Sunday, June 14th, 2015

Rite II, Third Sunday after Pentecost

Themes from the Readings: Perseverance of the lowly, “We walk by faith not by sight”, the parable of the mustard seed.

Sermon on: First Reading. King David’s “Cinderella” origin story. Great things in unassuming packages -Mustard Seed

Prelude: Intrada in C Major, by: Christoph Graupner (1683-1760) Soloist: Anna Grace Jordan

Processional Hymn: 616 Hail to the Lord’s Anointed

Gloria: S280, Powell

First Reading: 1 Samuel 15:34-16:13

Psalm: Psalm 20, Tone VIII Chanted by: Amy, Claire and Grace Laughlin and Amy and Anna Grace Jordan

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13), 14-17

Before the Gospel: 671 Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound stanzas 1-3

Gospel: Mark 4: 26-34

After the Gospel: 671 Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound stanzas 4-5

Offertory Anthem: We Walk by Faith and not by sight, by: Michael D. Costello Baritone: George Prugh

Soloist: We walk by faith and not by sight;

With gracious words draw near,

O Christ, who spoke as none e’er spoke:

“My peace be with you here.”

We may not touch your hands and side,

Nor follow where you trod;

But in your promise we rejoice,

And cry, “My Lord and God!”

Help then, O Lord, our unbelief,

And may our faith abound

To call on you when you are near,

And seek where you are found:

That, when our life of faith is done,

In realms of clearer light

We may behold you as you are,

With full and endless sight.

Doxology: Hymn 380, stanza 3

Holy: S125, Proulx

Communion Anthem: Love Divine, Music by: W. A. Mozart (1756-1791), arranged by: Arthur Hutchings, Soloists: Anna Grace Jordan and Claire Laughlin

Soloists: Love Divine, all loves excelling,

Joy of heav’n to earth come down;

Fix in us thy humble dweling;

All thy faithful mercies crown.

Come, almighty to deliver,

Let us all thy life receive;

Suddenly return, and never,

Nevermore thy temples leave.

Communion Meditation: Prelude, by: Randolph Currie (b. 1943) Organist: Sadie Burch

Communion Hymn: 686 Come, thou fount of every blessing

Recessional Hymn: 483 The head that once was crowned with thorns

Postlude: Consolation, by: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) Soloist: Anna Grace Jordan

Music Notes

By: Ashley Sosis

Amazing Grace is a hymn that most people know how to sing like they mean it. Many “churched” people also know that John Newton, the author of the hymn text, was a former slave-ship owner and that “Amazing Grace” (like many other John Newton hymns) is autobiographical, alluding to his conversion which prompted him to relinquish of his life in the slave-trade for a life of writing and preaching.

Something that you may not know is that John Newton wrote the text of the hymn based on King David’s questioning prayer in 1 Chronicles 17:16-17. “¹⁶ Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? ¹⁷ And this was a small thing in your eyes, O God. You have also spoken of your servant's house for a great while to come, and have shown me future generations, O Lord God!”

John Newton often used the word “wretch” in his hymn text writing. In his collection Olney Hymns, the word appears ten times and each time it is used to describe the imperfect human condition in contrast with God’s perfect grace. I once came across a version of Amazing Grace that switched the words “that saved a wretch like me” to “that saved and set me free”. I don’t feel that striking the word “wretch” is at all in the spirit in which the hymn was written. Newton wrote, “I can see no reason why the Lord singled me out for mercy…unless it was to show, by one astonishing instance, that with him ‘nothing is impossible’” (Newton, The Life of John Newton). May we, like David in Chronicles 17:16, be astonished by the miracle of our salvation: “who am I, Lord God…that you have brought me thus far?”