Processional Hymn
We Gather Together To Ask The Lord’s Blessing
Tune: Kremser
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.
Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
Ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;
So from the beginning the fight we were winning;
Thou, Lord, were at our side, all glory be Thine!
We all do extol Thee, Thou Leader triumphant,
And pray that Thou still our Defender will be.
Let Thy congregation escape tribulation;
Thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!
PRELUDE
FIRST READING
Jeremiah 1:4-10
4 et factum est verbum Domini ad me dicens
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5 priusquam te formarem in utero novi te et antequam exires de vulva sanctificavi te prophetam gentibus dedi te
Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 et dixi a a a Domine Deus ecce nescio loqui quia puer ego sum
And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.
7 et dixit Dominus ad me noli dicere puer sum quoniam ad omnia quae mittam te ibis et universa quaecumque mandavero tibi loqueris
And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.
8 ne timeas a facie eorum quia tecum ego sum ut eruam te dicit Dominus
Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
9 et misit Dominus manum suam et tetigit os meum et dixit Dominus ad me ecce dedi verba mea in ore tuo
And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth:
10 ecce constitui te hodie super gentes et super regna ut evellas et destruas et disperdas et dissipes et aedifices et plantes
Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over kingdoms, to root up, and to pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm One
1 beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum et in via peccatorum non stetit in cathedra derisorum non sedit (IUXTA HEBRAICA)
beatus vir qui non abiit in consilio impiorum et in via peccatorum non stetit et in cathedra pestilentiae non sedit (IUXTA SEPTUAGINTA)
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence: (DOUAY-RHEIMS)
2 sed in lege Domini voluntas eius et in lege eius meditabitur die ac nocte
sed in lege Domini voluntas eius et in lege eius meditabitur die ac nocte
But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.
3 et erit tamquam lignum transplantatum iuxta rivulos aquarum quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo et folium eius non defluet et omne quod fecerit prosperabitur
et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum quod fructum suum dabit in tempore suo et folium eius non defluet et omnia quaecumque faciet prosperabuntur
And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.
4 non sic impii sed tamquam pulvis quem proicit ventus
non sic impii non sic; sed tamquam pulvis quem proicit ventus a facie terrae;
Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.
5 propterea non resurgent impii in iudicio neque peccatores in congregatione iustorum
ideo non resurgent impii in iudicio neque peccatores in consilio iustorum
Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.
6 quoniam novit Dominus viam iustorum et iter impiorum peribit
quoniam novit Dominus viam iustorum et iter impiorum peribit
For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.
Gradual Hymn
Lo He Comes with Clouds Descending
Tune: Helmsley
Lo! He comes with clouds descending,
once for ev’ry sinner slain;
thousand, thousand saints attending
swell the triumph of his train:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Christ reveals his endless reign.
Ev’ry eye shall now behold him
robed in glorious majesty;
those who set at naught and sold him,
pierced and nailed him to the tree,
deeply wailing, deeply wailing, deeply wailing,
shall their true Messiah see.
Those dear tokens of his passion
still his dazzling body bears,
cause of endless exultation
to his ransomed worshipers.
With what rapture, with what rapture, with what rapture,
gaze we on those glorious scars!
Yea, amen, let all adore thee
high on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the pow’r and glory,
claim the kingdom as thine own.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone!
SECOND READING
Philippians 2:1-11
1 si qua ergo consolatio in Christo si quod solacium caritatis si qua societas spiritus si quid viscera et miserationes
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of charity, if any society of the spirit, if any bowels of commiseration:
2 implete gaudium meum ut idem sapiatis eandem caritatem habentes unianimes id ipsum sentientes
Fulfil ye my joy, that you be of one mind, having the same charity, being of one accord, agreeing in sentiment.
3 nihil per contentionem neque per inanem gloriam sed in humilitate superiores sibi invicem arbitrantes
Let nothing be done through contention: neither by vain glory. But in humility, let each esteem others better than themselves:
4 non quae sua sunt singuli considerantes sed et ea quae aliorum
Each one not considering the things that are his own, but those that are other men’s.
5 hoc enim sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu
For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 qui cum in forma Dei esset non rapinam arbitratus est esse se aequalem Deo
Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 sed semet ipsum exinanivit formam servi accipiens in similitudinem hominum factus et habitu inventus ut homo
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man.
8 humiliavit semet ipsum factus oboediens usque ad mortem mortem autem crucis
He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross.
9 propter quod et Deus illum exaltavit et donavit illi nomen super omne nomen
For which cause, God also hath exalted him and hath given him a name which is above all names:
10 ut in nomine Iesu omne genu flectat caelestium et terrestrium et infernorum
That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth:
11 et omnis lingua confiteatur quia Dominus Iesus Christus in gloria est Dei Patris
And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father.
Gospel Hymn
Lord Christ, When First Thou Cam’st To Men
Tune: Bohemian Brethren
Lord Christ, when first thou cam’st to men,
upon a cross they bound thee,
and mocked thy saving kingship then
by thorns with which they crowned thee;
and still our wrongs may weave thee now
new thorns to pierce that steady brow,
and robe of sorrow round thee.
O awful Love which found no room
in life where sin denied thee,
and, doomed to death, must bring to doom
the power which crucified thee,
till not a stone was left on stone,
and all a nation’s pride o’er thrown,
went down to dust beside thee!
New advent of the love of Christ,
shall we again refuse thee,
till in the night of hate and war
we perish as we lose thee?
From old unfaith our souls release
to seek the kingdom of thy peace,
by which alone we choose thee!
O wounded hands of Jesus, build
in us thy new creation;
our pride is dust, our vaunt is stilled,
we wait thy revelation:
O love that triumphs over loss,
we bring our hearts before thy cross,
to finish thy salvation.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
John 21:15-19
15 cum ergo prandissent dicit Simoni Petro Iesus Simon Iohannis diligis me plus his dicit ei etiam Domine tu scis quia amo te dicit ei pasce agnos meos
When therefore they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these? He saith to him: Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.
16 dicit ei iterum Simon Iohannis diligis me ait illi etiam Domine tu scis quia amo te dicit ei pasce agnos meos
He saith to him again: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? He saith to him: yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith to him: Feed my lambs.
17 dicit ei tertio Simon Iohannis amas me contristatus est Petrus quia dixit ei tertio amas me et dicit ei Domine tu omnia scis tu scis quia amo te dicit ei pasce oves meas
He said to him the third time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he had said to him the third time: Lovest thou me? And he said to him: Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. He said to him: Feed my sheep.
18 amen amen dico tibi cum esses iunior cingebas te et ambulabas ubi volebas cum autem senueris extendes manus tuas et alius te cinget et ducet quo non vis
Amen, amen, I say to thee, When thou wast younger, thou didst gird thyself and didst walk where thou wouldst. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldst not.
19 hoc autem dixit significans qua morte clarificaturus esset Deum et hoc cum dixisset dicit ei sequere me
And this he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had said this, he saith to him: Follow me.
POSTLUDE
Recessional Hymn
Lift High The Cross
Hymn: George William Kitchen & Michael Robert Newbolt
Tune: Crucifer
Refrain:
Lift high the cross
The love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world
Adore His sacred name.
Come Christians follow
where our Savior trod,
our King victorious,
Christ the Son of God.
All newborn servants
of the Crucified
bear on their brow
the seal of Christ who died.
O Lord, once lifted
on the glorious tree,
your death has brought us
life eternally.
So shall our song
of triumph ever be:
praise to the Cruci-
fied for victory.
Principle I
Principle II
Principle III
By Artists M and F Graham
At Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India
If the word compassion comes to mind, I’ll cop to that.
I realized that composing a memorial service for myself in the sense of this particular personality trivializes me and other creatures as well. It has to be for all creatures who suffer and weep, which is pretty much all creatures, at one time or another. I think this phenomenon in physical form of a crucifix Francis saw at Alverno, and its strength was such as to blind him and shorten his days in that body materially.
On a structural matter, you may note that I place Prelude and Postlude inside the Order of Service, after the Processional Hymn and before the Recessional Hymn, respectively. This de-trivializes Prelude and Postlude, taking them out of the realms of performance or background noise and into the realm of The Liturgy itself, where Prelude and Postlude do participate morally, emotionally, didactically, soteriologically.
(As is the feeling, so is the result.)
The start of The Liturgy is the entrance of Believers in the condition of Profanum — outside the door to the sacred space in time — processing through that door into the Sanctuary, the actual sacred space in time. This liturgical procedure dates from Mosaic times. Believers rightly sing Hymns during movement through the door as they enter or leave a Sanctuary — procession into a Sanctuary, recession out of it. The Liturgy concludes with Believers exiting from the sacred space in time, the Sanctuary, through the door, and back onto station in the condition of Profanum.
(Harvey Cox attacked Paul Tillich by asserting that the condition of Profanum and the condition of Sanctuary are one and the same. They are not. The sacred is not profane and the profane is not sacred. Words have meaning, and God is One.)
Instrumental music, solo or concerted, like words, occurs inside The Liturgy, inside the sacred space, after Believers ingress and before their egress. For this reason, Bach’s Passion According To St. Matthew is known as The Fifth Gospel. Moravians famously and sweetly understand this role of instrumental music in The Liturgy itself.
Christmas and Good Friday belong together as times of excess humiliation, suffering, and tears. Transfiguration and Easter belong together as times of the opposite. A Christian labors to be free of attachment to either. I like beauty.