Home Church Package, Sunday June 14Th, 2020 Threshold Moment
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Home Church Package, Sunday June 14th, 2020 Materials prepared by Jenn Swanson Because this service is a Jazz service, we have included the lyrics to some of the pieces that will be performed. It’s not the same, of course, to not hear the music, but perhaps meditating on the words will also speak to your soul…and if you know these songs, DO sing along! Threshold Moment Psalm 34: Verse 8 says: "O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him”. Taste and See. There are many ways in which human beings connect with Spirit, with God, with the Holy, with the Divine, with Ground of Being. For some, it's through nature...the beauty of God's Creation. For others, it's through the universal language of music. Some connect most deeply through meditation and prayer and contemplation, and for others the connection to God is through storytelling, movement and the arts. Our world seems very different than it was a few long months ago, and in many ways, it is not fundamentally different, but things have come to surface...that needed to be in the light...and we need to talk about these things, to listen deeply to each other, to learn and to grow and work at making things better. There is much pain, much challenge, much fear and yet, if you are able to be still for a bit...even just for a little while, you will notice that there is still much beauty and much good...and really, how could there not be if this indeed is God's world? For the next 6 services, we will be offering different "flavours" of worship...ways you too can taste and see that the Lord Is good. Some of these themes might resonate more with you than others, some may seem familiar, and others may be new to you. Each one is an invitation to do as Jesus said in John 1 verse 39, "Come and See". We begin this series with the theme of Resilience of Spirit ...knowing that despite the state of the world these days...there is still strength of spirit, hope, and love rising....and these themes are often themes found through the language of Jazz music with it's rich African-American history and deep roots emerging from what some called the cradle of jazz, New Orleans. And so we invite you...to open your hearts and minds to where the Spirit may move you and stir within you this day. And while protests rage and the wheels of justice turn...we find indeed that voices are being heard...that Love does speak...and that there is music in the air. Let's worship! Page 1 of 7 History of this Hymn (source: Wikipedia): "Up Above My Head" is a gospel song of traditional origin, first recorded in 1941 (as "Above My Head I Hear Music In The Air") by The Southern Sons, a vocal group formed by William Langford of the Golden Gate Quartet. In the version that is now the best known, it was recorded in 1947 by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Marie Knight as a duo. The spiritual "Over My Head", apparently dating from the 19th century but of unknown authorship, contains many of the same lines as "Up Above My Head" – "Over my head / I hear music in the air../ There must be a God somewhere" – and may be presumed to be its origin. Civil rights leader Bernice Johnson Reagon changed the traditional words of the song in 1961, to "Over my head / I see freedom in the air...". In 1995, the National Association for Music Education (then known as the Music Educators National Conference) published a list of songs that "every American should know", which included "Over My Head". (Over My Head is in our More Voices hymnbook, #88) Opening Hymn: Up Above My Head Up above my head (Up above my head) I hear music in the air (I hear music in the air) Up above my head (Up above my head) I hear music in the air (I hear music in the air) Up above my head (Up above my head) I hear music in the air (I hear music in the air) And I really do believe (Yeah) I really do believe There's a Heaven somewhere (There's a Heaven somewhere) Page 2 of 7 Opening Prayer: Written by Leenane Shiels God of love, God we come to know your heart beat in the rhythms and syncopations of the human heart. And today we feel your heart beat in the rhythms and syncopations of beautiful music. We thank you for this beauty, for the gift of music, and for your love – a love from which all other love flows. And as the music envelops our senses, we feel your love in the deepest parts of our being, enfolding us, emanating from us, entwining between us. May we magnify your love out into our lives, into our relationships, our friendships, our homes, our workplaces, our community. And may we always keep our hearts open as yours is to the suffering, to the vulnerable and those who feel they are lost. In the name of Love, Amen. Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:19-20 As you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. History of this Hymn (source: Wikipedia): Leaning on the Everlasting Arms is a hymn published in 1887 with music by Anthony J. Showalter and lyrics by Showalter and Elisha Hoffman. Showalter said that he received letters from two of his former pupils saying that their wives had died. When writing letters of consolation, Showalter was inspired by the phrase in the Book of Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms". Page 3 of 7 Hymn: Leaning on the Everlasting Arms What a fellowship, what a joy divine, Leaning on the everlasting arms; What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Refrain: Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms. O how sweet to walk, In this pilgrim way, Leaning on the everlasting arms; O how bright the path grows from day to day, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Refrain What have I to dread, what have I to fear, Leaning on the everlasting arms; I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the everlasting arms. Refrain. History of this Hymn (source: NPR Music): "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" is a vigorous mash-up of big-city blues, church spirit and modern jazz. A chugging guitar and honking harmonica set a march-like pace at the get-go, and vocalist Junior Mack begins a lyrical sermon in his warm-hearted tenor: You might slip, slide, stumble, fall by the roadside, "but don't you let nobody drag your spirit down." Four horns — tenor sax, two trumpets and trombone — add unexpected harmonies, rising and slithering like a conjurer's snake, negotiating a maze of bluesy flatted thirds and sevenths. For good measure, Mack shows off his B.B. King-like guitar chops in a solo. The song is featured on And Still I Rise, the debut album from the Heritage Blues Orchestra, whose ambitious name reflects its intention to make up-to-the-minute music that draws upon the glorious past of African-American genres. As the title suggests, the group rises to the occasion. "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" walks right on up to heaven's gates. Page 4 of 7 Hymn: Don’t Ever Let Nobody You might slip, you might slide, you might Stumble and fall by the road side But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down Remember you're walking up to heaven Don't let nobody turn you around Walk with the rich, walk with the poor Learn from everyone, that's what life is for And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down Remember you're walking up to heaven Don't let nobody turn you around Well I might say things that sound strange to you And I might preach the gospel, I believe it's true I won't let nobody drag my spirit down Yes, I'm walking up to heaven Won't let nobody turn me around You might slip, you might slide, you might Stumble and fall by the road side But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down Remember you're walking up to heaven Don't let nobody turn you around History of this Hymn (source: Wikipedia): Jennifer Judy "JJ" Heller (born October 19, 1980, née Kellner) is an American Christian folk singer. After releasing multiple albums, she had two songs that charted. "Your Hands" from her 2008 album Painted Red and "What Love Really Means" from the album When I'm with You both peaked at number 13. “At My Table” was released in 2017. Hymn: At My Table At My Table [Verse 1] This is for the powerless, the wounded and the weak This is for the immigrant, and those who cannot speak If the ground beneath your feet feels unstable There's a place, there's a place for you At my table Page 5 of 7 [Chorus] If you're broken, you are welcome If you're outside looking in If you have no place of your own My door is open, it's always open [Verse 2] To anyone wondering if you belong To anyone who feels afraid and not that strong If you wanted to be confident but you weren't able There's a place, there's a place for you At my table [Chorus] If you're broken, you are welcome If you're outside looking in If you have no place of your own My door is open, it's always open [Bridge] Listen every pilgrim, when the road ahead is long It doesn't matter where you go, you're never too far gone Even if you've lost your way or been unfaithful There's a place, there's a place for you At my table There's a place, there's a place for you At my table [Chorus] If you're broken, you are welcome If you're outside looking in If you have no place of your own My door is open, it's always open My door is open, it's always open History of this Hymn (source: Wikipedia): "Without a Song" is a popular song composed by Vincent Youmans with lyrics later added by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, published in 1929.