Music for 033014

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Turn your eyes upon Jesus (in F)
Turn my heart, O God

Opening Song
Marvelous light

Prayer of Confession Response
Surely it is God who saves me (STF 2030)

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 23: 473 GtG, Shepherd me, O God

Offertory
Walk in the light

Communion
Distribution: All who are thirsty

Closing Song
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound (in F)
            
11AM
Hymns
396, Brethren, we have met to worship (HOLY MANNA)
649, Amazing grace, how sweet the sound (AMAZING GRACE)

Introit
Arr. Archibald Davison, Who made ocean, earth and sky?
Robert Leaf, Now everybody sing
Carol Choir

Response to Forgiveness
71, Surely it is God who saves me (refrain) (FIRST SONG)

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 23: # 803 GtG, My shepherd will supply my need (RESIGNATION)

Anthem at the readings
Claude L. Bass, In him there was something special
Aerie Singers

Doxology
606, Praise God from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: William Reynolds, Let all sounding things praise the Lord
Aerie Singers
Offertory: Come thou fount of every blessing
Adult Handbells
Postlude:  John Stanley, Trumpet Voluntary

Music for 031614

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
I lift my eyes up

Opening Song
Mighty to save

Prayer of Confession Response
Jubilate, everybody

Scripture/Proclamation
Listen to the word that God has spoken

Offertory
Is anyone thirsty (Kendrick)

Communion
Distribution: For everyone born

Closing Song
Be thou my vision

11AM
Hymns
49, The God of Abraham praise (LEONI)
450, Be thou my vision (SLANE)

Response to Forgiveness
Jubilate, everybody

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 121: GtG 45, I to the hills will lift my eyes (DUNDEE)

Doxology
606, Praise God from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Healy Willan (1880-1968), Voluntary on DUNDEE

Offertory: Brian Lewis, Agnus Dei
…qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Postlude:  CS Lang (1891-1971), Tuba Tune

Front lines of hunger, second in a series

During Lent we are focusing on hunger and the need for clean water in the US and around the world. Part of that emphasis includes acknowledging and celebrating and learning more about people who are trying to make a difference locally, in the US and around the world on the front lines of hunger relief and making clean water available to all. Today is Sara Miles:

Sara Miles founded the food pantry at St Gregory Nyssa in California several years ago and is now the church's director of ministry. Since that time she has become an practical-minded spokesperson on issues of food and hunger in the US.  Her most recent book (February 2014) is City of God: Faith in the Streets.   

This quote appears on the St. Gregory website:   

“Honeydew melons. Purple and green plums. Peaches, nectarines, spinach, yellow tomatoes, red tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, lettuce, potatoes, onions, scallions, crookneck squash, pears, stringbeans, okra, apples, broccoli, mangoes, zucchini....on Fridays, our sanctuary is a vision of God’s ridiculous, over-the-top abundance. And packing up the leftovers to take down to the soup kitchen, or to serve at coffee hour on Sunday; wrestling boxes of watermelons or composting crates of overripe apricots, we can reflect with new understanding on St. Gregory of Nyssa’s observation that ‘the fruit of mercy yields much fruit.’
 

“Outside the pantry our people are gathering. A bunch of second-graders chasing each other up and down the sidewalk, screeching happily. A cluster of Moldavian refugees. A very sick prostitute and her faithful, exhausted friend, sitting together on the steps sharing a cigarette. Some gossipy Salvadoran moms; a few tattooed ex-cons; an old woman with her Bible. We set up a table outside with pitchers of cool water and glasses, and talk with everyone. People start to go in to get groceries: some give us stacks of plastic bags, or offer to take a turn helping at the table. A few have brought food—a couple slices of birthday cake, a box of powdered milk, some extra cans of corn-- to share.
 

“It takes so little to see God in this world. You just have to open the door.”

Front lines of hunger, first in a series

During Lent we are focusing on hunger and the need for clean water in the US and around the world. Part of that emphasis includes acknowledging and celebrating and learning more about people who are trying to make a difference locally, in the US and around the world on the front lines of hunger relief and making clean water available to all. First off is David Beckmann:

David Beckmann has been President of Bread for the World since 1991. He is a clergyperson in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He is an articulate and passionate spokesperson on the matter of hunger around the world. In this video for Day 1 he speaks with conviction about the need for hunger relief in the US and around the world. You can read more of what he has to say on the topic in his book Exodus from Hunger.

Music for 030914

This week with the beginning of Lent, our theme for corporate worship, in addition to the Sunday readings, compels us to be mindful of issues of hungry insecurity and the need for clean water in the US and around the world. In our worship music the theme will be expressed by our use of the ancient song, "Agnus dei," "Lamb of God." Generally this text is said or sung just prior to communion; we will use it at the confession rite, and sing anthem settings of it. We will also begin a season-long art project in FirstLight which will help us heighten our awareness using visual art.

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
In God alone (Taize)

Opening Song
Better is one day

Prayer of Confession Response
Lamb of God (Haugen)

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 32: responsive reading, You are my hiding place (STF 2055)

Offertory
Hungry

Communion
Responses: Kriewald (no repeats)
Distribution: For everyone born

Closing Song
Seek ye first

11AM
Hymns
166, Lord, who throughout these forty days (ST FLAVIAN)
157, I danced in the morning (LORD OF THE DANCE)

Response to Forgiveness
Lamb of God (Haugen)

Doxology
606, Praise God from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Music during Communion
Responses:
Sanctus: GtG #569; Memorial Acclamation: GtG#570; Amen: GtG # 571
Distribution: 165, The glory of these forty days
167, Forty days and forty nights

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: JS Bach (1685-1750), Erhalt uns herr
Offertory: Lindh, Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace
Postlude:  Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706), Fugue in D Minor

Music for 030214

In addition to this being the Sunday we commemorate the Transfiguration of the Lord, we are also emphasizing our Guatemala partnership in worship. Multiple themes in a single service are nothing new to us, but this one is compelling for the wide range of music it suggests!

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Jesus, we are here (STF 2273)

Opening Song
Come all you people
Praise to the Lord the almighty

Prayer of Confession Response
Halle, halle, hallelujah (STF 2026)

Peace
The peace of the earth

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 150: Let all sounding things praise the Lord, Aerie Singers

Offertory
Christ’s glory

Closing Song
Shine, Jesus, shine (STF 2173)

11AM
Hymns
662, Christ, whose glory fills the skies (RATISBON)
822, When we are living (SOMOS DEL SEÑOR)
634, To God be the glory (TO GOD BE THE GLORY)

Response to Forgiveness
591, Halle, halle, hallelujah (CARIBBEAN)

Peace
The peace of the earth

Psalmody/Canticle
Psalm 99: GtG 57, Tremble, O tremble (TROMBLEY)

Doxology
606, Praise God from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Benediction Response
Danish, Three-fold Amen

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: 392, Jesus, we are here (JESU TAWA PANO)
Offertory: Georg Frederich Handel, And the glory of the Lord, from Messiah
Postlude:  Purcell, Rigaudon

Music for 022314

FirstLight
Gathering Song(s)
Come let us worship and bow down
We fall down

Opening Song
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord

Prayer of Confession Response
You are my king (Amazing love)

Offertory
Take my life

Closing Song
No higher calling

11AM
Hymns
1, Holy, holy, holy (NICEA)
Lord God, your love has called us here (ST PETERSBURG)
313, Lord, make us more holy (HOLY)

Response to Forgiveness
447, We are forgiven (FORGIVEN)

Children’s Time
Carol Choir Sings:
Child of God, Betty Ann Ramseth (1920-1984)
He's got the whole word in his hands,
Vicki Hancock Wright (b. 1953)

Doxology
606, Praise God from whom all blessings flow (OLD HUNDREDTH)

Prayers
205, Live in charity (UBI CARITAS)

Instrumental/Organ Music
Prelude: Douglas Wagner (b. 1952), Toccata

Offertory: Martin How (b. 1931), Day by day
Chancel Choir
…dear Lord, of thee three things I pray: to see thee more clearly, love the more
dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.
Prayer of Richard of Chichester (1197-1253)

Postlude:  Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély (1817-1869), Sortie in E-Flat