Worship, October 3

Order of Worship, 10/3

gathering music

welcome

song     NCH 28, “For the Beauty of the Earth”

readings

     Genesis 2:18-24

     Psalm 8

     Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

     Mark 10:2-16

meditation

song     NCH 568, “God Marked a Line and Told the Sea”

communion

community notes

song     NCH 32, “God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale”

benediction

sending music

lyrics:

NCH 28: “For the Beauty of the Earth,” Text: (st.1-3) Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1864, altered, (st. 4) Miriam Therese Winter, 1993; Tune: “Dix,” Conrad Kocher, 1838, Adapt.William H. Monk, 1861.

v. 1: For the beauty of the earth, for the splendor of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, Refrain: God of all, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

v. 2: For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale, and tree and flower, sun and moon, and stars of light, Refrain: God of all, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

v. 3: For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth, and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild, Refrain: God of all, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

v. 4: For the good that love inspires, for a world where none exclude, for a faith that never tires, and for every heart renewed, Refrain: God of all, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise.

NCH 568: “God Marked a Line and Told the Sea,” Text: Thomas H. Troeger, 1986; Tune: “Kedron,” Attrib. to Elkanah Kelsay Dare, in Amos Pilsbury’s United States Harmony, 1799.

v. 1: God marked a line and told the sea its surging tides and waves were free to travel up the sloping strand but not to overtake the land.

v. 2: God set one limit in the glade where tempting, fruited branches swayed, and that first limit stands behind the limits that the law defined.

v. 3: The line, the limit, and the law are patterns meant to help us draw a bound between what life requires and all the things our heart desires.

v. 4: But discontent with finite powers, we reach to take what is not ours and then defend our claim by force and swerve from life’s intended course.

v. 5: We are not free when we’re confined to every wish that sweeps the mind. But free when freely we accept the sacred bounds that must be kept.

NCH 32: “God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale,” Text: Jaroslav J. Vadja, 1983: Tune: “Roeder,” Carl F. Schalk, 1983.

v. 1: God of the sparrow, God of the whale, God of the swirling stars: How does the creature say Awe, how does the creature say Praise…?

v. 2: God of the earthquake, God of the storm, God of the trumpet blast: How does the creature cry Woe, how does the creature cry Save…?

v. 3: God of the rainbow, God of the cross, God of the empty grave: How does the creature say Grace, how does the creature say Thanks…?

v. 4: God of the hungry, God of the sick, God of the prodigal: How does the creature say Care, how does the creature say Life…?

v. 5: God of the neighbor, God of the foe, God of the pruning hook: How does the creature say Love, how does the creature say Peace…?

v. 6: God of the ages, God near at hand, God of the loving heart: How do your children say Joy, how do your children say Home.