Notes on the Notes – February 18, 2024

Lent 1

This week’s music:

“Come and Journey with a Saviour” 

“Come and journey with a Saviour who has called us from our birth,
Who has washed us in the waters, and who loved us on the earth.
Come and journey, come and journey, with a Saviour who has come.
We are all God’s sons and daughters.  In the Spirit we are one.

Come and journey, journey inward, come and seek him deep within.
Where he meets us in our living, in our striving and our sin.
Come and journey, journey outward, where the cross calls us to care,
Where injustice and where hunger and the poor call us to share.

Come and journey, journey upward.  Sing God’s praises, offer prayer.
In the storm and in the stillness, find God’s presence everywhere.
Come and journey, journey onward, all our gifts we now shall bring,
To the building of a city that is holy, Christ its king.”

As we begin our Lenten journey, we sing our opening hymn with words by George Atkins.  The words remind us whose we are and invite us to journey inward, outward, upward and onward, knowing that  Jesus is always with us.  The tune we will be using is HOLY MANNA, which is attributed to William Moore (1825) and has been arranged by David Kai (1994).

“How Deep the Peace” (MV #95)

            “How deep the peace, the confidence
            Of those whose hearts are forgiven.
            How deep the peace, the confidence
            Of those who hearts are healed.”

Our response to the Words of Assurance for the season of Lent is based on Psalm 32.  Having left our concerns with God through prayer, we hear of God’s unfailing love. This hymn was written by Linnea Good in 2004.

Hear the Harmony Singers:

“You Call Us To the Wilderness”  

“You call us to the wilderness,
an empty, barren land.
The challenge is to break away
and then to trust your hand.
You call us to the wilderness
to concentrate the mind
on letting go of many things
that stifle humankind.

You call us to the wilderness
but all we see is loss:
for it’s a challenge to believe
the “power” of the cross.
You call us to the wilderness
to show a stronger way:
that power only has effect
when weakness wins the day.

You call us from the wilderness
and emptiness gives way,
enlivened by your Spirit’s breath,
returning to the day.
You call us from the wilderness
to different barren lands
to breathe the message of the cross
for other empty hands.”

The words of this hymn were written by Paul Wood and Ian Worsfold in 2015.  They reference the gospel stories of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness before he started his ministry and encourage us to face our own wilderness challenges.  We will be using the tune, KINGSFOLD, which is also the tune for the hymn “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say” (VU #625).   It is a traditional English and Irish melody which was arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906.  

“Jesus, Take All of Me”

“Just as I am without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me.
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come, I come.

Just as I am Thou will receive,
Will welcome pardon, cleanse, relieve.
Because Thy promise I believe, 
O Lamb of God I come, I come. 

Jesus, take all of me.
I come to You, I run to You.
There is nothing that You don’t see.
You love me just as I am. 

Just as I am broken in two.
Just as I am, I come to You.
Because I know Your Word is true,
O Lamb of God I come, I come. 

Jesus, take all of me.
I come to You, I run to You.
There is nothing that You don’t see.
You love me just as I am. 

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Has broken ev’ry barrier down.
Now to be Thine, yes, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God I come, I come. 

I come,
O sweet Lamb of God, I come,
I come.”

This week’s anthem combines the hymn “Just as I Am” by Charlotte Elliott with new words and music by Brenton Brown and Amy Grant.  We will be singing an arrangement of the song by Heather Sorenson (2012).

Although disabled at the age of thirty, Charlotte Elliott continued a long career of writing and editing.  The text for “Just as I Am” was published in her Invalid’s Hymn Book in 1836.  After her death, a file was found containing a thousand letters of thanks for this hymn.  Her brother, Henry Venn Elliott, later commented that she had ministered to more people through this hymn than he had in the entire course of his ministry.   The tune, WOODWORTH, was originally set to another hymn, but was subsequently printed with “Just as I Am” in 1860.  The hymn resonates as we come before God in all of our imperfections, trusting in God’s love and ability to once again give us a “clean heart.”

Hear “Just as I Am” by The Vagle Brothers at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lxqhPC1mNA

Hear Alan Jackson sing the hymn at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAnSmJecnEk

“These Lenten Gifts We Bring”

“These Lenten gifts we bring,
Our living faith expressed,
We offer them, most lovingly,
And thus our hearts are blessed.

O loving God receive
These gifts we gladly give,
That show our faith and hope and trust;
Your way we seek to live.”

Our Lenten offering response uses the tune FRANCONIA (VU #542), which was written by Johann Balthasar Konig (1738) and adapted by William Henry Havergal (1847).

“Spirit God, Be Our Breath” (MV #150)

“Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Our world seems inward, defensive, withdrawn…
Spirit God, be our song.

Patient God: soothe our pride, calm our fear.
Comfort us.
When we know you are near we grow more certain, our vision is clear.
Patient God, calm our fear.

Loving God: be our voice, be our prayer.
Reaching out, joining hands as we share,
We seek your guidance through friendship and care.
Loving God, be our prayer.

Spirit God: be our breath, be our song.
Blow through us, bringing strength to move on.
Through change, through challenge, we’ll greet the new dawn.
Spirit God, be our song.”

This song, with words and music by Bruce Harding, was written in 1997.   The lyrics are a sung prayer that God be with us through the changes that we will see as we move forward in faith.

“From this Place of Prayer and Praising”

“From this place of prayer and praising, cross and table, well-worn pews,
God, we leave to work and witness, living every day for you.
Bless us on our Lenten journey, Loving Parent, Holy Friend;
Spirit, guide your people onward till once more we meet again.”

Our benediction response for the the season of Lent will be sung to the familiar hymn tune, BEACH SPRING (VU #374).