Notes on the Notes – May 22, 2016

This week’s theme – Trinity Sunday

This week’s scripture readings:

John 16:12-15  Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31

This week’s music:

“Praise Our Maker” (VU #316)

“Praise our Maker, peoples of one family;
God is love, God is love!
Praise our Maker, peoples of one family;
God is love, God is love!

Love our Saviour, followers of Jesus;
God is love, God is love!
Love our Saviour, followers of Jesus;
God is love, God is love!

Care for others, children of the Spirit;
God is love, God is love!
Care for others, children of the Spirit;
God is love, God is love!”

This children’s hymn was adapted by Gerald Hobbs, who also added a third verse for inclusion in Songs for a Gospel People (1987) – the original lyrics being “Praise Him, Praise Him, all ye little children.”  The hymn tune PRAISE HIM was arranged by Carey Bonner (under the pseudonym E. Rawdon Bailey) for the Sunday School Hymnary (1905).    The arrangement used in Voices United was written by Toronto composer Ruth Watson Henderson (1995).

“Praise With Joy the World’s Creator” (VU #312)

This new text in praise of the Trinity was written for an anniversary conference of the World Student Christian Federation held at Edinburgh in 1985 by the Iona Community. It brings fresh insights to the understanding of the Godhead. In verse one we offer praise to the Creator, “God of justice, love and peace…” Verse two celebrates “Christ’s constant presence: friend and stranger, guest and host.” In verse three, the hymn offers praise to the Spirit, “sent among us, liberating truth from pride…” The final verse brings all three together into the Trinity, “calling Christians to embody oneness and diversity.” The music LAUDA ANIMA (PRAISE MY SOUL) was composed by John Goss, organist at St. Paul’s Cathdral in London, in 1868. The tune is most well-known as the tune for the hymn, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven.”

“Praise with joy the world’s Creator,
God of justice, love, and peace,
Source and end of human knowledge,
God whose grace shall never cease.
Celebrate the Maker’s glory,
Power to rescue and release.

Praise to Christ who feeds the hungry,
Frees the captive, finds the lost,
Heals the sick, upsets religion,
Fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ’s constant presence:
Friend and stranger, guest and host.

Praise the Spirit sent among us,
Liberating truth from pride,
Forging bonds where race or gender,
Age or nation dare divide.
Celebrate the Spirit’s treasure:
Foolishness none dare deride.

Praise the Maker, Christ, and Spirit,
One God in community,
Calling Christians to embody
Oneness and diversity.
This the world shall see reflected:
God is One and One in Three.”

Watch an organ solo of this hymn tune at:  https://youtu.be/Q5VkuRqUA0Y

“Come and Seek the Ways of Wisdom” (MV #10)

“Come and seek the ways of Wisdom, she who danced when earth was new.
Follow closely what she teaches, for her words are right and true.
Wisdom clears the path to justice, showing us what love must do.

Listen to the voice of Wisdom, crying in the marketplace.
Hear the Word made flesh among us, full of glory, truth, and grace.
When the word takes root and ripens, peace and righteousness embrace.

Sister Wisdom, come, assist us; nurture all who seek rebirth.
Spirit-guide and close companion, bring to light our sacred worth.
Free us to become your people, holy friends of God and earth.”

The words for this hymn were written by Ruth Duck in 1993.  She says, “In my sophomore Bible class at Rhodes College in Memphis, I learned about Lady Wisdom, an intriguing image of God found in Proverbs, Matthew, 1 Corinthians, and literature between the testaments.”   She created this hymn to attempt to express a trinitarian theology with this image.   Sophia is the biblical Greek word for Wisdom, which is why Wisdom is often portrayed as female.   In this hymn we see Wisdom as Creator, Word-with-us, and Spirit-guide.  The music is by Donna Kasbohm, a composer from the Twin Cities.

“God of Wisdom, God of Grace”

“God of wisdom, God of grace,
Nature tells your story,
And in Jesus’ loving face
You reflect your glory.
Jesus Christ, your child most dear,
Mirrors you, life’s fountain,
As a lake both calm and clear
Mirrors tree and mountain.

Word embodied, word of life,
Light of ev’ry nation,
You have entered human strife,
Showing right relation.
Friend of outcasts, claim our hearts
By your peace and passion;
May our lives, our work, our arts,
Mirror your compassion.

Spirit, lift the veils of fear
That obscure our knowing.
Let the Glorious Sun appear
That will aid our growing.
Change us slowly day by day
By Your grace perfecting.
May our lives, though formed of clay,
Shine, your light reflecting.

This new trinity hymn was written by Ruth C. Duck in 1996 for an event of the United Methodist Fellowship for Worship, Music, and Other Arts.  When discussing the creation of this text, Ruth says, “The theme of the event was ‘Reflections,’ centering on Christ as a reflection of God’s glory and the church as a reflection of Christ.  This was a hard text to write.  I imagined mirrors and reflecting pools and meditated on relevant Scriptures…yet my words were ever inadequate to what I saw in my mind’s eye…Several months later I found that the images in the first stanza …came close to expressing what I had imagined.”