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.