Worship at the Barn (Sunday, May 25, 2014)

For the third consecutive year we shared in an ecumenical service at the historic Fferm Fach Yn Y Coed ("Little Farm in the Woods") and, as in past years, congregational singing was a big part of the experience.

It has become our tradition to open with a stanza or two or three of Charles Wesley's "O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." In its original form this hymn had 18 stanzas. The familiar "first stanza" was actually Wesley's seventh stanza. I think of this often when writing sermons. Sometimes the first 1/3 goes into the trash--I often discover the best "introduction" (first stanza) well into the first draft.

Blogs might be like that too.

Anyway, here is a list of the hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs we sang Sunday morning in Kent Jones' historic barn, with Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, and many "Other" in attendance. Mary Ann Norman was our accompanist.

Act I - Gathered Together as One
1. O, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing (Azmon)
2. Gather Us In (Words and Music by Marty Haugen, 1979)

Act II - Hymns Celebrating the Church
3. All Are Welcome (Words and Music by Marty Haugen, 1994)
4. When Hands Reach Out and Fingers Trace (Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, 2001)

It might seem strange to begin with contemporary texts when singing in an historic venue on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend but I wanted to begin by emphasizing the "choir of thousands" of young and old; meek and weak and poor in spirit; and even the "rich and haughty" too (Haugen, 1979) in our ecumenical context. I pointed out, just before Act II, that many Lutherans and Catholics claim Haugen (who was born in Minnesota and currently serves in a UCC church in the Twin Cities) as "one of their own" and are quite familiar with his music and, also, that Carolyn Winfrey Gillette grew up in a Methodist family and now serves as co-pastor with her husband in a Presbyterian church. There is more cross-pollination than we often realize or care to admit.

Our purpose in gathering for worship on Sunday, the Lord's Day, is always--first and foremost--a celebration of the resurrection. The seven-day week is the primary way Christians mark time, so even in the midst of church seasons such as Lent, Advent, and so forth, every Sunday is Easter Sunday. And, even when we are reminded of civic holidays such as Memorial Day, Mother's Day, etc., the memorial acclamation "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again") is always the most important thing. And so, with traditional hymn tunes, we come to the meta-narrative:

Act III - Hymns Celebrating the Salvation Story (Easter/Ascension)
5. Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing (Brian Wren, 1968, rev. 1995) (TRURO)
6. Alleluia! Sing to Jesus (William Chatterton Dix, 1866) (HYFRYDOL)
7. Amazing Grace: My Chains Are Gone (John Newton, 1779; refrain by Christ Tomlin & Louie Giglio, 2006)

And just as the Word became flesh and lived among us, so the Word of God in scripture might--or so I thought--be interposed with music related to the civic holiday of Memorial Day. How might these songs dialogue with the scripture lessons "for Peace" (from the special occasions readings in the Book of Common Prayer)? Might the songs help us to allow the Word to penetrate our remembrances of those who sacrificed their lives in service of their country, penetrate the civic holiday, penetrate our prayers, penetrate our lives?

Act IV - The Word of God: Prayers for Shalom
OT Lesson: Micah 4:1-5 ("swords into plowshares" and "spears into pruning hooks" and "and they will study war no more")
8. How Beautiful, Our Spacious Skies (Miriam Therese Winter, 1993; adapted from "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates) including the stanza:  Indigenous and immigrant, our daughters and our sons, O may we never rest content till all are truly one. America! America! God grant that we may be a sisterhood and brotherhood from sea to shining sea. 
Psalm 85:7-13 ("righteousness and peace shall kiss each other")
9. O God of Every Nation (William W. Reid, Jr., 1958) (LLANGLOFFAN)
NT Lesson: Colossians 3:12-15 ("clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, meekness, humility, and patience")
10. God Bless Our Native Land / My Country, 'Tis of Thee (AMERICA)
Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:43-48 ("Love your enemies and pray for those who harass you")
11. Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (HYFRYDOL) ("Jesus, thou art all compassion; pure unbounded love thou art...")
Sermon

Act V - Blessed to Be a Blessing
12. God of Grace and God of Glory (CWM RHONDDA)
13. Doxology (OLD HUNDREDTH)
14. Go My Children, With My Blessing (Jaroslav J. Vaida, 1983) (AR HYD Y NOS) 

Other than a short invocation and prayer of thanksgiving after the Doxology and the Lord's Prayer, we didn't have a litany or prayers of the people as in past years. But when we sing we pray twice.

For those of you who care about such things, the service was completed in less than 65 minutes.

Grace and peace!