17), Till, clouds and storms thus ended, we see you face to face. “Truth” (John 14:6), “Light” (John 1:4), —William W. How, 1867 “lantern to our footsteps” (Psalm 199:105). In stanza two, the church, given the Word from “our Savior,” becomes its custodian who is to lift the light “o’er all the earth to shine.” The Bible is a “sacred vessel” (originally “casket”) “where gems of truth are stored.” The Word paints a “heaven-drawn picture of Christ, [who is] “the living Word.” The final stanza is a prayer that petitions Christ to “make your church… a lamp of purest gold” and to “teach your wandering pilgrims by this their path to trace.” Ultimately, the goal is eschatological, where we will see Christ in heaven “face to face.” —Peter Hoytema
Dedication of New Choir Robes We dedicate our new choir robes to the glory of God and for the use of God’s service. The stoles will use the colors of the liturgical seasons: Green, Purple, White, and Red. As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Colossians 3:12-17 As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you