Music Notes from Denise, August 2, 2025

The readings for this Sunday continue to challenge us as we travel along our Christian journey. Our Colossians 3 reading begins with: If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

The Processional hymn will be God of grace and God of glory, written by Harry E. Fosdick (1878-1968), who was a well-known and controversial preacher in the early 20th century. After Fosdick left his position at one church, John D. Rockefeller asked him to become pastor of Park Avenue Baptist Church in New York City, but Fosdick thought the church was too wealthy, and agreed only on condition that a new church would be built in a less fashionable place. The site selected for Riverside Church was on the banks of the Hudson, not far from Harlem. Fosdick wrote this hymn at his summer home in Maine in 1930 for the opening service of Riverside Church that fall. It was sung as the processional hymn for that service on October 5 and again at the dedication service on February 8, 1931. This hymn is a prayer, in which we ask for God's wisdom and courage to face the problems of our day. We beg for God's power, confess our fear and pride, and affirm a desire to seek social justice. (Tiffany Shomsky, Hymnary.org)

For our Sequence hymn we will sing the popular hymn, Seek Ye First by Karen Lafferty. Karen has become what she likes to call herself, a Musicianary. “I’m grateful for my Christian parents and the Baptist church where I took my first steps with Christ. I’m also grateful for relationship with a Christian friend who in 1970 helped me understand the glorious truth of walking daily with Jesus. I was working as a nightclub entertainer at the time and began to witness to people in the bars. As I grew in the Word and became active in my church, Calvary Chapel, in Costa Mesa, California, I felt a call from God on my life to ministry… God has called me to be a ‘Musicianary’; to seek those places where others aren’t going and to disciple the national musicians, who can then reach their own nations. I believe there are other Christian musicians with that calling too. MFMI’s goal is to work with the local church to facilitate these musicians into ministry, especially missions.” (musiciansformissions.com)

This week we are again happy to welcome the Senior ensemble from Parkway Central High School, who sang here this past May. The Seniors have graduated now and will soon be Freshmen once more, attending several area universities in a few weeks! Their Offertory will be Amazing Grace arranged by Rollo Dilworth in 2018. The classic hymn was written in the weeks preceding John Newton’s 1773 New Year’s Day sermon at St. Peter and St. Paul Church, Olney, England. His sermon was based on David’s humble prayer in 1 Chronicles 17:16-27. Newton continued in ministry and writing into his eighties and became a strong supporter of William Wilberforce and his campaign to end slavery. Near the end of his life, he was known to have said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior.”  (Mark Edwards, Celebrating Grace Music published in 2022) Dilworth writes about the end of this arrangement: “Prior to a modulation into the last verse, the interpolated words “Hallelujah! Bound for Glory, bound for Glory Land” appear. These words are meant to represent the voices of African slaves, whose pentatonic-based musical traditions may have influenced the melody of this well-known song.” (Copyright 2018 by Hal Leonard LLC, all rights reserved) During communion, the ensemble will also sing Moses Hogan’s arrangement of another classic spiritual, He’s got the whole world in his hands.

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Diocesan Children & Youth Ministry: This Young Church Project

Once, during the Eucharist, when the words were said—"Whoever eats this bread will live forever"—a child's voice from the pew exhaled an audible, “Whoaaaa.” At that moment, the little one led me in worship and drew back the curtain. I was seeking mystery, the wonder behind the actions—and there he was, offering me his “Whoaaaa” in a way that did just that.

We need one another in order to enter into wholehearted worship. And not just the other adults who can read, walk, make announcements, sing, and (for the most part!) stay quiet during the quiet parts. No, we need the whole community, in all their glorious ages and stages of development, to be there showing us how to listen to the Spirit.

Someone recently exclaimed, “Church doesn’t happen until everyone gets there!” That’s good news for us and for our young people. Too often, young people feel as if the church could go right on without them, and that their presence doesn’t make a significant difference in the worship experience.

But imagine if young people or any of us, for that matter!—knew that if we weren't there with the community worshiping God, singing, praying, confessing, giving thanks, eating bread, and drinking wine, then church would not quite be church. This idea changes everything.

This exciting concept is known as intergenerational worship. What we practice inside our naves, sanctuaries, and fellowship halls is practice for how we serve and love one another every day between Sundays. Practicing connection, service, listening, and making space for young folks inside church is a revolution that our world, outside church walls, is starving for.

Beginning in September, I will be leading This Young Church Project, which will bring together four to five churches across our diocese for an in-depth, serious, and joyful exploration of how to experiment with intergenerational worship in the parish context.

Our formation will be guided by the Roots and Wings initiative, funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc., which is supporting a deep theological and academic study of intergenerational worship. Our fellowship will encourage each of us to take both small and bold steps to expand our vision of the kingdom of God, the one where all are welcome, where treasures are hidden with little children, and where we model our discipleship after Jesus’ example: “Let the little children come to me.”

We are asking a vital and vulnerable question: What does a church look like where everyone has a role and knows how to participate, not just our able-bodied and confident adults?

Many of us are concerned about the church’s future and its relevance. Please pray for This Young Church Project, as participating parishes engage this question faithfully over the coming year. What is relevance, and what is the future, if not deep care for, love of, and integration with our youngest generation? 

For some parishes, this means engaging a large number of children and youth. For others, it may be one or two young people. And for other parishes still, it means being ready for the young family or student who occasionally walks through the doors.

All of it is important. All of it is rain thrown on freshly sown seeds.

As much as our young people need us to share the Good News with them, how much do we also need them to show us the Gospel?

How much are we needing to hear that “Whoooaaa” in response to our mysterious liturgical claims? May you hear it this week as you join with others to meet with Jesus, and may you be inspired to bring your whole self to the community who is waiting for you and loves you.

- Rev. Erin Pickersgill