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