Notes on the Notes – November 20, 2022

Reign of Christ Sunday

Music for this service will be led by The Worship Choir.

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

“O Christ What Can it Mean for Us?”

“O Christ, what can it mean for us to claim you as our king?
What royal face have you revealed whose praise the church would sing?
Aspiring not to glory’s height, to power, wealth, and fame,
You walked a different, lowly way, another’s will your aim.

You came, the image of our God, to heal and to forgive,
To shed your blood for sinners’ sake that we might rise and live.
To break the law of death you came, the law of love to bring:
A different rule of righteousness, a different kind of king.

Though some would make their greatness felt and lord it over all,
You said the first must be the last and service be our call.
O Christ, in workplace, church, and home, let none to power cling;
For still, through us, you come to serve, a different kind of king.”

The words for this hymn were written by Delores Dufner (2001, 2003).  The tune that we will be using is ELLACOME, which may be familiar as the tune for the Palm Sunday hymn, “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna.” It is a traditional 18th-centurey German tune which was adapted by Xavier Ludwig Hartig in 1868.

“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 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).

“Christ Has No Body Now but Yours” (MV #171)

The words of this hymn were adapted by Stephen C. Warner in 2003 from the original poem by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582).  They challenge us to be Christ’s body in the world today, carrying on Jesus’ work of love, justice and compassion.

“Christ has no body but yours, no hands but yours.
Here on this earth, yours is the work, to serve with the joy of compassion.

No hands but yours to heal the wounded world,
no hands but yours to soothe all its suffering,
no touch but yours to bind the broken hope of the people of God.

No eyes but yours to see as Christ would see,
to find the lost, to gaze with compassion;
no eyes but yours to glimpse the holy joy of the city of God.

No feet but yours to journey with the poor,
To walk this world with mercy and justice.
Yours are the steps to build a lasting peace for the children of God.

Through ev’ry gift, give back to those in need;
as Christ has blessed, so now be his blessing,
with ev’ry gift a benediction be to the people of God.”

Born in Spain, Teresa entered a Carmelite convent when she was eighteen, and later earned a reputation as a mystic, reformer, and writer who experienced divine visions. She founded a convent, and wrote the book The Way of Perfection for her nuns. The music used in More Voices was written in 2006 by Rick Gunn, a United Church musician from Bedford, Nova Scotia.

“Show Us Christ in One Another” (tune 460)  

“Show us Christ in one another,
Make us servants strong and true;
Give us all your love of justice,
So we do what you would do.
Let us call all people holy,
Let us pledge our lives anew,
Make us one with all the lowly,
Let us all be one in you.”

The words for our benediction response come from the third verse of the hymn “God of Day and God of Darkness” by Marty Haugen (1985).  The tune we will be using is HOLY MANNA, which was written by William Moore in 1825 and arranged by David Kai in 1994.