Notes on the Notes – February 16, 2025

This Week’s Music:

“Jesus Calls Us Here to Meet Him”

“Jesus calls us here to meet him, as through word and song and prayer,
We affirm God’s promised presence where his people live and care.
Praise the God who keeps his promise, praise the Son who calls us friends;
Praise the Spirit who, among us, to our hopes and fears attends.

Jesus calls us to confess him, Word of Life and Lord of all,
Sharer of our flesh and frailness, saving all who fail or fall.
Tell his holy human story, tell his tales that all may hear,
Tell the world that Christ in glory, came to earth to meet us here.

Jesus calls us to each other, vastly diff’rent tough we are;
Race and colour, class and gender neither limit nor debar.
Join the hand of friend and stranger; join the hands of age and youth;
Join the faithful and the doubter in their common search for truth.”

The words for our opening hymn were written by John L. Bell and Graham Maule.  John Lamberton Bell (born 1949) is a Scottish hymn-writer and Church of Scotland minister. He is a member of the Iona Community, a broadcaster, and former student activist. He works throughout the world, lecturing in theological colleges in the UK, Canada and the United States, but is primarily concerned with the renewal of congregational worship at the grass roots level. The tune we will be using is HOLY MANNA.

“Behold, Behold, I Make All Things” (MV #115) 

“Behold, behold,
I make all things new, beginning with you
and starting from today.
Behold, behold, 
I make all things new, my promise is true,
For I am Christ the way.” 

Our response to the words of assurance was also written by John L. Bell in 1995 and remind us that, through Jesus, we find new life. Hear the song below:

“Bigger Barns”

“Bigger barns are what I need!” So a rich man said one day.
“From my worries I’ll be free when my wealth is stored away.”
“Fool!” God said, “Today you’ll die!  Will your wealth mean anything?
All life’s blessings really lie in my life that wealth can’t bring.”

“Bigger barns are what we need for our money, gadgets, more!’
Lord, we’re tempted to believe having wealth, we’ll be secure!
Somewhere children cry for food or to have a doctor’s care.
Can our bigger barns be good when poor neighbours know despair?

God of love, we long to know what will make us truly blest.
Jesus taught us long ago wealth won’t give us peace or rest.
You are our security! Safe in you, we serve, O Lord.
May we find we’re rich indeed when we’re sharing with the poor.”

This hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette (2001) is based on the Parable of the Rich Fool in the gospel of Luke (12:13-21).  Carolyn is a prolific modern hymn writer and pastor who has written over 400 hymns and commentaries on current issues through a biblical lens. The tune we will be using is ABERYSTWYTH, by Joseph Parry (1879).

“Ka mana’o ‘I ‘O” 

“Kamana’o ‘I ‘O
O ko kakou Akua.
Faithful, faithful is our God.

In love there is no one more faithful than our God,
Who brings the light into our darkness.
The God who shares the breath of life with you and me,
All living things upon the earth.

In quiet moments God whispers tenderly
The mystery of unending love.
For God is good, and holds us as we sleep,
To wake us to the morning light.

The mercy of our God we seek to share each day,
To help each other on our way,
To be God’s hands and heart with tenderness and care.
God’s faithfulness is always there.

When we share love, we share respect and care,
The gifts and bonds of human kindness.
And in our journey, may love lead the way.
To be God’s living, sing this day.”

This week’s anthem was written by Joe Camacho in 1999. Gently reminding us of God’s love and faithfulness, we are encouraged to share God’s love with others. The Hawaiian opening phrase translates as “Faithful is our God.” The song can be found in More Voices.

“Grant Us, God, the Grace of Giving” (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 for the season of Epiphany comes from the Mennonite hymn book, “Hymnal: a Worship Book.”  The tune, STUTTGART, is a familiar one which is also used for the Advent hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (VU #2).

“As We Gather at Your Table” (VU #457)

“As we gather at your table, as we listen to your word,
Help us know, O God, your presence; let our hearts and minds be stirred.
Nourish us with sacred story till we claim it as our own;
Teach us through this holy banquet how to make Love’s victory known.

Turn our worship into witness in the sacrament of life;
Send us forth to love and serve you, bringing peace where there is strife.
Give us, Christ, your great compassion to forgive as you forgave;
May we still behold your image in the the world you died to save.

Gracious Spirit, help us summon other guests to share that feast
Where triumphant Love will welcome those who had been last and least.
There no more will envy blind us nor will pride our peace destroy,
As we join with saints and angels to repeat the sounding joy.”

The text for this communion hymn is from Carl P. Daw’s first collection, A Year of Grace: Hymns for the Church Year (1990).  The familiar melody, BEACH SPRING, is attributed to Benjamin Franklin White (1844), with harmony by Ronald A. Nelson (1978).

“Companions on the Journey”

“We are companions on the journey,
Breaking bread and sharing life;
And in the love we bear is the hope we share
For we believe in the love of our God,
We believe in the love of our God.

No longer strangers to each other;
No longer strangers in God’s house;
We are fed and we are nourished by the strength of those who care,
By the strength of those who care.

We have been gifted with each other,
And we are called by the Word of the Lord
To act with justice, to love tenderly,
And to walk humbly with our God,
To walk humbly with our God.

We shall seek and we shall find;
We will knock and the door will be opened;
We will ask and it shall be given,
For we believe in the love of our God,
We believe in the love of our God. 

We are made for the glory of our God,
For service in the name of Jesus;
To walk side by side with hope in our hearts.
For we believe in the love of our God,
We believe in the love of our God. 

We are companions on the journey…”

This song, written by Carey Landry (1985), is based on Micah 6:8 and Matthew 7:7.  On our journey of faith, we walk with God and with each other. The piano accompaniment is by Henry Papale.

“Lead Me, Lord” 

“Lead me, Lord, I will follow.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.
You have called me, I will answer.
Lead me, Lord, I will go.”

Our benediction response was written by Wayne and Elizabeth Goodine in 1994.  As we come to the end of worship, we renew our commitment to follow Jesus throughout the coming week.
Hear The Harmony Singers (2021) below: