Notes on the Notes – October 25, 2020
To love, but only with God as our help?
Deut. 34:1-12 Matthew 22:34-46
This week’s music:
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” (VU #288)
“Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow –
Wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!”
Thomas O. Chisholm, a Methodist minister, wrote the poem in 1923 about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime. The conviction that God is always with us, through good times and bad, has always been a great source of comfort and strength for the faithful. William Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year and became popular among church groups. The song was exposed to wide audiences after becoming popular with Dr. William Henry Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham who played the song frequently on his international crusades. The version in Voices United is from the Hymnal of the Evangelical United Brethren (1957).
Listen to Chris Rice singing this hymn with guitar at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k1WhFtVp0o
Hear a quiet instrumental version of the hymn at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoFJzsEF3ZM
Watch the acapella version by Veritas at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2i7_X8RQis
Hear the hymn sung by a massed choir at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTKIqmdfHSk
“Love the Lord Your God”
“Love the Lord your God, with all your heart.
Love the Lord your God with all your soul.
Love the Lord your God with all your mind,
Love the Lord your God with all that you are.”
This song, by Jean and Jim Strathdee, was written in 1991. The text is taken directly from today’s reading from Matthew.
“A Little Love”
“It only takes a little love to warm an aching heart,
To lift a broken spirit,
To take another’s part.
It only takes a little trust, a stranger to befriend,
But, oh, it makes a difference in the end.
It only takes a little love to smile a friendly smile,
To touch a grieving shoulder,
To walk a second mile,
It only takes a little time, a kindness to extend,
But, oh, it makes a difference in the end.
He taught us all about it so many years ago,
For love was always with Him wherever He would go.
He calls us now to follow, to take the time to care
Through all the gentle, loving things we share;
Because it only takes a little love to calm another’s fear,
To bear another’s burden,
To weep another’s tear,
It only takes a little word to cheer a lonely friend,
But, oh, it makes a difference in the end,
Oh, yes, it makes a world of difference in the end.
This week’s anthem was written by Natalie Sleeth in 1970.
“Move in the World”
“Move in the world, with kindness as your creed;
Open your eyes to see its deepest need;
Let peace and justice be the truths we heed,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Move in the world, embracing its despair;
The poor and hungry seek our love and care;
With outstretched hands the gift of hope we share,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Live in the world, strive for a better day,
Let truth and fairness birth a kinder way,
Where people, all, the love command obey,
Alleluia, alleluia.”
The words for our closing hymn were written by Peggy McDonagh, of St. David’s United Church in Calgary and remind us of our reading from Matthew 22. We will be using the melody, SINE NOMINE, more commonly known as the tune for the hymn “For All the Saints” which was composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906.
“For the Harvests of the Spirit” (VU #227 v.3)
“For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us, for the truths that still confound us,
Most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.”
This week we continue to gather virtually in praise and thanksgiving for God’s goodness and love. We are using the third verse of Fred Pratt Green’s harvest hymn as our benediction response. The words have been set to the traditional Welsh song “Ar Hyd Y Nos (All Through the Night), which was arranged as a hymn tune by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906.
You must be logged in to post a comment.