Sunday, April 17th, 2016

Rite I, Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday

Prelude: Love Divine, all loves excelling, arranged by: Healey Willan

Processional Hymn: 179 “Welcome, happy morning!” age to age shall say

Gloria: S204, Scottish Chant

First Reading: Acts 9:36-43

Psalm: Psalm 23, Brother James’ Air, arranged by: Gordon Jacobs

Choir: The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want,

He makes me down to lie

In pastures green, He leadeth me

The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again

And me to walk doth make

Within the Paths of Blessedness,

E’en for His own Name’s sake.

Yea, though I pass thro’ shadowed vale,

Yet will I fear no ill;

For Thou art with me,

And Thy Rod and Staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes;

My head with oil Thou dost anoint,

And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my days

Will surely follow me;

And in my Father’s heart always

My dwelling place shall be.

Second Reading: Revelation 7:9-17

Before the Gospel: Alleluia 7

Verse: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

Gospel: John 10:22-30

After the Gospel: Alleluia 7

Offertory Anthem: Christ is Now Arisen, by: K. Lee Scott

Choir: Now the song is begun,

For the battle is done,

And the victory won;

Now the foe is scattered:

Death’s dark prison shattered:

Sing of joy,

And today raise the lay,

Christ is now arisen!

They that followed in pain

Shall now follow to reign,

And the crown shall obtain;

They were sore assaulted,

They shall be exalted:

Sing of joy,

Earth and skies bid it rise,

Christ is now arisen!

For the foe nevermore

Can approach to that shore,

When the conflict is o’er:

There is joy supernal;

There is peace eternal;

Sing of life,

Earth and skies…

Then be brave, then be true,

Ye despised and ye few,

For the crown is for you:

Christ, who went before you,

Spreads His buckler o’er you.

Sing of strength,

Earth and skies…

Lo, the vict’ry is won,

And the foe is scattered,

Death’s dark prison shattered!

Hallelujah,

Earth and skies…

Come today raise the lay,

Christ is now arisen!

Doxology: Hymn 380, stanza 3

Holy: S114, Willan

Lord’s Prayer: S119, Plainsong

Communion Anthem: The King of Love My Shepherd Is, by: Edward C. Bairstow

Choir: The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never;

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine for ever.

Where streams of living waters flow

My ransomed soul he leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow

With food celestial feedeth.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill

With thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread’st a table in my sight;

Thy unction grace bestoweth:

And O what transport of delight

From thy pure chalice floweth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love he sought me,

And gently on his shoulder laid,

And home, rejoicing, brought me.

And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise

Within thy house forever.

Communion Hymn: 487 Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life

Communion Meditation: Duo (on Love Divine, all loves excelling, arranged by: Rebecca te Velde

Recessional Hymn: 657 Love divine, all loves excelling

Postlude: Come, ye faithful, raise the strain, Arranged by: Károly Köpe

Music Notes

By: Ashley Sosis

I have heard Good Shepherd Sunday also called “How-many-versions-of-Psalm-23-can-we-squeeze-into-one Sunday” Sunday by fellow church music directors. I am proud that I was able to keep that number to just two this morning. It was tempting to also include the Isaac Watts metrical poem version (“My Shepherd will supply my need, Jehovah is His Name…”), but I am happy to leave that for another Sunday.

So what text takes the place of five other versions of Psalm 23 on Good Shepherd Sunday for our hymns and other musical offerings? There is a bigger theme to Good Shepherd Sunday: the self-sacrificing love of our Savior for us (Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down). And beyond that, George Herbert’s text, “Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life” challenges us to think beyond the metaphor of Jesus as the Good Shepherd--- through the Trinity, Jesus is everything.