I have searched You-tube for something a little different, and there is quite a lot out there so I have taken the liberty of posting two meditative videos, and hope that you find time to enjoy them. The first is an emerging project entitled The Passion, I like it for its imagery, not too sure about the theology behind the lyrics, but it is challenging nonetheless:
The second Video is entitled All in one week, and is a great meditation for the beginning of Holy Week;
I am guessing that nobody sang these during worship this morning. We opened with All Glory Laud and Honour! How about you, what have you sung today, did the music challenge and stir you? Share your thoughts with us at the beginning of Holy Week.
I was sick and so missed church (didn't preach my own sermon), but I know we sang All glory Laud and Honor at the first service, and an african processional at the 2nd service (Cameroonian). Also: Were you there?
ReplyDeleteWe sang All Glory, etc., and I had the children process with me, waving palms. Later we sang a favorite of mine, even though I am not attuned to the theology particularly anymore, Beneath the Cross of Jesus. The choir sang Ride on, King Jesus, which I really enjoyed! It had a great solo line for our very fine Alto.
ReplyDeleteWe sang Eat This Bread, Stay With Me, Go to Dark Gethsemene, Ah Holy Jesus, My Song is Love Unknown, O Sacred Head and Sing, My Tongue. Of course, the service wasn't long enough to sing all the verses of all of these, but a verse or two was sung at appropriate times during the reading of the Passion from Matthew. It was very moving. Just what I needed to start Holy Week.
ReplyDeleteOh my, I was in tears from the prelude on....the music was so diverse and positively stunning today. The prelude was Smith/Husand's "Lamb of God," followed by the ever-popular "All Glory, Laud and Honor" with kids, palms, and all the elements that bring tears to my eyes. The choir filled the air with "Ride On, King Jesus" (and the choir is a MAJOR reason for our connection to our church). I could go on and on.... But two interesting additions. A parishioner played "Summer Song" by Bruebeck as the offertory, and I realized for the first time how positively right jazz is for Palm Sunday. And then, following the pastor's spoken meditation, he played a video created by he, the associate pastor, and two younger church members. As he said, "On Palm Sunday, prose no longer works--we need to turn to the artists." So stunning images of what we've done to the earth--how we're crucifying one another and creation, and how we are redeemed time and time and time again--all set to Metallica's "Unforgiven" played by the string group Apocalyptica. The song is brilliant with strings, and while it was the first time I've heard Metallica in church, it couldn't have been more right. (You can hear it on YouTube if you do a search.) The music was stunning....and the Spirit was in the room!
ReplyDeleteWell, we sang "All Glory, Laud and Honor" as well. We were given palms at the doors, but no procession as such (our senior choir is in a choir loft above and behind most of us and the children, who sang today, were on temporary risers in the chancel so I think procession would have been problematic. Anyway we have some remnants of old-school Congregationalism and perhaps one is "We don't process!") But I digress. We also sang "Ride On, Ride on in Majesty" to St. Drostane. Both were from the Pilgrim Hymnal. We had the Palm Sunday verses from Psalm 118 read antiphonally with sung response by us. The choir sang an anthem by Parry, which was nice, and then an arrangement by Bob Chilcott of "Were You There?" which made me tremble, tremble, tremble. Really what church music should be -- I was not thinking of it as a performance at all, just experiencing it. The postlude was by Robert Buckley Farlee, whose wife I used to talk to on the phone occasionally (they are both Lutheran pastors) and whose son was a friend of Sisterknits' in high school. I love these little "six degrees" moments!
ReplyDeleteWe sang "Hosanna! Hosanna! The little children sang" led by the Sunday School kids (no kids' choir yet, but I hope to have one soon!) with a procession of sorts -- the processed with their palms and with cloaks, some costumes we have on hand.
ReplyDeleteThe bells played "All Glory, Laud, and Honor". Whew. I'm not sure it's legal to have Palm Sunday without it.
We had "O Sacred Head" after the sermon because at that point I was moving out of Palm Sunday and into Passion Sunday.
We didn't have a closing hymn because we ended the service with a pictoral "meditation" - - a recorded reading of the Passion in Matthew and a slideshow of pictures of the Sunday School kids dramatizing the passion. The last image on the screen was a 3 1/2 year old boy with a crown of thorns standing in front of a cross with the caption "Jesus dead on the cross". Yikes! The images were definitely thought provoking and put it all in a different light.
There's a meditation in the March book selection in the resurrection section (I cheated and read ahead yesterday) that talks about how Easter isn't so much a kids' holiday. I know, I know, my nerves were touched at first, too, but keep reading when you get to it; it's interesting. I don't think it says it SHOULDN'T be for kids or the meaning of Easter excludes kids. It just talks about the intensity of the crucifixion and resurrection, and how that's a harder story to share honestly with kids, especially compared to Christmas.
Anyway, I'm off topic.
The choir sang a great anthem (glad I picked it! That's not usually my job so it was fun) "Ain't No Rock Gonna Shout for Me".
And speaking of jazz, Jennifer, our keyboardist did a jazz version of "O Sacred Head" for the offertory. It was great.
My first Sunday at the new church...oh, wow, what a difference. At the 10 service we had a string quartet (fabulous) who played the prelude and accompanied the choir for the anthem. We sang "All Glory Laud and Honor" and then something else for the Sequence Hymn before the Gospel (which I do not remember), then we sang, "My Song is Love Unknown" for the concluding hymn...
ReplyDeleteWe sang Hosanna Loud Hosanna....with children's procession at the two later services, of course. Then we sang a few verses of a John Bell hymn "Ride On Ride On" (not the usual one!) to the tune for When I Survey. Then we had Wondrous Love and, as we have through all of lent, we ended with Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer. Lots of special music too--the response after the peace was Sanna, Sannanina from South Africa, and the adult choir and children's choirs and youth choir were all singing at various points in the two services.
ReplyDeleteAt the alternative service we sang two new (to us) songs: We Won't Be Quiet (from David Crowder's CD REMEDY) and Your Grace Is Enough. Both very catchy. The other two songs at that service weren't memorable. LOL!
We had a thoroughly awesome music day. No Glory/Laud/Honor, though. ;-)
We did the the childre leading the procession singing a song they had learned in Church School then followed with All Glory Laud and Honor.
ReplyDeleteWe did the dramatic reading of the Passion--I cannot preach after that. The congregation left in silence--no coffee hr. I don't know if they are going to like this way of celebrating Holy Week. I am sure I will hear about it!
Besides, I was sick. I was running a fever during church I came home after church and slept the clock around. Feel better today but am still drippy of nose. What a way to begin Holy Week!
Have a holy-holy week, sistahs!
We processed around the building (outside) waving our palms! The drivers-by must be so interested. Marching song was "Prepare the Way of the Lord," a Taize chant done in double time. :)
ReplyDeleteChoir sang "Ah, Holy Jesus."
Hymns: All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name (processional), When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, O Sacred Head Sore Wounded, Let Thy Blood in Mercy Poured, At the Name of Jesus.
She-Rev...I'll never forget trying to explain Easter to my 6 year old niece. Not Good. I didn't have much Kid Experience then.