Author: BrJames

04Jul

Celebration in Word and Music for the 6th Sunday after Pentecost 2021

6th Sunday After Pentecost 2021
  1. Prelude: “America the beautiful”, by the U.S. Army Band, in the public domain at Archive.org.
  2. Opening Acclamation: Psalm 51.
  3. First Lesson: Ezekiel 2:1-5.
  4. Hymn: Amazing Grace, for Trombone Choir. Public domain at Archive.org.
  5. Psalm 123, King James Version.
  6. Gloria Patri, instrumental (piano), uploaded to YouTube by Christina Iqupen, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, World English Bible.
  8. Hymn: “Take, O Take Me As I AM”, sung by Immanuel Congregational Church, 2013. In the public domain at Archive.org.
  9. Gospel: Mark 6:1-13, World English Bible.
  10. The Lord’s Prayer: Earl Killian. Used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  11. Blessing: 2 Corinthians 13.
  12. Choral amen. Public domain at Archive.org.
  13. Postlude: “America the beautiful”, performed on guitar, uploaded to Archive.org by Rick Zerndt; In the public domain.  

Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond the the Revised Common Lectionary.

27Jun

Celebration of the Word for the 5th Sunday after Pentecost 2021

5th Sunday after Pentecost 2021
  1. Opening Acclamation: Psalm 51.
  2. Organ Prelude: Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911), Prelude from Third Sonata for Organ. Performed at Immanuel Congregational Church, Harford in Nov 2012, in the Public domain at Archive.org.
  3. First Reading: Lamentations 3:22-33, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm: Heinrich Schütz (1615–1672) “Ihr Heiligen, lobsinget dem Herren” SWV 288. Singers: Paulina Bielarczyk and Sylwia Ziółkowska; Organ: Wacław Golonka, used in Accordance with Creative Commons License. Translation (Psalm 30:4-6): “You holy ones, sing praise to the Lord, be grateful and praise his glory, Because his anger lasts but a moment, and he has joy in life. During the night the weeping endures, but in the morning comes joy.”
  5. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 8: 7-15, World English Bible.
  6. Organ sequence: Starling Goodwin – Interlude 2, on the organ of the church of St Mary, Bermondsey, uploaded to YouTube by chordis & organo, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: Mark 5:21-43, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6.
  9. Blessing: 2 Corinthians 13.
  10. Amen: JS Bach (1685-1750), “Amen” BWV 1083 by Ensemble Imero. Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain.

20Jun

From Today’s Scripture Readings: Jesus Calms the Storm

Painting of Storm on Sea of Galilee

“Storm on the Sea of Galilee”, 1633, Rembrandt van Rijn

From the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 4:

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

(Holy Bible, New International Version).

20Jun

Celebration of the Word for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost 2021

Pentecost Season, 4th Sunday 2021
  1. Opening Acclamation: from Psalm 118
  2. Prelude: “Eternal Father Strong To Save” (Instrumental), by U.S. Navy Band; Public Domain.
  3. First Reading: Job 38: 1-11, King James Bible.
  4. Hymn: “Eternal Father Strong To Save” (Navy Hymn), sung by U.S. Navy Band; Public Domain.
  5. Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32, King James Version.
  6. Gloria Patri: From a live service at the First Presbyterian Church of Wolcott. Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 6: 1-13, World English Bible.
  8. Hymn: “Be Still My Soul” from the Joy of Music with Diane Bish, Program 9803-“Hymns and Sacred Songs”, used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  9. Gospel: Mark 14:35-41 World English Bible.
  10. Lord’s Prayer by Malotte: Sung by Kathleen Battle with harp by Nancy Allen, live for the visit of Pope Benedict to the U.S. 2009, uploated to youtube by “kinddude”, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  11. Praise to God: from 1 Timothy 1:17.
  12. Postlude: Sweelink “Mein junges leben hat ein end” performed by Jarle Fagerheim at Skien parish church in 2011. Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary.  The two versions of the Navy Hymn can be found at The Internet Archive.

13Jun

Celebration for the Third Sunday after Pentecost 2021

  1. Opening Acclamation from Ephesians 1.
  2. Organ Prelude: Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748) “Lobe Den Herren”, Ian Dollins playing the 1997 Klais Organ in Haileybury College Chapel, Hertfordshire, UK. Public domain at MusOpen.org.
  3. First Reading: Ezekiel 17:22-24, World English Bible.
  4. Hymn: “For the Beauty of the Earth”, Public Domain.
  5. Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15, King James Version.
  6. Gloria Patri, from a service of compline, Trinity Church 2016, available at Wikimedia Commons, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  7. Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-17, World English Bible.
  8. Anthem: Koinoikion “Praise the Lord”, 2012 from OrthodoxMusicOnline, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  9. Gospel: Mark 4:26-34, World English Bible.
  10. The Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6.
  11. Benediction from Romans.
  12. Organ Postlude: Buxtehude (1637-1707) “Ciaconna e-moll”, BuxWV 160, From “ririkuku”; Available at Wikimedia Commons, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain.

06Jun

Celebration of the Word for the Sunday after Corpus Christi, 2021

Sunday After Corpus Christi 2021
  1. Opening Acclamation from John 6: “I am the bread of life.”
  2. Prelude: “At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing”, for organ, by unknown performer. Public domain.
  3. First Reading: Genesis 3:8-15, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 130: Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) “Out of the Deep” performed by the Tudor Consort (Creative Commons license), available at Wikimedia Commons.  Text: “Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord. Lord, Hear my voice. O, Let Thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If Thou Lord, will be extreme to mark what is done amiss: O Lord, who may abide it. For there is mercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be feared. I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for him; in his word is my trust. My soul fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch; I say, before the morning watch. O Israel, trust in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins.“
  5. Second Reading: Second Corinthians 4:13-5:1, World English Bible.
  6. Motet: “Pange Lingua (de Vézelay) – fr Jean-Baptiste de la Sainte Famille”, performed by unknown performers, used in accordance with Creative Commons license. The text is a medieval hymn for the feast of Corpus Christi written by St. Thomas Aquinas. First stanza in English: “Sing, my tongue, the Saviour’s glory, Of His Flesh, the mystery sing; Of the Blood, all price exceeding, Shed by our Immortal King, Destined, for the world’s redemption, From a noble Womb to spring…” (This is a long text; for the full Latin version and two translations into English, check out this page from Wikipedia).
  7. Gospel: Mark 3:20-35, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: Chanted by unknown congregation, uploaded to YouTube by “LabourerFaith”, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  9. Blessing: The Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6 (King James Version).
  10. Organ Postlude: Juan Bautista Cabanilles (1644-1712), “Pange Lingua 5º tono punto” performed by organist Riyehee Hong at Santa Iglesia Cathedral, Murcia, Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain.

04Jun

Divine Communication

I recall seeing a photo of a priest giving communion to a boy, with the caption announcing “Father M. communicates members of the choir.”  This is one of those anachronisms, along with “bewailing our manifold sins and wickedness” and “we are very members incorporate in the mystical body” that endeared me to old style Anglicanism.  

I find it most interesting that an archaic use of the word “communicate” is to participate in communion.  The Latin root “communicare” means to “make common”, something that can be applied both to disseminating information and to disseminating the sacramental bread and wine.

In communion God does indeed speak to us. When we communicate, or eat the body and blood of Christ, God speaks into our hearts.  He tells us of His great love—of His “goodness and favor towards us” (another great phrase from the old prayer book).  

Communion is like an appointment.  Whenever people of faith gather in Jesus’ name, he comes to us and is in our midst.  Jail cell visits are an image that comes to mind.  We leave the prison yard of this world, go to the booth (a church or fellowship group), and God sits down at the other side of the barrier.  The bread and wine are like an intercom.  

Someday we will be sprung from prison into a life of true freedom—freedom from death, fear, sorrow, and all other mortal travails.  For now, though, we are happy to receive the message from the other side.  

God indeed communicates with us, and what a message it is!  As St. John gasps in his first epistle, “Behold what manner of love is this! That we’ve been allowed to be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1, my own slight paraphrase)

30May

Celebration of the Word for Trinity Sunday 2021

May this brief service of word and music, dedicated to the glory of God, be a blessing to you this day.

Trinity Sunday 2021
  1. Opening Acclamation and Prelude: “Holy Holy Holy” by Diane Bish, organist, used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  2. Lesson 1: Isaiah 6:1-8, King James Bible.
  3. Psalm 29, King James Bible.
  4. Gloria Patri: From “Adoremus in aeternum and psalm” uploaded to YouTube by “UKOrdinariate”, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  5. Lesson 2: Romans 8:12-17, World English Bible.
  6. Hymn: “All Creatures of Our God and King”, Verse 1. Sung by Notre Dame Liturgical Choir, 2017, uploaded to YouTube by “ad te levavi”, used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  7. Gospel: John 3:1-17, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: From Matthew 6, King James Version.
  9. Closing blessing
  10. Amen: From the Magnificat by Orlando Gibbons, excerpted from a live service sung by the Choir of St. Thomas Fifth Avenue in May 2011. (Fair use).
  11. Brass postlude: Canzona ‘La Foresta”
23May

A Celebration of Word and Music for Pentecost 2021

Pentecost 2021
  1. Opening acclamation, Psalm 51:15.
  2. Hymn: “O Spirit of the Living God”, sung at Immanuel Congregational Church in 2013, in the public domain at Archive.org.
  3. Lesson 1: Acts 2:1-21 World English Bible.
  4. Music: Thomas Tallis (1505-1585): “Loquebantur, Varii Linguis.”  Performed by the Tudor Consort, available in Public Domain.  Translation: “The Apostles spoke in many languages of the great works of God, as the Holy Spirit gave them the gift of speech, alleluia. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak.”
  5. Psalm 104:24-34, 35b.
  6. Lesson 2: Romans 8:22-27, World English Bible.
  7. Hymn: “Spirit of the Living God”, sung by the congregation of Faith United Methodist Church in South Burlington, Vermont on Pentecost Sunday 2014, used in accordance with Creative Commons License
  8. Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15, World English Bible.
  9. The Lord’s Prayer, and Benediction: From the Book of Common Prayer, 1662.
  10. Organ postlude: “Veni Creator Spiritus” by Rien van Binnendijk at Esztergom, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
16May

A Celebration of Word and Music for the Seventh Sunday of Easter 2021

7th Sunday of Easter 2021
  1. Prelude: Girolamo Frescobaldi, Canzon quarta, F 8.05c (for Trumpet and Organ), Performed by Michel Rondeau – Aline Letendre, available at MusOpen, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  2. Opening acclamation: Ephesians 1.
  3. Lesson 1: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 from the World English Bible.
  4. Psalm: Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943): “Blazhen Muzh” from Vespers, Op 37; Performed by the University of Warsaw Choir, and used in accordance with the Creative Commons license. Translation in English: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Alleluia. The Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked will perish. Alleluia. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling. Alleluia. Blessed is he who puts his trust in Him. Alleluia. Arise, Lord, save me, my God. Alleluia. The Lord is the savior of the people of His blessing. Alleluia. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever more. Amen. Alleluia. Glory to You, God.“
  5. Lesson 2: 1 John 5:9-13, World English Bible.
  6. Hymn: “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” Uploaded to YouTube by
    Christina Igupen, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: John 17:1-11, World English Bible.
  8. Response: “Lord Have Mercy”, from “Wednesday Vespers – Sanctified 2018 Tacoma”, uploaded to YouTube by Pacific Lutheran University, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  9. The Lord’s Prayer: From Luke.
  10. Benediction from Romans 16:24.
  11. Organ postlude: Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (1770-1846): “Präludium G-Dur”, Performed on the Oberlinger-Orgel der Martin-Luther-Kirche Oberlar by Jens Engel, Used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.

The Bible passages were recorded by LibriVox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.