Organ tune

To partner with our recent sermon series, relating to questions about our faith from a child's perspective, I used John Leavitt's "Scenes of Childhood" for some of the organ music at our second service. The sermon series addressed questions about our faith that were asked by children in our congregation. The music by Leavitt seemed to me a natural choice to pair with worship during the series. The series concluded today with a sermon related to what heaven is like. I used the final movement from Leavitt's suite for the postlude.

Leavitt in turn used poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson as the inspiration for his music. The composer intended that the poems be read before/after the performance of the music; we simply print excerpts in our printed bulletins. The last piece is called "Pirate Story" drawn from a poem of the same name. The piece begins with a riff on "Sailor's Hornpipe" and concludes with a riff on the Little Prelude in C attributed to JS Bach. Folks were immediately captivated by the music, many of them associating the music with the Popeye the Sailor Man television show from several decades ago. To help put the music in perspective, I tracked down a short summary of the tune.

While this sermon series has been going on, have also utilized art work by children from our congregation in our narthex gallery area. We currently have up work by older elementary children; it was preceded by work by younger elementary children. In mid-August we'll feature work by middle- and high-school students. It's been enjoyable having so much to connect to worship, and to celebrate the earnest questions children have about our faith, and their work in the arts, and music (and poetry) for them.

(After a quick look it seems the music is out of print, else I would put a link to it..)

Summer art series

Our sermon series on questions of faith from a child's perspective winds down this week, but our art installation continues. The first installment featured art by children who completed Kindergarten and grades1, 2 and 3this spring. This week we shifted to the artwork of older elementary children, who have completed grades 4 and 5. The work of young artists will continue through summer; in a few weeks we'll trade out with work by middle- and high-school students.

Music for July 26

FirstLight
Gathering
Better is one day

Opening
I’ll fly away

Confession/Praise Response
Lord, listen to your children praying

Offertory
We will dance

Closing
On Jordan’s stormy banks (Promised land)

11AM
Hymns
620, Praise, my soul the king of heaven (LAUDA ANIMA)
375, Shall we gather at the River (HANSON PLACE)
377, I want to walk as a child of the light (HOUSTON)

Confession/Praise Response
469, Lord, listen to your children praying

Doxology (PLEADING SAVIOR)
For the life that you have given

Instrumental Music
Prelude: Arr. Dana F. Everson, He leadeth me
TBA title, Allen Bell, saxophone
Offertory: Arr. Rich Heffler, I know whom I have believed
TBA title, Allen Bell, saxophone
Postlude: John Leavitt, Pirate Story, from Scenes of Childhood
Poetry by Robert Louis Stevenson
Hi! But here’s a squadron a-rowing on the sea; cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar! Quick, and we’ll escape them, they’re as mad as they can be, the wicket is the
harbor and the garden is the shore.

This is the last week of our sermon series on children's of faith from a child's perspective. The topic is "heaven." The Leavitt piece is thoroughly secular, but even in the images of the poem by RL Stevenson, I can perceive a metaphor for heaven: the harbor and shore, which in turn pop up in the middle hymn at 11am. God has a way!

Music for 19 July

Worship Music
19 July 2015

FirstLight
Gathering
Shout to the Lord

Opening
Come, now is the time to worship

Confession/Praise Response
Lord, listen to your children praying

Offertory
He knows my name

Closing
I love to tell the story


11AM
Hymns
305, Come sing, O church, in joy (DARWELL’S 148th)
462, I love to tell the story (HANKEY)
772, Live into hope (TRURO)

Confession/Praise Response
469, Lord, listen to your children praying

Doxology (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Instrumental Music
Prelude: WA Mozart, Come praise the Lord
Brooke Alexander, soprano
Offertory: Gabriel Faure, Berceuse
Brooke Alexander, violin
Postlude: WA Mozart, Allegro, from Fantasie in F Minor

Music for 12 July 2015

FirstLight
Gathering
Lord, I lift your name on high

Opening
Arise, my soul, arise

Confession/Praise Response
Lord, listen to your children praying

Prayers
Healer of our every ill

Offertory
Jesus, firm foundation

Closing
How firm a foundation


11AM
Hymns
463, How firm a foundation (FOUNDATION)
465, What a friend we have in Jesus (CONVERSE)
822, When we are living (SOMOS DEL SENOR)

Confession/Praise Response
469, Lord, listen to your children praying

Prayers
795, Healer of our every ill (HEALER OF OUR EVERY ILL)

Doxology
In gratitude and humble trust (FOREST GREEN)

Instrumental Music
Prelude: John Leavitt, The Cow, from Scenes of Childhood
Poetry by Roubert Louis Stevenson
…The friendly cow all red and white, I love with all my heart: she gives me cream with
all her might, to eat with apple-tart…
Offertory: Johann Walther, If you but trust in God to guide you
Postlude: Johann Walther, Finale, from Concerto in B Minor