Holy Eucharist Rite II at 10:30 a.m. sung by the Adult Choir, sermon by the Right Rev’d James Curry.
Worship at Home:
Click here: Service Bulletin – Sermon Text
Subscribe to St. John’s podcasts at PodcastPeople or on iTunes
Service Music:
Voluntary Sonata No. 2 in C minor Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Grave – Adagio
Processional Hymn 477 All praise to thee, for thou, O King divine Engelberg
Gloria in excelsis S278 William Mathias (1934-1992)
Psalm 1 Anglican Chant by Alec Wyton (1921-2007)
Sequence Hymn 602 Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love Chereponi
Offertory Anthem Sweet shepherd of mine Scott Lamlein, 2018
Words: Mary Davies Cole, 2018, from Psalm 23
Sweet shepherd of mine, how could I long
for anything more than the sound of your voice? The soft green of earth and bed of pine,
you lay me down in the arms of Creation.
You lead me by the rivers of Life –
you restore the soul of my being,
the center of all I truly am,
within the safe circle of Heaven’s own.
Even the dark of the blackest night
cannot hide the path you have given to me. Death falls away at the sound of your voice, evil cannot hold, nor injustice thrive.
For You are my Comforter, my Guard, my Guide. In the presence of my enemies,
you cloak me in light,
you sing me into safety,
your heart will be my home
all the days of my life,
without end, amen, and amen.
Mary Davies Cole is a member of St. John’s and poet. She wrote these words as an alternate version of Psalm 23 for our Celtic Service early this year. Both Mary and Scott described the process of writing this work as an easy flow – which is usually not true for either of them, as both poetry and musical composition is often an endless task of revision. The words and music seemed to come directly “from above” to the paper, which was a humbling and beautiful experience. The gentle piano accompaniment invokes a flowing brook in a pastoral scene – still, calming waters.
Sanctus S128 William Mathias
Fraction Anthem S166 Agnus Dei Gerald Near (b. 1942)
Communion Anthem Only for these I pray Peter Niedmann, 1996
Words: Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Only for these I pray, pray with assurance strong.
Light to discover the way, power to follow it long.
Let me have light to see, light to be sure and know,
When the road is clear to me willingly I go.
Let me have power to do, power of the brain and nerve,
Though the task is heavy and new willingly I will serve.
My prayers are lesser than three, nothing I pray but two;
Let me have light to see, let me have power to do.
Peter Niedmann is Director of Music and Organist at Church of Christ, Congregational, in Newington, and composition coach for Scott Lamlein. He is a published composer with hundreds of works in print, and Dean of the Hartford American Guild of Organists. His choral music has been sung at The White House and a Papal Mass for Pope John Paul II.
Hymn in Procession 660 O Master, let me walk with thee Maryton
Voluntary Fugue from Sonata No. 2 Felix Mendelssohn
