Notes on the Notes – September 13, 2015

This week’s theme:  Welcome back!/First Sunday of Creation Time/Where Can God Be? What it means to be wise.

This week’s scripture readings:

Proverbs 1:20-33, Mark 8:27-38

This week’s music:

“Come In, Come In and Sit Down” (VU #395) 

“Come in, come in and sit down,
You are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
And we are a part of the family.

You know the reason why you came,
Yet no reason can explain;
So share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
For we are a part of the family.

God is with us in this place,
Like a mother’s warm embrace.
We’re all forgiven by God’s grace,
For we are a part of the family.

There’s life to be shared in the bread and the wine,
We are the branches, Christ is the vine.
This is God’s temple, it’s not yours or mine,
But we are a part of the family.

There’s rest for the weary and health for us all;
There’s a yoke that is easy, and a burden that’s small.
So come in and worship and answer the call,
For we are a part of the family.”

This family song became known to United Church congregations in the arrangement made by Darryl Nixon for the hymn book supplement Songs for a Gospel People (1987). Singer songwriter James K. Manley, the composer of this hymn, is a minister in the United Church of Christ (USA). “Part of the Family” reminds both members and visitors that our congregation is an open, diverse group that welcomes people of all ages, every marital status, and all views, interest levels, and stages in the faith journey.

“Teach Me, God, to Wonder” (VU #299)   

“Teach me, God, to wonder, teach me, God, to see;
Let your world of beauty capture me.

Let me, God, be open, let me loving be;
Let your world of people speak to me.

Let me, God, be ready, let me be awake,
In your world of loving my place take.

Teach me, God, to know you, hear you when you speak,
See you in my neighbour when we meet.

Praise to you be given, love for you be lived,
Life be celebrated, joy you give.”

This song, with words by Walter Farquharson (1973) and music by Ron Klusmeier (1974) speaks to the many things we are celebrating this week.  It is Welcome Back Sunday, when we celebrate the community that is Windsor Park United Church.  It is also the first week of Creation Time, a season of the church year when we focus with more intention on the Creation and our place within it.  This week we will also be blessing schools supplies, backpacks, and those who learn and teach, both within the church and in the greater community.

“Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom” (MV #10)

“Come and seek the ways of Wisdom, she who danced when earth was new.
Follow closely what she teaches, for her words are right and true.
Wisdom clears the path to justice, showing us what love must do.

Listen to the voice of Wisdom, crying in the marketplace.
Hear the Word made flesh among us, full of glory, truth, and grace.
When the word takes root and ripens, peace and righteousness embrace.

Sister Wisdom, come, assist us; nurture all who seek rebirth.
Spirit-guide and close companion, bring to light our sacred worth.
Free us to become your people, holy friends of God and earth.”

The words for this hymn were written by Ruth Duck in 1993.  She says, “In my sophomore Bible class at Rhodes College in Memphis, I learned about Lady Wisdom, an intriguing image of God found in Proverbs, Matthew, 1 Corinthians, and literature between the testaments.”   She created this hymn to attempt to express a trinitarian theology with this image.   Sophia is the biblical Greek word for Wisdom, which is why Wisdom is often portrayed as female.   In this hymn we see Wisdom as Creator, Word-with-us, and Spirit-guide.  The music is by Donna Kasbohm, a composer from the Twin Cities.

“To Show by Touch and Word” (VU #427)

“To show by touch and word devotion to the earth,
To hold in full regard all life that comes to birth,
We need, O God, the will to find the good you had of old in mind.

Renew our minds to choose the things that matter most,
Our hearts to long for truth till pride of self is lost.
For every challenge that we face we need your guidance and your grace.

Let love from day to day be yardstick, rule, and norm,
And let our lives portray you word in human form.
Now come with us that we may have your wits about us where we live.”

This hymn by Fred Kaan (1974) and Ron Klusmeier (1974) brings our worship to a close with a prayer to God.  As we are faced by the challenges of the world we ask for God’s presence and love.