Ronnie E. Swain, Jr. - "Overcoming Fear" (February 24, 1991)
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Transcript
Transcripts may contain inaccuracies.
(organ music) | 0:00 | |
(shuffling) | 0:58 | |
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- | Good morning and welcome to this service of worship | 3:04 |
on the second Sunday in the Christian season of Lent. | 3:07 | |
For the past decade or so, | 3:14 | |
it has been the practice | 3:16 | |
to designate student preacher Sunday | 3:17 | |
on one Sunday of the year. | 3:20 | |
This year, as usual, | 3:23 | |
our student preacher has been selected | 3:24 | |
by student and faculty committee. | 3:27 | |
He is Ronnie Swain, | 3:30 | |
a junior from Mobile, Alabama | 3:31 | |
and we welcome him to our pulpit today. | 3:36 | |
Ronnie was raised in an ecumenical Christian home | 3:41 | |
of both Catholic and Protestant parents | 3:44 | |
and that's appropriate because today, | 3:47 | |
we begin a week of emphasis on prayer | 3:50 | |
and spiritual life being led | 3:54 | |
by the brothers of the Taize monastery in France | 3:56 | |
and also the Little Sisters of Jesus. | 4:01 | |
They will be leading us in a full round of worship services, | 4:05 | |
prayer retreats, pilgrimages and activities this week | 4:08 | |
and we invite your participation | 4:12 | |
at this special time of the year, | 4:15 | |
a time in which all of us are in need | 4:19 | |
of prayer and reflection. | 4:21 | |
And now let us stand for the greeting. | 4:25 | |
Create in me a clean heart, oh God. | 4:32 | |
Congregation | And renew a right spirit within me. | 4:35 |
- | Open my lips, oh Lord. | 4:38 |
Congregation | And my mouth will declare your praise. | 4:41 |
("Deck Thyself, My Soul, with Gladness" by Johann Franck) | 4:45 | |
♪ Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness, ♪ | 5:42 | |
♪ Leave the gloomy haunts of sadness, ♪ | 5:49 | |
♪ Come into the daylight's splendor, ♪ | 5:56 | |
♪ There with joy thy praises render ♪ | 6:03 | |
♪ Unto God whose graces unbounded ♪ | 6:10 | |
♪ Hath this wondrous banquet founded ♪ | 6:17 | |
♪ High over all the heavens he reigneth, ♪ | 6:25 | |
♪ Yet to dwell with thee he deigneth ♪ | 6:32 | |
♪ Sun, who all my life dost brighten, ♪ | 6:41 | |
♪ Light, who dost my soul enlighten, ♪ | 6:48 | |
♪ Joy, the sweetest heart ever knoweth, ♪ | 6:55 | |
♪ Fount, whence all my being floweth, ♪ | 7:02 | |
♪ At thy feet I cry, my maker, ♪ | 7:09 | |
♪ Let me be a fit partaker ♪ | 7:17 | |
♪ Of this blessed food from heaven, ♪ | 7:24 | |
♪ For our good, thy glory, given. ♪ | 7:31 | |
(organ music) | 7:41 | |
- | Let us confess our sin. | 9:53 |
Be seated. The prayer is number 890. | 9:55 | |
Let us pray. | 10:14 | |
- | Most merciful God, | 10:15 |
All | we confess that we have sinned against you | 10:18 |
in thought, word, and deed, | 10:20 | |
by what we have done, | 10:23 | |
and by what we have left undone. | 10:25 | |
We have not loved you with our whole heart, | 10:28 | |
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. | 10:31 | |
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent, | 10:34 | |
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, | 10:38 | |
have mercy on us and forgive us, | 10:41 | |
that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, | 10:44 | |
to the glory of your name. Amen. | 10:48 | |
- | Almighty God, have mercy on you. | 11:01 |
Forgive all your sins through our Lord, Jesus Christ, | 11:04 | |
strengthen you in all goodness | 11:08 | |
and by the power of the Holy Spirit, | 11:11 | |
keep you in eternal life. Amen. | 11:13 | |
- | Let us pray. | 11:32 |
All | Open our hearts and minds, oh God, | 11:34 |
by the power of your Holy Spirit, | 11:38 | |
so that, as the word is read and proclaimed, | 11:41 | |
we might hear with joy what you say to us this day. Amen. | 11:45 | |
- | The first reading is taken from the Book of Genesis. | 11:53 |
When Abram was 99 years old, | 11:59 | |
the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, | 12:02 | |
"I am God Almighty, | 12:06 | |
"walk before me and be blameless. | 12:09 | |
"And I will make my covenant between me and you | 12:13 | |
"and will make you exceedingly numerous." | 12:17 | |
Then Abram fell on his face | 12:22 | |
and God said to him, | 12:24 | |
"As for me, this is my covenant with you: | 12:27 | |
"You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. | 12:32 | |
"No longer shall your name be Abram, | 12:37 | |
"but your name shall be Abraham, | 12:40 | |
"for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. | 12:44 | |
"I will make you exceedingly fruitful | 12:49 | |
"and I will make nations of you | 12:52 | |
"and kings shall come from you. | 12:55 | |
"I will establish my covenant between me and you | 12:59 | |
"and your offspring after you, | 13:04 | |
"throughout their generations, | 13:06 | |
"for an everlasting covenant to be God to you | 13:08 | |
"and to your offspring after you. | 13:13 | |
"And I will give to you and to your offspring after you | 13:16 | |
"the land where you are now an alien, | 13:21 | |
"all the land of Canaan, | 13:25 | |
"for a perpetual holding and I will be their God." | 13:27 | |
God said to Abraham, | 13:34 | |
"As for you, you shall keep my covenant, | 13:36 | |
"you and your offspring after you, | 13:40 | |
"throughout their generations. | 13:42 | |
"This is my covenant which you shall keep, | 13:44 | |
"between me and you and your offspring after you: | 13:48 | |
"every male among you shall be circumcised." | 13:52 | |
This is the word of the Lord. | 13:57 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 14:00 |
- | This reading is from The Gospel According to Saint Mark. | 14:32 |
Then he began to teach them | 14:38 | |
that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering | 14:40 | |
and be rejected by the elders, | 14:43 | |
the chief priests and the scribes | 14:46 | |
and be killed and after three days, rise again. | 14:49 | |
He said all this quite openly | 14:56 | |
and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. | 14:59 | |
But turning and looking at the disciples, | 15:04 | |
he rebuked Peter and said, | 15:06 | |
"Get behind me, Satan! | 15:08 | |
"For you are setting your mind, | 15:11 | |
"not on divine things, | 15:12 | |
"but on human things." | 15:14 | |
He called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, | 15:18 | |
"If any want to become my followers, | 15:23 | |
"let them deny themselves and take up their cross | 15:26 | |
"and follow me. | 15:30 | |
"For those who want to save their life will lose it | 15:32 | |
"and those who lose their life for my sake | 15:36 | |
"and for the sake of the gospel will save it. | 15:39 | |
"For what will it profit them to gain the whole world | 15:45 | |
"and forfeit their life? | 15:48 | |
"Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? | 15:51 | |
"Those who are ashamed of me and of my words | 15:56 | |
"in this adulterous and sinful generation, | 15:59 | |
"of them, the Son of Man will also be ashamed | 16:02 | |
"when he comes in the glory of his Father | 16:05 | |
"with the holy angels." | 16:08 | |
This is the word of the Lord. | 16:12 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 16:15 |
- | It is one of the most misunderstood emotions. | 16:22 |
It can cause symptoms of the most dreaded diseases. | 16:29 | |
Indeed, it can relentlessly cling to our minds | 16:35 | |
and destroy our bodies. | 16:40 | |
Ulcers, nervous breakdowns and high blood pressure | 16:44 | |
are aggravated if not caused by it. | 16:48 | |
Fear! | 16:52 | |
Doesn't all of the simplistic advice | 16:54 | |
about relieving anxiety seem so ineffective | 16:57 | |
when you are gripped by that icy, cold terror? | 17:01 | |
And yet, fear is necessary | 17:07 | |
because it is one of the few emotions | 17:08 | |
that motivates and drives us. | 17:10 | |
It can make us so angry | 17:12 | |
that we become determined to succeed. | 17:13 | |
Indeed, fear is partly responsible for our existence, | 17:16 | |
we have learned to perceive and fear danger. | 17:20 | |
Pascal, the noted French scientist and philosopher, | 17:26 | |
said of fear, | 17:30 | |
there is a virtuous fear which is the product of faith | 17:32 | |
and there is a vicious fear which is the product of doubt. | 17:37 | |
One leads to hope, | 17:42 | |
one inclines to despair. | 17:45 | |
Pascal has identified a complex dichotomy. | 17:49 | |
Each of us has fears | 17:53 | |
but we are not always immobilized by them. | 17:55 | |
To appreciate the distinction, | 17:59 | |
remember what it was like to be a small child | 18:01 | |
trying to go to sleep. | 18:04 | |
Do you recall being afraid of the dark? | 18:07 | |
Can you remember how frightening your own room had become? | 18:10 | |
You were never quite certain that you were completely alone | 18:15 | |
so you threw the covers over your head and tried to hide. | 18:18 | |
Fear of the dark was a nagging doubt. | 18:23 | |
You were alone, uncertain. | 18:27 | |
Who would protect you? | 18:32 | |
To an extent, we must confront the same feelings | 18:35 | |
of fear everyday of our lives. | 18:37 | |
What are you afraid of right now? | 18:41 | |
Fear of not succeeding, | 18:44 | |
fear of being rejected by someone you love, | 18:48 | |
fear of what you will do in the future, | 18:52 | |
fear of what you have already done or did not do. | 18:56 | |
Fear of dying and, ironically, fear of living. | 19:02 | |
Try writing your fears on a sheet of paper, | 19:08 | |
the length of the list might be depressing. | 19:11 | |
In his book, A Genuinely Human Existence, | 19:14 | |
Stephen Neill writes, | 19:17 | |
among all the enemies of the human race, | 19:20 | |
perhaps the worst are fear, frustration and resentment | 19:23 | |
and the greatest of these is fear. | 19:29 | |
The greatest enemy of the human race is fear | 19:33 | |
and the greatest friend is fear. | 19:36 | |
One type of fear is beneficial, | 19:40 | |
the other type of fear is dangerous. | 19:44 | |
How much fear is too much fear? | 19:49 | |
When does fear, | 19:54 | |
which is a normal and integral component | 19:55 | |
of our lives, become excessive? | 19:57 | |
For centuries, psychologists, theologians and philosophers | 20:02 | |
have tried to find an acceptable answer. | 20:07 | |
The early Greeks were the first to name excessive fear, | 20:11 | |
they called it panic. | 20:14 | |
And panic has two distinct characteristics, | 20:17 | |
the first is that man is most vulnerable | 20:20 | |
when he feels isolated. | 20:23 | |
And secondly, panic is so overwhelming | 20:26 | |
that it can create a self-abandonment, | 20:30 | |
which is capable of making even the bravest run. | 20:34 | |
When fear becomes panic, | 20:39 | |
we lose our perspective. | 20:41 | |
This type of fear does not motivate, | 20:44 | |
but paralyzes us. | 20:46 | |
Panic is fear that is out of control. | 20:49 | |
It is illogical and futile. | 20:55 | |
Think of Perkins Library during exams. | 20:59 | |
For those of you who've never been to Duke's library, | 21:03 | |
I urge you to go during exams. | 21:05 | |
The trip is fascinating. | 21:08 | |
There is a desperateness that is unsettling. | 21:10 | |
You can feel it as you walk into the library. | 21:14 | |
People are uptight, stressed out | 21:18 | |
and slugging caffeine into their sleep-deprived systems. | 21:22 | |
Girls go without makeup and guys do not shave. | 21:26 | |
People have no thoughts but of getting through | 21:33 | |
and surviving exams. | 21:35 | |
Exam period does not just test our knowledge | 21:38 | |
of the material, | 21:40 | |
but also the ability to manage panic. | 21:42 | |
But it is not just exams, | 21:46 | |
that's an obvious example. | 21:48 | |
Fear is present everyday of life. | 21:50 | |
A quote from Time magazine, | 21:55 | |
fear shouts in the headlines, | 21:58 | |
laughs nervously at cocktail parties, | 22:02 | |
nags us from advertisements, | 22:06 | |
clatters from the Wall Street ticker | 22:11 | |
and whispers in private each day | 22:15 | |
before the shaving mirror and the dressing table. | 22:17 | |
We do not see people running uncontrollably each day, | 22:22 | |
in panic, but there is a certain level of ineffectual fear. | 22:25 | |
Fear that resides in doubt, | 22:30 | |
fear that distorts our perspective, | 22:34 | |
that we are all forced to confront. | 22:38 | |
Even the language that we use reveals the presence | 22:41 | |
of fear in our lives. | 22:43 | |
Have you ever considered the difference between the phrases, | 22:46 | |
I cannot and I will not? | 22:48 | |
The phrase, I cannot, | 22:52 | |
conjures paralysis, helplessness, | 22:53 | |
fear of trying. | 22:57 | |
I will not is more substantive. | 23:00 | |
It may be a negative response | 23:03 | |
but it is not passive or helpless. | 23:07 | |
How can we control the excessive fear | 23:12 | |
that is so prevalent throughout our lives? | 23:14 | |
We simply must ask for help. | 23:18 | |
We are so used to achieving on our own. | 23:23 | |
We want to be in charge | 23:26 | |
and we selfishly think we can control our own problems. | 23:28 | |
Wouldn't we like to have such power? | 23:33 | |
We convince ourselves that it is easier without God | 23:36 | |
than it is with God. | 23:41 | |
But we must turn to Christ to overcome our fear and panic | 23:44 | |
and we are repeatedly told this throughout the bible. | 23:49 | |
The words, fear not, | 23:54 | |
appear 99 times from the beginning of Genesis to Revelation. | 23:56 | |
99 direct references to | 24:03 | |
stop being afraid. | 24:06 | |
Even the lectionary text today relate to fear. | 24:11 | |
Genesis 17 is the story of Abraham's covenant with God. | 24:16 | |
Abraham believes God and accepts his law. | 24:21 | |
He's a good man who probably has visions | 24:26 | |
of the golden years, | 24:28 | |
watching the sunsets, living quietly, | 24:31 | |
enjoying his last years as peacefully as he can. | 24:36 | |
But Abraham is suddenly told by God | 24:42 | |
that he will be the ancestor of many nations | 24:44 | |
and that his aging wife, | 24:48 | |
Sarah, will bear his son, Issac. | 24:50 | |
Imagine having to start a new family, a new nation. | 24:56 | |
What a frightening truth to have to face | 25:03 | |
at the end of your life. | 25:05 | |
But Abraham placed his faith in God's will. | 25:08 | |
Paul wrote in the Book of Romans of Abraham, | 25:13 | |
he was then almost 100 years old | 25:17 | |
but his faith did not weaken when he thought of his body, | 25:22 | |
which was practically dead, | 25:25 | |
or the fact that his wife, Sarah, could not have children. | 25:27 | |
His faith did not leave him | 25:33 | |
and he did not doubt God's promise. | 25:36 | |
His faith filled him with power and he gave praise to God. | 25:40 | |
He was absolutely sure that God would be able to do | 25:46 | |
what he had promised. | 25:51 | |
That is why Abraham, through faith, | 25:55 | |
was accepted as righteous by God. | 25:59 | |
Abraham, through his faith, was accepted as righteous. | 26:02 | |
He placed his faith in the Lord when confronted | 26:09 | |
with an overwhelming event. | 26:12 | |
When I think about fear, | 26:16 | |
two events in the bible always touch me. | 26:18 | |
Easter and Christmas Eve. | 26:21 | |
Easter is so important | 26:25 | |
because Christ conquered both fear and death. | 26:26 | |
But Christmas Eve is special | 26:30 | |
because I remember Joseph, Mary's husband. | 26:32 | |
Joseph must've been having a terrible day. | 26:36 | |
He probably did not understand how his wife became pregnant, | 26:41 | |
he was worried about his wife | 26:45 | |
and he had nowhere to spend the night. | 26:47 | |
I imagine he was afraid and close to panic that day | 26:51 | |
but I am confident that both he and Mary prayed | 26:56 | |
and the savior of the world was born. | 27:00 | |
The same message about fear | 27:04 | |
is even found in the gospel passages this morning, Mark 8. | 27:07 | |
If anyone wants to come with me, | 27:12 | |
he told them, | 27:14 | |
he must forget himself, carry his cross and follow me. | 27:16 | |
For whoever wants to save his own life will lose it | 27:24 | |
but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel | 27:30 | |
will save it. | 27:35 | |
This is one of the most direct explanations of the gospel. | 27:38 | |
As Christians, we are not free from suffering. | 27:43 | |
We do not take a dose of religion | 27:48 | |
and become cured of our fear. | 27:51 | |
Faith is harder than that. | 27:54 | |
Instead we are told | 27:58 | |
that we must bear our crosses, our fears. | 27:59 | |
Belief in God and request for help | 28:05 | |
does not prevent fear but transforms it. | 28:08 | |
Our perspective changes. | 28:14 | |
Our fears and our management of fear become meaningful. | 28:17 | |
Christ took a horrible image, the cross, | 28:24 | |
a means of execution, | 28:28 | |
and transformed it into a symbol of our salvation. | 28:31 | |
I have not found an original answer to overcoming fear. | 28:36 | |
Like you, I have been touched by both the joys | 28:40 | |
and doubts of life and, like you, | 28:44 | |
I look to the bible and to the insights of other Christians. | 28:48 | |
Like you, I look to the bible | 28:54 | |
and to the insights of other Christians for answers. | 28:56 | |
We are all in this together. | 28:59 | |
Yet, each of us has distinctly personal struggles, | 29:03 | |
worries, anxieties and fear. | 29:07 | |
Our faith has an answer to fear. | 29:14 | |
A poem by Karle Wilson Baker, entitled Courage, | 29:17 | |
describes that answer. | 29:23 | |
Courage is armor a blind man wears, | 29:27 | |
the calloused scar of outlived despairs: | 29:32 | |
courage is fear that has said it's prayers. | 29:38 | |
Indeed, the answer to fear is to ask for help, | 29:44 | |
God's help, | 29:50 | |
with the knowledge that fear is a daily struggle. | 29:53 | |
Courage is fear that has said it's prayers. | 29:58 | |
Let us pray. | 30:04 | |
Oh Merciful Father, | 30:08 | |
help us to understand our fear. | 30:11 | |
May our viscous fear be transformed into virtuous fear, | 30:15 | |
even into courage, | 30:21 | |
through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 30:24 | |
Amen. | 30:27 | |
- | And now, let us pray for others, | 30:37 |
the sung prayer response is found at number 485. | 30:39 | |
The Lord be with you. | 30:52 | |
Congregation | And also with you. | 30:53 |
- | In peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 30:56 |
(organ music) | 31:01 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
With all our heart and with all our mind, oh God, | 31:09 | |
thinking not so much of our needs, | 31:14 | |
but rather the needs of others. | 31:17 | |
In peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 31:20 | |
(organ music) | 31:24 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
For the peace of the world, | 31:31 | |
distraught, this faithful day with cries of war, | 31:35 | |
for the welfare of the Church of God | 31:41 | |
and for the future unity of all peoples, | 31:45 | |
in peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 31:49 | |
(organ music) | 31:54 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
For our president, | 32:01 | |
for the leaders of all the nations, | 32:03 | |
for those whom they govern, | 32:06 | |
those whom we call friends and those whom we call enemies, | 32:09 | |
all of whom our Lord has called sisters and brothers, | 32:15 | |
in peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 32:22 | |
(organ music) | 32:27 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
For those who are poor and oppressed, | 32:35 | |
for the victims of war and violence, | 32:38 | |
for those unemployed and destitute, | 32:41 | |
for prisoners and captives, | 32:45 | |
particularly prisoners of war | 32:48 | |
and for all who remember and care for them, | 32:52 | |
in peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 32:54 | |
(organ music) | 32:58 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
For those this day who are in fear | 33:05 | |
due to their concerns over loved ones in the Persian Gulf, | 33:08 | |
fears over an uncertain world future, | 33:13 | |
fears about the course of their personal lives, | 33:17 | |
in peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 33:21 | |
(organ music) | 33:25 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
For the faithful who have gone before us | 33:33 | |
and are now at rest, | 33:35 | |
who join us at the Lord's table when we gather, | 33:38 | |
rejoicing in the fellowship of all saints, | 33:41 | |
we commend ourselves, | 33:45 | |
one another and our whole life to Christ our Lord, | 33:46 | |
in peace, let us pray to the Lord. | 33:50 | |
(organ music) | 33:54 | |
♪ Lord have mercy ♪ | ||
Gracious God, you have called us, | 34:00 | |
boldly, to be the Church of Jesus Christ. | 34:03 | |
Keep us one in faith and in service, | 34:07 | |
breaking bread together, | 34:11 | |
telling good news to the world, | 34:13 | |
that all may believe you are love, | 34:16 | |
turn to your ways and live to give you glory | 34:19 | |
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. | 34:24 | |
Christ our Lord invites to his table all who live | 34:31 | |
and serve him in peace, | 34:35 | |
therefore, let us stand and offer one another signs | 34:37 | |
of reconciliation and love. | 34:40 | |
(shuffling and chattering) | 34:43 | |
And now, as a forgiven and reconciled people, | 34:56 | |
let us offer ourselves and our gifts | 34:58 | |
to the God who has given so much to us. Be seated. | 35:01 | |
("Blessed is the Man" by Sergei Rachmaninoff) | 35:09 | |
♪ Blessed is the man that hath not walked ♪ | 35:32 | |
♪ In the counsel of the ungodly ♪ | 35:39 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 35:50 | |
♪ For the Lord knoweth the way ♪ | 36:07 | |
♪ Of the righteous ♪ | 36:12 | |
♪ But the way of the ungodly shall perish ♪ | 36:16 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 36:28 | |
♪ Serve our Lord in fear ♪ | 36:45 | |
♪ And rejoice unto him with reverence ♪ | 36:54 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 37:09 | |
♪ Blessed they are all, ♪ | 37:26 | |
♪ They that put their trust in him ♪ | 37:32 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 37:46 | |
♪ Arise, oh Lord and save me, ♪ | 38:03 | |
♪ Oh, my God ♪ | 38:14 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 38:20 | |
♪ Salvation belongeth unto the Lord ♪ | 38:37 | |
♪ And thy blessing is upon thy people ♪ | 38:47 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 39:03 | |
♪ Glory be to the Father, ♪ | 39:16 | |
♪ Son and holy spirit ♪ | 39:22 | |
♪ Both now and ever ♪ | 39:27 | |
♪ Unto ages of ages, amen ♪ | 39:31 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 39:40 | |
♪ Glory be to thee, oh God ♪ | 39:53 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 40:02 | |
♪ Glory be to thee, oh God ♪ | 40:16 | |
♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia ♪ | 40:27 | |
♪ Glory be to thee, oh God ♪ | 40:42 | |
("Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow" by Thomas Ken) | 41:05 | |
♪ Praise God, from whom all blessings flow ♪ | 41:55 | |
♪ Praise him, all creatures here below ♪ | 42:03 | |
♪ Praise him above, ye heavenly host ♪ | 42:11 | |
♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. ♪ | 42:19 | |
- | Let us join in praying the prayer of thanksgiving, | 42:33 |
found in page 20 of the hymnal. | 42:36 | |
The lord be with you. | 42:43 | |
Congregation | And also with you. | 42:45 |
- | Lift up your hearts. | 42:46 |
Congregation | We lift them up to the Lord. | 42:47 |
- | Let us give thanks to the Lord, our God. | 42:48 |
Congregation | It is right to give our thanks and praise. | 42:51 |
- | It is right and good and joyful thing always | 42:54 |
and everywhere to give you thanks and praise, | 42:57 | |
creator of heaven and earth, | 42:59 | |
you brought all things into being and called them good. | 43:01 | |
When we turned away and our love failed, | 43:05 | |
your love remained steadfast. | 43:10 | |
You delivered us from slavery, | 43:13 | |
made us your covenant people, | 43:15 | |
you led Moses to your mountain, | 43:17 | |
40 days and 40 nights and gave us your teachings. | 43:19 | |
You led us through the wilderness for 40 years | 43:23 | |
and brought us to the promise land. | 43:26 | |
When we forsook your covenant, | 43:30 | |
you sent to us your prophets. | 43:31 | |
And when you gave your only son, Jesus Christ, | 43:33 | |
to save us from our sin, | 43:36 | |
your spirit led him into the wilderness | 43:37 | |
where he fasted 40 days and 40 nights | 43:39 | |
in preparation for his ministry. | 43:42 | |
When he suffered and died on a cross for our sin, | 43:46 | |
you raised him to life and presented him, alive, | 43:49 | |
to the apostles during the 40 days, | 43:52 | |
exalted him at your right hand, | 43:55 | |
that we might be raised as the people of your new covenant, | 43:57 | |
from sin and death to everlasting life. | 44:01 | |
And now, when we join your people everywhere, | 44:05 | |
in this yearly feast of your son's death and resurrection, | 44:09 | |
you lead us to repentance for our sin | 44:13 | |
and the cleansing of our hearts | 44:16 | |
during these 40 days of Lent, | 44:17 | |
that we may become prepared to renew our covenant with you. | 44:20 | |
And so, with your people on earth | 44:25 | |
and all the company of heaven, | 44:28 | |
we praise your name and join in their unending hymn. | 44:30 | |
("Nicaea" by John Bacchus Dykes) | 44:34 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy, Lord ♪ | 44:48 | |
♪ God of power and might, ♪ | 44:54 | |
♪ Holy, holy, holy, Lord ♪ | 45:01 | |
♪ God of power and might, ♪ | 45:08 | |
♪ Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. ♪ | 45:15 | |
♪ Hosanna in the highest, ♪ | 45:28 | |
♪ Hosanna in the highest. ♪ | 45:36 | |
♪ Blessed is he who comes ♪ | 45:44 | |
♪ In the name of the Lord, ♪ | 45:51 | |
♪ Hosanna in the highest, ♪ | 45:57 | |
♪ Hosanna in the highest. ♪ | 46:04 | |
- | On the night that his disciples betrayed and deserted him, | 46:15 |
he took bread, gave thanks to you, | 46:19 | |
broke the bread, gave it to his disciples and said, | 46:22 | |
"Take, eat, this is my body given for you. | 46:24 | |
"Do this in remembrance of me." | 46:29 | |
When the supper was over, | 46:33 | |
he took the cup, gave thanks to you, | 46:34 | |
gave it to his disciples and said, | 46:36 | |
"Drink from this, all of you, | 46:38 | |
"for this is my blood of the new covenant, | 46:40 | |
"poured out for you and many for the forgiveness of sins. | 46:44 | |
"Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me." | 46:47 | |
And so, in remembrance of these, | 46:53 | |
your mighty acts in Jesus Christ, | 46:55 | |
we offer ourselves in praise and thanksgiving | 46:58 | |
as a holy and living sacrifice in union | 47:01 | |
with Christ offering for us | 47:04 | |
as we proclaim the mystery of faith. | 47:06 | |
(Land of Rest by Richard Proulx) | 47:10 | |
♪ Christ has died ♪ | 47:23 | |
♪ Christ is risen ♪ | 47:26 | |
♪ Christ will come again ♪ | 47:29 | |
- | Send the power of your Holy Spirit on us | 47:38 |
and on these gifts, | 47:40 | |
that in the breaking of this bread | 47:41 | |
and the drinking of this wine, | 47:43 | |
we may know the presence of the living Christ, | 47:45 | |
be one body in him, | 47:48 | |
cleansed by his blood, | 47:49 | |
faithfully to serve him and all the world. | 47:52 | |
Through him and the unity of the Holy Spirit, | 47:55 | |
all honor and glory is yours, Almighty God, | 47:57 | |
now and forever. | 48:00 | |
(organ music) | 48:02 | |
♪ Amen, Amen ♪ | 48:14 | |
♪ Amen, Amen ♪ | 48:19 | |
All | Our Father who art in heaven, | 48:31 |
hallowed be thy name. | 48:33 | |
Thy kingdom come. | 48:35 | |
Thy will be done, | 48:37 | |
on earth as it is in heaven. | 48:38 | |
Give us this day our daily bread | 48:40 | |
and forgive us our trespasses, | 48:43 | |
as we forgive those who trespass against us | 48:45 | |
and lead us not into temptation, | 48:49 | |
but deliver us from evil. | 48:51 | |
For thine is the kingdom, | 48:53 | |
the power and the glory forever. Amen. | 48:55 | |
- | Because there is one bread, | 48:59 |
we many though we are, | 49:01 | |
become one in Christ. | 49:02 | |
When we drink the cup, | 49:07 | |
is it not a means of participation in the blood of Christ? | 49:08 | |
As we come to the Lord's table, | 49:13 | |
you're invited to join the choir in singing the first hymn, | 49:15 | |
A Prayer for Peace, | 49:20 | |
and the last hymn listed during the communion | 49:22 | |
is a hymn from the Taize community. | 49:25 | |
Come to the Lord's table. | 49:29 | |
(organ music) | 49:32 | |
♪ Glory God in the highest ♪ | 54:33 | |
♪ Oh, praise the Lord ♪ | 54:38 | |
♪ Laud the name of the Lord ♪ | 54:41 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 54:47 | |
♪ Oh, praise his holy servants of the Lord ♪ | 54:54 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 55:03 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 55:12 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 55:17 | |
♪ Blessed be the Lord out of Zion ♪ | 55:25 | |
♪ Who dwelleth at Jerusalem ♪ | 55:33 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 55:42 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 55:53 | |
♪ Oh, give thanks unto the Lord ♪ | 55:57 | |
♪ For he is gracious ♪ | 56:00 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:08 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:10 | |
♪ God, his blessings forever ♪ | 56:13 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:20 | |
♪ Oh, give thanks unto the town of Bethlehem ♪ | 56:29 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:40 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:43 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:46 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 56:53 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 57:07 | |
♪ Hallelujah ♪ | 57:15 | |
("Jesus, Remember Me" by Jacques Berthier) | 57:43 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 58:11 | |
♪ When you come into your kingdom ♪ | 58:17 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 58:24 | |
♪ When you come in to your kingdom ♪ | 58:30 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 58:37 | |
♪ When you come into your kingdom ♪ | 58:44 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 58:49 | |
♪ When you come in to your kingdom ♪ | 58:56 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 59:02 | |
♪ When you come into your kingdom ♪ | 59:09 | |
♪ Jesus, remember me ♪ | 59:15 | |
♪ When you come in to your kingdom ♪ | 59:22 | |
♪ Jesus ♪ | 59:29 | |
- | Please stand. | 59:46 |
(shuffling) | 59:48 | |
Now, may the grace of our Lord and savior, | 59:52 | |
Jesus Christ, the love of God | 59:54 | |
and that peace which bears us all understanding | 59:56 | |
be in your hearts and minds always. | 59:59 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:00:07 | |
("The God of Abraham Praise" by Thomas Olivers) | 1:00:27 | |
♪ The God of Abraham praise, ♪ | 1:01:06 | |
♪ Who reigns enthroned above ♪ | 1:01:11 | |
♪ Ancient of everlasting days, ♪ | 1:01:15 | |
♪ And God of love, ♪ | 1:01:20 | |
♪ Jehovah, great I am, ♪ | 1:01:25 | |
♪ By earth and heaven confessed, ♪ | 1:01:30 | |
♪ I bow and bless the sacred name forever blessed. ♪ | 1:01:35 | |
♪ The great I am has sworn ♪ | 1:01:46 | |
♪ I, on this oath, depend ♪ | 1:01:51 | |
♪ I shall, on eagle wings upborne, ♪ | 1:01:56 | |
♪ To heaven ascend. ♪ | 1:02:00 | |
♪ I shall behold God's face, ♪ | 1:02:05 | |
♪ I shall God's power adore, ♪ | 1:02:10 | |
♪ And sing the wonders of God's grace forevermore. ♪ | 1:02:15 | |
♪ The heavenly land I see, ♪ | 1:02:26 | |
♪ With peace and plenty blessed, ♪ | 1:02:31 | |
♪ A land of sacred liberty, ♪ | 1:02:35 | |
♪ And endless rest. ♪ | 1:02:40 | |
♪ There milk and honey flow, ♪ | 1:02:45 | |
♪ And oil and wine abound, ♪ | 1:02:50 | |
♪ And trees of life forever grow with mercy crowned. ♪ | 1:02:55 | |
♪ The God who reigns on high ♪ | 1:03:06 | |
♪ The great archangels sing, ♪ | 1:03:10 | |
♪ And Holy, holy, holy cry ♪ | 1:03:15 | |
♪ Almighty King ♪ | 1:03:20 | |
♪ Who was and is the same, ♪ | 1:03:24 | |
♪ And evermore shall be ♪ | 1:03:29 | |
♪ Jehovah, Lord, the great I am, ♪ | 1:03:33 | |
♪ We worship thee. ♪ | 1:03:38 | |
(organ music) | 1:03:49 |