Notes on the Notes – January 23, 2022

“The Lord’s Favour” 

This week’s music:

“Many are the Lightbeams” (VU #588 v. 1)

“Many are the light beams from the one light.
Our one light is Jesus.
Many are the light beams from the one light;
We are one in Christ.”

In 1972, Anders Frostenson, a Swedish pastor and hymn writer, wrote this paraphrase of a passage from “De Unitat ellesiae” by Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (252 A.D.). The English translation is by David Lewis (1983). The tune was written by Swedish composer Olle Widestrand and arrranged by Leonard Lythgoe of Vancouver.  We will be using the first verse following the lighting of the Christ candle.

“We are Members of Christ’s Body”

“We are members of Christ’s body,
Joined by faith in unity:
One in calling, joy, and suffering,
Wholesome in diversity.
We will work with gifts that differ
Towards the Kingdom’s destiny.

Ear and eye to one another,
We have need of every part;
Hands and feet belong together,
Guided by a loyal heart;
Tendons, bones, and flesh embody
What the Spirit’s breath imparts.

When one member suffers hardship,
We will shoulder all the pain;
When another part is honored,
Joys throughout the body reign’
For our common love is pulsing
Towards the growth of Christ’s domain.”

The words for this hymn were written by Bert Polman (1990).  The tune we will be using this week is LAUDA ANIMA, most familiar as the tune for the hymn “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven.”

“The Spirit of the Lord” 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
Because God has anointed me
To preach good news to the poor.
God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
And recovering of sight to the blind
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

This song by Jim Strathdee was written in 1965.  Strathdee uses the words that Jesus speaks in the temple, where he first proclaims his mission by speaking words from the book of Isaiah.

“We are Called” 

“Come! Live in the light!
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!
We are called to be light for the kingdom,
To live in the freedom of the city of God.

Come! Open your heart!
Show your mercy to all those in fear!
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
So hatred and blindness will be no more.

Sing! Sing a new song!
Sing of that great day when all will be one!
God will reign, and we’ll walk with each other
As sisters and brothers united in love.

We are called to act with justice,
We are called to love tenderly;
We are called to serve one another,
To walk humbly with God.”

This song, based on words from the book of Micah, was written by David Haas in 1988.  Each of the three stanzas exhorts the singer with an imperative verb: “Come! Live in the light!” “Come! Open your heart!” “Sing! Sing a new song!”  The song urges us to action. The action here is inspired by Micah 6:8: “. . . what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God” (NET).(Source:  Discipleship Ministries – The United Methodist Church).  We will be using a Praise Team recording from summer 2021.

See the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir sing the song in worship at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgomtIc1_yc

“Christ Has No Body Now But Yours” (MV #171)

The words of this hymn were adapted by Stephen C. Warner in 2003 from the original poem by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).  They challenge us to be Christ’s body in the world today, carrying on Jesus’ work of love, justice and compassion.

“Christ has no body but yours, no hands but yours.
Here on this earth, yours is the work, to serve with the joy of compassion.

No hands but yours to heal the wounded world,
no hands but yours to soothe all its suffering,
no touch but yours to bind the broken hope of the people of God.

No eyes but yours to see as Christ would see,
to find the lost, to gaze with compassion;
no eyes but yours to glimpse the holy joy of the city of God.

No feet but yours to journey with the poor,
To walk this world with mercy and justice.
Yours are the steps to build a lasting peace for the children of God.

Through ev’ry gift, give back to those in need;
as Christ has blessed, so now be his blessing,
with ev’ry gift a benediction be to the people of God.”

Born in Spain, Teresa entered a Carmelite convent when she was eighteen, and later earned a reputation as a mystic, reformer, and writer who experienced divine visions. She founded a convent, and wrote the book The Way of Perfection for her nuns. The music used in More Voices was written in 2006 by Rick Gunn, a United Church musician from Bedford, Nova Scotia.

“O Radiant Christ, Incarnate Word” (VU #84 v.4)

“O Light of Nations, fill the earth;
Our faith and hope and love renew.
Come, lead the peoples to your peace,
As stars once led the way to you.”

We will be using the fourth verse of the hymn “O Radiant Christ, Incarnate Word” as our benediction response this week. The words were written by Ruth Duck (1991).