Labor Day Moment; Prayers of the People
Gathering Song: Ashe (Yoruba)
Meditation Song: Alzaré mis ojos (traditional?)
Birthday/Anniversary Song: God grant them many years (Russian Polychronia)
After the Peace: Hevenu shalom alechem (Hebrew traditional)
Sending Song: En santa hermandad (William Loperena)
English Service
Jeremiah 2:4-13; Luke 14:7-14 - Abandoning the fountain for a cracked cistern
Prelude: Interlude and Jhala of the Fountains (from Shalimar)(Alan Hovhaness)
Introit Hymn: In the desert (vss. 1-3)(BEACH SPRING)
Song of Praise: In the desert (vs. 4)
Sh’ma Israel (Ashkenazic)
Acclamation: Halle, halle, halle (with verse)(Caribbean)
Hymn after Sermon: Come to the feast (Marty Haugen)
Offertory: Simple Gifts (Shaker, arr. Aaron Copland)
Sanctus (William Loperena)
Communion: In yonder valley (Shaker)
As the deer (Martin Nystrom)
Final Hymn: Those who love and those who labor (DOMHNACH TRIONOIDE)
Postlude: Processional of Peace (from Sanahin)(Alan Hovhaness)
Commentary:
The Labor Day moment in the bilingual service recognized those who had worked on preparation of the sanctuary living space. One song that hasn’t been mentioned before is Alzaré mis ojos which is a paraphrase of Psalm 121. The melody has a bit of a Jewish flavor, although I believe it is Latin American. The version that “everybody knows” is similar in contour, but considerably different in detail from the usual published versions; the oral tradition at work! I did the translation, which was a bit tricky, even though the Spanish words follow the psalm very closely.
New opening songs for this month of Ordinary Time. In the desert is sung to an earthy old American tune which is quite familiar. The original text has seven verses (!) of which we sing four. I got this from the More Light Presbyterians website a few years ago; it’s not there any more, so I’m not sure where one would find it now. I think it’s quite good:
In the desert where they’d wandered with a billion stars in view,
Abraham and Sarah pondered how the promise could be true.
Though at first to hope seemed folly, in the night they heard God say,
“Ev’ry star’s a child of promise I will never turn away.”
In a time of strife and blindness to the welter of the world
Came the one whose Godly kindness bore the pain of curses hurled.
Love unbowed raised up the loveless, as each one heard Jesus say,
“All who come to me believing I will never turn away.”
To the fragile, fateful beauty of the fractious human race
Comes a church whose joyful duty is to wield this word of grace:
Male and female, poor and wealthy, ev’ry color, straight and gay,
All who seek to find this Kingdom Christ will never turn away!
And the gentile, and the lowly, those ignored and those in chains,
Those reviled or though unholy trust the Love that lives and reigns.
Even now we hear their voices sighing with us as we pray—
“Jesus, we are those you promised You would never turn away.”
I’ve probably mentioned Come to the feast before. We sing it often, and I think it’s one of Marty Haugen’s best efforts—a very stirring tune, gratifying to sing, with excellent words based on Isaiah 55 which were an excellent compliment to today’s readings and the sermon.
Two Shaker songs today: Simple Gifts in Copland’s classic (and classically restrained) setting, and In yonder valley in unadorned (no harmony or instruments) Shaker style. I got In yonder valley from the St. Gregory of Nyssa songbook Music for Worship.
The closing hymn has become our annual Labor Day hymn. It’s a very strong text with a magnificent Gaelic tune.
The Hovhaness voluntaries are quite contrasted. The first is from a substantial and rather exotic suite for piano. The reference to the fountain in the sermon title brought it to mind. The postlude is the last movement of an also substantial and exotic suite for organ, although it’s in a pretty conventional modal idiom.
