Liturgy Lessons – Nov. 13, 2016
Introit: Laudamus Te – Kids Choir
Call to Worship: John 1:1-5,14 & Col 1:15-20
Opening Hymn: At the Name of Jesus (#163)
Confession: Psalm 25: 4-9
Assurance of Pardon: 1 Corinthians 15: 50-58
Song of Assurance: Thine Be the Glory (#274)
Catechism/Congregational Prayers
Tithes and Offerings
Doxology: #733
Sermon
Meditation
Supper Hymns: Come, Lonely Heart; Come, Thou Fount (#457)
Closing Hymn: Great is Thy Faithfulness (#32)
Benediction
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
2 Cor. 4:7-10, 16-18
“Hear our story now!” That is the opening lyric that I sang this past Sunday night at a concert with the Northwest Boys’ Choir. The piece we presented is entitled “Vedem.” Based on a clandestine newspaper published by teenage boys imprisoned in Terezin during WWII, it is a powerful example of art and beauty made in the midst of great hardship. “Vedem” is a collection of poetry, essays, journal entries, and satire about life in the concentration camp. Every Friday during the war, with the encouragement of their teachers, these boys would gather to read aloud the weekly entries. Only about 15 of the 100 boys (mostly ages 13-16) survived. One of those survivors hid the journal in a blacksmith shop and returned after the war was over to retrieve it. It has since been the subject of a book, a documentary, and most recently, a musical oratorio written in 2010. It stands as powerful re-affirmation of life and remembrance.
Some of the greatest art and music in history has been born through suffering. And singing has often been a way to bring meaning amidst madness, hope against all hell, and the breath of life amid impending death. Just think of the great work songs and spirituals that the slaves sang to avoid despair, the story of the WWII troops singing on Christmas Eve during a ceasefire, the way in which “Amazing Grace” became a pseudo-anthem for America following 9/11, and even the legend of the “swan song,” in which a lifelong mute animal sings a beautiful lament just before death. This week’s highlighted hymns are about the church’s song as a symbol of faith in trial and resurrection after suffering. This is, of course, the story of our savior, and so it is our story as well. Hear that story now, and then sing from a deeper, richer, fuller understanding of the hope we profess.
At the Name of Jesus
Text: Caroline M. Noel (1870) Tune: King’s Weston, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1925)
Last week we met Eliza Hewitt, who, while enduring chronic physical pain, wrote the hymn “My faith has found a resting place.” This week we meet Caroline Noel, another female hymn writer who displayed a vibrant internal life of faith despite being debilitated with poor health. Born in London in 1817, Caroline Noel was the daughter of a vicar in the Church of England. She wrote her first hymn at the age of 17, but between the ages of 20 and 40 she suffered many bouts of illness that eventually rendered her an invalid. Most of her hymn-writing came during the last 20 years of her life, and was focused on private devotional verse for the “sick and the lonely.” This hymn, however, was intended for public use, and is often used as a processional during Ascension Sunday. It is a brilliant paraphrase of the great canticle in Philippians 2, which conveys the essence of the entire journey of Christ from manger to heavenly throne. The original contained eight verses, five of which are in our hymnal. The biblical references for some of the verses are listed below.
Ralph Vaughan Williams, the famous English composer of the 20th century, based much of his music on folk tunes. This makes his arrangements both artful and accessible. Examples of this in our hymnal are “Let all mortal flesh” and “On Christmas Night all Christians sing.” Vaughan Williams composed KING’S WESTON for Noel’s text. It was published in Songs of Praise (1925). This imposing and solemn hymn by Vaughan Williams is in a minor key and is marked by a dignified rhythmic march throughout, and a soaring climax at the end of each verse. I love the temper of this tune, elegant and defiant. In our modern era of MUZAK, saturated as it is with jolly jingles, we associate major keys with “happy” emotions and minor keys with sad ones. But joy can be expressed through tears, and sometimes a more musically honest portrayal of hope is one that depicts the darkness and does not avoid it. That is the case here, in a hymn that celebrates our suffering Savior’s triumph over sin and the grave. Did you know that the word passion means “to suffer with”? May we sing with deep and true passion, as our hearts confess him “King of Glory.”
Scripture references:
vs. 1 – Philippians 2:6-11, John 1:1
vs. 2 – Ps. 33:6-9
vs. 3 – Col. 2:15
vs. 5 – Acts 1:11
The full lyrics can be found here:
Lead sheet (1st verse only, rest of music under copyright): http://www.psalmsandhymns.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/At-the-Name-of-Jesus-Lead-Sheet.pdf
Suggested recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8IiA1PUbmw
Thine Be the Glory
Text: Edmond Louis Budry (1904) Tune: G.F. Handel, Theme from Judas Maccabeus
In his introduction to his exposition on the Psalms, Thomas Aquinas (13th century) says this:
“Hymnus est laus Dei cum cantico; canticum autem exultatio mentis de aeternis habita, prorumpens in vocem.” (“A hymn is the praise of God with song; a song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice.”)
What could be more wonderful to dwell on than the resurrection and triumph of Jesus? Just as he burst forth from the grave, so our voices “burst forth” in this hymn of victory, which perfectly displays the glory and brilliance of Christ’s resurrection. The lyrics for this hymn were written by Edmond Louis Budry in 1904. Budry was a Swiss minister, writer, and translator. The original text was in French, and was first translated into English by Richard Hoyle in 1925. It is believed that part of the inspiration for this hymn came after the death of his first wife. This hymn is inspired Christ’s resurrection and parts of Isaiah 25:8.
The tune for this hymn is JUDAS MACCABEUS. The title comes from the oratorio “Judas Maccabeus” by George Frederic Handel, the great 18th century composer of Messiah. The tune comes from the chorus “See, the conquering hero comes,” and it is—without doubt—a hero’s fanfare. Full of pomp and rhythmic vitality, the music includes a lively refrain at the end of each verse, which ramps up to a high note on the word “victory.” When it was first released, the tune exploded in popularity. John Wesley mentioned several times in his journal that the tune was one of his favorites. In 1796, Beethoven, who was astounded by Handel’s genius, composed 12 variations of the tune for cello and piano.
I must say that I share Wesley’s opinion. This is one of my favorite hymns set to the music from my absolute all-time favorite composer. What an infectious, enthusiastic, and joyful hymn!
Link to sheet music: http://www.hymnary.org/media/fetch/97578
Hymn recording (from Bellevue Presbyterian Church): https://vimeo.com/124465831
Original chorus from Judas Maccabeus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p1BedwyFKY