10:30am Choral Eucharist, Sunday, October 28th, 2018

ACNA Ancient Text, 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost

Sermon on: Exodus 20:1-17

Themes from the readings: God gives the ten commandments; Jesus heals Bartimaeus, a blind beggar

Prelude: “Prelude in A flat”, By: B. Jackson

Processional Hymn: 423 Immortal, invisible, God only wise (St. Denio)

Gloria: S280, Powell

First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17

Second Reading: Romans 8:1-8

Gospel Hymn: 410 Praise my soul, the King of Heaven (Lauda Anima)

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

Offertory Anthem: God is My Strong Salvation, By: Gordon Young

Choir: God is my strong salvation: what foe have I to fear?

In darkness and temptation, my light, my help is near.

Though hosts encamp around me, firm in the fight I stand;

What terror can confound me, with God at my right hand?

Place on the Lord reliance, my soul with courage wait;

O God, our help

His truth be thine affiance, when faint and desolate.

in ages past,

His might thy heart shall strengthen, His love thy joy increase;

Be thou our guide,

mercy thy days shall lengthen; the Lord will give thee peace.

Aleluia!

O God, our help in ages past,

Our hope for years to come,

Our shelter from the stormy blast,

And our eternal home!

Doxology: Hymn 380, Stanza 3

Communion Anthem: Lord, Make Me To Know Thy Ways, By: William Byrd

Choir: Lord, make me to know thy ways.

O Lord, teach me thy paths

For Thou art the God of my salvation. -Psalm 25:4-5

Communion Meditation: “Peace with God’”, By: Garrett Parker

Processional Hymn: 555 Lead on, O King eternal (Lancashire)

Postlude: “Psalm 19”, By: Benedetto Marcello (1686-1739)

Music Notes

By: Ashley Sosis

Today’s hymns are, #423 Immortal, invisible, God only wise (St. Denio); #410 Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven (Lauda Anima)

; and #555 Lead on, O King eternal (Lancashire). The Choir anthem at the offertory quotes hymn #680 O God, our help in ages past. As the cold weather settles in, I gave you some e-reader links for some cozy evening reading. Enjoy!

“Immortal, invisible, God only wise” is inspired by 1 Timothy 1:17, “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” This hymn, by Walter Chalmers Smith, first appeared in the book Hymns of Christ and the Christian Life, and was published in London in 1867. You can access the entire book of beautiful devotional poetry by entering this internet address into the internet browser of your computer or tablet: Http://openlibrary.org/books/OL21858588M and then clicking the blue “read e-book” button. My favorites are on pages 43, 100, 127, 177, 210 (The original Immortal, invisible text), and 221.

“Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven”, as printed in the hymnal 1982, is infamous among organists because it is the only hymn that appears with the verses written over three different accompaniment versions to give the text a different feel for every verse. I really enjoy this effect, so I play it as-is. The text of, “Praise, my soul”, is a paragraph of Psalm 103. The hymn was played as Queen Elizabeth’s wedding processional. If you look hard enough, you can find a recording of the moment on youtube! (Look for the 1h,47m video “The Royal Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip 1947” the hymn is around minute 21.)

“Lead on, O King eternal” was originally written for a graduation ceremony at Andover Theological Seminary in Newton, Massachusetts in 1888. In this light, the text of the final stanza is enough to move one to tears, “Lead on, O King eternal: we follow, not with fears; for gladness breaks like morning where’er thy face appears. Thy cross is lifted o’er us; we journey in its light: the crown awaits the conquest, lead on, O God of might!”

“O God, our help in ages past” is Isaac Watts’ paraphrase of Psalm 90. It was published in his book of sacred poetry, Psalms of David. If you’re not overwhelmed by the “homework” above, you may read it here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13166. The best way to appreciate the genius of Watts’ psalm paraphrases is to read them alongside the original psalm from a bible of book of common prayer.