Notes on the Notes – September 4, 2022
First Sunday of Creation
“Rose-Colored Glasses”
Communion
This Week’s Music:
“We are One” (VU #402)
“We are one as we come, as we come, joyful to be here,
In the praise on our lips there’s a sense that God is near.
We are one as we sing, as we seek, we are found;
And we come needful of Gods grace as we meet, together in this place.
We are one as we share, as we share brokenness and fear,
In the touch of a hand there’s a sense that God is here.
We are one as we care, as we heal, we are healed;
And we share warmth in God’s embrace as we pray together in this place.
We are one as we feast, as we feast, peace becomes the sign;
In the bread and the wine there’s a sense of love divine.
We are one as we come, as we feed, we are fed;
And we feel God’s refreshing grace as we meet at table in this place.
We are one as we hear, as we hear, heart and hand unite;
In the word we receive there’s a sense that God is light.
We are one as we leave, as we love, we are loved;
And we seek justice in God’s ways as we move together from this place.”
The tune for this hymn was composed in 1987 by Jeeva Sam of Regina, SK, a United Church minister. The arrangement is by another United Church minister, David Kai, of Gloucester Ontario (1995) . Written especially for the music, the hymn text comes to us from a third United Church minister, Doreen Lankshear-Smith of Thunder Bay. The words remind us of our common journey as a faith community. We will be using the first 3 verses for our opening hymn. The final verse will be our benediction response.
Hear the tune at: https://youtu.be/g6BldTHfcz4
“Great is Thy Faithfulness” (VU #288)
“Great is thy faithfulness, God our Creator;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow –
Wondrous the portion thy blessings provide.
Great is thy faithfulness!
Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, ever to me!”
Thomas O. Chisholm, a Methodist minister, wrote the poem in 1923 about God’s faithfulness over his lifetime. The conviction that God is always with us, through good times and bad, has always been a great source of comfort and strength for the faithful. William Runyan set the poem to music, and it was published that same year and became popular among church groups. The song was exposed to wide audiences after becoming popular with Dr. William Henry Houghton of the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham who played the song frequently on his international crusades. The version in Voices United is from the Hymnal of the Evangelical United Brethren (1957).
Hear a quiet instrumental version of the hymn at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoFJzsEF3ZM
“For the Gift of Creation” (VU #538)
“For the gift of creation, the gift of your love,
And the gift of the Spirit by which we live,
We thank you and give you the fruit of our hands.
May your grace be proclaimed by the gifts that we give.”
Our offering dedication is from the United Methodist Book of Worship (1991) and is especially appropriate as we enter the church season of Creation. The composer, Steve Garnaas-Holmes is a United Methodist pastor in Montana.
“Creator God, You Gave Us Life” (MV #27)
“Creator God, you gave us life, your image formed within our souls,
Yet through the mist of time and space, we search for that which makes us whole.
In every flower and every tree, we see your great diversity,
Yet greater still we see your love, expressed in our humanity.
When with our hearts, our hands, our minds, we share our gifts with all the world,
Our spirits soar beyond the veil, to touch the very face of God.
Through hands that paint majestic skies, and voices chanting melody,
With words that reach beyond the page, we comprehend your mystery.”
Both the tune and text of this hymn were written by Judith Snowdon in 2004. Judith Snowdon was born in England but completed her formal music education in Canada at Canadian Mennonite University and the University of Winnipeg. The lyrics are a reminder that when we open ourselves to truly look at the many facets of Creation, we are able to see God’s touch everywhere and in everyone.
