On Jordan's Banks, the Baptist's Cry

The third Sunday of Advent brings the story of John the Baptist.
Isaiah 65:17-25
1 Thessalonians 5:(12-15)16-28
John 1:6-8,19-28
Psalm 126

This wonderful hymn is not in the current United Methodist Hymnal. What a shame. it is a wonderful hymn.





On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
announces that the Lord is nigh;
awake and hearken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings.

Then cleansed be every breast from sin;
make straight the way for God within,
prepare we in our hearts a home
where such a mighty Guest may come.

For thou art our salvation, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward;
without thy grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.

To heal the sick stretch out thine hand,
and bid the fallen sinner stand;
shine forth and let thy light restore
earth's own true loveliness once more.

All praise, eternal Son, to thee,
whose advent doth thy people free;
whom with the Father we adore
and Holy Ghost for evermore.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Words: Charles Coffin, 1736;
trans. John Chandler, 1837
Music: Winchester New

Dedication Concert for Our New Organ

Friday night our new organ was formally dedicated with a concert by duo organists, Elizabeth & Raymond Chenault from Atlanta. The link leads to an article about them.

Ray studied organ at our church as a teenager under Harold Abmyer. Mr. A was the music director of our church for almost 40 years. When he arrived in town he lifted the level of church music in the entire city to a much higher level. He also taught many fine organists.

I couldn't find a video posted of the Chenaults playing. They are a wonder to watch as well as hear.

Here's one of their CDs.

One Week Late, but Still Wonderful

I found this video of For All the Saints.

This is an older video. Bob Swift, organist-choirmaster, leads choirs, sinfonia, and congregation in the opening processional hymn for "All Saints' Sunday," November 2, 1997 at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, Arlington, Virginia. We need someone in our church to start making these YouTube videos.

I've Just Discovered Hymns on YouTube

I've just discovered that some clever churches and other groups have posted hymn videos on YouTube. This one is from the north of England and features the favorite hymn of the English people, William Blake's Jerusalem.

It is a strange poem to be set as a hymn, but it is glorious. I like the video tour.

The Organ Is Being Rebuilt

I have not posted on this blog for almost two years because the hymn selections at church have been so uninspired (as has much of the preaching!) that I didn't have much to say.

Now I have something interesting to talk about. Our church organ is being rebuilt. It is a fascinating process. The Monday after Pentecost all of the pipes were removed and sent away to be refurbished. Some of the pipes were not reused. Those were sold to church members. I bought two of the chimes. They're hanging in the trees in my garden. When a strong wind comes along they bump against branches and make a wonderful sound.

The console was removed about six weeks ago leaving a big old hole in the choir loft. I'm afraid of falling in the hole while I'm singing.

Most of the pipes were rebuilt. Last week the pipes returned from the factory. Here are some pictures of the return.

Christ the King Sunday

Look! He is coming with the clouds;
every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.

The Lessons Appointed for Use on the Last Sunday after Pentecost:

2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-13, (14-19)
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
Revelation 1:4b-8

John 18:33-37

Our opening hymn was Crown Him with Many Crowns The hymn verses 1, 4-9 are by Matthew Bridges (1800-1894), written in 1852. Verses 2-3were written by Godfrey Thring (1823-1903) in 1874. The hymn tune is called Diademata and was composed by George Job Elvey, (1816-1893).

Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown him the virgin's Son, the God incarnate born,
whose arm those crimson trophies won which now His brow adorn;
fruit of the mystic rose, as of that rose the stem;
the root whence mercy ever flows, the Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown him the Son of God, before the worlds began,
and ye who tread where he hath trod, crown him the Son of Man;
who every grief hath known that wrings the human breast,
and takes and bears them for His own, that all in him may rest.

Crown him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
and rose victorious in the strife for those he came to save.
His glories now we sing, who died, and rose on high,
who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown him the Lord of peace, whose power a scepter sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease, and all be prayer and praise.
his reign shall know no end, and round his piercèd feet
fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of love, behold his hands and side,
those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of Heaven, enthroned in worlds above,
crown him the King to whom is given the wondrous name of Love.
Crown him with many crowns, as thrones before him fall;
Crown him, ye kings, with many crowns, for he is King of all.

Crown him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,
who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,
now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing
their songs before him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.

Our second hymn was the Gospel song Soon and Very Soon, text and music by Andrae Crouch, adapted by Wm. F. Smith.

1. Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King (3 times)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.

2. No more crying there, we are going to see the King (3 times)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.

3. No more dying there, we are going to see the King (3 times)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! We're going to see the King.

Our anthem was based on the Charles Wesley hymn Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending

1. Lo, he comes with clouds descending, once for favored sinners slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending swell the triumph of his train.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God appears on earth to reign.

2. Every eye shall now behold him, robed in dreadful majesty;
those who set at naught and sold him, pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing, shall the true Messiah see.

3. The dear tokens of his passion still his dazzling body bears;
cause of endless exultation to his ransomed worshipers;
with what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture, gaze we on those glorious scars!

4. Yea, Amen! Let all adore thee, high on thy eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory, claim the kingdom for thine own.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Everlasting God, come down!

The final hymn (We only had three hymns today) was All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name by Edward Perronet. The hymn tune is Coronation, composed by Oliver Holden


1. All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall;
bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown him Lord of all.

2. Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, ye ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all.
Hail him who saves you by his grace, and crown him Lord of all.

3. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget the wormwood and the gall,
go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at his feet, and crown him Lord of all.

4. Let every kindred, every tribe on this terrestrial ball,
to him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all.
To him all majesty ascribe, and crown him Lord of all.

5. Crown him, ye martyrs of your God, who from his altar call;
extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod, and crown him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse's Rod, and crown him Lord of all.

6. O that with yonder sacred throng we at his feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song, and crown him Lord of all.

This is one of those hymns with two equally popular settings. The Methodist Hymnal has them both side by side, numbers 154 and 155. Congregations seem to prefer one or the other and don't really like it when the pastor or choir director pulls a switch on them. I like both settings and wouldn't mind if we sang both on the same Sunday. The other setting is to the hymntune Diadem by James Ellor.

Collect: Almighty and merciful God, you break the power of evil and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe. May all in heaven and earth acclaim your glory and never cease to praise you. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

And so the Cristian year comes to a close.

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, World Communion Sunday

The readings for October 1 were:

Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Psalm 124

James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50

The story of Esther doesn’t get read too often. The pastor preached from the Gospel reading and connected the story to World Communion Day.

Our introit was Holy, Holy, Holy (Santo, Santo, Santo), an Argentine folk song. We sang it twice in English and once in Spanish.

Holy, holy, holy.

My heart, my heart adores you!

My heart knows how to say to you:

You are holy, Lord!

Santo, santo, santo.

Mi corazon te adora!

Mi corazon te sabe decir:

Santo eres, Dios!

Our opening hymn was Come, Sinners, to the Gospel Feast by Charles Wesley. The tune is called Hursley from the Katholisches Gesanguch.

1. Come, sinners, to the gospel feast;

let every soul be Jesus' guest.

Ye need not one be left behind,

for God hath bid all humankind.

2. Sent by my Lord, on you I call;

the invitation is to all.

Come, all the world! Come, sinner, thou!

All things in Christ are ready now.

3. Come, all ye souls by sin oppressed,

ye restless wanderers after rest;

ye poor, and maimed, and halt, and blind,

in Christ a hearty welcome find.

4. My message as from God receive;

ye all may come to Christ and live.

O let his love your hearts constrain,

nor suffer him to die in vain.

5. This is the time, no more delay!

This is the Lord's accepted day.

Come thou, this moment, at his call,

and live for him who died for all.

Our second hymn was Let us break bread together on our knees

Let us break bread together on our knees,

let us break bread together on our knees.

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us drink wine together on our knees,

let us drink wine together on our knees.

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

Let us praise God together on our knees,

let us praise God together on our knees.

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,

O Lord, have mercy on me.

After the sermon we sang Change My Heart, O God. We have begun to sing this every Sunday after the sermon.

Change my heart, O God

Make it ever true

Change my heart, O God

May I be like You

You are the potter

I am the clay

Mold me and make me

This is what I pray

Change my heart, O God

Make it ever true

Change my heart, O God

May I be like You

Our anthem was As the Bread of Life Is Broken . It is by James Chepponis. The hymn tune is
Thaxted. It is the C theme from Jupiter of the Planets by Gustav Holst.

As the bread of life is broken,
the cup of love outpoured,
we are one in Christ, our Savior,
and sent to serve the Lord.
We, the many who are gathered,
are united here as one.
In this joyful celebration,
recall what God has done.

As the bread of life is broken,
the cup of love outpoured,
we are one in Christ, our Savior,
and sent to serve the Lord.
In the word of God proclaimed here,
the good news of truth is heard.
In the telling of the stories,
be open to God’s word.

As the bread of life is broken,
the cup of love outpoured,
we are one in Christ, our Savior,
and sent to serve the Lord.
In the bread of life here given,
we become what we receive.
In the cup of love here offered,
affirm what we believe.

As the bread of life is broken,
the cup of love outpoured,
we are one in Christ, our Savior,
and sent to serve the Lord.
Sent as blessing for God’s people,
to go forth in love and peace,
in our witness to God’s kingdom,
may charity increase.

As the bread of life is broken,
the cup of love outpoured,
we are one in Christ, our Savior,
and sent to serve the Lord.

The first Communion hymn was One Bread, One Body

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,

One cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth,

We are one body in this one Lord.

Gentile or Jew, Servant or free,

Woman or man, No more.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,

One cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth,

We are one body in this one Lord.

Many the gifts, Many the works,

One in the Lord, Of all.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,

One cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth,

We are one body in this one Lord.

Grain for the fields, Scattered and grown,

Gathered to one, For all.

One bread, one body, One Lord of all,

One cup of blessing which we bless.

And we, though many, throughout the earth,

We are one body in this one Lord.

The second Communion hymn was Bind Us Together by B. Gillman

Bind us together, Lord,

bind us together with cords that cannot be broken.

Bind us together, Lord, bind us together, Lord,

bind us together in love.

There is only one God, there is only one King.

There is only one Body, that is why we sing:

The closing hymn was Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley. The tune was composed by John Zundel and is called Beecher.

Charles Wesley wrote this hymn in 1747 under the title “Jesus, Show Thy Salvation”; it was first printed in that same year in Hymns for Those that Seek, and Those That Have Redemption. He originally set the hymn to a popular tune by Henry Purcell.

The tune Beecher was composed especially for these words by John Zundel in 1870 and first appeared in Christian Heart Songs. Born December 10, 1815, at Hockdorf, Germany, Zundel emigrated to the United States, where he spent more than 30 years. He was the organist for 28 years in the Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York, at a time when the famous preacher Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) was the pastor; the tune bears Beecher's name to commemorate him. People in Brooklyn still refer to Plymouth Church as Beecher’s Pulpit.

1. Love divine, all loves excelling, joy of heaven, to earth come down;

fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown!

Jesus thou art all compassion, pure, unbounded love thou art;

visit us with thy salvation; enter every trembling heart.

2. Breathe, O breathe thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!

Let us all in thee inherit; let us find that second rest.

Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be;

end of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

3. Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all thy life receive;

suddenly return and never, nevermore thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, serve thee as thy hosts above,

pray and praise thee without ceasing, glory in thy perfect love.

4. Finish, then, thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be.

Let us see thy great salvation perfectly restored in thee;

changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place,

till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Sticks and Stones

The readings for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost were:
Proverbs 1:20-33
Psalm 19
James 3:1-12

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell. For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue-- a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Mark 8:27-38
The pastor preached from the Epistle lesson. It was very appropriate as we enter the mud-slinging political ad season. Diane Sawyer had a program on the problem of mean teenage girls taunting and bullying other kids through text messaging.

The hymns and choral music were all reflective of the Psalter today instead of the Gospel lesson.

For the introit we sang Beethoven’s The Heavens Are Telling.

Our first hymn was
Morning Has Broken by Eleanor Farjeon. The hymn tune is the Scottish folktune Bunessan.

Morning has broken,
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird;
Praise for the singing,
Praise for the morning,
Praise for them springing
Fresh from the Word.

Sweet the rain's new fall,
Sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dewfall
On the first grass;
Praise for the sweetness,
Of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight,
Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light
Eden saw play;
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God's re-creation
Of the new day.

The second hymn was Be Thou My Vision, an ancient Irish hymn; translated Mary Byrne, 1905, and versified by Eleanor Hull, 1912. The Irish folk tune is called Slane.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

Our anthem was Handel’s Let Joyful Anthems Rise

Our final hymn was Gift of Love by Hal Hopson.

Though I may speak with bravest fire,
And have the gift to all inspire,
And have not love, my words are vain,
As sounding brass, and hopeless gain.

Though I may give all I possess,
And striving so my love profess,
But not be given by love within,
The profit soon turns strangely thin.

Come, Spirit, come, our hearts control,
Our spirits long to be made whole.
Let inward love guide every deed;
By this we worship, and are freed.

Just Do It!

The readings for September 10, 2006, the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost were:

Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23
Psalm 125
James 2:1-10, (11-13), 14-17
Mark 7:24-37

The pastor preached from Mark's Gospel and titled the sermon "Just Do It".

The first hymn was Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise by Walter Chalmers Smith. The tune is St. Denio.

Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
in light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
almighty, victorious, thy great Name we praise.

Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
nor wanting, nor wasting, thou rulest in might;
thy justice like mountains high soaring above
thy clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.

To all life thou givest, to both great and small;
in all life thou livest, the true life of all;
we blossom and flourish, like leaves on the tree,
then wither and perish; but nought changeth thee.

Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
thine angels adore thee, all veiling their sight;
all laud we would render: O help us to see
'tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

The second hymn was Jesu, Jesu
by Tom Colvin, set to Chereponi, a folk song from Ghana.

Refrain:
Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love,
show us how to serve
the neighbors we have from you.

Kneels at the feet of his friends,
silently washes their feet,
master who acts as a slave to them. Refrain

Neighbors are rich and poor,
varied in color and race,
neighbors are near and far away. Refrain

These are the ones we should serve,
these are the ones we should love;
all these are neighbors to us and you. Refrain

Loving puts us on our knees,
serving as though we are slaves;
this is the way we should live with you. Refrain

Kneel at the feet of our friends,
silently washing their feet;
this is the way we should live with you. Refrain

Words & Melody © 1969 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.
Arrangement by Jane Manton Marshall
Arrangement © 1982 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188.

Our anthem was Thy Church, O God, Her Heart to Thee Upraiseth by Eric Thiman. The choir I've linked to is from All Souls Episcopal Church in San Diego. They put recordings of the almost the entire service in their online bulletin. I love it.

Thy Church, o God, her heart to Thee upraiseth;
with her the nation bows before thy face.
With high thanksgiving Thee thy glad Church praiseth;
our strength thy spirit, our trust and hope thy grace.
Unto great honour, glory undeserved,
hast Thou exalted us, and drawn Thee nigh.

Nor, from thy judgments when our feet had served,
didst Thou forsake, nor leave us, Lord most high.
Unto our minds give freedom and uprightness;
let strength and courage lead o’er land and wave.
To our souls’ armor grant celestial brightness,
joy to our hearts, and faith beyond the grave.

Our plenteous nation still in power extending,
increase our joy, uphold us by Thy word;
beauty and wisdom all our ways attending.
Goodwill to all and peace through Christ our Lord.

The final hymn was Lord, You Give the Great Commission by Jeffery Rowthorn. The hymn tune is Abbot’s Leigh.

Lord, You give the great commission: “Heal the sick and preach the Word.”
Lest the Church neglect its mission, and the Gospel go unheard,
Help us witness to Your purpose with renewed integrity,
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You call us to Your service: “In My Name baptize and teach.”
That the world may trust Your promise, life abundant meant for each,
Give us all new fervor, draw us closer in community.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You make the common holy: “This My body, this My blood.”
Let us all, for earth’s true glory, daily lift life heavenward,
Asking that the world around us share your children’s liberty
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, You show us love’s true measure: “Father, what they do, forgive.”
Yet we hoard as private treasure all that You so freely give.
May Your care and mercy lead us to a just society.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

Lord, you bless with words assuring: “I am with you to the end.”
Faith and hope and love restoring, may we serve as you intend
And, amid the cares that claim us, hold in mind eternity.
With the Spirit’s gifts empower us for the work of ministry.

The Condition of the Heart

The readings for the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost were:

Psalm 45:1-2, 7-10
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Pastor Nancy preached from the Gospel lesson about the unimportance of detailed rituals such as handwashing compared to the importance of what is in our hearts. Here's an interesting commentary I found on this scripture called Pharisees Are Us.

Our first hymn was I Come with Joy by Brian Wren

I come with joy to meet my Lord,
forgiven, loved, and free,
in awe and wonder to recall
his life laid down for me.

I come with Christians far and near
to find, as all are fed,
the new community of love
in Christ's communion bread.

As Christ breaks bread and bids us share,
each proud division ends.
That love that made us makes us one,
and strangers now are friends.

And thus with joy we meet our Lord.
His presence, always near,
is in such friendship better known:
we see and praise him here.

Together met, together bound,
we'll go our different ways,
and as his people in the world,
we'll live and speak his praise.

Our second hymn was a real old-fashioned one that people once loved to sing at Wednesday night prayer meeting. There's within My Heart a Melody , text and music by Luther B. Bridgers. The hymntune is called Sweetest Name.

1. There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low:
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
in all of life's ebb and flow.
Refrain:
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
sweetest name I know,
fills my every longing,
keeps me singing as I go.

2. All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
discord filled my heart with pain;
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
stirred the slumbering chords again.
(Refrain)

3. Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
trials fall across the way,
though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
see his footprints all the way.
(Refrain)

4. Feasting on the riches of his grace,
resting neath his sheltering wing,
always looking on his smiling face,
that is why I shout and sing.
(Refrain)

5. Soon he's coming back to welcome me
far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.
(Refrain)


My daughter and another woman from the choir sang a beautiful duet of How Beautiful on the Mountains by Felix Mendelssohn.

Our three Eucharistic hymns were:

You Satisfy the Hungry Heart by Robert E. Kreutz.

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
Is not the cup we bless and share the blood of Christ outpoured?
Do not one cup, one loaf, declare our oneness in the Lord?

You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of finest wheat;
Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
You give yourself to us, O Lord; then selfless let us be,
To serve each other in your name in truth and charity.

Here Is Bread by Graham Kendrick.

1. Here is bread, here is wine, Christ is with us, He is with us.
Break the bread, taste the wine, Christ is with us here.

2. Here is grace, here is peace, Christ is with us, He is with us.
Know His grace, find His peace, feast on Jesus here.

Chorus: In this bread there is healing, in this cup is life forever.
In this moment by the Spirit, Christ is with us here.

3. Here we are, joined in one, Christ is with us, He is with us.
We’ll proclaim till He comes, Jesus crucified. (Chorus)

“Here is Bread” words and music by Graham Kendrick © 1991 Make
Way Music CCLI # 1781157

Now Let Us from This Table Rise by Fred Kaan

Now let us from this table rise
renewed in body, mind, and soul;
with Christ we die and live again,
his selfless love has made us whole.

With minds alert, upheld by grace,
to spread the word in speech and deed,
we follow in the steps of Christ,
at one with all in hope and need.

To fill each human house with love,
it is the sacrament of care;
the work that Christ began to do
we humbly pledge ourselves to share.

Then grant us courage, Father God,
to choose again the pilgrim way
and help us to accept with joy
the challenge of tomorrow's day.

Our final hymn was the old spiritual Lord I Want to Be a Christian.

Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more loving in my heart, in my heart.

Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be more holy in my heart, in my heart.

Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart.
In my heart, in my heart,
Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart.