Music for Sunday, June 24

It's been a while since I posted here, so I thought I would give it a go!

First I would like to comment on our recent pilgrimage to England. I and 7 folks from Trinity, as well as an old friend from a Georgia left on May 22 for an 11 tour of England. While there we sang Evensong 5 times in two cathedrals - Gloucester and Wells. We also sang Sunday morning service in Gloucester. It is difficult to put into words how amazing it was to sing in these beautiful and holy spaces. Gloucester Cathedral has been a place of Christian worship for over 1,300 years! The building of the current cathedral was begun in 1089. For those of you that have read "Pillars of the Earth", that's the same time period! One more bit of trivia - many of the hallways were use in the Harry Potter movies.

Gloucester Cathedral

Cloisters

The whole gang!

Wells Cathedral

Bisop's Close

St. Andrews Well

The Cathedral in Wells, has the same rich history. The springs in the Bishop's Garden are the reason for the original settlement (that's how the town is called Wells), and the first chapel was built in 705. The present cathedral was begun in 1175, and was the first English cathedral to be built in the new Gothic style. In 1348, the Bishop of Shrewsbury founded a college so that the Vicars Choral, the singing men of the choir, could live together.  He provided a hall for meals and a house for each of the vicars. These were built on two sides of a quadrangle, with the hall at one end and a chapel at the other end.Vicars' Close, as the street came to be known, is the only medieval street in England, and the old residential street in Europe. Today, the Choristers and Vergers still live there. The houses are completely updated!

The chance to sing in these spaces and experience Evensong with our new friends from St. James, St. Peter's and Good Shepherd was a wonderful and memorable experience!

As wonderful as it was, it was also wonderful to return home! The combined 10:00 service has been an exciting event at Trinity. It is wonderful to look out on all the faces together in community! The singing on the recessional hymn this past Sunday was glorious! Keep it up!

This Sunday's gospel reading is from Mark 4:35-41

When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

This reading led me to two songs in particular - "Oceans" by Hillsong, and Robert Lowry's "How Can I Keep From Singing". The choir will sing the offertory anthem, which is a different tune than the one you know, with hints of Aaron Copland, apple trees and newly mown meadows. For almost a century, the hymn remained unknown in mainline Christian worship.  It was brought to wide notice by Pete Seeger during the folk revival of the 1960's and came into use in Roman Catholic worship through arrangements by Marty Haugen and others.  Although Lowry composed the music for the hymn, the authorship for the words is unclear.  Regardless of authorship, the words, while bearing an unmistakably Victorian patina, are remarkably fresh and viable in their original form, and require little editing for use in modern worship. 

My life flows on, in endless song: 
Above earth's lamentation, 
I catch the sweet, tho' far off hymn 
That hails a new creation.
No storm can shake my inmost calm, While to that rock I'm clinging; Since Love is Lord of heaven and earth, How can I keep from singing? 

Through all the tumult and the strife 
I hear the music ringing; 
It finds an echo in my soul; 
How can I keep from singing? No storm can shake my inmost calm, While to that rock I'm clinging; Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, How can I keep from singing? 

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing?
No storm can shake my inmost calm, While to that rock I'm clinging; Since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, How can I keep from singing? 

The Contemporary Music Group will sing "Oceans" at communion. This song, by the Australian worship group Hillsong United, was released in 2013. It spent a record 61 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart. It also won the 2014 song of the year at the GMA dove Awards. The theme of the song is about stepping into the unknown and Peter having blind trust to walk upon the water. When it was recorded, singer Tanya Smith sang many of the parts of the song in one take.

You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever you would call me

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 7

Processional - Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven   

Sequence - Eternal Father, Strong to Save   

Offertory - How Can I Keep From Singing

Communion - Oceans; Precious Lord, Take My Hand; Let Us Break Bread Together

Recessional - Praise to the Lord, the Almighty