Notes on the Notes – October 29, 2023

Our Saints Sunday

This week’s music:

“Come In, Come in and Sit Down” (VU #395)

“Come in, come in and sit down,
You are a part of the family.
We are lost and we are found,
And we are a part of the family.

You know the reason why you came,
Yet no reason can explain;
So share in the laughter and cry in the pain,
For we are a part of the family.

God is with us in this place,
Like a mother’s warm embrace.
We’re all forgiven by God’s grace,
For we are a part of the family.

There’s life to be shared in the bread and the wine,
We are the branches, Christ is the vine.
This is God’s temple, it’s not yours or mine,
But we are a part of the family.

There’s rest for the weary and health for us all;
There’s a yoke that is easy, and a burden that’s small.
So come in and worship and answer the call,
For we are a part of the family.”

This song became known to United Church congregations in the arrangement made by Darryl Nixon for the hymn book supplement Songs for a Gospel People (1987). Singer songwriter James K. Manley, the composer of this hymn, is a minister in the United Church of Christ (USA). “Part of the Family” reminds both members and visitors that our congregation is an open, diverse group that welcomes people of all ages, every marital status, and all views, interest levels, and stages in the faith journey.

Hear the hymn sung by Strathroy United Church at:  https://youtu.be/gIz4FQYBF04

“Blest are They” 

“Blest are they, the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of God.
Blest are they, full of sorrow, they shall be consoled.

Blest are they, the lowly ones, they shall inherit the earth.
Blest are they who hunger and thirst; they shall have their fill.

Blest are they who show mercy, mercy shall be theirs.
Blest are they, the pure of heart, they shall see God!

Blest are they who seek peace; they are the children of God.
Blest are they who suffer in faith, the glory of God is theirs.

Blest are you who suffer hate, all because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom; shine for all to see.

Rejoice! and be glad!
Blessed are you, holy are you!
Rejoice! and be glad!
Yours is the kingdom of God!”

This week’s anthem, by David Haas with Michael Joncas, is a setting of The Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Plain, and reflects the words we are hearing from the Gospel of Luke this week.   Like the Sermon on the Mount found in the Gospel of Matthew, this section of scripture offers many messages and challenges for the believer:  messages of comfort and reflection on the lifestyle of those seeking to build the kingdom.

Hear the Notre Dame Folk Choir sing the song in worship at:  https://youtu.be/rzH-Vo4ocRo

“I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry” (VU #644)

“I was there to hear your borning cry,  I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized,  to see your life unfold.

I was there when you were but a child, with a faith to suit you well,
In a blaze of light you wandered off to find where demons dwell.

When you heard the wonder of the word,  I was there to cheer you on;
You were raised to praise the living Lord, to whom you now belong.

If you find someone to share your time and you join your hearts as one,
I’ll be there to make you verses rhyme from dusk till rising sun.

In the middle ages of your life, not too old, no longer young,
I’ll be there to guide you through the night, complete what I’ve begun.

When the evening gently closes in and you shut your weary eyes,
I’ll be there as I have always been with just one more surprise.

I was there to hear your borning cry, I’ll be there when you are old.
I rejoiced the day you were baptized, to see your life unfold.”

This is perhaps the best known song of Iowa composer John Ylvisake.  The hymn is sung from God’s point of view, assuring us that God is with us every step of our faith journey.

Hear the WPUC Worship Team (2021) sing the hymn at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-y0gstp6Do

“Love One Another”

“Love is patient, love is kind.
Love is gentle, love divine.
Love forgives, is never rude.
Love rejoices in the truth.

Love one another, as God has also loved you.
Love one another, as God has also loved you.

Love is faithful, love is pure.
Love is hopeful, love endures.
Love is humble, love is strong.
Love is such a joyous song.”

This week’s anthem is based on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and John 13:34. The words are by Roger Thornhill with music by Brad Nix.

“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).

“Be Thou My Vision” (VU #642)

“Be thou my vision, O joy of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art,
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, my calm in all strife;
I ever with thee, and thou in my life;
Thou loving parent, thy child may I be;
Thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.

Be thou my battle shield, sword for the fight;
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
Thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tower;
Raise thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and thou only, the first in my heart,
Great God of heaven, my treasure thou art.

Great God of heaven, after victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my vision, O ruler of all.”

The text of this hymn is based on an eighth-century Irish poem translated into English prose by Mary E. Byrne, and published in 1905.  The tune, SLANE, is an Irish air, arranged by David Evans for the Revised Church Hymnary (1930).

The words of the hymn are a reminder to keep God at the center of our life.  In the first verse the we are asking that God, in some way, become our capacity for sight – that our sight be so transformed through belief in God that God would become our way of seeing. This perspective is best understood with help from C.S. Lewis who said: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” Christianity for Lewis was the faculty by which he saw the world. This is a world-view: the set of beliefs or desires that fundamentally change the orientation of one’s sight and influence one’s perceptions of the surrounding world.  (Source: https://michaelentz.medium.com/be-thou-my-vision-three-linguistic-readings-of-a-hymn-b3dc1291388d)  The second and third verses continue in the same way, asking God to be with us as we meet the challenges of life.  The fourth and fifth verses indicate a turning away from the things of this world, a hope for the joys of heaven and a desire to see as God would have us see, “whatever befall.”

Hear the hymn sung by 4Him at: https://youtu.be/jIMhshpf0Y4

Hear the hymn on violin and harp by The Webb Family at: https://youtu.be/AZfD5KrH5d8

“May the God of Peace” (MV #224) 

“May the God of peace and of all good,
May the God of peace and of all good
Be always with you.  Amen!
May God’s peace be with you.  Amen!”

This traditional Goun song comes from the country of Benin in Africa.  It’s original title is “Na Jijoho.”
The song was translated to English by S. T. Kimbrough, Jr. 

Hear the song with a slightly different English translation at: https://youtu.be/s-j-EXvZzG8

Bonus Video: