The readings for Easter Sunday, 2006 were:
Acts 10:34-43
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
John 20:1-18
We had an overflow crowd at all three services, plus a 7 am sunrise service. I think we had about 1,600 total people in church this morning. The overflow crowd had to sit in the courtyard, about 100 people out there for each service. Fortunately the rain didn’t begin until about half an hour after the last service. We had a brass quintet, Marine Corps bandsmen from Quantico, and timpani. People always expect instruments on Easter. It was hard for the choir to sing above the brass. I think a lot of the extra people were twice-a-year types, because most of them weren’t singing the hymns.
Our processional hymn was Christ the Lord Is Risen Today by Charles Wesley. The hymn tune was Lyra Davidica.
1. Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia!
Earth and heaven in chorus say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!
2. Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
3. Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where's thy victory, boasting grave? Alleluia!
4. Soar we now where Christ has led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!
5. Hail the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail the Resurrection, thou, Alleluia!
6. King of glory, soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing, and thus to love, Alleluia!
The second hymn was the ancient hymn The Day of Resurrection by John of Damascus; translated by John Mason Neale. The tune is called Lancashire by Henry T. Smart.
1. The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad;
the passover of gladness,
the passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
from earth unto the sky,
our Christ hath brought us over,
with hymns of victory.
2. Our hearts be pure from evil,
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light;
and listening to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own "All hail!" and, hearing,
may raise the victor strain.
3. Now let the heavens be joyful!
Let earth the song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph,
and all that is therein!
Let all things seen and unseen
their notes in gladness blend,
for Christ the Lord hath risen,
our joy that hath no end.
Our first anthem was a setting of Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat. We sang half of the anthem in Latin, half in English. The organ and brass parts were really splendid.
Our second anthem was Easter Anthem by William Billings. It is a great early American composition. It almost feels like a Sacred Harp shape note song to sing.
The Lord is ris'n indeed! Hallelujah!
Now is Christ risen from the dead,
And become the first fruits of them that slept.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.
And did He rise? Did He rise?
Hear it, ye nations! Hear it, O ye dead!
He rose, He rose, He burst the bars of death
And triumphed o'er the grave.
Then I rose,
Then first Humanity triumphantPassed the crystal ports of light,And seized Eternal Youth.
Hail, all immortal hail, hail.
Heaven all lavish of strange gifts to all,
Thine's all the glory, ours' the boundless bliss.
We had three Communion Hymns.
I Am the Bread of Life written by Suzanne Toolan.
1. I am the bread of life; they who come to me shall not hunger;
they who believe in me shall not thrist.
No one can come to me unless the Father draw them.
Refrain: And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up,
and I will raise them up on the last day.
2. The Bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world,
and they who eat of this bread, they shall live for ever, they shall live for ever.
Refrain
3. Unless you eat of the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink of his Blood,
you shall not have life within you, you shall not have life within you.
Refrain
4. I am the resurrection, I am the life.
They who believe in me, even if they die, they shall live for ever.
Refrain
5. Yes, Lord we believe that you are the Christ,
the Son of God who has come into the world.
Refrain
The second Communion hymn was Hymn of Promise by Natalie Sleeth
In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.
The final Communion hymn was He Lives
I serve a risen Saviour, He' s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say,
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him, He' s always near.
Refrain:
He lives. He lives. Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life' s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart.
In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thro— all the stormy blast.
The day of His appearing will come at last.
Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing.
Eternal hallelujas to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find.
None other is so loving, so good and kind.
Refrain:
The closing hymn was Thine Be the Glory by Edmond Budry, translated by Richard Hoyle. The hymn tune is Maccabeus adapted from the oratorio by Georg Friedrich Handel.
Thine be the glory, risen, conquering Son;
endless is the victory, thou o'er death hast won;
angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave clothes where thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen conquering Son,
Endless is the vict'ry, thou o'er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb;
Lovingly he greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let the Church with gladness, hymns of triumph sing;
for her Lord now liveth, death hath lost its sting. Refrain
No more we doubt thee, glorious Prince of life;
life is naught without thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conquerors, through thy deathless love:
bring us safe through Jordan to thy home above. Refrain
No comments:
Post a Comment