Notes on the Notes – January 22, 2023

Third Sunday of the Season of Epiphany

This week’s music:

“Jesus Calls Us” (VU #562) 

“Jesus calls us, o’er the tumult of our life’s wild restless sea,
Day by day his clear voice sounding, saying, “Christian, follow me.”

Long ago apostles heard it by the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred, leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us, saying, “Christian, love me more.”

In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease,
Still he calls, in cares and pleasures, “Christian, love me more than these.”

Jesus calls us: by your mercies, Saviour, may we hear your call,
Give our hearts to your obedience, serve and love you best of all.”

This hymn is based on Matthew 4:18-20, the calling of the first disciples of Jesus.  The words were written by Cecil Francis Alexander in 1852.  The melody, GALILEE, was composed for this text by William Herbert Jude in 1874.

The first verse of this hymn begins, “Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea”—acknowledging the call of those first disciples by the Sea of Galilee.  A recurring theme is “Christian, love me more”—”Christian, love me more than these” —”serve and love thee best of all.”  Those words were inspired by John 21:15, where Jesus, after the resurrection, asked Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”  The hymn acknowledges Jesus’ claim, not only over the lives of those first four disciples, but over the lives of every Christian.  (Source:  Sermon Writer https://www.sermonwriter.com/hymn-stories/jesus-calls-us-oer-tumult/)

Hear the song on piano at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vir9cxM1FGs

“Would I Have Answered When You Called”

“Would I have answered when you called, “Come, follow, follow me!”?
Would I at once have left behind both work and family?
Or would the old, familiar round have held me by its claim
And kept the spark within my heart from bursting into flame?

Would I have followed where you led through ancient Galilee,
On roads unknown, by ways untried, beyond security?
Or would I soon have hurried back where home and comfort drew,
Where truth you taught would not disturb the ordered world I knew?

Would I have matched my step with yours when crowds cried, “Crucify!”
When on a rocky hill I saw a cross against the sky?
Or would I too have slipped away and left you there alone,
A dying king with crown of thorns upon a terrible throne?

O Christ, I cannot search my heart through all its tangled ways,
Nor can I with a certain mind my steadfastness appraise.
I only pray that when you call, “Come, follow, follow me!”
You’ll give me strength beyond my own to follow faithfully.”

The words for this hymn were written by Rev. Dr. Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr., an American hymn writer (1923-2007).  He was known for his leadership in community and civic projects. Always taking an active stance on social issues, he participated in the creation of day care centers, served on the Gettysburg interchurch social action committee, helped create and support prison ministries and a homeless shelter, and tutored young people in the after school program of Christ Lutheran Church, where he was a long time member. (Source:  Hymnary.org).

The words of the hymn ask us to put ourselves in the place of the first disciples.  Would we have given up our lives and families to follow Jesus?  Would we stand by him at the crucifixion, or slip away?  The closing verse asks Jesus to “give me strength beyond my own to follow faithfully.

We will be using the familiar tune, KINGSFORD, with these words.  Thought by some scholars to date back to the Middle Ages, KINGSFOLD is a folk tune set to a variety of texts in England and Ireland. The tune was published in English Country Songs [sic: English County Songs] (1893), an anthology compiled by Lucy E. Broadwood and J. A. Fuller Maitland. After having heard the tune in Kingsfold, Sussex, England (thus its name), Ralph Vaughan Williams introduced it as a hymn tune in The English Hymnal (1906) as a setting for Horatius Bonar’s “I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say.”

“Jesus Saw Them Fishing” aka “Fish With Me” (MV #113) 

“Jesus saw them fishing by the shore of Galilee,
Casting out their nets into the sea.
Simon Peter, Andrew and the sons of Zebedee,
Waiting in their boats so patiently.

And Jesus said, “Oh, come and follow me.
Oh, leave behind your nets. I call you.
Oh, come and fish with me,
And your life will never be the same again.”

A rich young person came to Jesus looking for advice.
“How can I obtain eternal life?”
Jesus told him, “Honor the commandments of the Lord.
Then sell off all your riches for the poor.”

Those who save their lives will lose them.
Those who lose their lives will save them.
For what profit does it show if you gain the world but lose your soul,
Your soul?

“If you want to follow me deny your very self.
Take up your cross and walk the walk with me.
This might seem a hardship, an impossibility,
But nothing is impossible with God.”

The text of this song is based on Matthew 4:18-22; 16:24-26; 19:16-21, 25-26 and provides a retelling of the calling of the first disciples.  It was written in 2002 by Ken Canedo.

Hear the Praise Singers:

“Jesus, You Have Come to the Lakeshore” (VU #563)

“Jesus, you have come to the lakeshore looking neither for wealthy nor wise ones;
You only asked me to follow humbly.

You know so well my possessions; my boat carries no gold and no weapons;
You will find there my nets and labour.

You need my hands, full of caring through my labours to give others rest,
And constant love that keeps on loving.

You, who have fished other oceans, ever longed for by souls who are waiting,
My loving friend, as thus you call me:

O Jesus, with your eyes you have searched me,
And while smiling, have spoken my name;
Now my boat’s left on the shoreline behind me;
By your side I will seek other seas.”

This hymn is written as an intimate response to Jesus from the perspective of the first fishermen called. The gentle rocking motion of the music is reminiscent of a boat rocking on the water. Written in Spanish by Cesdrea Gabardin in 1979, it was translated to English by Gertrude C. Suppe, George Lockwood, and Raquel Guiterrez–Achon in 1987.

“Your Work, O God, Needs Many Hands” (VU #537)

“Your work, O God, needs many hands to help you everywhere,
And some there are who cannot serve unless our gifts we share.
Because we love you and your work, our offering now we make:
Be pleased to use it as your own, we ask for Jesus’ sake.”

Our offering response was written by Calvin Weiss Laufer in 1927, set to music by Neil Dougall (1831).

“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 closing song was written by Wayne and Elizabeth Goodine in 1994.   As we come to the end of worship, we make our commitment to follow Jesus throughout the coming week.

“We Will Follow” 

“We will follow, we will follow Jesus.
We will follow everywhere he goes.
We will follow, we will follow Jesus.
Everywhere he goes, we will follow.

In the morning, we will follow Jesus.
In the morning, follow faithfully.
In the morning, we will follow Jesus.
Everywhere he goes, we will follow.

In the evening, we will follow Jesus.
In the evening, follow faithfully.
In the evening, we will follow Jesus.
Everywhere he goes, we will follow.” 

This traditional Zimbabwean song has the Zulu title of “Som’landela.”

The Zulu lyrics are:

Som’landela, som’landel’ U Jesu.
Som’lanadela yonke indawo.
Som’landela, son’landel’ U Jesu.
Lapho Eyakhona som’landela.

Hear the song sung by a men’s choir in Zulu, French and English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1VUrqQ86z8%3Ffeature%3Doembed