Notes on the Notes – April 14, 2024

Third Sunday of Easter

This week’s music:

“Come, Children, Join to Sing” (VU #345)

“Come, children, join to sing: Hallelujah!
Praise to our Servant-King: Hallelujah!
Let all with heart and voice, saved by God’s gracious choice,
Now in this place rejoice: Hallelujah!

Come, lift your hearts on high: Hallelujah!
Let praises fill the sky: Hallelujah!
Christ calls his people friends, the helpless he defends,
A love that never ends: Hallelujah!

Praise yet our Christ again: Hallelujah!
Raise high the joyous strain: Hallelujah!
The whole creation o’er let all God’s love adore,
Singing forevermore: Hallelujah!”

“Come Christians, Join to Sing” began as a Sunday school song for children.  Originally entitled, “Come, Children, Join to Sing,” the hymn’s name was changed to “Come, Christians, Join to Sing” when its author realized everyone loved to sing his hymn.  The hymn was written in 1843 and first appeared in a Scottish hymnbook for children entitled Sacred Melodies for Sabbath Schools and Families.  Voices United has seen the return to the original title.

Hear a concertato version of the hymn at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qlt1Qp1WvRA

Hear a choral arrangement sung by the Gracias Choir and orchestra at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u6f2B9wZO4

“Alleluia” (MV #50)

“Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.”

Our sung response to the Words of Assurance has music written by Norah Duncan IV (1987).

“Open Our Eyes, Lord” 

“Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch him,
And say that we love him.
Open our ears, Lord,
And help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord,
We want to see Jesus.”

The words and music for this simple chorus are by Robert Cull (1976) and express our desire to connect with Jesus. This week we will be using an arrangement by Jack Schrader.

Listen to a performance of the song by Steffany Gretzing at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JBf9Cz6qpg

“Faith”

“Believing without seeing, hoping in the heart,
Trusting without knowing, seeing in the mind;
That’s the faith of a child, a child of God,
That’s the faith of a child of God.
For faith is the substance of things hoped for,
The evidence of things not seen.

The words and music for this week’s anthem are by Terry Kirkland (1996).  The lyrics reference John 20:29 – Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

“Grant Us, God, the Grace of Giving” (VU #540)

“Grant Us, God, the grace of giving,
With a spirit large and free,
That ourselves and all our living
We may offer faithfully.”

The text of our offering response for the Easter season comes from the Mennonite hymn book, “Hymnal: a Worship Book.” The tune is a familiar one which is also used for the Advent hymn “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”  (VU #2).  

“Sing of One Who Walks Beside Us”

“Sing of one who walks beside us, and this day is living still,
One who now is closer to us than the thoughts our hearts distill,
One who once upon a hilltop, raised against the power of sin,
Died in love as his own creatures crucified their God and King!

Strangers, we have walked beside him the long journey of the day,
And have told him of the darkness that has swept our hope away.
He has offered words of comfort, words of energy and light,
And our hearts have blazed within us as he saved us from the night.

Stay with us, dear lord, and raise us, once again the night is near.
Dine with us and share your wisdom, free our hearts from every fear.
In the calm of each new evening, in the freshness of each dawn,
If you hold us fast in friendship, we will never be alone.”

Our closing hymn references the Emmaus story from the Gospel reading, but also moves us to the current time, when Jesus still walks with us through all the trials and joys of life.  The words are by Ralph Wright (1989) and the tune is HOLY MANNA, an American folk hymn melody.

Hear a piano arrangement of the tune at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8heZ6Wzgl0

“Amen” (VU #974)

“Amen, amen, hallelujah, amen!
Amen, amen, hallelujah, amen!”

Our benediction response was written by Jim Strathdee (1985).