OPENING VOLUNTARY Ubi caritas et amor setting, Gerald Near
It is the Holy Spirit's work to gather us together as God's people in a community of faith. This ancient hymn from the ninth century celebrates our communal worship. It is also a prayer that we have no division and that we be on guard against the ways in which we might harm each other.
Finally, it reminds us of the day when we shall see Jesus "face to face in glory and light." And it won't just be our community, but we'll be surrounded by the "blest saints" with whom we will join in worship.
Finally, it reminds us of the day when we shall see Jesus "face to face in glory and light." And it won't just be our community, but we'll be surrounded by the "blest saints" with whom we will join in worship.
It's a suitable text for meditation as worship begins.
GATHERING HYMN We Know That Christ Is Raised (Engelberg)
ELW 449
The author of the text, John B. Geyer wrote this hymn in 1967. He was a tutor at Chestnut College, Cambridge, U.K. At the time, experiments were being done around producing living cells in the laboratory. Geyer says, "The hymn attempted to illustrate the Christian doctrine of baptism in relation to those experiments."
Evangelical Lutheran Worship groups We Know That Christ is Raised with baptism hymns - as Geyer intended. But it's easy to see why we also sing it during Easter.
HYMN OF THE DAY Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! (Earth and All Stars)
ELW 377
The author of the text, John B. Geyer wrote this hymn in 1967. He was a tutor at Chestnut College, Cambridge, U.K. At the time, experiments were being done around producing living cells in the laboratory. Geyer says, "The hymn attempted to illustrate the Christian doctrine of baptism in relation to those experiments."
Evangelical Lutheran Worship groups We Know That Christ is Raised with baptism hymns - as Geyer intended. But it's easy to see why we also sing it during Easter.
HYMN OF THE DAY Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! (Earth and All Stars)
ELW 377
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| Easter lilies in my home garden, 2019 They all came from the Easter celebrations at St. Mark's |
Like the gathering hymn, the Hymn of the Day begins with a proclamation of Jesus' resurrection. It reminds us (as if we needed reminding) that we are still in the Easter season.
Herbert Brokering (1926-2009), one of our time's most noteworthy Lutheran hymnwriters, wrote this SECOND text to be used with the same tune as his Earth and All Stars. The text was specifically written to be included in With One Voice. Both texts appear in ELW, and we used them at St. Mark's frequently.
Since ELW's release in 2006, we have sung Earth and All Stars nine times. We have sung Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! fifteen times. This means David N. Johnson's tune gets significant play at St. Mark's - 24 times!
The third verse of Alleluia! will especially catch our eyes this morning as Brokering reminds us of what Jesus said - that he is the vine. We are the branches.
MUSICAL OFFERING A Vineyard Grows K. Lee Scott
Herbert Brokering (1926-2009), one of our time's most noteworthy Lutheran hymnwriters, wrote this SECOND text to be used with the same tune as his Earth and All Stars. The text was specifically written to be included in With One Voice. Both texts appear in ELW, and we used them at St. Mark's frequently.
Since ELW's release in 2006, we have sung Earth and All Stars nine times. We have sung Alleluia! Jesus Is Risen! fifteen times. This means David N. Johnson's tune gets significant play at St. Mark's - 24 times!
The third verse of Alleluia! will especially catch our eyes this morning as Brokering reminds us of what Jesus said - that he is the vine. We are the branches.
MUSICAL OFFERING A Vineyard Grows K. Lee Scott
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| close-up of the fruit and vine motif from the organ at St. Mark's |
Scott wrote a melody based on an English folk tune to accompany Jaroslav J. Vajda's (1919-2008) text. Like Brokering, he is another celebrated Lutheran hymn writer of our time.
The text appeared with Richard Hillert's tune Granton in Lutheran Book of Worship.
The full text closely aligns with today's gospel reading.
COMMUNION HYMNS
Like the Murmur of the Dove's Song (Bridegroom) ELW 403
Where Charity and Love Prevail (Twenty-Fourth) ELW 359
SENDING HYMN Awake, O Sleeper, Rise from Death (Azmon)
ELW 452
Is there a more stalwart tune than Azmon? This hymn also carries reminders that we are still in Easter. It also offers us advice on how to live in community, that we should walk in love and forgive each other as Christ forgave us.
It's a suitable text to carry with us as the Spirt who gathered us, now sends us witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Awake! Arise! Go forth in faith!
It's a suitable text to carry with us as the Spirt who gathered us, now sends us witnesses to the good news of Jesus Christ.
Awake! Arise! Go forth in faith!
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| Ruth V. took this photo of choir members and worship assistants preparing for this year's Easter vigil |
CLOSING VOLUNTARY Now the Green Blade Rises (Noël Nouvelet)
setting, Wayne L. Wold
Sources:
Wikipedia
Hymn Notes for Church Bulletins, Austin C. Lovelace, GIA Publications, Inc.
The Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
Sources:
Wikipedia
Hymn Notes for Church Bulletins, Austin C. Lovelace, GIA Publications, Inc.
The Hymnal Companion: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
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