Tuesday, December 30, 2008
One other awesome Christmas Album!!!
I am a firm believer in celebrating the Christmas season to it's fullest, so if you roll by my neighborhood at night, I'll probably be the only guy with the Christmas lights going on January 6th! So, in that spirit, here's one more Christmas album recommendation. I don't know how this one escaped me: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Jingle All the Way." The album has plenty of excellent banjo, saxophone, bass, and drums, as you might imagine. But one of the real treats for me is hearing a Tuvan throat singer performing "Jingle Bells." I mean...wow!!!! Check out the "Jingle Bells (Reprise)" on iTunes and the Flecktones arrangement of the "Christmas Oratorio" by Bach. Incredible!
Christmas, Blogging Failures, and other thoughts
Christmas with a three year old is pure, unbridled joy! I saw pure joy on Christmas Day this year (Christmas Day is also my daughter's birthday and she turned three this year). Watching Ellie interact with all of the Christmas traditions that we are blending in our house was simply wonderful. Pure, pure joy!
Sorry about being so behind on posting during the Christmas season, it was very full this year with our worship services being at the high school! (On the whole, they went very well, btw.)
I am preaching this week on Epiphany and will be preaching on the Wedding at Cana. In the earliest church lectionaries the Wedding at Cana was one of the gospel readings for Epiphany. The Eastern Church has retained this reading while the Western Church has not. My contrarian nature rears it's ugly head again! :)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!!!
Sorry about being so behind on posting during the Christmas season, it was very full this year with our worship services being at the high school! (On the whole, they went very well, btw.)
I am preaching this week on Epiphany and will be preaching on the Wedding at Cana. In the earliest church lectionaries the Wedding at Cana was one of the gospel readings for Epiphany. The Eastern Church has retained this reading while the Western Church has not. My contrarian nature rears it's ugly head again! :)
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you and yours!!!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
O Antiphon's 2-4
Thursday's Antiphon: O WISDOM, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end, and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: Come, and teach us the way of prudence.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Friday's Antiphon: O ADONAI and Leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flames of the bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come, and with your outstretched arm redeem us.
O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times once gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Saturday's Antiphon: O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and to whom the Gentiles shall make their supplication: Come, and deliver us and tarry not.
O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree, an ensign of thy people be; before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things far and nigh; to us the path of knowledge show and cause us in her ways to go. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Friday's Antiphon: O ADONAI and Leader of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flames of the bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come, and with your outstretched arm redeem us.
O come, O come, great Lord of might, who to thy tribes on Sinai's height in ancient times once gave the law in cloud and majesty and awe. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Saturday's Antiphon: O ROOT OF JESSE, who stands for an ensign of the people, before whom kings shall keep silence and to whom the Gentiles shall make their supplication: Come, and deliver us and tarry not.
O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree, an ensign of thy people be; before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
"O Antiphon" 1
Since we are now seven days away from Christmas Eve, I hope you will consider joining me in praying the "O Antiphons"!
O Antiphon 1: O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected on the nations and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord, our God.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O Antiphon 1: O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected on the nations and their Savior: Come and save us, O Lord, our God.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
A Christmas Thought from Bonhoeffer
A thought on universal redemption from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"in the birth of Jesus Christ, God took on the form of all humanity, not just that of a single human being."
"in the birth of Jesus Christ, God took on the form of all humanity, not just that of a single human being."
Monday, December 15, 2008
Truth from Parker Palmer and Henri Nouwen about community
Parker Palmer and Henri Nouwen are purveyors of truth: check out this quote from a speech Nouwen made to members of Fadica in 1994, the speech is called "Discovering Our Gift Through Service to Others":
"Parker Palmer, a spiritual writer of the Quaker tradition, says community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives. So community is not like a place where you love each other sort of freely and warmly and affectionately. Community is in fact the place where you are purified, where your love is tested, where your childhood of God is constantly put through the mill of human relationships. That is what community is. Community is a place where Judas always is and sometimes it is just you."
I came across this quote from an excellent Advent devotional book called "Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen" published by Redemptorist Pastoral Publications.
"Parker Palmer, a spiritual writer of the Quaker tradition, says community is the place where the person you least want to live with always lives. So community is not like a place where you love each other sort of freely and warmly and affectionately. Community is in fact the place where you are purified, where your love is tested, where your childhood of God is constantly put through the mill of human relationships. That is what community is. Community is a place where Judas always is and sometimes it is just you."
I came across this quote from an excellent Advent devotional book called "Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Henri J.M. Nouwen" published by Redemptorist Pastoral Publications.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
My new favorite quote (for today, anyway!)
This quote popped off the page at me several weeks ago as I was finishing a book called "A Heretic's Guide to Eternity" by Spencer Burke and Barry Taylor. I think it jumped out at me because it is profoundly true.
"The greatest tragedy of theology in the past three hundred years ahas been the divorce of the theologian from the poet, the dancer, the musician, the painter, the dramatist, the actress, the movie-maker..."
--MD. Chenu (a French Dominican Theologian who was very present at Vatican II)
"The greatest tragedy of theology in the past three hundred years ahas been the divorce of the theologian from the poet, the dancer, the musician, the painter, the dramatist, the actress, the movie-maker..."
--MD. Chenu (a French Dominican Theologian who was very present at Vatican II)
My sad little Apple...
Wonders never cease! I thought my Mac was indestructible! As it turns out, it's not. The cd/dvd player/burner is no longer working. I can't believe it! This is terribly troubling to me, as the Mac is one of my closest collaborators and I don't know what I will do with out it for a few weeks if it has to go away to be serviced. single...tear...rolling...down...my...cheek...
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Beautiful Advent Poem
One of my favorite poet's is a very fine gentleman (who also happens to be a United Methodist Minister) named John Thornburg. He has written many wonderful poems, hymns, and anthem texts that can be found in all of the mainline hymnals. He recently sent out a poem for Advent this year and I asked him if I could post it on my blog. He graciously agreed! I found this poem to be a powerful reminder of my all-too-often complicity with the powers and principalities of this world. Thankfully, God's grace can help us turn from these things and embrace the life God wishes for us. What does it mean to you?
We want the rules to bend our way;
to fight a war but hear no cry,
to overeat and never die,
to burn the fuel but clean the sky.
Dominion is our favorite sport;
to claim whatever we can see,
to dictate our idea of 'free',
to do our business by decree.
We share this attitude with Rome,
with Herod, so emmeshed in lies
he could not fashion how the skies
were filled with wonder and surprise.
The time is ripe to claim the news;
that all is level in God's sight,
that greed is wrong and love is right,
that Christ can put all fear to flight.
Be instant, O Eternal God,
to turn our minds from selfish gain,
to still our hands from causing pain,
to set our minds upon your reign.
--used by permission given from John Thornburg
We want the rules to bend our way;
to fight a war but hear no cry,
to overeat and never die,
to burn the fuel but clean the sky.
Dominion is our favorite sport;
to claim whatever we can see,
to dictate our idea of 'free',
to do our business by decree.
We share this attitude with Rome,
with Herod, so emmeshed in lies
he could not fashion how the skies
were filled with wonder and surprise.
The time is ripe to claim the news;
that all is level in God's sight,
that greed is wrong and love is right,
that Christ can put all fear to flight.
Be instant, O Eternal God,
to turn our minds from selfish gain,
to still our hands from causing pain,
to set our minds upon your reign.
--used by permission given from John Thornburg
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
An Advent Devotional
It is gloriously chilly at the moment! My office has not heat and is not very well sealed, so when the wind blows, I feel it at my desk. Currently, it is 34 degrees outside with a wind chill of 24 and "wintry mix" is beginning! Below you will find an Advent devotional that I wrote for the congregation I serve. The collect at the end is original.
"Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting, however is a art that our impatient age has forgotten...We must wait for the greatest, most profound, most gentle things in the world; nothing happens in a rush, but only according to the divine laws of germination and growth and becoming." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
These words, from one of the greatest 20th century theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, are a great reminder to us during this season of Advent that we are called to wait upon the Lord. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart!
Prayer: Most gracious and loving God: to you a day is but an instant, you created all things and have remained steadfast with your creation since its beginning. Teach us to wait for you, to watch for you, so that we may not miss your the coming of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
"Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting, however is a art that our impatient age has forgotten...We must wait for the greatest, most profound, most gentle things in the world; nothing happens in a rush, but only according to the divine laws of germination and growth and becoming." --Dietrich Bonhoeffer
These words, from one of the greatest 20th century theologians, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, are a great reminder to us during this season of Advent that we are called to wait upon the Lord. Wait for the Lord, be strong, take heart!
Prayer: Most gracious and loving God: to you a day is but an instant, you created all things and have remained steadfast with your creation since its beginning. Teach us to wait for you, to watch for you, so that we may not miss your the coming of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Christmas Albums (CD's, mp3, records, whatever you like)
We all have our holiday rituals, don't we? Today I am enjoying one of my favorite rituals! Every year around this time I pick up a few "holiday" albums to check them out and to try to stay fully engaged in the season. This year, I've picked up three very different albums and have enjoyed them all. Below you will find a super brief review of each one:
1. "What a Night" by Harry Connick, Jr. If you've ever heard any of his other Christmas albums you will recognize the formula immediately. Interesting big-band arrangements, good vocals, fairly sentimental and one or two surprising tracks that provide good theology along with funky music! My two favorites off of this particular offering are "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Song for the Hopeful." Both are available on iTunes.
2. "The Dawn of Grace" by Sixpence None the Richer. One of my favorite guilty pleasures: Leigh Nash's voice! It has such character and purity. She doesn't oversing (and could be accused of not using enough breath support but I don't care because I love it). :) Honestly, I can't give too much of a review as I'm only four songs into it but so far, it's delightful! Very sparse and light arrangements, beautiful repertoire choices. Good stuff!
3. "Songs of Joy and Peace" by Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo Ma, along with Branford Marsalis are two of the musicians who inspire me the most! Their ability to collaborate with artists in every style is simply stunning to me. This glorious album features Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, Chris Theile, James Taylor, Joshua Redman, Renee Fleming, Dave Bruebeck, the Assad Family, Alison Krauss, Paquito d'Rivera, Chris Botti, the Silk Roads Ensemble, and several others. What a line-up! I can't recommend this album highly enough! I've about worn it out already!
1. "What a Night" by Harry Connick, Jr. If you've ever heard any of his other Christmas albums you will recognize the formula immediately. Interesting big-band arrangements, good vocals, fairly sentimental and one or two surprising tracks that provide good theology along with funky music! My two favorites off of this particular offering are "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and "Song for the Hopeful." Both are available on iTunes.
2. "The Dawn of Grace" by Sixpence None the Richer. One of my favorite guilty pleasures: Leigh Nash's voice! It has such character and purity. She doesn't oversing (and could be accused of not using enough breath support but I don't care because I love it). :) Honestly, I can't give too much of a review as I'm only four songs into it but so far, it's delightful! Very sparse and light arrangements, beautiful repertoire choices. Good stuff!
3. "Songs of Joy and Peace" by Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo Ma, along with Branford Marsalis are two of the musicians who inspire me the most! Their ability to collaborate with artists in every style is simply stunning to me. This glorious album features Yo-Yo Ma, Diana Krall, Chris Theile, James Taylor, Joshua Redman, Renee Fleming, Dave Bruebeck, the Assad Family, Alison Krauss, Paquito d'Rivera, Chris Botti, the Silk Roads Ensemble, and several others. What a line-up! I can't recommend this album highly enough! I've about worn it out already!
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball
The Church lost one of it's most faithful and gifted leaders this week. The Rev. Kathleen Baskin-Ball, a United Methodist minister who was an inspiration to me and thousands of others, lost her two-year battle with cancer on Tuesday. So many others have been able to articulate her loss with such grace and art in their words! Perhaps the best thing I can say is this: St. Irenaeus once said, "the glory of God is a human being fully alive." That, for me, is the perfect description of Kathleen. She was fully alive when she lived and as she died. Christ lived through Kathleen, and continues to do so in the lives of all that she touched. Every time I had the blessing to being around her, she radiated God's love and grace to all she encountered.
I once read a story (I can't remember where) where a Catholic priest told a parishioner, "I don't think God has favorites, but I do think God has special friends." Undoubtedly, Kathleen was a "special friend" of God's!
Rev. Baskin-Ball was an incredibly gifted leader and mentor. I, along with all who knew her, have no doubt she would have been elected bishop and would have excelled in the office. Kathleen is the kind of leader The United Methodist Church needs! The loss of Kathleen's voice and vision leaves a great hole in her local church appointment, Suncreek UMC, the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church and the church as a whole.
As I told my congregation on Sunday, there is no replacing someone like Kathleen. We pray and give thanks for the inspiration she gave us in the way she lived her life and the way she so graciously modeled for us how to die with grace and dignity. And we mourn, together. And we hold her family, especially her husband Bill and son Skyler in prayer. And then, we keep going. We keep working on becoming who God made us to be. We keep serving, we keep loving, we keep laughing, we keep trying to bring good news of liberation to those who are oppressed, we keep feeding the hungry, we keep working for justice, we keep introducing people to our Brother and Lord Jesus, we keeping shining light into the dark. It's what we do. It is who we are. It is being faithful.
I am so thankful for the life and witness of Kathleen Baskin-Ball!
Glory be!
If you follow the link below, you will find a very brief video from her memorial service:
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/dmnphoto/index.html?nvid=310992
I once read a story (I can't remember where) where a Catholic priest told a parishioner, "I don't think God has favorites, but I do think God has special friends." Undoubtedly, Kathleen was a "special friend" of God's!
Rev. Baskin-Ball was an incredibly gifted leader and mentor. I, along with all who knew her, have no doubt she would have been elected bishop and would have excelled in the office. Kathleen is the kind of leader The United Methodist Church needs! The loss of Kathleen's voice and vision leaves a great hole in her local church appointment, Suncreek UMC, the North Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church and the church as a whole.
As I told my congregation on Sunday, there is no replacing someone like Kathleen. We pray and give thanks for the inspiration she gave us in the way she lived her life and the way she so graciously modeled for us how to die with grace and dignity. And we mourn, together. And we hold her family, especially her husband Bill and son Skyler in prayer. And then, we keep going. We keep working on becoming who God made us to be. We keep serving, we keep loving, we keep laughing, we keep trying to bring good news of liberation to those who are oppressed, we keep feeding the hungry, we keep working for justice, we keep introducing people to our Brother and Lord Jesus, we keeping shining light into the dark. It's what we do. It is who we are. It is being faithful.
I am so thankful for the life and witness of Kathleen Baskin-Ball!
Glory be!
If you follow the link below, you will find a very brief video from her memorial service:
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/dmnphoto/index.html?nvid=310992
An Amazing Sunday with Dr. Michael Hawn!
There are really five major weeks in the life of the average church musician. The first is "lessons and carols" week before Christmas. The second is the week of Christmas Eve. The third Holy Week and Easter. The fourth is choir tour week and the fifth is vbs. Of course, there are lots of other big events that occur outside of the afore-mentioned weeks but really, for most of us, those are the big ones.
Yesterday we wrapped up our lessons and carols week at Argyle UMC. I should say that I am using "lessons and carols" as a catch-all phrase for special Advent/Christmas worship events. At our service yesterday we had a truly amazing worship experience with Dr. C. Michael Hawn, chair of the sacred music department at the Perkins School of Theology. I could write many paragraphs on how incredible he is but let me just say that he is truly one of the greats! He is a legend in the field of sacred music, so to have the opportunity to have him lead us in an Advent service was really a gift and a blessing.
He is an incredible song leader and had the congregation singing songs from all over the world quickly and easily. I was especially enthralled with the way he lead the liturgy in the Eucharist! He brought out the inherent drama in the liturgy: it really felt like it mattered! He is such an effective presider that you can just feel the grace, the love, and the "realness" of the sacramental mystery.
Below you will find the order of worship with rubrics:
Thy Kingdom Come:
The World Celebrates the Coming of the Savior
Argyle UMC
December 7, 2008
Welcome, Gathering Songs and Community News
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
[Choir hums “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” over a organ pedal point as the following litany is spoken:]
“A Litany of Darkness and Light” (New Zealand)
Voice 1: We wait in the darkness, expectantly, longingly, anxiously,
thoughtfully.
Voice 2: The darkness is our friend. In the darkness of the womb, we have
all been nurtured and protected. In the darkness of the womb, the
Christ-child was made ready for the journey into light.
Voice 1: It is only in the darkness that we can see the splendor of the
universe—blankets of stars of the night, desert peoples find relief
from the cruel relentless heat of the sun.
Voice 2: In the blessed darkness, Mary and Joseph were able to flee with
the infant Jesus to safety in Egypt.
Voice 1: Sometimes, in the solitude of darkness, our fears and concerns, our hopes and our visions rise to the surface. We come face to face with ourselves and with eh road that lies ahead of us.
Voice 2: In that same darkness, we sometimes allow ourselves to wonder
and worry whether the human race is going to make it at all.
[Choir comes to a rest on final note “e” and sustains it.]
Congregation:
We know you are with us, O God, yet we still await your
coming. In the darkness that contains both our hopelessness and our expectancy, we watch for a sign of God’s Hope.
[Organ intro picks up on Stanza 1 of “O come, O come Emmanuel”]
Congregation (Singing):
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns on lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Lighting of the Advent Candle
Reader 1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Reader 2: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Reader 1: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Reader 2: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let hour heart take courage.
All: Wait for the Lord!
Born to Set Thy People Free
[Drum establishes a steady beat. Voices continue over the drum.]
Prayer of Praise (Iona Community, Scotland)
Voice 1: We have heard about you, God of all power.
You made the world our of kindness, creating order out of confusion; you made each one of us in your own image; your fingerprint is on every soul.
Voice 2: We have hear about you, Jesus Christ: the carpenter who left his tools and trade; the poor man who made others rich; the healer who let himself be wounded; the criminal on whom the soldiers spat not knowing they were fouling the face of God; the savior who died and rose again.
Voices in alternation:
We have heard about you, Holy Spirit. You broke the bonds of every race and nation, to let God speak in every tongue: you made disciples drunk with grace; you converted souls and emptied pockets; you showed how love made all things new and opened the doors to change and freedom.
[Drum continues and song segues]
“Freedom is Coming” South African Freedom Song
From Our Fears and Sings Release Us,
Let Us Find Our Rest in Thee.
Preparation for Prayer “Lord, Have Mercy” Lim Swee Hong
Prayer of Confession A prayer from an ecumenical group (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal) in the former Yugoslavia
Let us seek the forgiveness of God and of each other
for the divisions that have hindered Christian witness:
Lord, we have sinned against you and against each other.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
O Christ, our divisions are contrary to your will,
and have impeded our common witness to you.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
Lord, we have not loved you enough in our sisters and brothers,
created in your image, but different from us.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
Creator God,
stop us wandering in alienation from one another.
Satisfy the longings of our hearts,
grant our rightful requests,
and unite us soon in one holy church
through your Son Jesus Christ
who with you in the communion of the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns eternally.
Amen.
Silent Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon
The Savior of the world, the Refuge of the repentant,
forgives and strengthens all who truly seek his grace.
He accepts you as his sons and daughters,
and sets you free from the bondage of your past.
For Christ died and rose to new life that we might all share his wholeness and abundant life. (Church of South India)
Hear the Good News:
God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
(Col. 1:13-14)
[Recorder that I will play introduces the next song.]
(I can't put the printed music here for copyright reasons.)
Response (Choir and Congregation) “Gloria” (Taizé Community, France)
©GIA Publishing. Reprinted by permission under copyright license OneLicense.net#A-714998
Israel’s Strength and Consolation
Psalm 22
Leader: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
People: Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Leader: To Jerusalem the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
People: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.
Leader: For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”
Hymn 2091 (FWS) “The King of Glory Comes” (Israeli Melody) KING OF GLORY
Hope of All the Earth Thou Art
Narration
Hymn 241 “That Boy-Child of Mary” (Malawi) BLANTYRE
Offertory Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel arr. Timothy Bandy
Doxology Tune: Siyahamba
Praise to God from whom all miracles flow.
Praise to God from all creation below.
Praise to God you heavenly hosts from above,
Praise to Father, Son and Spirit of love.
We are praising, praising, praising, praising,
Praise to Father, Son and Spirit of love.
Dear Desire of Every Nation, Joy of Every Longing Heart
An African Affirmation of Faith From the Masai of Kenya
We believe in the one High God,
who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it.
God created people and wanted them to be happy in the world.
God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth.
We have known this High God in the darkness,
and now we know God in the light.
God promised in the book called the Bible, the word of God,
that all nations and tribes of the world would be saved.
We believe that God made good this promise by sending Jesus Christ, the Son of God, a Jew by tribe,
born poor in a little village,
who left his home and was always on safari doing good,
curing people by the power of God,
teaching about God and people,
showing that the meaning of religion is love.
He was rejected by his people,
tortured and nailed—hands and feet—to a cross and died.
He lay buried, but the hyenas did not find his body,
and on the third day, he rose from the grave.
He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord!
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him.
All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins,
be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God,
live the rules of love, and share the bread together in love,
to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again.
We are waiting for him.
He is alive! He lives! This we believe. Amen!
(Vincent J. Donovan, Christianity Revisited, Orbis Books, 1978, p. 200)
Response Amen Siakudumisa FWS# 2067 South Africa
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord
Amen bawo; amen bawo Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen!
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord.
(C.F. Molefe; as taught by George Mxadana)
EUCHARIST
Hymn 196 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus HYFRYDOL
Blessing of Peace From a litany based on a traditional Kikuyu form (Kenya)
Let us pray to the God of our forbearers, through Jesus Christ his Son,
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
May the leaders of our churches have wisdom and speak with one voice.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the leaders of our country rule with maturity and justice.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the country have tranquility and the people be blessed.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the people and the flocks and the herds prosper
and be free from illness.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the fields bear much fruit and the land be fertile.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the face of our enemies be turned towards peace.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the path of the world be swept of all danger.
Hallelujah! The Prince of Peace is with us.
(from With All God's People: The New Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, WCC Publications, pp. 112-113)
Congregational Response (Singing):
O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Postlude
Yesterday we wrapped up our lessons and carols week at Argyle UMC. I should say that I am using "lessons and carols" as a catch-all phrase for special Advent/Christmas worship events. At our service yesterday we had a truly amazing worship experience with Dr. C. Michael Hawn, chair of the sacred music department at the Perkins School of Theology. I could write many paragraphs on how incredible he is but let me just say that he is truly one of the greats! He is a legend in the field of sacred music, so to have the opportunity to have him lead us in an Advent service was really a gift and a blessing.
He is an incredible song leader and had the congregation singing songs from all over the world quickly and easily. I was especially enthralled with the way he lead the liturgy in the Eucharist! He brought out the inherent drama in the liturgy: it really felt like it mattered! He is such an effective presider that you can just feel the grace, the love, and the "realness" of the sacramental mystery.
Below you will find the order of worship with rubrics:
Thy Kingdom Come:
The World Celebrates the Coming of the Savior
Argyle UMC
December 7, 2008
Welcome, Gathering Songs and Community News
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus
[Choir hums “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” over a organ pedal point as the following litany is spoken:]
“A Litany of Darkness and Light” (New Zealand)
Voice 1: We wait in the darkness, expectantly, longingly, anxiously,
thoughtfully.
Voice 2: The darkness is our friend. In the darkness of the womb, we have
all been nurtured and protected. In the darkness of the womb, the
Christ-child was made ready for the journey into light.
Voice 1: It is only in the darkness that we can see the splendor of the
universe—blankets of stars of the night, desert peoples find relief
from the cruel relentless heat of the sun.
Voice 2: In the blessed darkness, Mary and Joseph were able to flee with
the infant Jesus to safety in Egypt.
Voice 1: Sometimes, in the solitude of darkness, our fears and concerns, our hopes and our visions rise to the surface. We come face to face with ourselves and with eh road that lies ahead of us.
Voice 2: In that same darkness, we sometimes allow ourselves to wonder
and worry whether the human race is going to make it at all.
[Choir comes to a rest on final note “e” and sustains it.]
Congregation:
We know you are with us, O God, yet we still await your
coming. In the darkness that contains both our hopelessness and our expectancy, we watch for a sign of God’s Hope.
[Organ intro picks up on Stanza 1 of “O come, O come Emmanuel”]
Congregation (Singing):
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns on lonely exile here,
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Lighting of the Advent Candle
Reader 1: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
Reader 2: The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Reader 1: I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Reader 2: Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let hour heart take courage.
All: Wait for the Lord!
Born to Set Thy People Free
[Drum establishes a steady beat. Voices continue over the drum.]
Prayer of Praise (Iona Community, Scotland)
Voice 1: We have heard about you, God of all power.
You made the world our of kindness, creating order out of confusion; you made each one of us in your own image; your fingerprint is on every soul.
Voice 2: We have hear about you, Jesus Christ: the carpenter who left his tools and trade; the poor man who made others rich; the healer who let himself be wounded; the criminal on whom the soldiers spat not knowing they were fouling the face of God; the savior who died and rose again.
Voices in alternation:
We have heard about you, Holy Spirit. You broke the bonds of every race and nation, to let God speak in every tongue: you made disciples drunk with grace; you converted souls and emptied pockets; you showed how love made all things new and opened the doors to change and freedom.
[Drum continues and song segues]
“Freedom is Coming” South African Freedom Song
From Our Fears and Sings Release Us,
Let Us Find Our Rest in Thee.
Preparation for Prayer “Lord, Have Mercy” Lim Swee Hong
Prayer of Confession A prayer from an ecumenical group (Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Orthodox, Pentecostal) in the former Yugoslavia
Let us seek the forgiveness of God and of each other
for the divisions that have hindered Christian witness:
Lord, we have sinned against you and against each other.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
O Christ, our divisions are contrary to your will,
and have impeded our common witness to you.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
Lord, we have not loved you enough in our sisters and brothers,
created in your image, but different from us.
All( Singing): Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy on us.
Creator God,
stop us wandering in alienation from one another.
Satisfy the longings of our hearts,
grant our rightful requests,
and unite us soon in one holy church
through your Son Jesus Christ
who with you in the communion of the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns eternally.
Amen.
Silent Prayer of Confession
Assurance of Pardon
The Savior of the world, the Refuge of the repentant,
forgives and strengthens all who truly seek his grace.
He accepts you as his sons and daughters,
and sets you free from the bondage of your past.
For Christ died and rose to new life that we might all share his wholeness and abundant life. (Church of South India)
Hear the Good News:
God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
(Col. 1:13-14)
[Recorder that I will play introduces the next song.]
(I can't put the printed music here for copyright reasons.)
Response (Choir and Congregation) “Gloria” (Taizé Community, France)
©GIA Publishing. Reprinted by permission under copyright license OneLicense.net#A-714998
Israel’s Strength and Consolation
Psalm 22
Leader: I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
People: Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Leader: To Jerusalem the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
People: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.
Leader: For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.”
Hymn 2091 (FWS) “The King of Glory Comes” (Israeli Melody) KING OF GLORY
Hope of All the Earth Thou Art
Narration
Hymn 241 “That Boy-Child of Mary” (Malawi) BLANTYRE
Offertory Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel arr. Timothy Bandy
Doxology Tune: Siyahamba
Praise to God from whom all miracles flow.
Praise to God from all creation below.
Praise to God you heavenly hosts from above,
Praise to Father, Son and Spirit of love.
We are praising, praising, praising, praising,
Praise to Father, Son and Spirit of love.
Dear Desire of Every Nation, Joy of Every Longing Heart
An African Affirmation of Faith From the Masai of Kenya
We believe in the one High God,
who out of love created the beautiful world and everything good in it.
God created people and wanted them to be happy in the world.
God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth.
We have known this High God in the darkness,
and now we know God in the light.
God promised in the book called the Bible, the word of God,
that all nations and tribes of the world would be saved.
We believe that God made good this promise by sending Jesus Christ, the Son of God, a Jew by tribe,
born poor in a little village,
who left his home and was always on safari doing good,
curing people by the power of God,
teaching about God and people,
showing that the meaning of religion is love.
He was rejected by his people,
tortured and nailed—hands and feet—to a cross and died.
He lay buried, but the hyenas did not find his body,
and on the third day, he rose from the grave.
He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord!
We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him.
All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins,
be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God,
live the rules of love, and share the bread together in love,
to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again.
We are waiting for him.
He is alive! He lives! This we believe. Amen!
(Vincent J. Donovan, Christianity Revisited, Orbis Books, 1978, p. 200)
Response Amen Siakudumisa FWS# 2067 South Africa
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord
Amen bawo; amen bawo Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen!
Amen siakudumisa Amen, we praise your name O Lord.
(C.F. Molefe; as taught by George Mxadana)
EUCHARIST
Hymn 196 Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus HYFRYDOL
Blessing of Peace From a litany based on a traditional Kikuyu form (Kenya)
Let us pray to the God of our forbearers, through Jesus Christ his Son,
in the power of the Holy Spirit.
May the leaders of our churches have wisdom and speak with one voice.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the leaders of our country rule with maturity and justice.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the country have tranquility and the people be blessed.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the people and the flocks and the herds prosper
and be free from illness.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the fields bear much fruit and the land be fertile.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the face of our enemies be turned towards peace.
Praise the Lord: peace be with us.
May the path of the world be swept of all danger.
Hallelujah! The Prince of Peace is with us.
(from With All God's People: The New Ecumenical Prayer Cycle, WCC Publications, pp. 112-113)
Congregational Response (Singing):
O come, Desire of nations, bind
All peoples in one heart and mind;
Bid envy, strife, and quarrels cease;
Fill the whole world with heaven’s peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
Postlude
Monday, December 1, 2008
Draft 6.8 for Christmas Eve
Since it is the first full week of Advent, I've decided to post the most recent draft of this year's Christmas Eve service at Argyle UMC. Well, I wish it was going to be at Argyle UMC! We were supposed to be in our new building but that's not going to happen in time for Christmas Eve, so now we are graciously being allowed to use the auditorium at Argyle High School. (We'd love to host it in our sanctuary but we are expecting over 1,000 folks and our sanctuary seats 175 people.)
For obvious reasons the high school is not real keen on the possibility that we might burn down their facility, we are not going to give everyone a candle to raise during the singing of "Silent Night" and since they don't want their carpet stained, we will not be serving communion. So, the trick has been to create a meaningful Christmas Eve service that forgoes those two traditional components.
Since we do not really celebrate Epiphany (which is quite a drag, since Epiphany is the older and, arguably, richer festival) we are mixing in a bit of the "follow the star" kind of motif.
I look forward to any comments that you might have!
Argyle UMC-Christmas Eve Worship
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
Christmas Eve
5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
PRELUDE: Anastasia Markina or the band
*CALL TO WORSHIP Rev. Joe Stobaugh
Leader: When the time was right, God sent the Son;
Women: sent him and nourished him,
Men: reared him and risked him,
Women: filled him with laughter and tears and compassion,
Men: filled him with anger and love and devotion.
Leader: Unwelcomed child, refugee and runaway,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
Leader: Feeder and teacher, healer and antagonist,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
Leader: Lover of th unlovable,
Toucher of the untouchable,
Forgiver of the unforgivable,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON.
Leader: Loved by women, feared by men,
Befriended by the weak, despised by the strong,
Deserted by his listeners, betrayed by his friends;
Bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
Writing heven’s pardon over earth’s mistakes
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
LeaderL The Word became flesh:
ALL: HE CAME AMONG US, HE WAS ONE OF US . LET US WORSHIP HIM AND PROCLAIM
HIS COMING!
--Iona Community, 20th century, Scotland
*SONG OF GATHERING No. 234 O Come, All Ye Faithful st.1-4 THE PEOPLE
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT AND CHRIST CANDLES
GREETING/REGISTRATION/THE LORD’S PRAYER Todd Mead
PREPARING TO HEAR THE WORD: evensong band (band stays seated during sermon)
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-11
MESSAGE Follow the Star Rev. Kory Knott
MUSICAL RESPONSE: Light is Shining by Daniel Doss evensong band & Chancel Choir
PRAYERS FOR THE WORLD Rev. Joe Stobaugh
CONFESSION (from Grace Community in England)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
(Sing the Last stanza and refraind FROM WE THREE KINGS)
TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Follow the Star by Theorn Kirk Chancel Choir
DOXOLOGY: Something from a Carol
THE CHRISTMAS STORY: Luke 2:8-20 PRE-RECORD IT WITH A CHILD READING THE CHRISTMAS STORY: EMILY YOUNG
(Silent Night underneath it) light’s come down with the focus on the star
*No. 239 Silent Night THE PEOPLE
*SONG OF CELEBRATION No. 246 Joy to the World THE PEOPLE
BENEDICTION Rev. Kory Knott
POSTLUDE Anastasia Markina
For obvious reasons the high school is not real keen on the possibility that we might burn down their facility, we are not going to give everyone a candle to raise during the singing of "Silent Night" and since they don't want their carpet stained, we will not be serving communion. So, the trick has been to create a meaningful Christmas Eve service that forgoes those two traditional components.
Since we do not really celebrate Epiphany (which is quite a drag, since Epiphany is the older and, arguably, richer festival) we are mixing in a bit of the "follow the star" kind of motif.
I look forward to any comments that you might have!
Argyle UMC-Christmas Eve Worship
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
Christmas Eve
5:00 & 7:00 p.m.
PRELUDE: Anastasia Markina or the band
*CALL TO WORSHIP Rev. Joe Stobaugh
Leader: When the time was right, God sent the Son;
Women: sent him and nourished him,
Men: reared him and risked him,
Women: filled him with laughter and tears and compassion,
Men: filled him with anger and love and devotion.
Leader: Unwelcomed child, refugee and runaway,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
Leader: Feeder and teacher, healer and antagonist,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
Leader: Lover of th unlovable,
Toucher of the untouchable,
Forgiver of the unforgivable,
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON.
Leader: Loved by women, feared by men,
Befriended by the weak, despised by the strong,
Deserted by his listeners, betrayed by his friends;
Bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh,
Writing heven’s pardon over earth’s mistakes
ALL: CHRIST IS GOD’S OWN SON
LeaderL The Word became flesh:
ALL: HE CAME AMONG US, HE WAS ONE OF US . LET US WORSHIP HIM AND PROCLAIM
HIS COMING!
--Iona Community, 20th century, Scotland
*SONG OF GATHERING No. 234 O Come, All Ye Faithful st.1-4 THE PEOPLE
LIGHTING OF THE ADVENT AND CHRIST CANDLES
GREETING/REGISTRATION/THE LORD’S PRAYER Todd Mead
PREPARING TO HEAR THE WORD: evensong band (band stays seated during sermon)
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-11
MESSAGE Follow the Star Rev. Kory Knott
MUSICAL RESPONSE: Light is Shining by Daniel Doss evensong band & Chancel Choir
PRAYERS FOR THE WORLD Rev. Joe Stobaugh
CONFESSION (from Grace Community in England)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
(Sing the Last stanza and refraind FROM WE THREE KINGS)
TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Follow the Star by Theorn Kirk Chancel Choir
DOXOLOGY: Something from a Carol
THE CHRISTMAS STORY: Luke 2:8-20 PRE-RECORD IT WITH A CHILD READING THE CHRISTMAS STORY: EMILY YOUNG
(Silent Night underneath it) light’s come down with the focus on the star
*No. 239 Silent Night THE PEOPLE
*SONG OF CELEBRATION No. 246 Joy to the World THE PEOPLE
BENEDICTION Rev. Kory Knott
POSTLUDE Anastasia Markina
Quantum of Solace
This weekend I had the chance to see the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, and wow, I loved it! And I struggle with the fact that I enjoyed it so much. Here's why: I do not buy into the myth of redemptive violence at all. In fact, I am sure it's the main cycle that Jesus broke with his death. There is something compelling, however, about cheering for the good guys and for being glad when the bad guys "get there's." The violence is well shot and impressive, from a film making standpoint, and the character development is much better with the Daniel Craig James Bond, but still, I wish I wasn't so taken by the violence of it.
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