Notes on the Notes – June 7, 2020

PRIDE Sunday

Communion

Psalm 139: 1 – 18               Ruth 1: 14 – 18

This week’s music:

“Though I May Speak” (VU #372)

“Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain,
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within,
The profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed.”

The words of our opening hymn are based on 1 Corinthians 13. They are set to the traditional English tune, O WALY WALY, by Hal H. Hopson (1972).

Hear the song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXSI8krPwx0 

We are One” (VU 402)

“We are one as we come, as we come, joyful to be here,
In the praise on our lips
There’s a sense that God is near.
We are one as we sing, as we seek, we are found;
And we come needful of God’s grace as we meet, Together in this place.

We are one as we share, as we share brokenness and fear,
In a breath and a prayer, there’s a sense that God is here.
We are one as we care, as we heal, we are healed;
And we share warmth in God’s embrace as we prayer together in this place.

We are one as we feast, as we feast, peace becomes the sign;
In the bread and the cup there’s a sense of love divine.
We are one as we come,  as we feed, we are fed;
And we feel God’s refreshing grace as we meet at table in this place.”

The tune for this hymn was composed in 1987 by Jeeva Sam of Regina, SK, a United Church minister. The arrangement is by another United Church minister, David Kai, of Gloucester Ontario (1995) . Written especially for the music, the hymn text comes to us from a third United Church minister, Doreen Lankshear-Smith of Thunder Bay.  The words remind us of our common journey as a faith community.

“You are Near”

“O God, I know you are near,
Standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe,
And you lead me in ways everlasting.”

Based on Psalm 139, this song was written by Dan Schutte in 1971.  We will be using the chorus as a response during the reading of the Psalm.

Hear the complete song at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVC-ah6j9AU

“Holy, Holy, Holy” (VU #315)

“Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!”

The words for this hymn are based on Revelations 4:8-11 and were written by Reginald Herber in 1826.  The tune, NICAEA, was composed by the Reverend John B. Dykes (1861).  It is named for the Council of Nicaea (C.E. 325) where the doctrine of the Trinity, known as the Nicene Creed, was formulated.   We will be using the first verse of the hymn as part of our communion liturgy this week.

Hear the Plymouth Choir and Congregation of First-Plymouth Church, Lincoln Nebraska on May 31, 2015 accompanied by the Plymouth Brass and Organist Christopher Marks.    at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SHDNs7Dt5M

“Break Now the Bread of Life” (VU #501)

“Break now the bread of life, Saviour, to me,
As once you broke the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek you, Lord;
My spirit waits for you, O Living Word.

Bless you own truth, dear Christ, to me, to me,
As when you blessed the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall,
And I shall find my peace, my all-in-all.”

This hymn has words by Mary Artemisia Hathbury (1877) with music by William Fisk Sherwin (1877).

“We are a Rainbow”

“We’re the light of all the world, we are a city on a hill,
We’re a candle on a stand proclaiming light,
We will not hide our lamp beneath a bushel anymore,
We will shine a ray of hope that’s burning bright.

We’re the coat of many colours, sewn from many different threads,
Covering all in warmth, in welcome and in grace,
God said, “Let there be light,” created every varied shade,
In the rainbow each of us can find a place.

We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.

We are hope to still believe in tomorrow’s better day,
We are peace in a world that’s torn apart,
We are joy that will last in all the struggles that we face
We are love that blooms and grows in every heart.

When we face the storms of life, we will never be alone,
For our God will be with us on the way,
Hand in hand, side by side, we won’t be frightened anymore,
As the mourning night of tears breaks into day.

We are a rainbow, sign of covenant and peace
For the flood of tears will fin’lly cease to be,
Come shine your rainbow, splash your hues across the sky,
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.
Paint the world in colours proud and bold and free.”

This song was written by David Kai in 2017.

Hear the song at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_7cab-80_s

“Send Us Out”

“Send us out in the power of your Spirit, Lord,
May our lives bring Jesus to the world,
May each thought and word bring glory to your name,
Send us out, in your Spirit, Lord we pray.”

The words and music for our benediction response were written by Ruth Fazal (1993).