Category: Hymns

Corona Sabbath 36 GIVE THANKS!

These weeks when we cannot gather in person for Sunday worship, Lakewood United Church of Christ is providing brief weekly sabbath programs for you to listen to on your own or with others in your social isolation group.  They will be posted on Friday so that you can schedule your sabbath time to suit your schedule and your spiritual inclinations.  We hope these programs are of spiritual support to you in these difficult times.

The post this week focuses on the spiritual discipline of Thanksgiving.  

This post includes a scripture reading done by Jim Andrews, a reflection from Rev. Kim Wells and a music video created by Hilton Jones featuring pictures submitted by the congregation of things to be thankful for.   We hope this post helps to feed your spirit in these difficult times.  

You are invited to find a quiet space, inside or outside.  Light a candle.  Take a look around you.   Breathe.  Life-giving breath.   Be present.  

You may begin by reading this poem:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

–e. e. cummings

When you are ready, start the video/audio below. 

(For written text of the above video click HERE.)

The following video is a collection of pictures submitted by some of the parishioners of Lakewood UCC accompanied by a soundtrack of Hilton playing Great is Thy Faithfulness.

You are invited to offer the following closing –

When each day
is sacred

when each hour
is sacred

when each instant
is sacred

earth and you
space and you
bearing the sacred
through time

you’ll reach
the fields of light.

–Guillevic, French poet

Breathe.  Breathe again.  Be filled.  With thanksgiving.   Extinguish your candle and engage whatever may come with a sense of peace and a desire to serve.

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

The mission of Lakewood United Church of Christ, as part of the Church Universal, is to:

  • Celebrate the presence and power of God in our lives and in our world;
  • Offer the hospitality and inclusive love of Christ to all people;
  • Work for God’s peace and justice throughout creation.

 

USEFUL LAKEWOOD LINKS DURING THE CORONA CRISIS:

 

Sunday Morning Music: Compassion (a new, original hymn)

This new hymn, COMPASSION (“Just as a Nursing Mother”), is based on a sermon by the Rev. Kim Wells that may be found at https://lakewooducc.org/2020/10/23/corona-sabbath-32-compassion-reflection-text/

Here’s a video of the music score for COMPASSION (“Just as a Nursing Mother”) synced with an instrumental recording. Someday…someday, we’ll all be able to sing together again and I’ll be able to make a recording of the words being sung. Until then, it’s up to your imagination.To see the words more clearly, be sure to take advantage of the icon on the video that lets you make it full screen.

If you’d like to print out a copy of the hymn to play at home, here’s a link to a PDF of it: COMPASSION HYMN – Score. You’re welcome to print it out for you own use at home.

Here’s the text:

REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother feeds
The growing child upon her breast,
The soul sustaining way of Christ
Gives solace, succor, life refreshed.

VERSE 1
And yet, today, their spirits starve
They want to grow and thrive in truth.
They know not what it is or where
It’s found that healing hearts produce.

REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother …

VERSE 2
And sadly, faith is often seen
As offered in a selfish way.
It’s offered with a hidden catch:
Salvation giv’n but you must pay.

REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother …

VERSE 3
It is no wonder we are shy
Of telling of Christ’s love content.
But, we must gently share our lives
For we have found soul’s hunger quenched.

REFRAIN
Just as a nursing mother…

Note: COMPASSION is the tune name. Hymns have tune names that are used in a specific index in the back of hymnals. “Just as a Nursing Mother” is the first line of the hymn. There is a different, specific index just for first lines of hymns. There are other indexes, such as the metric index. The metric scheme of this hymn is 8.8.8.8.D which is four lines of iambic tetrameter, doubled.

Below is an earlier hymn I wrote based on a sermon of the Rev. Kim Wells. I’ve used two different musical settings for those lyrics, one the Irish tune, “Down by the Sally Gardens,” the other an original anthem. (I think I like the “Sally Gardens” setting better for congregational singing!) But, here’s just my lyrics:

I find the thoughts contained in Rev. Wells’ sermon inspirational and providing novel thoughts and perspectives.