Fifth Sunday Voices

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

August 30 was a fifth Sunday in the month of August, so, as per our new protocol, we made it different. The previous fifth Sunday, in May, we expanded our "prayers of the people" format. This month, we expanded the music, that is, we sang nine hymns instead of four, and added a sung blessing. Prayers were shortened and the sermon was a mini-version.

Because the choir is still on holiday, Rev. Irwin got to practice his song-leading skills. 

 

He assured me that the next time we did this, he'd make certain the choir was in attendance. 😄

We finished off the service with a hot-dog lunch, instead of the usual coffee hour after service.

Session decided to hold the lunch inside instead of setting up in the parking lot. Given the change in the weather that was a very good idea!

The lunch included a make-you-own-sundae option, and here is Peter, putting that option to good use.

There was a larger than usual turn out for the service so all the spare hot dogs were quickly added to the grill. Fortunately, the salad makers had made generous portions so no one went hungry.

 

As they used to say in my small town paper "a good time was had by all."

Many thanks to the CML group for spearheading this event and to the many hands to turned to for preparing and cooking and cleaning up afterward. 

Name Your Hymn

 The link for this week's live-streamed service is here.

                                                             

                            Summer Hours

It seems like yesterday

That school let out that day.

And summer stretched an endless dream

In which to romp and play.

It seems like only yesterday

We swam and built a raft 

And tracked each other through the woods

With Indian skill and craft

Where have they gone, those summer hours?

They've simply flown away

And now they’re just a memory

For the school bell rings today.

 

by Colleen Bianchi

It feels as though we have crash-landed into the Fall term at full speed. Many years we get a few days of September before the Labour Day weekend. Those few days of the new month ease us into the knowledge that summer has ended and we are headed back to school, work and regular routine. No such warning in 2023. Rev. Irwin was in the pulpit on Sunday morning, Session meets this Wednesday and the choir rehearses this Thursday evening. Whew!

We were recently given a book for our library called How Sweet the Sound - The power and Promise of 30 Beloved Hymns. In the introduction the author, Laura L. Smith, recounts how a familiar hymn transported her away from her present circumstances and back to her childhood church, standing beside her mother, wearing her Sunday dress and holding the hymnbook between them. For a moment, the author could hear her mother's voice singing the words. "How," she asks, "can just a few notes of a hymn do that?"

I expect many of us have had similar experiences. This Sunday we began worship with Holy, Holy, Holy. I didn't need the hymnbook. In my childhood church, every service began with that hymn. Like the author mentioned above, the words and music took me back. I could feel the smooth wood of our shaped, oak pews, smell the lemon furniture polish, and see the jewel-tones of the sun shining through the stained glass. 

Music evokes memory in powerful ways. It also embeds words in our subconscious. Since many of our hymns teach our creed (listen to Sunday's sermon on-line) they are a great way to keep the tenets of our faith before us. An ear-worm may be annoying, but having hymns of praise and faith and consolation entrenched in the memory banks is a good thing.

Our congregation loves to sing and we each cherish particular hymns. Now that we're starting a new term, parishioners are invited to request their favourites from time to time. Look on the bulletin board in the narthex for a sign up sheet. Not every choice will fit every worship theme, but every choice will fit some worship theme, so don't be shy. Even if your dearest hymn is not in our Book of Praise, we'll find a way to include it on a Sunday morning.

Welcome September. Welcome the new term. Welcome to SPPC.

Come Let Us Sing

 Link for this week's live streamed service is here

The pandemic has forced all of us to look at the patterns in our lives and re-evaluate them. What do we miss most that we are eager to bring back into our days? What has fallen by the wayside and been forgotten? What pursuits are worthy of our time and effort? What were just old habits that we've outgrown?

Before COVID, our worship services followed a set design that suited minister and congregation alike. There might be the occasional grumble about boring hymns or long prayers, but mostly, we just accepted that that was how we did "church." These last two years have changed that accepted order drastically, most especially in terms of singing. For a time, we couldn't sing together at all. There was a big hole in our worship experience.

Singing is not just a "nice" thing we do in the Presbyterian Church. Singing is integral to worship. Both the Old and New Testament command worshippers to sing. A quick Google search came up with this site, 64 Bible verses on singing. Not surprisingly, nearly half come from the Psalms, but Isaiah, Chronicles, Nehemiah, Kings, Ezra, Romans, James, Matthew, Mark, Acts and even Revelations remark that those who worship Yahweh sing.

Martin Luther, the great reformer, said "Let God speak directly to His people through the Scriptures, and let His people respond with grateful songs of praise." 

Why sing?

• Singing in worship is a corporate act (one of the spiritual disciplines described in Richard Foster's book that we are using in Bible Study.)  
• Singing teaches. Our earliest theology lessons come from "Jesus Loves Me."
• Singing encourages.  That great rouser, "Will Your Anchor Hold," reminds us "we have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure."
• Singing unifies. "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love/ The fellowship of kindred minds /Is like to that above.
• Singing gives praise to God.  "Praise my soul, the King of Heaven/To His feet thy tribute bring."                          
• Singing evangelizes.  "Jesus bids us shine ...in this world is darkness, so we must shine, you in your small corner and I in mine.

A few months ago the Presbyterian devotional for the day was perfectly attuned to my state of mind. The writer was lamenting the restrictions on singing in church. The hymn he referenced is not in our hymn book but the choir has used it as an introit.
The first verse reads:

Come let us sing to the Lord our song,                                 we have stood silently too long.

At SPPC, we have not been silent, exactly, but with no choir and our sound muffled by masks, we don't "shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."

Surely the behest to "make a joyful noise onto the Lord," did not mean muttering into a mask!

When our public health officials review the COVID restrictions I hope they will let us sing out with joy and gusto once more.

Here is a little challenge for you all. I've catagorized a few hymns in the above post. Why not add your own to the various headings? Share your favourites in the comments section.

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy Spring

After our hard (for Victoria) winter, the sunshine this week has been a welcome relief. Hard to stay gloomy when the flowers bloom, the birds sing and the air is soft upon your face.  No wonder  hymn books are filled with hymns that praise God for the weather!
Here's a quick sample:
Birds are singing, woods are ringing... 
As Comes the Breath of Spring
When morning gilds the skies, my heart awaking cries ...
Walk softly in springtime ...
In the bulb there is a flower . . .

Now, here's a challenge for you. Below are lines from hymns about nature, but not the first lines. Can you identify which hymn the lyric is from?  Most of them are very familiar. Looking it up on Google is cheating. If you feel like a winner, leave a comment in the comments section. Come back next week for the answers.
Here are the test questions. :-)

1. "...each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings . . ."
2. "...hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light..."
3. ... the birds their carols raise, the morning light the lily white . .."
4. "...our prairies and our mountains, Forest and fertile field, Our rivers, lakes and fountains To Thee shall tribute yield."
5. "...For the ploughing, sowing, reaping, Silent growth while men are sleeping..."
6. "...Like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden..."
7. "...Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flowery meadow, flashing sea. Chanting bird and flowing fountain..."
8. "Frail as summer's flower we flourish, Blows the wind and it is gone..."
9. "Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands, Robed in the verdant garb of spring..."
10. "Like Thy dancing waves in sunlight, Make me glad and free, Like the straightness of the pine trees, Let me upright be."

In Romans 1:20, the Apostle Paul proclaims that creation itself reveals God, even to the heathen. How much more does He reveal Himself to the believer? Enjoy the flowers and give God the glory.

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 

Romans 1:20 English Standard Version (ESV)

Before she moved, Edna gave me a great gift, a copy of the Rev. Dr. Cecil Kirk's manuscript on hymns for every day of the year.  

Coming up with something for this blog every week is sometimes a strain.  When I'm stuck, I turn to other writers for inspiration.  As a former parishioner at SPPC, I find Dr. Kirk's thoughts reliable and appropriate.  Here is what he has to say on "Be Still, My Soul," his choice of a hymn for August 27.

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain

Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,

Then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From His own fullness all He takes away.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Scripture reading;  Luke 21: 13-19

Jane Borthwick made her translation of the German original of this hymn in 1855.  The hymn itself was written in 1752 by Katharina von Schlegel.  Very little is known about her though she is believed to have been the head of an Evangelical Lutheran nunnery in Cothen.  It is not impossible that she may have been attached to the ducal court there.  The songs of the German Pietists were largely unknown outside that country until three women  - Jane and Sarah Borthwick and Catherine Winkworth - translated them into English.  Jane and Sarah Borthwick published a volume of translations under the title Hymns fro the land of Luther" and it was there that this hymn first appeared.  Miss Borthwick was a devoted member of the Free Church of Scotland and was actively engaged in missionary  and social work.

When first published in English, the hymn was headed "Submission" and was accompanied by the words of Jesus:  "In your patience possess ye your souls."  This is the key to the theme that runs all through the hymn - the Christian's attitude of complete trust and submission to the Lord in times of grief, pain or bereavement.

One of the great assurances of the Christian faith is that we are not called on to travel the pilgrim road alone or unaccompanied.  "the Lord is on thy side."  He is our constant companion in every situation whether glad or sad.  It is important to know this because Jesus himself described Christian discipleship as cross-bearing.  He stated that anyone who would come after Him must be prepared to deny himself and take up the cross daily and follow Him.  (Matt. 16: 24)  That cross may be "of grief or pain" and yet we must be prepared to bear it patiently trusting God to provide the strength and to order our way for us.  Whatever happens to us "he faithful will remain" and however difficult the road we are called to walk we know it "leads to a joyful end" because Christ Himself will be there.

As we look back over the years that have gone, we can see the ways in which God has provided for us and directed our way.  So very often our understanding of the divine guidance is fully understood only as we look back to it.  For the present all may now seem dark and mysterious but we rest our confidence in the loving presence of our God and when we do so we shall discover that "all . . . shall be bright at last."  Our Lord is as capable of ruling the stormy passions of the world around us and those that beat within us as He was of controlling the elements of nature during His earthly life.

The further we travel along the road of life, the more likely it will be that some of the travelling companions of the years will depart through death.  The loss of such friends can be a real trial for us.  We have valued them for their support and encouragement.  Their loss means that we are cast more and more upon the One who comes to us "to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears."  But more, He fills up the voice that has been created for "thy Jesus can repay from His own fullness, all He takes away."

Life passes all too quickly by and "the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord."  That thought should fill us with hope and expectation.  Here below we have human "disappointment, grief and fear."  There has been the sorrow of defeat and loss; we have been confronted with change and our eyes have known bitter tears.  But we have so much to look forward to.  We shall experience "love's purest joys" and we shall arrive "safe and blessed" in our heavenly home.  With such blessings we can "be still" in the presence of the Lord.

                                                                     -- Rev. C.J. Kirk

Favourite Tunes

by Alice Valdal

 Our "Book of Praise" has 600 hymns and of that we sing only about 200 on a regular basis.  Why?  Are we just resistant to learning new music or is there something inherent in the rejected hymns that makes them unpopular?

    To be fair, some hymns are meant for specific occasions like weddings, so they won't be in our general repertoire.  But some hymns just don't work for the modern ear.  In an effort to force the words to fit a certain metre, there is some tortured syntax in our book, particularly in the Psalms section.  e.g. "For He in His pavilion shall/ me hide in evil days; /In secret of his tent me hide, And on a rock me raise."  Sounds a bit like a pirate shouting, "me hearties,"  don't you think?
    Other reasons may have to do with changing tastes and mores.  When I was little, "There were Ninety and Nine" was a great favourite.  It's in our Book of Praise, but it certainly hasn't made our top 100 list.  Similarly, "Onward Christian Soldiers," although an all-time favourite for many is today considered politically incorrect and seldom found in our services.
   One of my favourite hymns, "I Feel the Winds of God Today," is not in our Book of Praise at all, although the tune, Kingsfold, is used several times.  It's a great tune and has been used for very contrasting texts.
    "I Feel the Winds," is basically a call to action in the world.  We lift our sail at God's command and brave another cruise, even if that sail is tattered and torn.  We trust in God as our master and pilot.
   The tune is used in our Book of Praise as an invitation to rest.
"I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say,"
    It is also used for Psalm 107 and for "Lord, Who at Cana's wedding feast."
     Perhaps one test of a hymn's spiritual power is the frequency of publication.  "Rock of Ages" has been published in 2428 hymnals since it was written in 1776.  "Servant Song" copyrighted in 1977 has been published in 27 hymnals, including the newest version of the Book of Praise.  "I Feel the Winds" is in 25 hymnaries, but "We Thank you God for Bodies Strong," also set to Kingsfold appears in only one.  It made headline news when it first appeared in the

1971 Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada, owing to the line "for all the body's appetites which can fulfilment find,/ and for the sacrament of sex that recreates our kind."  I notice it was not included in "Voices United" a later edition of the United Church hymnary.

   So, what's your favourite hymn?  The worship committee is inviting congregants to nominate hymns to be included in our anniversary service.  Look for the list in the narthex.

One of the features that distinguishes SPPC is our music. We love to sing hymns.  No need to attend a special hymn-sing on a Friday night, just come to SPPC on Sunday morning and you'll hear such favourites as "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," "Amazing Grace," and "Holy, Holy, Holy."  Even though the choir is on holiday for the summer, you'll find singers scattered among the pews and a strong lead from the organ.

    Recently we sang "My Faith it is an Oaken Staff."   The words are by Thomas Lynch and the tune is from a Swiss melody.  For all that I've been singing in choir since I was ten years old, this lovely hymn, with its rollicking tune is not that familiar to me.  I wanted to know more so I asked for Dr. Cecil Kirk's notes.  Edna kindly gave me permission to share them on this blog.

My Faith it is an Oaken Staff

                                         notes by Dr. Cecil Kirk

Scripture reading:  Mark 6. 7 – 13

       Thomas Lynch began his career as a teacher but later became pastor of a Congregational church in London.  His preaching was not of the popular variety but he had the gift of making people think in a new and intimate way about spiritual matters.  He was a great lover of nature and found much of his inspiration to holiness in the beauty of God’s world around him.  This is reflected in the hymns he has left us.

            Analogy forms a great part of our Christian understanding.  We frequently use things that are familiar to us to help us understand things that are more difficult and especially things that are abstract.  What is faith?  Most of us have a hard time trying to express in words what is an essential element in the Christian life.  But we can use other yardsticks to get across our understanding.  Here it is likened to a traveller’s staff and a soldier’s sword.  And the Christian life is compared to a journey and a battle.  An age which used walking much more than we do, and which was not subjected to the increased horrors of modern warfare would readily recognize what was being said.

            Travellers of old frequently carried a sturdy oaken staff and that for a number of reasons.  It could be used to lean on when one grew weary.  It could be used as a weapon to ward off attackers, whether human or animal.  The Christian pilgrim has faith as a staff.  Our journey through life will bring us to different types of terrain.  Sometimes the going will be easy like the grassy sod, there will be other times when it will be like walking over flinty rock but, easy or difficult, we have a guide going on ahead of us and we have the staff of faith to lean on.

            The Christian is not only a pilgrim but also a soldier.  The Christian life is frequently likened to a war against sin and evil both within ourselves and in the world and the Christian must arm himself for battle.  As the pilgrim will not fear the road because faith is a staff, in the same way the soldier will not fear the battle because faith is a sword.  Armed with such a weapon the Christian warrior will be able to fend off and overcome falsehood and temptation.

            The hymn concludes with a prayer that God will impart his Spirit so that we may become more and more like him; that we will be given courage to face whatever life may bring us and patience to wait upon him for all our needs.  These are the things that have characterized the true saint of God in every age.

For more on the Thomas Lynch, click here

Standing at the Portal

Some of the loveliest music in our "Book of Praise" is seldom sung.  Advent hymns and Christmas carols outnumber the Sundays we have to sing them.  But New Year's hymns really get short shrift.   One of my favourites, "All Beautiful the March of Days" isn't in our hymn book, but the poetry evokes a wonderful vision of winter, a time of silence and waiting and beauty.

All beautiful the march of days, as seasons come and go;
The Hand that shaped the rose hath wrought the crystal of the snow;

Hath sent the hoary frost of Heav’n, the flowing waters sealed,
And laid a silent loveliness on hill and wood and field.

 What we do have is the hymn we sang last Sunday, the first Sunday of the new year, "Standing at the Portal."

Here is what Dr. Kirk had to say on this particular hymn.

    

December 31
Scripture reading:  Joshua 1. 1 - 9

We have come full circle now.  The year draws swiftly to its close and we wonder what the future holds for us.  Most people are fearful as they face the unknown, but Christians have the assurance that they do not have to face the mystery of what lies ahead alone.  There is One who stands alongside us, whispering "words of comfort . . hushing every fear".  Our heavenly Father's words make us rejoice for they are "tender, strong and faithful".

How wonderful it is to have the assurance of one who always keeps his promise.  "His eternal covenant he will never break".  When Joshua was appointed to lead the children of Israel into the promised land following the death of Moses, he must have wondered whether he was capable of doing the job.  Moses is one of the towering figures of world history.  Single-handedly (humanly speaking) he had freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, led them through harrowing experiences over many years during their wanderings in the wilderness, given them a law and promised a land - and now he was dead and his mantle had fallen to Joshua.  In the midst of his fears the God of Moses spoke to the new commander of his people, assuring Joshua of his continued presence.  "Be thou not dismayed; I will uphold thee with my right hand".  The new leader was reminded that he was "called and chosen" and consequently there was no reason to fear the unknown.

And so it is with each Christian person.  We too have a special status.  "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Pet. 2:9) - "for the year before us, O what rich supplies!"  Whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in, whether we are "poor and needy . . sad and sinful . . faint and feeble", the resources we need will be provided.  There will be streams of refreshing water.  God's grace will abound to us and his strength will be made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12. 9).

It is the experience of God's people throughout human history "that he will never fail us".  God is not capricious as we are; he remains true to his word and his nature and "he will not forsake (us)".  How blessed we are when we have human friends on whom we can rely unreservedly.  Take that trust and multiply it to the nth degree and we have still not exhausted the reliability of our God.  He has made precious promises to us and if we will fulfil the conditions he will carry them through, so "what have we to fear?"  Whatever our needs may be in the coming year, our "God is all-sufficient" and will provide for us as surely as he has done in this year, which has now come to a close.  We go forward into the unknown with the promise the apostle Paul proved so often in his own experience, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4. 19).

My thanks to Edna for sharing Dr. Kirk's writings with this blog.

Here's another in our summertime series of favourite hymns. 


"In the Cross of Christ I Glory"


Scripture reading: 
1 Corinthians 1:14 - 18

        Sir John Bowring [author of the hymn]was a great traveller.  As such he must have seen, time and again, the forlorn symbols of empires and civilizations that had flourished and then fallen.  There are numerous examples familiar even to those who have not had the experience of travel - the pyramids of Egypt, the Coliseum in Rome, the Acropolis in Athens, the ruins of Machu Pichu in South America.  Built by former ascendant civilizations, they remain now as relics for the curious.  The armies of the pagans, the rationalists, the Communists and many others have warred against the Cross and the ideals it represents.  They have been destroyed but the radiance of the Cross continues to tower "over the wrecks of time".  It has survived them all and will continue to outlive them all.

            That is the historical perspective.  But the Cross has a far more personal application.  In times of defeat when "the woes of life o'ertake me", in times of fear when I am perplexed and uncertain as to the outcome of my struggles, in times of disappointment when the pleasures of the world prove to be fleeting and the hopes that the world offers prove to be a deception, the Cross still remains constant.  It is the symbol of God's love and of his deliverance from the very things that appeared to offer so much and yet proved to be so transient.  Its message still sounds forth with the promise of peace, bequeathed to us by the One who died on that Cross (John 14:27), and joy such as the world has never known (John 15:11).  We are not told how the Cross is able to do this but human experience has shown that contemplation of the sufferings of Christ and the lesson of victory through self-sacrifice that is implicit in the Cross are a powerful inspiration.

            There are other times when things go well for us, when "the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way".  At such times the consciousness that our lives are linked with God through Christ puts the glory of eternity into our fleeting happiness.  It is easy, in times of joy, to lose sight of the Cross and imagine that the good things of life are the result of our own effort.  Then it is important for us to take our stand at the foot of the Cross and allow its radiance to stream over us.

            The fourth stanza reiterates these same ideas in another way.  The opposites in life - "bane and blessing", "pain and pleasure" - are reconciled when we are able to view them in the light of eternity.  We see them as being "sanctified", made holy to us, in the shadow of the Cross.  Again we are reminded that the Cross brings peace and joy.  The peace is without measure and the joy remains with us through all ages.  They are enhanced because now we are able to see them in their true perspective.  We are reminded of the words Jesus shared with his disciples in the Upper Room.  "I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  The means by which he has overcome the world is the Cross.  The wonder of Christianity is that an instrument of torture and degradation should be the very thing by which we know peace and joy. 

Commentary by Dr. Cecil Kirk

YOUR CHOICE

   

  It's summertime and the choir is on holiday.   This doesn't mean we have no special music in the service, it just means a different format.   This is the time for congregational favourites.   If you haven't already noticed it, there is a sign up sheet in the narthex where you can request your favourite hymn to be sung during the service
  In keeping with the "your choice" theme, this blog will feature the same hymns.  
    I'm indebted to the late Rev. Dr. Cecil Kirk for the content of these essays and to his wife, Edna, for sharing them with us.  Here's one we sang last summer that is a perennial favourite.

Guide Me, O, Thou Great Jehovah

Scripture reading: Joshua 3. 1 - 17



There is no more thrilling sound than that of fifty thousand Welsh rugby fans cheering on the national team at Cardiff Arms Park, not with shouts, but by singing Arglwydd, arwain trwy'r anialwch (Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah) in their native tongue. The hymn has almost the status of a second national anthem. It is the work of William Williams who was born in Llandovery in Carmarthenshire. He was twenty years old and training for the medical profession when he heard a sermon by Howell Harris, the leader of the evangelical revival in Wales, and was converted. He was ordained as a deacon in the Anglican Church by the Bishop of St. David's but three years later he left to become a minister in the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist church. Rather than ministering to a settled congregation he took the whole of Wales as his parish, becoming an itinerant evangelist. During the next forty-three years he travelled almost 100,000 miles on foot and horseback preaching the gospel.



As with so many other hymns, the imagery is taken from the Biblical story of the Israelites' journey to the promised land. We are reminded of the fact that the Christian life is a pilgrimage that has a definite goal in mind. The pilgrim life is a progressive experience. The Christian pilgrim is not someone who settles down comfortably in the present world as though it were a place of permanent residence. We are here but for a time and not for ever. That means that we must have a sense of detachment from the world and the things of the world. While there may be many interesting and worthwhile things on earth we know that there are better things in store for us in the heavenly country to which we journey.



In order to travel wisely and safely we ask for divine guidance. We are moving through a "barren land" like the wilderness traversed by the Israelites and as they needed to be guarded and guided so do we. We also need nourishment for the journey, hence the prayer for the "Bread of heaven". That bread for the Hebrews was the heavenly manna. Jesus claimed to be the living bread, the heavenly bread, (John 6. 41) and it is that bread we pray for in the words "feed me till my want is o'er". And not only were the Israelites hungry, they were also thirsty and cried to Moses for help. He in turn cried to the Lord who provided water, a "crystal fountain" to quench their thirst (Ex. 17. 6). Jesus invites us, in our spiritual need to come to him and drink, assuring us that if we drink of the water he gives we will never thirst again (John 7. 37; 4. 14).



The Israelites were directed at all times by "the fire and cloudy pillar", a symbol of God's presence with his people day and night. The meaning is clear for us today. As God's pilgrim people we have the assurance that he is our companion and our "strong deliverer" at all times and for every mile of our journey.



When the people of Israel came to the end of their pilgrimage they found one last obstacle that had to be overcome before they could enter into their inheritance - the river Jordan had to be crossed. In Christian symbolism Jordan stands for the river of death and its waters which threaten to overwhelm are the cause of "anxious fears"; "Canaan's side" is heaven itself. The hymn concludes with a prayer that when our pilgrimage is over and our time comes to face death, the Lord will give us peace of mind and heart and a joyful end to life's journey. And there is an additional prayer. Jesus is described in two amazing phrases. He is called the "Death of death and hell's Destruction". He is the living Lord and he is the Death of death by defeating it through his resurrection and annihilating its power. At the same time he is also the Destruction of hell, hell meaning separation from God. In Jesus Christ not only do we die but in him we are risen, reconciled and glorified and with such blessings to be grateful for what can we do but offer him our "songs of praise" for all time.

Amigos de Christo

by Alice Valdal

               This summer we've been enjoying congregational choices for the offertory hymn.  Not surprisingly, most of these have been old favourites, beloved of several generations.  Not so on August 26.  That Sunday the offertory was Amigos de Cristo, by John C. Ylvisaker, written in 1985 and published in 2006.
          Since this hymn is new to our congregation, I've printed out the text.

        I found the order of words in the refrain interesting.  Most often we hear of Jesus as a friend to us, "What a friend we have in Jesus," "Jesus, friend of little children," for example.  In this hymn we are friends of the Lord.  A small distinction to be sure, since friendship is a two-way street, but one that captured my attention.

Scripture:

John 15:14-15;

Amigos de Cristo; we're friends of the Lord;
Amigos de Cristo; we're friends of the Lord.
For we've been forgiven, and we've been restored,
Amigos de Cristo; we're friends of the Lord.

1. Friends of the covenant renewed each morn;
baptized and loving it, we've been reborn.
Gift of the dove is ours for evermore.
Amigos de Cristo; we're friends of the Lord.

(Refrain)

2. Born of a family, the young and old,
we'll be on hand to see new life unfold.
We understand the need to be made whole.
Amigos de Cristo; we're friends of the Lord.

(Refrain)

      Writer and composer John C. Ylvisaker, was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and is a graduate of Concordia College and very involved in developing new worship materials for the church.  His compositions appear in hundreds of worship resources, including the latest hymn book of the Presbyterian Church in Canada.
       In addition to being an artist and composer, Ylvisaker is a high school music teacher, a choir director and producer of SCAN, an  weekly radio program sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).   He is much in demand as a performer and is working on the recording and publication of over 1000 of his own compositions.
      Much as we love the old favourites in our hymn book, it is good to experience new work and new ways of interpreting the words of the Gospel.  This week, I'll be thinking about what it means to be a "friend of the Lord."  Thanks to Benjamin Cunningham for widening my horizons.

        

      And speaking of friends, the congregation was delighted to share in the celebration of the Dodds' 70th wedding anniversary after service on Sunday.  Congratulations to a wonderful couple.

The Church's One Foundation

 Over the summer the congregation has been asked to name their favourite hymns to be sung during the collection of the offering.  These requests seemed like great blog material for me, especially when I know of a great resource!  Dr. Cecil Kirk, late of our congregation, had a passion for the great hymns of the church and wrote commentary on hundreds of them.  On July 1, we sang The Church's One Foundation.  Here's what Dr. Kirk had to say about it.

Scripture reading: 2 Peter 2. 1 - 3



This wonderful hymn on the nature of the Church was the product of a bitter controversy that disturbed the peace of the Anglican communion in the mid-nineteenth century. At that time a South African bishop rejected the doctrine of eternal punishment and questioned the traditional authorship of the Pentateuch. Stone, a young curate of Windsor, wrote this hymn in defence of the traditional catholic faith. It is based on the ninth article of the Apostles' Creed: "I believe in the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints" and summarizes the Church as it should be in God's design, as it is in today's world and as it one day shall be.

The hymn begins with the origin of the Church and re-echoes Paul's bold affirmation: "Other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, even Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3. 11). The Church is a divine organism and not a human institution. Men and women may co-operate in building up the Church but all our building must be on the foundation stone of Jesus Christ. The Church is Christ's "new creation", a fellowship of people who have been born anew "by water and the word", through the preaching of the gospel and the water of baptism. And not only did Christ create the Church, he also purchased her "with His own blood" and espoused himself to her as "His holy bride".

The Church of Christ is universal: "elect from every nation", its members are, nevertheless, "one o'er all the earth". The thought is that of the unity of the Church and this theme is continued throughout the stanza which is really a commentary on Paul's description of the Church in his letter to the Ephesians (4. 4-6). Her one Lord is Jesus Christ; the one faith she professes is the historic faith of the Church condensed in the creeds; her one birth is the new birth through the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the one name she blesses is the strong name of the Trinity; the one food of which she partakes is the body and blood of Christ in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper and the one hope to which she presses is the hope of glory.

With the words "Though with a scornful wonder . . " we have a reference to the problems which caused the hymn to be written. Unfortunately there are still schisms and heresies which distress and tear asunder the unity of the Church and these continue to rage even today, but we have the assurance that the "night of weeping" will give way to "the morn of song". That hope emerges in the concluding verses where we view the Church as triumphant and glorified. Here below we know the "toil and tribulation and tumult of her war" but this state of conflict will not last for ever. There will come a day when "her longing eyes" will be blessed by the vision of Christ himself and the Church, victorious at last, will be at rest.

All this lies in the future. In the meantime there are two blessings to comfort us. One is the union we have with "God the Three in One". God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is present with us day by day through worship, daily communion, the Scriptures, the sacraments and the faith of his people. And that is a union which cannot be destroyed. We also have "mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won". That fellowship with those who have departed this scene of time comes through Jesus Christ. He is the one who has conquered death, the one who is the resurrection and the life, and all who believe in him are alive for evermore. We think with joy and gladness of those who have preceded us into the heavenly kingdom and we look forward to a wonderful re-union with them in the presence of our Lord. In the meantime we pray for the grace which will enable us to make that prayer a reality.  --Dr. Cecil Kirk

My thanks to Edna Kirk for sharing this essay.

Canada Day

                                                                                                                                         

by Alice Valdal

As we celebrate Canada Day, I got to thinking about anthems, and hymns and wondering what made some timeless and others  fleeting. " The Maple Leaf Forever" was an unofficial anthem for Canada for many years but has fallen out of favour latterly because of its militaristic language and emphasis on Canada's British heritage to the exclusion of all others.  It's still a great tune, beloved of marching bands.  Did you know there is a whole new set of words?  Ones that emphasis the beauty of the land itself and acknowledge our status as a nation of immigrants from all over the world.  It will be interesting to see if the new version seeps into the consciousness of the next generation as surely as the old version soaked into the hearts and minds of a previous one.

   Hymns raise similar questions.  Why is it that "Guide Me , O Thou Great Jehovah" has rung down through the ages since the words were written in the mid-18th century, while "Jesus is the Man" set to the same tune, Cwm Rhondda, first appeared in The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada in 1971 but didn't make it into Voices United, the current hymn book of the United Church?  "God of Concrete, God of Steel"

also appeared in the 1971 book but disappeared in the later one.  Neither hymn appears in the latest hymn book of the Presbyterian Church in Canada. 

    Nor does one of the most popular hymns of the 20th century, "In the Garden."  Since it's composition in 1912 this hymn has been published in 190 hymnals, but not those of mainstream Canadian protestant denominations.  

     "For Beauty of Prairies" is a lovely hymn written by Walter Farquharson written in 1971.  It has only been published in two hymnaries, both for the United Church of Canada, probably because the text is very Canadian in its references to "prairies and grandeur of trees."  SPPC has a version of it as a choir anthem.

    Of course, popularity is not the only measure of a hymn's value.  Many hymns once popular hymns have disappeared in modern usage and with good reason.  "All Things Bright and Beautiful" once contained the verse "The rich man in his castle,/The poor man at his gate,/God made them high and lowly,/And ordered their estate."  A sentiment valued by a society that esteemed class and the divine right of kings, but not one that treasures democratic principles.  

    "Holy, Holy, Holy," appears in 1283 hymnals.  I don't know if that's a record but it might be. Of course, this hymn has over 150  years of history.  "The Servant Song" written in 1977 has been published in 21 hymnals, including our own. 

  

    So why "Servant Song" and not "God of Concrete?"  I think the answer lies in the universality of the message.  An ode to cities and construction doesn't reach the hearts of people in many places and many times, but the notion of servanthood is one of the pillars of Christian belief.  Perhaps that's the reason the Presbyterian Church places such emphasis on the Psalms.  We can't go wrong in the theology of our hymns if they are taken from Biblical texts.

    So, what are your favourite hymns?  Have they stood the test of time?  Will they?  Leave a comment below.