Notes on the Notes – August 13, 2023

The gospel lesson this week is from Matthew 14:22-33, the story of Jesus walking across stormy waters and calming the waves.  Our music reflects this passage, especially the theme of Jesus calming the storm. 

This week’s music:

“O Changeless Christ” (VU #350)

“O changeless Christ, for ever new, who walked our earthly ways;
        Still draw our hearts as once you drew the hearts of other days.

        As once you spoke by plain and hill or taught by shore and sea,
        So be today our teacher still, O Christ of Galilee.

        As wind and storm their master heard and his command fulfilled,
        May troubled hearts receive your word, the tempest-tossed be stilled.

        And as of old to all who prayed your healing hand was shown,
        So be your touch upon us laid, unseen but not unknown.”

The words for our opening hymn were written by Timothy Dudley-Smith in 1981.  We will be using the first 4 verses.  The hymn draws us into worship, asking Jesus to be our teacher, that our hearts be open and that the touch of Jesus be upon us.  The tune we will be using is WESTMINSTER OLD, also known as the tune for the Christmas carol, “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” (VU #75).

“Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me” (VU #637)

“Jesus, Saviour, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;
     Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treacherous shoal;
     Chart and compass come from thee, Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

     As a mother stills her child, thou canst hush the ocean wild;
     Boisterous waves obey thy will when thou biddest them “Be still.”
     Wondrous sovereign of the sea, Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

        When at last I near the shore, and the fearful breakers roar
        ‘Twixt me and the peaceful land, still supported by thy hand,
        May I hear thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

This hymn was written by Edward Hopper in 1871, with music by John Edgar Gould (1871).  Hopper was known for his ministry to sailors and was asked to write a hymn for the Seaman’s Friend Society’s anniversary celebration.  The language comes from 19th century sea-faring and has not been updated, which may be a challenge for those who are unfamiliar with it.

The sea is a favorite image of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century hymn writers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Traveling by ship, although an adventure, was also potentially a long and arduous journey fraught with danger, especially storms and unseen rocks.  This was similar to the “storms of life” that we all face.  As sailors turned to God in times of storm, so we also turn to God to be with us and guide us (or pilot us) through the trials of life.

For a more complete discussion of the hymn, please visit:

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-jesus-savior-pilot-me

A prayerful paraphrase of the hymn:

Jesus, my Saviour, guide me over the rough patches of life.
I do not know what lies ahead, and what difficulties there may be.
My map, my pathway, come from you.  Jesus, guide me. 

Like a mother soothes her child, I know you can calm the storm.
Turbulent feelings and rough waters will calm when you say “Be still.” 
You rule over all.  Jesus, guide me. 

When I come to the end of my days, and I worry about what is to come,
Between me and what lies beyond, I know you will be there, supporting me,
And may I hear you say, as always, “Fear not. I will guide you.”  

“Calm Me, Lord”

“Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm;
        Still me, Lord, keep me from harm.
        Let all the tumult within me cease;
        Enfold me, Lord, in your peace.

        Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm;
        Still me, Lord, keep me from harm.
        Let all the tumult within me cease;
        Enfold me, Lord,
        Enfold me in your peace.”

This centering song is taken from the collection “Sing the Story.”  The words are by David Adam with music by Margaret Rizza (1998).

“We Do Not Know What Lies Ahead”

“We do not know what lies ahead.
Will we meet storms, or sun instead?
Do we hope Christ will calm the waves,
Or is our faith enough to save?

There will be times when we maintain
That all our efforts are in vain.
If we give up, what can we give?
For what we leave is how we’ve lived.

But Christ gives hope which makes us bold;
To take a risk, though trials unfold;
For love is patient, and sustains,
When we are lost, love still remains.

In welcome shared and kindness shown,
The love of God is truly known.
When we attempt to live shalom,
We find the road that leads us home.”

This song was written by Allan Baer in 2017 and arranged by S. Porter.

The story behind the song:

It was an overcast day. My wife had the car and I had an errand to run. The simplest way would be by bike, but I had no rain gear with me. So I took a chance and sure enough, I ran into a cloudburst 10 minutes before arriving back home. Would I have set out had I known that the storm would catch me mid-journey? Perhaps not, but my sodden clothes eventually dried, and my misadventure still yielded the beginnings of this song and a few lyrics that ran through my head as I cycled. That opportunity might not normally have arisen in my usual schedule. Christ often pointed out that his future and that of his disciples would not always be bright. But knowing the time and date of our troubles does not necessarily prevent them from arriving. Our instinct is to avoid such events, but in doing so, we may miss out on helping in a way that is uniquely ours. We may not know in advance what role we are to play. In fact, how we act – with compassion and generosity – may be more important than what we do. In God’s world, success as we know it may not be the object. But God’s kingdom is now and there is work to be done, even if we are not the ones to finish it. (Source:  https://www.crossroadsunited.ca/spirit/)

Hear the song at:  https://youtu.be/Y9wpDVzV28Y

“Grant Us, God, the Grace” (VU #540)

“Grant us, God, the grace of giving,
With a spirit large and free,
That ourselves and all our living
We may offer faithfully.”

The text of our offering response comes from the Mennonite hymn book, “Hymnal: a Worship Book,” and reminds us to freely and faithfully share our gifts, whatever they may be.  The tune is a familiar one which is also used for the Advent hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”  (VU #2).

“Will Your Anchor Hold” (VU #675)

“Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

Will your anchor hold in the straits of fear,
When the breakers roar and the reef is near?
While the surges rave and the wild winds blow,
Shall the angry waves then your bark o’erflow?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.

Will your eyes behold through the morning light,
The city of gold and the harbour bright?
Will you anchor safe by the heavenly shore
When life’s storms are past for evermore?

We have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.”

Our closing hymn continues the sea-faring metaphor, focusing on the anchor of the boat.  The Oxford dictionary defines the word “anchor” as: