Loaves and Fishes

Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for Sunday, July 30 were:
2 Samuel 11:1-15Psalm 14
or
2 Kings 4:42-44

Psalm 145: 10-19
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21

We used the first set from the Old Testament. 2 Samuel 11 is the story of David and Bathsheba. I think the second set would have been more appropriate because the story of Elisha and the twenty loaves of barley parallels the Gospel story of the loaves and fishes.

The hymns today were old favorites that the congregation sang well.

Our opening hymn was Come, Christians, Join to Sing by Christian H. Bateman in 1843. The hymn tune is Madrid, a traditional Spanish melody, arranged by David Evans.

Come, Christians, join to sing Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King; Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high, Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky; Alleluia! Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend;
To us He’ll condescend;
His love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again, Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain; Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven’s blissful shore,
His goodness we’ll adore,
Singing forevermore,
“Alleluia! Amen!”

The second hymn was Break Thou the Bread of Life by Mary A. Lathbury in 1877. The hymn tune is Bread of Life by William F. Sherwin. Lathbury was also the author of the vesper hymn Day Is Dying in the West.

1. Break thou the bread of life, dear Lord, to me,
as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea;
beyond the sacred page I seek thee, Lord;
my spirit pants for thee, O Living Word!

2. Bless thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
as thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
and I shall find my peace, my all in all.

Our anthem was based on the hymn Jesus Loves Me. The hymn was originally written by Anna B. Warner and appeared as a poem in the best-selling novel Say and Seal by her sister Susan Warner in 1860. This sentimental novel had a scene with a dying child whose was comforted when the novel’s main character recites the poem to him. Anna Warner lived next door to West Point and taught Sunday Schools to the cadets at the Academy How sad to think of her students facing each on the Civil War battle fields within a year of so of graduating from the Academy.

The composer William Bradbury was from Maine. Composer of serious church music and hymn tune he was also a teacher of voice and organ. In 1854 Bradbury had formed a piano company and by 1861 had built a music company to publish and distribute his own works. He was enchanted by the poem and set it to music in 1862, adding the familiar refrain. It was immediately popular in both North and South. In addition to Jesus Loves Me Bradbury composed over forty hymn tunes that remain popular today, including "Sweet Hour of Prayer, He Leadeth Me," and "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand”.

I’m not sure how the Bradbury family ended up in Virginia, but several generations of them have been members of my church in Fredericksburg. His great, great grandchildren (or many another great or two) were baptized her a few years ago. Anyway we especially enjoyed singing this anthem. It had a soprano sax accompaniment.

Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong.

Refrain

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! This I know, as He loved so long ago,
Taking children on His knee, saying, “Let them come to Me.”


Refrain

Jesus loves me still today, walking with me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give light and love to all who live.

Refrain

Jesus loves me! He who died Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin, Let His little child come in.

Refrain

The final hymn was Marching to Zion by Isaac Watts. The music was composed by Robert Lowry who added the refrain.

1. Come, we that love the Lord,
and let our joys be known;
join in a song with sweet accord,
join in a song with sweet accord
and thus surround the throne,
and thus surround the throne.
Refrain:
We're marching to Zion,
beautiful, beautiful Zion;
we're marching upward to Zion,
the beautiful city of God.

2. Let those refuse to sing
who never knew our God;
but children of the heavenly King,
but children of the heavenly King
may speak their joys abroad,
may speak their joys abroad.
(Refrain)

3. The hill of Zion yields
a thousand sacred sweets
before we reach the heavenly fields,
before we reach the heavenly fields,
or walk the golden streets,
or walk the golden streets.
(Refrain)

4. Then let our songs abound,
and every tear be dry;
we're marching through Emmanuel's ground,
we're marching through Emmanuel's ground,
to fairer worlds on high,
to fairer worlds on high.
(Refrain)

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

The readings for July 23 were:
2 Samuel 7:1-14a
Psalm 89:20-37
Ephesians 2:11-22
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

The opening hymn I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord by Timothy Dwight. The tune is St Thomas by Aaron Williams.

1. I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode,
the church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood.

2. I love thy church, O God! Her walls before thee stand
dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand.

3. For her my tears shall fall, for her my prayers ascend,
to her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end.

4. Beyond my highest joy I prize her heavenly ways,
her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise.

5. Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall be given
the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven.

The second hymn was Dear Lord and Father of Mankind by John Greenleaf Whittier. The hymn tune is Rest by Frederick C. Maker.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways!
Re-clothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise;

In simple trust like theirs who heard, beside the Syrian sea,
the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word,
rise up and follow thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee! O calm of hills above,
where Jesus knelt to share with thee the silence of eternity
interpreted by love!

Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm;
let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.

The final hymn was The Church's One Foundation by Samuel J. Stone, set to the tune Aurelia by Samuel Sebastian Wesley. There are two versions of this hymn in our hymnbook - The original and the “PC” version that eliminates any reference to the church as the bride of Christ. We had to sing the “PC” version this Sunday. I’m naughty. Whenever we sing one of these hymns that’s been butchered by some committee I just sing the original words just as loud as I can. Unfortunately, my voice isn’t as loud as it once was, and only a few people know that I’m misbehaving. I don’t know why some clergywomen (and it almost always is women) feel they have to butcher other people’s poetry. Some people just have no poetry in their souls.

Here’s the real hymn:

1. The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation by water and the Word.
From heaven he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

2. Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth;
her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued.

3. Though with a scornful wonder we see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping shall be the morn of song.

4. Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation of peace forevermore;
till, with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest.

5. Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee.

We’ve been on vacation. On July 9 we attended St. Paul United Methodist in Louisville. It’s a beautiful church with a wonderful music program. We were on the road July 16 and missed church altogether. We made up for it this weekend.

On Saturday we attended the memorial service for Dr. Purnell Bailey, retired Methodist minister and syndicated columnist who wrote the “Daily Bread” column for over sixty years. Our daughter was the soloist and cantor. The hymns were: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, What a Friend We Have in Jesus, and Be Thou My Vision. The church was filled to overflowing, and the singing was wonderful.

Sunday afternoon we had the investiture for our new district superintendent, who is our former senior pastor. The processional was O, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing by by Charles Wesley. The tune is Azmon by Carl Glazer.

O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise,
the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace!

My gracious Master and my God, assist me to proclaim
and spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy Name.

Jesus! the Name that charms our fears and bids our sorrows cease;
'tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life and health and peace.

He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive;
the mournful broken hearts rejoice, the humble poor believe.

Hear him, ye deaf; his praise, ye dumb, your loosened tongues employ;
ye blind, behold, your Savior come; and leap, ye lame, for joy!

Glory to God and praise and love be now and ever given
by saints below and saints above the Church in earth and heaven.

The choir sang an anthem based on the hymn Built on the Rock by the Danish writer Nikolai F. Grundtvig, translated by Carl Doving. The Norwegian hymn tune was composed by Ludvig M. Lindeman. We had trumpets. It was super.

Built on the Rock the church doth stand,
Even when steeples are falling;
Crumbled have spires in every land,
Bells still are chiming and calling;
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the soul distressed,
Longing for rest everlasting.

Surely in temples made with hands,
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling;
Yet He whom heavens cannot contain
Chose to abide on earth with men,
Built in our bodies His temple.

We are God’s house of living stones,
Builded for His habitation;
He through baptismal grace us owns,
Heirs of His wondrous salvation;
Were we but two His Name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell,
With all His grace and His favor.

Now we may gather with our King;
Even in the lowliest dwelling:Praises to Him we there may bring,His wondrous mercy foretelling;Jesus His grace to us accords,Spirit and life are all His words,His truth doth hallow the temple.
Still we our earthly temples rear,
That we may herald His praises;
They are the homes where He draws near
And little children embraces,
Beautiful things in them are said,
God there with us His covenant made,
Making us heirs of His Kingdom.

Here stands the font before our eyes
Telling how God did receive us;
The altar recalls Christ’s sacrifice
And what His table doth give us;
Here sounds the Word that doth proclaim
Christ yesterday, today, the same,
Yea, and for aye our Redeemer.

Grant then, O God, wherever men roam,
That, when the church bells are ringing,
Many in saving faith may come
Where Christ His message is bringing:
“I know Mine own, Mine own know Me;
Ye, not the world, My face shall see.
My peace I leave with you. Amen”

We also sang Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze. We had flutes and an oboe along with the organ.

The final hymn was God of Grace and God of Glory by Harry Emerson Fosdick set to the tune Cwm Rhondda by John Hughes.

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil ’round us,
Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways.
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,
To the evils we deplore.
Let the search for Thy salvation,
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving Thee Whom we adore,
Serving Thee Whom we adore.


It was quite a full weekend.

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost

The fourth Sunday after Pentecost
The readings for Sunday, July2, 2006 were:
2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27
Psalm 130
2 Corinthians 8:7-15
Mark 5:21-43

I was half expecting the pastor to preach on the text of Second Samuel – “How the mighty have fallen”, but he preached from the Gospel – “He touched me.”

Since Tuesday is Independence Day we had some patriotic music. Our first hymn was God of Our Fathers which was written by Daniel C. Roberts for a celebration of the Centennial in 1876. The hymn tune is called National Hymn, written by George W. Warren in 1888 for the centennial celebration of the US Constitution. Warren was the organist at St. Thomas Church in New York, a wonderful church that’s worth a visit the next time you visit New York.
Our organ doesn’t have trumpets on it, but I’ve attended churches that had those and used them to good advantage with the introductory measures of this hymn.

God of our fathers, Whose almighty hand
Leads forth in beauty all the starry band
Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies
Our grateful songs before Thy throne arise.

Thy love divine hath led us in the past,
In this free land by Thee our lot is cast,
Be Thou our Ruler, Guardian, Guide and Stay,
Thy Word our law, Thy paths our chosen way.

From war’s alarms, from deadly pestilence,
Be Thy strong arm our ever sure defense;
Thy true religion in our hearts increase,
Thy bounteous goodness nourish us in peace.

Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way,
Lead us from night to never ending day;
Fill all our lives with love and grace divine,
And glory, laud, and praise be ever Thine.

Our second hymn was He Touched Me by William Gaither. I really don’t like anything Bill Gaither has ever written, and I wish we wouldn’t sing his hymns. The music is almost unsingable, but I guess it fit the Gospel reading today.


Shackled by a heavy burden,
'Neath a load of guilt and shame.
Then the Hand of Jesus touched me,
And now I am no longer the same.

Refrain
He touched me,
Oh, He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
Since I met the Blessed Saviour,
Since He cleansed and made me whole,
I will never cease to Praise Him!
I'll shout it while eternity rolls.


Refrain
He touched me,
Oh, He touched me,
And oh the joy that floods my soul.
Something happened and now I know,
He touched me and made me whole.
(repeat the refrain 2 times)
He touched me and made me whole.

Our anthem was a very nice setting of
America the Beautiful.

Our closing hymn was The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe.I always find it strange to sing this Civil War song written for the Union Army here in Virginia in a church that was almost completely destroyed by Union bombardment during the Battle of Fredericksburg. I guess we know more about “grapes of wrath” and “terrible swift sword” than a lot of folks.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.

Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.