Notes on the Notes – May 12, 2024
Seventh Sunday of Easter/Mother’s Day
This Week’s Music:
“All Things Bright and Beautiful” (VU #291)
“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
In love, God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colours,
God made their tiny wings.
All things bright and beautiful,…
The purple-headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky.
All things bright and beautiful,…
The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden:
God made them every one.
All things bright and beautiful,…
The rocky mountain splendour,
The lone wolf’s haunting call,
The great lakes and the prairies,
The forest in the fall;
All things bright and beautiful,…
God gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God our maker,
Who has made all things well.
All things bright and beautiful,…”
This classic text, from Cecil Frances Alexander’s Hymns for Little Children (1846), is based on the phrase “Maker of heaven and earth” in the Apostles’ Creed. The new words for verse four are particularly apt in the Canadian context. The tune, ROYAL OAK, is an English traditional melody associated with the restoration of the Stuart monarchy in 1660. The arrangement in Voices United is by Martin Shaw (1915). The editors of Voices United also changed the words slightly in the interest of inclusivity.
Sing along at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txmpkFSoWuo
“Alleluia” (MV #50)
“Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”
Our sung response to the Words of Assurance has music written by Norah Duncan IV (1987).
“One More Step Along the World” (VU #639)
“One more step along the world we go,
One more step along the world we go,
From the old things to the new, keep us traveling along with you:
And it’s from the old we travel to the new; keep us traveling along with you.
We will be using one verse of this hymn, with adapted lyrics, as our response to the Decommissioning of the Pews this Sunday. The hymn was written by Sydney Carter was written in 1971. The words emphasize that living a faith-filled life is more about the journey than about having all of the answers. It also speaks of our desire to have God with us as we live and learn in a world that is constantly changing. We ask that God be with us, and we be with God, as we continue to move forward and change as Windsor Park United Church.
“As Comes the Breath of Spring” (VU #373)
“As comes the breath of spring with light and mirth and song,
So does your Spirit bring new days brave, free, and strong.
You come with thrill of life to chase hence winter’s breath,
To hush to peace the strife of sin that ends in death.
You come like songs at morn that fill the earth with joy,
Till we, in Christ new-born, new strength in praise employ.
You come to rouse the heart from drifting to despair,
Through high hopes to impart life with an ampler air.
You breathe and there is health, you move and there is power,
You whisper, there is wealth of love, your richest dower.
Your presence is to us like summer in the soul,
Your joy shines forth and then life blossoms to its goal.”
The text for this hymn was written in 1929 by David Lakie Ritchie, Dean of United Theological College in Montreal, for The Hymnary (1930). The words compare the coming of spring to the new life found in being a follower of Christ. The tune was published in England in the Methodist Hymn Book (1904).
Hear the hymn at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX3EWoD8ZXI
“My Saviour Loves Me”
“Each day I live, I trust my Saviour to take my hand and be my guide.
My faith is strong; I will not waver. I know the Lord is always at my side.
He gives me hope to face tomorrow and helps me be the servant I should be.
He keeps me calm through pain and sorrow.
I feel His light come shining down on me.
Jesus loves me, this I know.
Every day He helps me grow.
All I have to Him belongs.
He’s the rock who keeps me strong.
My heart is filled, my soul rejoices in all the gifts God gives to me.
I’ve heard Him call; I’ve made my choices to follow Him and show that I believe.
Each day I live, I’ll serve my Saviour in all I do and every word I say.
I’ll be a friend; I’ll be a neighbour and share His love with all who pass my way.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
My Saviour loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me (He loves me.)
That’s all I need to know. ”
This beautiful statement of faith is by Don Besig and Nancy Price and incorporates the familiar hymn “Jesus Loves Me.” It was written in 2014. We dedicate this anthem in memory of Helen Smallwood, a long-time choir member.
“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 Easter season comes from the Mennonite hymn book, “Hymnal: a Worship Book.” The tune is a familiar one which is also used for the Advent hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” (VU #2).
“Would You Bless Our Homes and Families” (VU #556)
“Would you bless our homes and families, source of life who calls us here;
In our world of stress and tension teach us love that conquers fear.
Help us learn to love each other with a love that constant stays;
Teach us when we face our troubles, love’s expressed in many ways.
When our way is undemanding, let us use the time that’s ours
To delight in simple pleasures, sharing joys in gentle hours.
When our way is anxious walking and a heavy path we plod,
Teach us trust in one another and in you, our gracious God.
From the homes in which we’re nurtured, with the love that shapes us there,
Teach us, God, to claim as family everyone whose life we share.
And through all that life may offer, may we in your love remain;
May the love we share in families be alive to praise your name.
Let us reach beyond the boundaries of our daily thought and care
Till the family you have chosen spills its love out everywhere.
Help us learn to love each other with a love that constant stays;
Teach us when we face our troubles, love’s expressed in many ways.”
This hymn, by Walter Farquharson and Ron Klusmeier, was published in Worship the Lord (1977), a collection of hymns by Walter Farquharson, Fred Kaan, and Ron Klusmeier, and it was also a popular selection in the United Church Hymnary supplement, Songs for a Gospel People (1987).
“Amen” (VU #974)
“Amen, amen, hallelujah, amen!
Amen, amen, hallelujah, amen!”
Our benediction response was written by Jim Strathdee (1985).
