Thomas A. Langford - Communion Meditation (October 5, 1969)
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| (soft music) | 0:03 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 4:26 | |
| (soft music) | 5:49 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 7:38 | |
| (soft music) | 8:43 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 10:21 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 11:07 | |
| - | Let the congregation be seated. | 11:24 |
| The cup of blessing, which we bless, | 11:35 | |
| is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? | 11:39 | |
| The bread, which we break, | 11:46 | |
| is it not a participation in the body of Christ? | 11:49 | |
| Because that is one loaf, we who are many are one body | 11:56 | |
| for we all partake of the same loaf. | 12:05 | |
| Jesus said behold, I stand at the door and knock. | 12:11 | |
| If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, | 12:18 | |
| I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me. | 12:25 | |
| The Lord be with you. | 12:37 | |
| - | And with thy spirit. | 12:39 |
| - | Let us pray. | 12:41 |
| Let us offer unto God the collect for purity | 12:46 | |
| as found on page nine, the back of the hymnal | 12:50 | |
| and let us offer it in unison. | 12:54 | |
| Almighty God unto whom all hearts are open, | 12:59 | |
| all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, | 13:03 | |
| cleanse the thoughts of our hearts | 13:09 | |
| by the inspiration of thy holy spirit, | 13:11 | |
| that we may perfectly love thee | 13:15 | |
| and (indistinct) magnify thy holy name, | 13:17 | |
| through Christ our Lord, amen. | 13:21 | |
| Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. | 13:25 | |
| Thy kingdom come, thy will be done | 13:31 | |
| on earth as it is in heaven. | 13:35 | |
| Give us this day our daily bread | 13:38 | |
| and forgive us our trespasses | 13:41 | |
| as we forgive those who trespass against us | 13:43 | |
| and lead us not into temptation, | 13:47 | |
| but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom | 13:50 | |
| and the power and the glory forever. | 13:54 | |
| Amen. | 13:58 | |
| (soft music) | 14:00 | |
| ♪ Glory to God on high ♪ | 14:09 | |
| ♪ And on earth peace and (indistinct) ♪ | 14:13 | |
| ♪ We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee ♪ | 14:18 | |
| ♪ We glorify thee ♪ | 14:25 | |
| ♪ We give thanks unto thee for thy great glory. ♪ | 14:27 | |
| ♪ O Lord God, heavenly King ♪ | 14:34 | |
| ♪ God the Father almighty ♪ | 14:39 | |
| ♪ O Lord the only begotten son Jesus Christ ♪ | 14:44 | |
| ♪ O Lord God, lamb of God, son of the father ♪ | 14:50 | |
| ♪ Thou takest away the sins of the world ♪ | 14:59 | |
| ♪ Have mercy upon us ♪ | 15:04 | |
| ♪ Thou takes away the sins of the world ♪ | 15:09 | |
| ♪ Receive our prayer ♪ | 15:15 | |
| ♪ Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the father ♪ | 15:19 | |
| ♪ Have mercy upon us ♪ | 15:26 | |
| ♪ For thou only art holy ♪ | 15:32 | |
| ♪ Thou only art the Lord ♪ | 15:36 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) God the father ♪ | 15:40 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 15:55 | |
| - | Ye that do truly and earnestly repent of your sins | 16:00 |
| and are in love and charity with your neighbors | 16:05 | |
| and intend to lead a new life, | 16:10 | |
| following the commandments of God | 16:14 | |
| and walking from henceforth in his holy ways, | 16:17 | |
| draw near with faith | 16:23 | |
| and take this holy sacrament to your comfort | 16:26 | |
| and make your humble confession to almighty God. | 16:31 | |
| Let us pray. | 16:37 | |
| Almighty God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 16:46 | |
| maker of all things, judge of all men, | 16:51 | |
| we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, | 16:56 | |
| which we from time to time most grievously have committed | 17:00 | |
| by thought, word and deed against thy divine majesty. | 17:05 | |
| We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry | 17:10 | |
| for these our misdoings. | 17:14 | |
| The remembrance of them is grievous unto us. | 17:16 | |
| Have mercy upon us. | 17:20 | |
| Have mercy upon us, most merciful father. | 17:22 | |
| For thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, | 17:26 | |
| forgive us all that has past | 17:30 | |
| and grant that we may ever hereafter serve | 17:32 | |
| and please thee in newness of life | 17:35 | |
| to the honor and glory of thy name, | 17:39 | |
| through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. | 17:42 | |
| Almighty God, our heavenly father, | 17:47 | |
| who of thy great mercy has promised forgiveness of sins | 17:51 | |
| to all them that with hearty repentance | 17:55 | |
| and true faith turn to thee, | 17:58 | |
| have mercy upon us. | 18:02 | |
| Pardon and deliver us from all our sins, | 18:06 | |
| confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, | 18:10 | |
| and bring us to everlasting life | 18:15 | |
| through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. | 18:19 | |
| Hear what comfortable words the scriptures say | 18:27 | |
| to all that truly turn to the Lord. | 18:31 | |
| God so loved the world | 18:36 | |
| that he gave his only son, | 18:40 | |
| that whoever believes in him should not perish, | 18:44 | |
| but have eternal life. | 18:48 | |
| The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance | 18:52 | |
| that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, | 18:59 | |
| therefore be of good courage. | 19:09 | |
| And now let us pray for the whole state of Christ's church | 19:13 | |
| in the litany. | 19:19 | |
| Most merciful father, | 19:22 | |
| we humbly beseech thee to receive these our prayers | 19:24 | |
| for the universal church that thy will confirm it | 19:27 | |
| in the truth of the holy faith, | 19:32 | |
| inspire it with unity and concord | 19:35 | |
| and extend and prosper it throughout the world. | 19:38 | |
| We also beseech thee so to guide and strengthen | 19:43 | |
| the witness of the church to those in authority | 19:46 | |
| in all nations, | 19:50 | |
| that they may maintain the justice | 19:52 | |
| and welfare of all mankind. | 19:55 | |
| Here us, we beseech thee, oh Lord. | 19:59 | |
| Give grace oh heavenly father to all ministers | 20:03 | |
| of thy church. | 20:06 | |
| That both by their life and doctrine, | 20:07 | |
| they may set forth light true and lively word | 20:09 | |
| and faithfully administer thy holy sacraments. | 20:13 | |
| And to all thy people, give thy heavenly grace | 20:17 | |
| that with willing heart and due reverence, | 20:21 | |
| they may hear and receive thy holy word, | 20:24 | |
| truly serving thee in holiness and righteousness | 20:28 | |
| all the days of their lives. | 20:32 | |
| Hear us, we beseech thee O Lord | 20:34 | |
| and we most humbly beseech thee of thy goodness, oh Lord | 20:38 | |
| to support and strengthen all those | 20:41 | |
| who in this transitory life are in trouble, sorrow, | 20:44 | |
| (indistinct), sickness or any other adversity. | 20:50 | |
| Hear us, we beseech thee, oh Lord. | 20:56 | |
| We remember with Thanksgiving | 20:59 | |
| those who have loved and served thee in thy church on earth | 21:01 | |
| who now rest from their labors, | 21:06 | |
| especially those most dear to us, | 21:10 | |
| whom we name in our hearts before thee. | 21:13 | |
| Keep us in fellowship with all thy saints | 21:21 | |
| and bring us at length to the joy of thy heavenly kingdom. | 21:25 | |
| Grant this oh father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, | 21:31 | |
| our only mediator and advocate, amen. | 21:35 | |
| - | Our scripture lesson is from the sixth chapter | 21:56 |
| of the book of Romans, reading the first eight verses | 21:58 | |
| of that chapter. | 22:03 | |
| What shall we say then? | 22:08 | |
| Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? | 22:10 | |
| By no means. | 22:16 | |
| How can we who died to sin still live in it? | 22:19 | |
| Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized | 22:24 | |
| into Christ Jesus, were baptized into his death? | 22:28 | |
| We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. | 22:35 | |
| So that as Christ was raised from the dead | 22:40 | |
| by the glory of the father, | 22:42 | |
| we too might walk in newness of life. | 22:45 | |
| For we have been united with him in a death like his, | 22:51 | |
| we shall certainly be united with him | 22:56 | |
| in a resurrection like his. | 22:59 | |
| We know that our old self was crucified with him | 23:03 | |
| so that the sinful body might be destroyed | 23:07 | |
| and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. | 23:11 | |
| For he who has died is freed from sin. | 23:16 | |
| But if we have died with Christ, | 23:21 | |
| we believe that we shall also live with him. | 23:24 | |
| (soft music) | 23:32 | |
| ♪ Glory to the father ♪ | 23:41 | |
| ♪ And to the son and to the holy ghost ♪ | 23:46 | |
| ♪ As it was in the beginning ♪ | 23:53 | |
| ♪ Is now and ever shall be ♪ | 23:58 | |
| ♪ World without end ♪ | 24:03 | |
| ♪ Amen, amen ♪ | 24:07 | |
| - | Be seated. | 24:17 |
| The communion service for which we are gathered | 24:29 | |
| symbolically stands at the heart of the Christian faith. | 24:34 | |
| Here the love of God is manifest. | 24:41 | |
| Dear human life is affirmed. | 24:45 | |
| To direct our thoughts this morning to this central symbol, | 24:53 | |
| let me read from Paul's letter to the Galatians | 24:57 | |
| chapter two verse 20. | 25:02 | |
| "I have been crucified with Christ. | 25:07 | |
| "It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me | 25:12 | |
| "and the life I now live in the flesh. | 25:20 | |
| "I live by faith in the son of God who loved me | 25:24 | |
| "and gave himself for me". | 25:28 | |
| Obviously in this passage, | 25:36 | |
| the central theme is participation or recapitulation. | 25:38 | |
| God's grace invites us to participate in death and in life. | 25:47 | |
| This is the constant. | 25:58 | |
| Grace invites us to life, | 26:02 | |
| but it is an invitation which requires, first of all, | 26:06 | |
| a confrontation with death | 26:11 | |
| and how we need to die. | 26:17 | |
| Die to the meaninglessness of our existence, | 26:22 | |
| die to our inhumanity, die to our pride, | 26:28 | |
| die to our self hatred, die to our prejudice, | 26:36 | |
| die to our deceit of our ourselves and others. | 26:44 | |
| The search for life is endemic to the lives of each of us. | 26:52 | |
| One finds on every side the cry for joy and freedom, | 26:58 | |
| for brotherhood, for love, for justice. | 27:05 | |
| And these are the cries for life. | 27:12 | |
| Even so our crying seems to be muted | 27:18 | |
| and our finding so fragmentary, so unfulfilling, | 27:22 | |
| so incomplete. | 27:28 | |
| At the same time, we can readily recognize | 27:33 | |
| even recognize enough the pretentions of those | 27:35 | |
| who claim to have found life. | 27:40 | |
| We see the hypocrisy, the restrictiveness of spirit, | 27:44 | |
| the truncated sensitivity, the smallness of mind, | 27:50 | |
| or the limitedness of vision. | 27:55 | |
| We recognize the restricted bondages of life, | 27:59 | |
| which capture us and others. | 28:05 | |
| We recognize these distressing facts, | 28:10 | |
| but we seem unable to move beyond them. | 28:14 | |
| We know the idols that are false and we can name them: | 28:18 | |
| status or racial pride or material goals. | 28:25 | |
| We know these idols, we despise them, yet we cling to them. | 28:33 | |
| We denounce them with our voices | 28:42 | |
| and hold fast to them with our hearts. | 28:44 | |
| Perhaps freedom is after all too frightening. | 28:49 | |
| Perhaps justice is simply too difficult to achieve. | 28:53 | |
| Perhaps brotherliness is unrealizable. | 28:57 | |
| Perhaps, perhaps and so we question all of our affirmations | 29:02 | |
| and slide back into the molds | 29:07 | |
| which we have so vehemently denounced. | 29:09 | |
| We simply have not died to the (indistinct) | 29:13 | |
| of our own lives. | 29:16 | |
| We hold with fearful tenacity to the small comforts | 29:18 | |
| and the securities of our limited existence. | 29:22 | |
| We speak of death with a brave voice. | 29:27 | |
| We point to light with a rigid finger, | 29:31 | |
| but we hold back, unsure, frightened, weak. | 29:36 | |
| Life is for so many simply inauthentic. | 29:44 | |
| But I do not need to convince you of this, this we know. | 29:50 | |
| We cannot escape the demand of death, | 29:56 | |
| but we do not want to face it. | 29:59 | |
| Nevertheless, and once again, in the service this morning, | 30:04 | |
| we are invited to death. | 30:11 | |
| We come to communion Sunday | 30:17 | |
| and we're reminded of Paul's words, | 30:21 | |
| do you not know that all of us who have been baptized | 30:24 | |
| into Chris Jesus have been baptized into his death? | 30:26 | |
| And we hear his own personal confession, | 30:30 | |
| I have been crucified with Christ. | 30:34 | |
| Death must be met. | 30:38 | |
| Death is waiting to meet us. | 30:42 | |
| So here we wait before the cross, | 30:47 | |
| we hear it's invitation and are invited ourselves | 30:51 | |
| to be riveted to its arms, | 30:56 | |
| for grace is an invitation to death. | 31:00 | |
| Grace is the presentation of the possibility of death. | 31:04 | |
| For grace is the medium of life, | 31:12 | |
| life which is found on the further side of death. | 31:17 | |
| And so Paul writes, "I have been crucified with Christ. | 31:23 | |
| "Nevertheless, I live". | 31:29 | |
| And again, while we know if we had been united with him | 31:34 | |
| in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him | 31:38 | |
| in a resurrection like his. | 31:43 | |
| To be alive, to be possessed of a new spirit, | 31:48 | |
| a new sensibility, a new humaneness, | 31:51 | |
| a new largeness of empathy, a new freedom | 31:56 | |
| and a new openness to the future, | 32:01 | |
| this is the invitation to life, | 32:05 | |
| but an invitation which leads us first through death. | 32:09 | |
| Hannah Green in her book, | 32:17 | |
| "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden", | 32:20 | |
| tells of Deborah, a teenager who lives her own struggle | 32:24 | |
| as a patient in a mental hospital. | 32:30 | |
| Deborah's troubles almost destroy her. | 32:34 | |
| And I quote, "her dream began with winter darkness. | 32:39 | |
| "Out of this darkness came a great hand, fisted. | 32:47 | |
| "It was a man's hand, powerful and hollowed by the shadows | 32:54 | |
| "of the muscles and tendons. | 33:01 | |
| "The fist opened and in a long plane of the palm, | 33:07 | |
| "there lay three small pieces of coal. | 33:11 | |
| "Slowly the hand closed, | 33:17 | |
| "causing within the fist a tremendous pressure. | 33:21 | |
| "The pressure began to generate a white heat | 33:26 | |
| "and still it increased. | 33:29 | |
| "There was a sense of weighing, crushing time. | 33:32 | |
| "She seemed to feel the suffering of the coal | 33:38 | |
| "in her own body, almost beyond the point of being born. | 33:41 | |
| "At last she cried out to the hand, | 33:50 | |
| "stop it, will you never end it? | 33:54 | |
| "Even a stone cannot bear to this limit, even a stone. | 34:00 | |
| "After what seemed like too long a time | 34:12 | |
| "for anything molecular to endure, | 34:14 | |
| "the torments in the fist relaxed, | 34:18 | |
| "the fist turned slowly, then opened. | 34:23 | |
| "Diamonds, three of them, | 34:31 | |
| "three clear and brilliant diamonds, sharp with light | 34:37 | |
| "lay in the good palm. | 34:45 | |
| "The voice called to her, Deborah, | 34:49 | |
| "then again, gently, Deborah, this shall be you". | 34:53 | |
| So one finds new life. | 35:07 | |
| Paul found new life in Christ. | 35:10 | |
| The life I now live, I live by faith in the son of God | 35:13 | |
| who loved me and gave himself for me. | 35:17 | |
| To participate in Christ brings death, | 35:22 | |
| but it also brings life. | 35:26 | |
| It brings life as freedom and hope and purpose. | 35:29 | |
| And so we meet today before the cross. | 35:35 | |
| We have heard an invitation. | 35:41 | |
| We shall be offered a cup and bread | 35:44 | |
| and with it comes the promise of death | 35:51 | |
| and also the promise of life. | 35:57 | |
| In the name of the father and of the son | 36:04 | |
| and of the holy spirit. | 36:07 | |
| Amen. | 36:09 | |
| (soft music) | 36:11 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 36:31 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 38:00 | |
| (soft music) | 38:30 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 40:28 | |
| (soft music) | 40:44 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 40:52 | |
| (soft music) | 43:11 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 43:44 | |
| ♪ Oh blessed Jesus Christ ♪ | 43:56 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 44:03 | |
| (soft music) | 46:34 | |
| ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 46:51 | |
| ♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪ | 46:57 | |
| ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 47:03 | |
| ♪ Praise him above, ye heavenly host ♪ | 47:10 | |
| ♪ Praise father, son and holy ghost ♪ | 47:16 | |
| ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 47:22 | |
| ♪ Alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 47:28 | |
| ♪ Alleluia ♪ | 47:35 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 47:44 | |
| - | Oh God in whom we live and move and have our being, | 47:54 |
| we offer and present unto thee, the gifts of thy people, | 47:59 | |
| silver and gold, bread and wine, | 48:05 | |
| for the service of thy kingdom | 48:11 | |
| and the use of the table of thy son. | 48:13 | |
| Accept them we pray thee for we offer them in his name | 48:18 | |
| and for his sake. | 48:25 | |
| Amen. | 48:28 | |
| Lift up your hearts. | 48:48 | |
| - | We lift them up to the Lord. | 48:51 |
| - | Let us give thanks unto the Lord. | 48:53 |
| - | (indistinct). | 48:56 |
| - | It is very (indistinct) right, | 48:58 |
| and our bound and duty that we should at all times | 49:00 | |
| and in all places give thanks unto thee, oh Lord, | 49:03 | |
| holy father, almighty everlasting God. | 49:08 | |
| Therefore with angels and archangels | 49:13 | |
| and with all the company of heaven, | 49:16 | |
| we (indistinct) and magnify thy glorious name, | 49:18 | |
| evermore praising thee and saying. | 49:22 | |
| ♪ Holy, holy, holy thy God of hosts ♪ | 49:26 | |
| ♪ Heaven and earth are full of glory ♪ | 49:35 | |
| ♪ Glory be to thee, oh Lord most high ♪ | 49:41 | |
| ♪ Amen ♪ | 49:49 | |
| - | Let us pray. | 49:55 |
| Almighty God, our heavenly father | 50:04 | |
| who of thy tender mercy does give thine only son, | 50:08 | |
| Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross | 50:11 | |
| for our redemption. | 50:14 | |
| Who made there by the one offering of himself, | 50:17 | |
| a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice | 50:20 | |
| for the sins of the whole world. | 50:23 | |
| And in institute and in his holy gospel | 50:26 | |
| command us to continue a perpetual memory | 50:29 | |
| of his precious death until his coming again. | 50:32 | |
| Hear us oh merciful father, we most humbly beseech thee, | 50:38 | |
| and grant that we receiving these | 50:42 | |
| thy creatures of bread and wine, | 50:45 | |
| according to thy son, our savior Jesus Christ, | 50:48 | |
| holy institution, in remembrance of his passion, | 50:51 | |
| death and resurrection, | 50:56 | |
| may be partakers of the divine nature through him. | 50:59 | |
| Who in the same night that he was betrayed, | 51:04 | |
| took bread and when he had given thanks, | 51:07 | |
| he broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, | 51:11 | |
| take, eat, this is my body, which is given for you. | 51:17 | |
| Do this in remembrance of me. | 51:25 | |
| Likewise, after supper, he took the cup. | 51:31 | |
| And when he had given thanks, he gave it to them saying, | 51:36 | |
| drink ye all of this, | 51:40 | |
| for this is my blood of the new covenant, | 51:44 | |
| which is shed for you and for many, | 51:48 | |
| for the forgiveness of sins. | 51:52 | |
| Do this as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me. | 51:55 | |
| Amen. | 52:02 | |
| And let us pray together the prayer of humble access. | 52:04 | |
| We do not presume to come to this thy table, | 52:08 | |
| oh merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness. | 52:12 | |
| But in thy manifold and great mercies, | 52:16 | |
| we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs | 52:19 | |
| under thy table, | 52:23 | |
| but thou art the same Lord whose property | 52:24 | |
| is always to have mercy, grant us, therefore gracious Lord, | 52:27 | |
| so to partake of this sacrament of thy son, Jesus Christ, | 52:32 | |
| that we may walk in newness of life, | 52:37 | |
| may grow into his likeness and may evermore dwell in him | 52:40 | |
| and he in us. | 52:45 | |
| Amen. | 52:48 | |
| (soft music) | 54:56 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 55:10 | |
| (soft music) | 56:24 | |
| - | Take and eat this in remembrance that Christ died for thee | 58:01 |
| and feed on him in thy heart by faith with Thanksgiving. | 58:08 | |
| Drink this in remembrance | 58:19 | |
| that Christ blood was shed for thee and be thankful. | 58:21 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 59:12 | |
| ♪ (indistinct) ♪ | 1:00:49 | |
| (soft music) | 1:02:04 |