Music for Sunday, May 26

Sunday, May 26, 2019
Easter 6

In the devotional I read to the choir this past Wednesday, we were reminded how music is an integral part of worship – not as entertainment, or a way to fill the time while the plates are being passed. But an integral part of worship. A way to offer thoughts on the text of the day, or to bring people to a certain peace. It has been that way since the beginning, and church music has actually been the basis of all music since. Folk songs, jazz, blues, rock – all of the genres have evolved from the earliest church music. Knowing that we are contributors of something so vast is sometimes overwhelming, often thrilling, but always humbling.

We are coming up on a year of our combined service at 10:00 and the response to the blend of music styles has been mostly positive each week. I think it speaks volumes that in one service we can join together people from all backgrounds, all ages, and all musical experiences and sing songs from the 8^th century all the way to an original song written by none other than me.

Such is the case with our selections for this Sunday. At the offertory the CMG will sing Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me). With music composed by Mark Hall of Casting Crowns, the text is from a hymn written in 1910 by John Wilbur Chapman, a Presbyterian Evangelist in the late 19^th century. The song tells the gospel story, beginning with Jesus’ birth to his coming again.

One day when Heaven Was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was As black as could be,
Jesus came forth To be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried My sins far away;
Rising He justified freely forever:
One day He's coming-- O glorious day! 

At communion the choir will sing Peace I leave With You, which quotes Sunday’s Gospel lesson. Arranged by Donald Moore, the melody is based on a canon by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and will feature a flute solo.

Both of these anthems meld the past with the present.

Prelude - Love Comes Down
Processional - O Holy City Seen of John
Sequence - Open Our Eyes
Offertory - Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)
Communion Anthem – Peace I Leave With You
Communion Songs - There Is a Redeemer
How Great Thou Art
Recessional - Jesus, Again To Thy Sweet Name We Raise

Music for Sunday, May 19

Pepper Choplin

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading from John 13, Jesus tells the disciples “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” In response to this, the choir and band will join together in singing text from 1 John, Chapter 4, Beloved, Let Us Love One Another, by Pepper Choplin.

Pepper Choplin is a full-time composer, conductor and humorist. He has gained a reputation as one of the most creative writers in church music today. With a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he went on to earn a Master of Music degree in composition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Bonnie Prince Charlie

For the communion anthem, the Trinity Ringers will accompany the organ on a piece by Sondra Tucker. The tune is “The Skye Boat Song”, which some of you might recognize as the theme to the television show, Outlanders.  "The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th century Scottish song recalling the journey of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Uist to the Isle of Skye. Bear McCreary adapted the song as the opening titles of the 2014 TV series Outlander, sung by Raya Yarbrough, changing the text of Robert Louis Stevenson's poem Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone (1892) to fit the story. We, however, are referencing the hymn “Spirit of God, Unseen As the Wind” by Margaret Old.

Spirit of God, unseen as the wind,
gentle as is the dove;
teach us the truth and help us believe,
show us the Saviour's love!

Prelude - Your Love, O Lord
Processional - We Know That Christ Is Raised and Dies No More
Sequence - Open Our Eyes, Lord
Offertory Anthem - Beloved, Let Us Love One Another
Communion Anthem – Spirit of God, Unseen As the Wind
Communion - Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence; Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us With Your Love
Recessional - 610 Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service