Notes on the Notes – May 28, 2017

This Week’s Theme:

A Service of Music Celebrating the Creed of the United Church of Canada

This Week’s Music:

“This is the Day” (MV #122)

“This is the day that God has made;
We will rejoice and be glad!
This is the day that God has made;
We will rejoice and be glad!
Singing hallelu! Singing hallelu! Singing hallelu!
We will rejoice and be glad!
Singing hallelu! Singing hallelu! Singing hallelu!
We will rejoice and be glad!

Voici le jour que Dieu a fait;
Nous le vivrons dans la joie.
Chantant Allelu! Nous le vivrons dans la joie!”

This hymn by Bruce Harding (2003) is inspired by the words of Psalm 118:24.   Harding wrote both the text and music, which was translated to French by David Fines in 2005.

To hear the song go to:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88a-8OXGYk4

Bruce Harding, from Surrey, British, Columbia, Canada, was born in Edmonton, Alberta, into a family which still believed in the time-honoured tradition of family music-making. A child of the manse, otherwise known as a “preacher’s kid,” he grew up in various communities around Alberta and British Columbia, before quitting high school at 17 to go on the road with a rock and roll band. Harding soon settled in the Vancouver area in the mid-1980s, worked his way through college and university playing in bar bands and other rock, jazz and classical ensembles, and earned various degrees, including a PhD in musicology in 1998 after a six-year stint in Toronto. (Source:  MelodicArts)

 We are Not alone,  We live in God’s world

We believe in God:  who has created and is creating

“Creator God You Gave Us Life” (MV #27)

“Creator God you gave us life, your image formed within our souls, yet through the mist of time and space, we search for that which makes us whole.

In every flower and every tree, we see your great diversity, yet greater still we see your love, expressed in our humanity.

When with our hearts, our hands, our minds, we share our gifts with all the world, our spirits soar beyond the veil, to touch the very face of God.

Through hands that paint majestic skies, and voices chanting melody, with words that reach beyond the page, we comprehend your mystery.”

Both the tune and text of this hymn were written by Judith Snowdon in 2004. Judith Snowdon was born in England but completed her formal music education in Canada at Canadian Mennonite University and the University of Winnipeg.  An award winning composer and accomplished church musician, Judith currently teaches piano in Dieppe, NB where she also works part-time for the Mennonite Central Committee and serves as organist/choir director at McKees Mills United Church.

Who has come in Jesus, the word made flesh,

“Jesus Came, a Child like Me” (VU #583)

“Jesus came, a child like me, so the face of God I’ll see,
God is not left far away, God is with us every day

Jesus came to show God’s face, live God’s love, and be God’s grace.
God lives now in me, in you, God’s at work in what we do.

Live, Jesus, near us, live, Jesus, with us,
Live, Jesus, in us, come, live in us today.”

Walter Farquharson, a hymn writer and a former moderator of the United Church of Canada, submitted this new children’s hymn for Voices United (1987).    The tune, JESUS CAME, is by Richard D. Hall of Oshawa, Ontario, and was composed for this text.  We will be using verses 1 & 4.  Learn more about Walter Farquharson at:  http://www.musiklus.com/about-musiklus/authors/songs-for-worship-lyricist-walter-farquharson

To reconcile and make new,

“Bathe Me in Your Light” (MV #82)

“Bathe me in your light, O God of All, Creator;  let it shine upon my soul with healing and with grace.  Be to me a beacon bright through shadows of life’s wounding, showing me the way to live in faith, in your embrace.

Bathe me in your love, O Source of Awe and Wonder; help me walk the sacred path of harmony and peace.  May I  be attentive to the musings of your presence, drinking from the well of hope that brings the heart release.

Bathe me in your grace, O One of Spirit’s longing;  teach me of your gentle ways that fill the soul with strength.  Guide me on the pilgrimage that leads to truth and wholeness.  Fill me with your promise of a love that knows no length.”

The text of this new hymn was written by John Oldham in 2002.  John served as a United Church minister for many years in Manitoba, including 14 years at Donnelly United Church in Winnipeg.  John and his spouse Marlene live in Winnipeg, Manitoba where they enjoy being close to family.

The music is by Canadian composer Ron Klusmeier.  Ron lives on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He composes, arranges, and edits new music for worship and serves as a resource consultant for churches throughout Canada and the U.S.  He has worked in music and arts as a full-time ministry since 1971 as a composer, editor, and arranger.  Ron has worked with nearly 2,000 churches in every Canadian province and almost every U.S. state.

Hear the music played on piano at:  http://musiklus.com/anthology/item/1294/bathe-me-in-your-light

who works in us and others by the Spirit.

“She Flies On” (VU #380)

“She comes sailing on the wind, her wings flashing in the sun;
On a journey just begun, she flies on.
And in the passage of her flight, her song rings out through the night,
Full of laughter, full of light, she flies on…

To a gentle girl in Galilee, a gentle breeze she came,
A whisper softly calling in the dark,
The promise of a child of peace whose reign would never end,
Mary sang the Spirit song within her heart…

Long after the deep darkness that fell upon the world,
After dawn returned in flame of rising sun,
The Spirit touched the earth again, again her wings unfurled,
Bringing life in wind and fire as she flew on.”

This folk-style song was written by Gordon Light of the Common Cup Company, a group originally formed in Winnipeg and subsequently based in Burnaby, BC.  It was written in 1985.  The verses lead us through the stories of Creation, Old Testament prophecy, Jesus’ birth, baptism, Easter and Pentecost, while the chorus emphasizes the eternal nature of God’s Spirit.  We will be using verses 1, 3 and 5.

We trust in God.

“In You there is a Refuge” (MV #84)

“In you there is a refuge,
In you we find our peace.
When all we know is chaos may our trust in you increase.
In you there is a silence,
In you our minds are clear.
When all we hear is discord may your quiet draw us near.

In you there is a vision,
In you we learn to dream.
When all we see is desert may you be our living stream.
In you there is a future,
In you we find our way.
When hope has shed its brightness may you show us a new day.”

The words of this song were written by Keri K. Wehlander in 2005.  The music is by Linnea Good (2005).  Keri has 4 hymns published in More Voices.   Wehlander is an author, hymn lyricist, and retreat leader.   Spirituality and the arts have provided a primary focus for her work in various settings in both Canada and the U.S. Her book, “Circles of Grace: Worship and Prayer in the Everyday,”  has become a valuable resource for congregations, church camps, retreats and individuals desiring to deepen their prayer life.

 We are called to be the church,

“We are One” (VU #402)

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:

“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 the touch of a hand 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 pray together in this place.”

This week we will sing the first two verses of the hymn.

To celebrate God’s presence,

“I Can Feel You Near Me God” (MV #48)

“I can feel you near me God I can feel you near
Yes I know you’re with me God i feel you here
I can feel you near me God I can feel you near
Yes I know you’re with me God Heaven is here.

And I’ll jump for joy I’m singing Alleluia
Jump for joy for you
I will jump for joy I’m singing Alleluia
Jump for joy for you.

I can feel you loving me yes I know you care
God I know you’re loving me always everywhere
I can feel you loving me yes I know you care
God I know you’re loving me I know you’re there.

And I’ll jump for joy…”

This playful tune is by Pat Mayberry (2000).  Pat Mayberry is a singer songwriter with a passion for melody and harmony, and music which touches the listener deeply. Her songs have been inspired by her personal and spiritual journey, and weave together universal themes of love, justice, and healing.  Pat has four songs/hymns in the More Voices hymnbook of the United Church of Canada.   This hymn was arranged by Margaret Stubbington in 2006.

To live with respect in Creation,

“Each Blade of Grass” (MV #37)

“Each blade of grass, ev’ry wing that soars,
The waves that sweep across a distant shore,
Make full the circle of God.
Each laughing child, ev’ry gentle eye, a forest lit beneath a moon-bright sky,
Make full the circle of God.

Each silent paw, ev’ry rounded stone, the buzz that echoes from a honeyed comb,
Make full the circle of God.
Each fire-brimmed star, ev’ry outstretched hand,
The wind that leaps and sails across the land,
Make full the circle of God.

Each icy peak, ev’ry patterned shell, the joyous chorus that the dawn foretells,
Make full the circle of God.
Each cosmic hue, ev’ry creature’s way, all form the beauty of this vast array,
Making full the circle of God.”

This hymn by Keri K. Wehlander was written in 2005.  It is a simple list of everyday things in God’s Creation that we sometimes miss or forget to be thankful for, yet which when joined together complete the circle of creation.  The melody, RHODE ISLAND, is taken from The United States Sacred Harmony and was adapted by Linnea Good in 2005.

To love and serve others

“The Greatest of These” 

“Tho I may speak with the tongues of angels,
Tho I speak with a voice of peace.
And tho I seek all the gifts of heaven,
Or behold all its mysteries,
If I’m not with Love’s compassion,
If I speak without Love’s voice,
My lofty words and noble actions, are as Noise.

Tho I have faith to remove a mountain,
Tho I’ve faith to command the hills,
And if I dare, in the face of danger, my own body to offer still,
But if I’ve not Love’s understanding,
If I’m lost to Love’s own songs,
My lovely words and thrilling actions are as Gongs.

The breath of Time rushes ever onward,
Prophecy shall pass away.
Our grandest words and our greatest knowledge shall be gone at the break of Day.
For the wisest of our wisdom, and the boldest prophet’s call are merely shadows of the Holy, One-in-All!

For now we see only a glimpse of the things to be.
As thro’ a mirror dimly, ’til Time and Earth are free.
Faith, Hope and Love abide below, abide above,
But ever new, and ever true, the greatest of these is Love!”

This song, by Canadian composer Linnea Good, quotes from 1 Corinthians 13:1-12.   The song was used at the Burnaby Centennial Interfaith Celebration in 1992.   When speaking about this gathering, Linnea says, “Through a glass darkly; through a mirror dimly…Whether we are looking at the convolutions of the world outside or the percolations of the world inside, it is good to know that God’s creation is not locked into the confine of human imagination and perception! ”     In referencing this song, Linnea also shares the following story about Winnipeger,  Karen Ridd:  “Karen Ridd clowned her way from the United Church to El Salvador, to work with refugees fleeing the bombing of their homes by the military.  As a member of Peace Brigades, she became part of an ancient tradition of offering sanctuary in the house of God.  One night, she and her Combian co-worker were apprehended by the military and taken to be interrogated about their work.  Told that they would be taken to ‘el puerto del diablo’ or the current body-dump, they were spirited away to a prison and questioned.  When they finally told Karen that she could leave, it was without her co-worker.  Karen said she wouldn’t leave without her.  Her response left her interrogators baffled, and they reminded her that this would mean that the blindfold would go back on her.  ‘But, you know how it is,’ she said. ‘When you have a buddy who’s in trouble, you can’t leave them.’  They eventually found themselves out on the early morning sidewalk.  I still wonder what experiences I will have to look death straight in the eye and answer it as if it still held the possibility of life.”

Hear Karen Ridd speak about Peace Building at: https://youtu.be/vDTQklX0YaE

“With a Vision of Hope”

“With a vision of hope we move along.
Empowered by faith we carry on.
Reaching out far and wide, moving forward reaching high.
Filled with hope, filled with dreams, we journey on.”

Our offering response is by Mary-Ellen Kish (2008).   Kish has been involved in music since early childhood — singing, playing various instruments, and writing songs. She was raised in the United Church of Canada and music always played an important part of church and other aspects of her life. M.E. studied piano and voice with the Royal Conservatory of Music and also studied music in her undergraduate degree. She has sung in a number of choirs and as a teacher, led choirs and taught music in elementary school settings.

To seek justice and resist evil

“My Love Colours Outside the Lines” (MV #138)

“My love colours outside the lines,
Exploring paths that few could ever find;
And takes me into places where I’ve never been before,
And opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

My Lord colours outside the lines,
Turns wounds to blessings, water into wine;
And takes me into places where I’ve never been before
And opens doors to worlds outside the lines.

We’ll never walk on water if we’re not prepared to drown,
Body and soul need a soaking from time to time.
And we’ll never move the gravestones if we’re not prepared to die,
And realize there are worlds outside the lines.

My soul longs to colour outside the lines,
Tear back the curtains, sun, come in and shine;
I want to walk beyond the boundaries where I’ve never been before,
Throw open doors to worlds outside the lines…”

This modern worship song is by Gordon Light (1995) of the Common Cup Company, arranged for More Voices by Andrew Donaldson.

 To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,  our judge and our hope.

“Hey Now! Singing Hallelujah!” (MV #121)

“Hey now!  Singing hallelujah!  Hey now!  The morning has come!  Hey now!  Singing hallelujah!  The tomb was empty at the rising sun.

Jesus healed people and he helped them be well…He taught about God in the stories he’d tell…

Jesus loves people and he lives again!…He calls us disciples and he calls us his friends…”

This new Easter hymn was written by Linnea Good in 1998.  While working with the children of Ryerson United Church in downtown Vancouver, Linnea asked the children to remember stories of Jesus that they especially appreciated. She took their stories and put them to music.  This week we will singing using verses 2 and 5.

In life, in death, in life beyond death God is with us.

We are not alone.

“Draw the Circle Wide” (MV #145)

“Draw the circle wide.  Draw it wider still.
Let this be our song, no one stands alone, standing side by side,
Draw the circle wide.

God the still-point of the circle,
‘Round whom all creation turns;
nothing lost, but held forever,
In God’s gracious arms.

Let the dreams we dream be larger
Than we’ve ever dreamed before;
Let the dream of Christ be in us,
Open every door.”

This now-familiar hymn of inclusion was written by Gordon Light of the Common Cup Company in 1994.  It was arranged by Michael Bloss in 1998.  The Common Cup Company is a musical group featuring songwriters Gordon Light & Ian Macdonald.  Their musical ministry began in 1979 when Light (an Anglican Priest and later Bishop), met Ian Macdonald and Jim Uhrich (both United Church ministers) while serving neighboring churches in Winnipeg, Canada.  Jim Uhrich also served as interim minister at Windsor Park United Church.  Bob Wallace joined the group in 1982, his voice strengthening and enriching the group’s sound.  In the following decades this original quartet wrote, performed, & recorded together despite living in different corners the country.

Hear the hymn at: https://youtu.be/zBNQ3zA7ulU

Thanks be to God.

“A New Creed”

 “We are not alone,
We live in God’s world,
We believe in God,
Who has created and is creating,
Who has come in Jesus, the Word made flesh,
To reconcile and make new,
Who works in us and others by the Spirit.
We trust in God.

We are called to be the Church,
To celebrate God’s presence,
To live with respect in Creation,
To love and serve others,
To seek justice and resist evil,
To proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,
Our judge and our hope.

In life, in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us.
We are not alone.
Thanks be to God.”

Richard Hall was born in Toronto, Canada in 1954. From an early age, he gravitated to music, and became proficient in voice and several different instruments, predominantly piano.  After graduation from Queen’s University, he attended Emmanuel College in Toronto, a seminary of The United Church of Canada. Three years later, he graduated with a Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained that same year into the ordered ministry of The United Church of Canada. Over his career, Richard served in Spiritwood, Saskatchewan (1980-85), Wyoming, Ontario (1985-93), Oshawa, Ontario (1993-2002), Pembroke, Ontario (2002-2010), and Wingham, Ontario (2010 to present). Responding to a need for contemporary hymns that spoke to special themes, Richard began composing, publishing and recording original music set to the texts of others, predominantly The Rev. Dr. Walter Farquharson. To date, he has produced, with his wife Barb, over 40 hymns in two different collections: Where Two or Three Gather and Sing Glory!. The most used include “Jesus Came, A Child Like Me”, a musical setting for “A New Creed”, “God Is The Giver”, “Sing Glory”, “Hands Outstretched”, “I Will Sing to the Lord (Miriam’s Song)”, and “Hope Rides High At Easter”.

“A Benediction” (J. Sam)

“May the grace of Christ attend us,
And the love of God surround us,
And the holy Spirit keep us now and ever always.
Amen, amen, forever and ever,  Amen.”

Our benediction response was written by Rev. Jeeva Sam, a United Church minister,  in 1987.

Learn more about the history of The New Creed at:  http://www.windsorparkunitedchurch.com/a-new-creed/