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.