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The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2019

If you were editing a hymnal, which hymn would you choose as number one? It's an interesting question, and one that every denomination addresses differently. Looking at a church's hymnal can tell you a great deal about its approach to the Christian faith.

In the Episcopal Church, the first section in our hymnal is entitled "Morning." These eleven hymns speak of beginning each new day in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving. They are filled with imagery of light, life, and the beauty of creation.

But why are they first? Because, in the Episcopal Church, our hymnal is always correlated with The Book of Common Prayer. And the first liturgy in the BCP (as we commonly abbreviate the title) is Daily Morning Prayer.

So, since the BCP begins with "Morning," so does our hymnal. As Christians, we are called to begin each day in prayer and song. Our entrance hymn, "Not here for high and holy things," is found in the "Morning" section of The Hymnal 1982 at number 9. Hear a partial recording: Morning Song

The Hymnal 1982 Companion tells us that "Not here for high and holy things" was likely inspired by British harvest festivals, which featured lavish decorations of fruits, vegetables, grains, and flowers. A related tradition, dating from the Middle Ages, was to bake communion bread from the newly harvested wheat. The poet utilizes vibrant imagery such as the "purple pageantry" of dawn, "diamond dew," and "the splendor of the sea" to describe the beauty of creation. The hymn calls us to join all creatures in praising God, our Creator.

Our hymnal is more than a songbook. It serves as an invaluable resource for study and prayer. Looking for a way to get started? Begin your morning by reading or singing one of the "Morning" hymns (numbers 1-11) each day over the next two weeks. See if this practice allows you to sharpen your senses and approach each day with a greater awareness of the grace that surrounds us. And, as today's hymn implores, "So let the love of Jesus come and set thy soul ablaze."


Music for The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2019

Hymns                     
9   Not here for high and holy things (Morning Song)
603   When Christ was lifted from the earth (St. Botolph)
God of hope and joy and wonder (stanza 5) (Westminster Abbey)
676  There is a balm in Gilead (Balm in Gilead )
347   Go forth for God; go to the world in peace (Litton) 

Service Music
Gloria in excelsis S-277     New Plainsong, David Hurd
Psalm 1     St. Martin’s Psalter, Thomas Pavlechko
Sanctus S-124     New Plainsong
Amen S-146     McNeil Robinson II        
Fraction Anthem S-154     New Plainsong

Anthems               
Teach Me, O Lord   -Thomas Attwood
Lead Me, Lord   -Samuel Sebastian Wesley
             
Organ voluntaries
Prelude on Morning Song   -Wilbur Held        
Trumpet Tune in C Major   -David N. Johnson

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