Category: Music

Come, O Spirit, with Your Sound

Pentecost2This is the second in a series of Pentecost hymn-tune posts. In the New Century Hymnal, it’s #265. The hymn tune is BOUNDLESS MERCY from the Union Harmony, 1837. The harmonization is by Hilton Rufty (1934), but the flute obbligato in the 2nd verse is mine. Copyright restrictions don’t permit a text to sing from, but if you have a NCH there’s a four-bar organ intro; then, start singing with the flute entrance. The author of the text is John A. Dalles.

You’re probably heard of the Southern Harmony, source of many famous hymns tunes such as Amazing Grace. The Union Harmony is equally interesting.

A reminder that all the music I’ve put together for Lakewood UCC since we began the covid-19 lockdown is available as a free streaming playlist at https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/music-at-lakewood.
 

Hail, O Festival Day

PentecostThis coming Sunday is Pentecost, a major church feast day. In its honor, I’m going to post a couple hymns prior to Sunday and a couple the days after. The first is this one, Hail, O Festival Day. You are definitely welcome to sing along. The intro is organ only; start singing when the brass come in.

The respresentative text may be found at https://hymnary.org/text/lo_the_fair_beauty_of_earth_englishhymna (or in the New Century Hymnal #262). Notice that a couple of the verses are for Ascension, a couple for Easter, and the rest–the ones you should sing–for Pentecost.

The author is Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (https://hymnary.org/person/Fortunatus_VHC). I’ve always like my own name, all three of ’em, but Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus is definitely a name to envy!

So, here’s the first of some Pentecost hymns. You’ll be able to find it, and all the other music I’ve posted for Lakewood UCC since beginning the covid-19 lockdown at https://soundcloud.com/hilton-kean-jones/sets/music-at-lakewood.

Corona Sabbath 10 (Memorial Day Weekend)

CS10These 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 those you live with. 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.

There is a scripture reading and a brief meditation by Pastor Kim Wells followed by music offered by Music Director Hilton Kean Jones. We appreciate your suggestions and feedback.

Find a quiet place, inside or outside. Light a candle. Take a look around you. If you are inside, pay attention to the room you are in. Breathe. Be present.

You may begin by offering this reading:

True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar; it is not haphazard and superficial. It comes to see that an edifice that produces beggars needs restructuring.

–Martin Luther King, Jr. 1929-1968

When you are ready, start the video below.

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

As you listen to the music from Hilton which follows, you are invited to notice the thoughts and feelings and that arise for you.

After listening to the music, you are invited to offer the following closing –

He needs you
That’s all there is to it
Without you he’s left hanging
Goes up in dachau’s smoke
Is sugar and spice in the baker’s hands
gets revalued in the next stock market crash
he’s consumed and blown away
used up
without you
Help him
that’s what faith is
he can’t bring it about
his kingdom
couldn’t then couldn’t later can’t now
not at any rate without you
and that is his irresistible appeal

-Dorothee Soelle 1929-2003

Breathe. 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.

QUICK LINKS TO OUR RECENT POSTS DURING THE CORONA CRISIS:
Sermon videos: https://lakewooducc.org/category/online-devotional/
Sermon texts: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/sermon-texts/
Posts containing music: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/
For all links, please note “Older Posts” button near bottom of page.

Corona Sabbath 9

IMG_2204These 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 those you live with. 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.

There is a scripture reading and a brief meditation by Pastor Kim Wells followed by music offered by Music Director Hilton Kean Jones. We appreciate your suggestions and feedback.

Find a quiet place, inside or outside. Light a candle. Take a look around you. If you are inside, pay attention to the room you are in. Breathe. Be present.

You may begin by offering this reading:

“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.”
–Albert Einstein, 20th century

When you are ready, start the video below.

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

As you listen to the music video from Hilton which follows, you are invited to notice the thoughts and feelings and that arise for you.

After viewing the video, you are invited to offer the following closing –

Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.

–attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ 1907-1991

Breathe. 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.

Corona Sabbath 8 Mother’s Day

hibiscusThese 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 those you live with. 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.

There is a scripture reading and a brief meditation by Pastor Kim Wells followed by music offered by Music Director Hilton Kean Jones. This week, in honor of Mother’s Day there is a music video featuring pictures of mothers and mother figures that were contributed by the LUCC family.

Find a quiet place, inside or outside. Light a candle. Perhaps have something present that reminds you of your mother or someone important to you who offered you mothering love. Breathe. Be present.

You may begin by offering these words from the original Mother’s Day Proclamation of Julia Ward Howe in 1870. Though written in the aftermath of the Civil War, the words still offer inspiration to us today.

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or tears!

Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have taught them of charity, mercy and patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.”

From the bosom of a devastated Earth, a voice goes up with our own. It says, “Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.”

When you are ready, start the video below.

(For written text of video click HERE.)

As you listen to the music video below prepared by Hilton using the pictures of mothers contributed by the church family, you are invited to notice the thoughts and feelings and that arise for you around Mother’s Day. The music video begins in silence.

After viewing the video, you are invited to offer the following closing –

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.”
— Ivy Baker Priest, 20th century

Breathe. 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.

QUICK LINKS TO OUR RECENT POSTS DURING THE CORONA CRISIS:
Sermon videos: https://lakewooducc.org/category/online-devotional/
Sermon texts: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/sermon-texts/
Posts containing music: https://lakewooducc.org/category/posts/music/
For all links, please note “Older Posts” button near bottom of page.