The Gathering
Gregorian Chant: Tu es pastor ovium (Shepherd of the Sheep). Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice and Saint-Maur, Clervaux, recorded October 1959
Call to Worship: Mary’s Song of Praise Luke 1:46-55
And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.’
Let our worship magnify the Lord.
Welcome and Introduction
‘Early church music and metrical psalms’
Early music - science meets religion! Pythagoras is credited with identifying that the pitch of a musical note is in proportion to the length of the string that produces it, and that intervals between harmonious sound frequencies form simple ratios. In a theory known as the Harmony of the Spheres, Pythagoras proposed that the Sun, Moon and planets all emit their own unique hum based on their orbital revolution.
I won't attempt to outline 2,500 of music history since then, or even to do justice to church music. Instead we'll dip in and out of some of the traditions of congregational singing that we still live in and draw from. Some Gregorian Chant was played before the service. In the sixth
century AD, Pope Gregory introduced Gregorian chant into the Roman Catholic Church, borrowing from four musical modes from ancient Greece. Composers such as Palestrina in the sixteenth century and Bach in the eighteenth built on this tradition and discovered new harmonic possibilities.
From its foundation the Presbyterian Church practised exclusive psalmody: only the psalms (from the Bible) were to be sung, and singing other words was only to be done outside worship. Also, no instruments were to be used in worship other than the human voice.
In early times the common method of singing in Presbyterian worship was for the precentor or leader to sing each line of the psalm, after which the congregation joined in gradually and slowly sang those same words, but with varying degrees of ornamentation and at varying speeds. Although each singer sings the same tune, the effect is of a continuous sound with different effects.
After singing psalms for 200 years, in 1861 the Church of Scotland formally adopted hymns, with the Free Church of Scotland doing the same in 1872. The 1927 edition of Church Hymnary has a psalter in the front, with its own selection of tunes, the papers being cut horizontally so that any tune could be matched with any psalm.
Gaelic psalm singing: Gaelic psalms at Back (Bach) Free Church, Isle Of Lewis1 -Recording https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3MzZgPBL3Q
Hymn: All people that on earth do dwell 16th Century - unaccompanied
From ‘The Scottish Psalter’ Psalm 100 WOV 10
All people that on earth do dwell
sing to the Lord with cheerful voice
Him serve with mirth, his praise forth tell
come ye before him and rejoice.
Know that the Lord is God indeed,
without our aid he did us make
we are his fold, he doth us feed
and for his sheep he doth us take
O enter then his gates with praise
approach with joy his courts unto
praise, laud and bless his name always
for it is seemly so to do.
Prayer
Gracious God, we gather before you grateful for the skills and talents that we have – for the gifts of compassion, of hospitality, of neighbourliness and laughter, for the gift of creativity – of our wordsmiths, our artists and crafters, our visionaries and especially today our musicians – composers, players, singers and all who contribute to the tunes and harmonies of this world.
We thank you too for all the different ways we can enjoy music:
for the joy and exploration of jazz,
for the depth and power of the blues,
for the peace and perfection of classical music,
for the heart of country and the honesty and commitment of folk,
for the passion and angst of rock
for the soul of soul
for the peace of Taize and the witness of all church music through the ages.
O God, we acknowledge that the harmony of living in right relationship with you and each other is not always reflected in our lives – that too often we introduce discordant notes into a world that is crying out for a new way of being. In a time of quiet we offer our regrets for the times we have been less than we could be.
Silence
Hear our prayers, spoken and unspoken – in Jesus name. Amen
Words of Assurance
E te whanau, God hears the prayers of our hearts even before we utter them, takes delight in our joys and holds us in our troubles. We are loved, we are forgiven, we are set free. Thanks be to God
The Peace
And as a sign of our community with each other and with the church from the earliest time and over the world, we share the peace together
Kia tau tonu te rangimarie o te Ariki ki a koutou;
The Peace of Christ be with you all
A ki a koe ano hoki. And also with you
we exchange a sign of peace with each other
Community Time
Offertory Prayer
May our gifts of money, of ourselves and today of our music be used to your glory O God and in the power of your spirit bring hope and light to those in need. In Jesus name. Amen
Reading: Psalm 137: 1-6 (reading from the Authorised Version)
By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land? If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.
If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
People: Thanks be to God
Hymn: Come, Thou long expected Jesus 18th Century
Words Charles Wesley Tune Stuttgart WOV 200
Come, Thou long expected Jesus born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in Thee.
Born Thy people to deliver, born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.
‘18th and early 19th centuries’
That hymn was written by Charles Wesley - arguably the most famous hymn writer of the eighteenth century. The tune was Stuttgart, one of many German tunes used as settings for English texts. Wesley's words were not sung in Presbyterian worship until the nineteenth century, when exclusive psalmody came to an end.
Instruments were not allowed until after 1870, and in Dunedin Knox Church only introduced the organ in 1882. In 1881 Rev. Michael Watt, of the Synod of Otago and Southland said:
“When the merely aesthetic worshippers have been stirred to devotion by the vibrations of an organ and the sight dazzled with a display of vulgar ornament and ecclesiastical parade, they lose the relish for the
chaste and spiritual dignity of our Presbyterian service. It is enough to make one ashamed of his countrymen and co-religionists to see many of them fascinated with the gewgaws of a foreign and pagan ritual, and the silly affectations of a draped and titled hierarchy. “
In English churches from the eighteenth century, bands including violin, cellos, clarinets, and other available instruments, often accompanied worship from a small west gallery. In some churches the musicians would arrive late, curtain themselves off during the sermon, and even play cards. Pipe organs were expensive affairs but when the reed organ or harmonium became available clergy and others seized on it as a way of ousting the bands and replacing them with organists. One early commentator said:
'The violin is very properly excluded, since, beside its weakness as a solitary instruments, its continued use to wait upon the drunken ditties, trolled forth in the ale house, or to regulate the dances that grace a village festival, renders it very unfit medium for Sabbath praise.'
The next hymn we will sing is an 1860s one. It is set to a tune by John Dykes, who probably wrote more familiar hymn tunes than any other Victorian musician. Dykes resolutely upheld the high church tradition, to the consternation of his bishop, and was something of a renegade figure in the Victorian Church.
Hymn: Holy, holy, holy! Early 1800’s Victorian High
Words Reginald Heber, Music: John B. Dykes, Tune: Nicea WOV 65i
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three persons, blessed Trinity.
‘Evangelical and Militaristic hymns of the Nineteenth Century’
The next hymn is also from the 1860s, but it belongs to another movement. It's an evangelical hymn written in America. On Tuesday, March 30, 1858, Episcopalian minister Dudley Tyng preached a sermon on Exodus 10:11, “Go now ye that are men and serve the Lord”, at a YMCA noon mass meeting. Tyng delivered his message to 5,000 men that day. More than 1,000 of them responded to the altar call to receive Jesus as their Saviour. Just over a week later, Tyng lay dying as a result of a tragic accident. His final statement, whispered to friends and family, was “Let us all stand up for Jesus.” The hymn is not sung so much these days, largely because it uses militaristic language. Other hymns, including 'Onward Christian Soldiers', have fallen out of favour for the same reason. Of all the unlikely people, I'll give you the opinion of D.H. Lawrence, who said:
'Thirty six years ago men, even Sunday School teachers, still believed in the fight for life and the fun of it. 'Hold the fort, for I am coming.' It was far, far from any militarism or gunfighting. But it was the battle-cry of a stout soul, and a fine thing too. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the Lord. Here is a clue to the ordinary Englishman, in the Non-conformist hymns.
Hymn: Stand up, stand up ... 1850’s Victorian – Low
Words George Duffield, Tune Morning Light WOV 509
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.
Poem: To a Skylark by William Wordsworth
Ethereal minstrel! pilgrim of the sky!
Dost thou despise the earth where cares abound?
Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye
Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground?
Thy nest which thou canst drop into at will,
Those quivering wings composed, that music still!
To the last point of vision, and beyond,
Mount, daring warbler! -that love-prompted strain,
(‘Twixt thee and thine a never-failing bond),
Thrills not the less the bosom of the plain:
Yet mightst thou seem, proud privilege!
to sing All independent of the leafy Spring.
Leave to the nightingale her shady wood;
A privacy of glorious light is thine,
Whence thou dost pour upon the world
a flood Of harmony, with instinct more divine;
Type of the wise who soar, but never roam;
True to the kindred points of Heaven and Home!
‘1860’s to 1960’s’
Cello solo: contemplation on 100 years of hymns
Reading: Psalm 150 Jim Cotter Out of the silence Cairns Publications 2006, p442-443.
We praise you, O God, in a glorious symphony.
We praise you on the flute and harp.
with the caress of the trumpet.
with the solace of the cello.
We praise you on the quickening horn.
on the strumming guitar.
with the pipes of the organ.
on the deep resounding drums.
Praise to the Creator of harmony, in the music of silence and sound.
We praise you in the unnoticed pauses
that make music of disordered sounds.
in the depths of the silence,
in the music of the dance between eyes that love.
We praise you for all your gifts.
for your mysterious being.
for weaving us together.
for our belonging to the universe.
Praise to the Creator of harmony, in the music of silence and sound.
Let everything that breathes under the sun,
let the voices of our ancestors of old,
let worlds unknown, within and beyond,
all on this glad day give you praise.
Praise to the Creator of harmony, in the music of silence and sound.
We add our voice to the music of God;
we fall silent in the presence of mystery,
in wonder and awe and love,
the mystery that is the source of our being
and the goal of our longing,
beautiful, utterly holy, unbounded love.
Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church
People: Thanks be to God
‘Late 20thC charismatic music’
Hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia 1971 please stand
Words Donald Fishel 1973 WOV 674(ii)
Alleluia, alleluia, give thanks to the risen Lord,
alleluia, alleluia, give praise to his name
Jesus is Lord of all the earth,
he is the King of creation.
Spread the good news o’er all the earth:
Jesus has died and has risen.
We have been crucified with Christ;
now we shall live forever.
Come let us praise the living God,
joyfully sing to our Saviour
Poem: Song for Sunrise, Joy Cowley, in Psalms for the Road, no 1.
Hey, beautiful morning, we’re singing your God song, a psalm of seas and mountains, of empty roads and houses yawning under a new blue bowl of sky. It’s the song of the bellbird, of steaming cows in sheds, of freckled trout quivering in deep dark pools, and dew on cobwebs lacing trees. Hey, beautiful morning, stay in our weakened hearts so we can carry your God song into the busy day. Remind us that newness is an ongoing gift and that every moment is potential reborn, but if our ears become full of other concerns, and we lose the freshness of your song, then comfort us with the knowledge that you will sing with us again tomorrow, oh, beautiful morning oh song of God.
‘Opoho Music’
In the 2500 years since the psalmist reflected ‘How shall we sing the LORD’s song in a strange land?” songwriters, musicians and singers have responded to that same yearning: to sing songs in their lands of place, time, theology and concerns. John Murray wrote in the introduction to Alleluia Aotearoa: “What makes a New Zealand hymn? There are many factors. It is not just the use of natural imagery such as mountains and sea, bush and birds … not just the use of Maori words like aroha … but perhaps more importantly, our belief as a people, in a society that is fair and equal, doing justice and loving peace, in a country that is green and godly, and our struggle to make real our belief[s] ...” And so at Opoho Church we enhance our 2500 year inheritance with fresh words and music from Joy Cowley, Natalie Yeoman, Shirley Murray and Colin Gibson; the hymns, language and imagery of Maori and Pasifika; and the songs that speak to us that we import from across the seas and make our own. We continue our worship by standing to sing the traditional Samoan hymn O Le Faafetai followed by a relatively new hymn for us' All are welcome'.
Hymn: Faafetai samoan Traditional
Words: Traditional Samoan Tune: O Le Faafetai, WOV 629
Faafetai i le Atua, (Thanks to God)
Le na tatou tupu ai, (who has given us life)
Ina ua na alofa fua (when God freely loved)
Ia te i tatou uma nei. (all of us)
Ia pepese, ia pepese (Sing, sing)
Alleluia, faafetai,(Alleluia, give thanks)
Ia pepese, ia pepese (Sing, sing)
Alleluia, faafetai. (Alleluia, give thanks)
Faafetai i lona Alo (Thanks to God’s Son)
Le na afio mai luga (Who came from God)
Le ua fai ma faapaolo (who protects you)
Ai le puapuaga. (from all suffering)
Ia pepese, ia pepese
Alleluia, faafetai,
Ia pepese, ia pepese
Alleluia, faafetai.
.
Hymn: Let us build a house 1994
Words & music © Marty Haugen CH4 198
Let us build a house where love can dwell
and all can safely live,
a place where saints and children tell
how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions,
rock of faith and vault of grace;
here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome,
all are welcome in this place.
Let us build a house where all are named,
their songs and visions heard
and loved and treasured, taught and claimed
as words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
prayers of faith and songs of grace,
let this house proclaim from floor to rafter:
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Youth Hymn Arms of Love 2002
Words and Music Natalie Yule Yeoman
Although the star shone down on his manger birth
When he died the lights went out on planet earth
The saddest day that’s ever been
The darkest night the world has ever seen
And he felt such pain and he felt alone
Like his friends had gone and he had no home
But his arms reached out on either side
The day that Jesus died.
On the day that Jesus died
Arms reached out on either side
His arms of love are open wide.
As we go.....
Thank you...
Hymn: Where the Road Runs Out 1992 please stand
Words & Music © Colin Gibson, Alleluia Aotearoa 156
Where the road runs out and the signposts end,
where we come to the edge of today,
be the God of Abraham for us;
send us out upon our way.
Lord you were our beginning,
the faith that gave us birth
we look to you, our ending,
our hope for heaven and earth.
When the coast is left and we journey on
to the rim of the sky and the sea,
be the sailor's friend, be the dolphin Christ
lead us on to eternity.
When the clouds are low and the wind is strong,
when tomorrow's storm draws near,
be the spirit bird hov'ring overhead
who will take away our fear.
Commissioning and Benediction – from the Authorised Version
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:13) The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
[Sung Threefold Amen]
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