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.