Music Notes from Denise, July 26, 2025

Our Gospel reading in Luke this Sunday tells about Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray, and after teaching the “Lord’s Prayer” he reminds them to “…Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.”

Our Processional hymn will be How firm a foundation. It is a hymn that for over two centuries has assured believers of the faithfulness of Christ and the certainty of hope. The first verse acts almost as an introduction to the rest of the text, giving us cause to stop and ponder the Word of assurance that God has given us, described in greater detail in the next four verses. In the words of this hymn then, we carry with us the Word from God, and the call to trust in that Word. But God’s Word is expansive and not limited to letters on a page - the fifth verse moves us to a trust in the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. We are assured by the words we sing, the Word we are given, and the Word made flesh, of the steadfastness of God’s unfailing love. It is sung to the Southern Harmony, Sacred Harp tune Foundation. (Hymnary.org)

The Sequence hymn, Forgive our sins as we forgive, describes Jesus’ teaching about the Lord’s Prayer. Rosamond E. Herklots (1905-1987) wrote these words in 1966 after digging out weeds in her garden in England, and thinking how bitterness, hatred, and resentment are like poisonous weeds growing in the Christian garden of life. "Forgive Our Sins" is a hymn about being ready to forgive others again and again-as Jesus said, seventy-times-seven times! We have many hymns about God's forgiveness of our sins, but this one adds a most helpful guide in forgiving others' sins. (Psalter Hymnal Handbook, 1988) This hymn uses another American tune from Kentucky Harmony called Detroit and was written by William Bradshaw in 1820.

We will have a guest baritone soloist this Sunday and one of my good friends: Ben Silvermintz. Ben is the Vocal Music Director at Parkway Central High School and has been my co-worker directing our five Choirs for the past 17 years. He recently became the Performing Arts Department Chairperson for Central also. He directs the High Holiday choir at Congregation Shaare Emeth each fall for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We are so fortunate to have him sharing his voice on two anthems: The Lord’s Prayer, a classic solo by Albert Malotte, and Down to the River to Pray arranged by Jay Althouse, incorporating Down to the River and Jesus walked this Lonesome Valley. (Copyright 2006 Alfred Publishing Co)

Our final hymn, When You Are Praying, was written by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, in an effort to put the Lord’s Prayer in a fresh context: “God give us all we daily need and we will be content; Forgive our sins as we forgive the wrongs that we resent.” She also addresses the idea of asking for help from God by saying, “O Lord, we turn in trust to you, You know the things we need, and like a parent, you so love: The ones who ask, receive.” (Copyright 1998 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, www.carolynshymns.com, used with permission)

Rector's Reflection: Praying as Jesus Taught Us, July 26, 2025

Beloved Friends of St. Martin's,

I want to start by first thanking all of you for your prayers, support, and care as I and my family have been navigating my sister's sudden health crisis and emergency surgeries nearly two weeks ago in Tulsa. Sometimes in life, the hits just do seem to keep coming, and this was a very scary situation indeed. I am especially grateful to the Rev. Christina Cobb, who works full time as a hospital chaplain during the week, for her willingness to supply in our hour of need. It is incredibly difficult for a solo clergyperson especially when there is a shortage of supply clergy available.

It will be necessary for me to return to Tulsa to care for my sister next week, and then to very carefully fly with her back to the mountains outside of San Diego where she lives with her family and works as a teacher. Right now her husband and her friends and I have been trading off on the nursing duties. I will be using vacation time for this starting July 30 and extending through August 12. The Rev. Christina will be back over those two weekends.

I am looking forward to exploring this weekend's gospel passage with you-- it starts with Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer in chapter 11. I hope you really notice what the differences are between the version that appears in Luke and the version we traditionally say in worship.

While the 505 uses lots of alternative versions of this prayer, I know that the 10:30 crew has been more attached to the traditional language version from the prayer book. I have predominantly tried to keep that version in the liturgy at our Sunday services. It's comfortable, it's familiar-- I know! But one thing we do NOT want to do in liturgy is just get into a rut where we say the words and don't really think about them, especially with common prayers like this.

So let me take this opportunity to lay Luke's version from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible alongside the traditional one so that we can examine them both, remembering that we are always reading translations no matter what. That's important bbecause, unless we speak ancient Aramaic, as Jesus did, we are not actually praying the exact words that Jesus probably taught.

I have italicized the words that tradition (and Matthew's version) adds to Luke's version, and bold-faced the words where a different word or phrase is used.

Luke 11:2-4 (NRSV)

Father,

hallowed be your name

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.

Traditional Version (BCP)

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine in the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

That's a lot of differences! I hope you spend some time pondering these, and what your thoughts are about the differences in word choice. For instance,

What is he difference between "this day" and "each day" in receiving our daily bread?

What is the difference between "trespasses" and "sins?

What is the difference between "everyone" and "those?"

What is the difference between "temptation" and "time of trial?"

Some of you may be wondering where some of the insertions in the traditional version come from. Scholars believe the extra words and phrases come from earliest records we have of church liturgies. It is theorized that those early bishops added from the Hebrew scriptures, specifically 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, when King David blessed God after giving his son Solomon the task of building the Temple. David addresses God this way:

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, forever and ever.

Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.

Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all.

And now, our God, we give thanks to you and praise your glorious name.

As our gospel passage reminds us, it is a necessary and serious business to maintain and grow our relationship with God through regular and daily prayer. I hope you are also willing to try praying a different version of the Lord's Prayer from time to time, and think carefully about how the different versions affect how you think about this vital prayer.

In Christ,

Mother Leslie+

Please join us for Worship at 10:30 am this Sunday, July 27th

Evening Prayer, Anna Ancher, 1888

Live by faith, grow in grace, and walk in love with St. Martin's this coming Sunday as we come together, in person as well as online, for worship, thanksgiving, and praise. Wherever you are on your journey of faith, allow us to walk alongside you.

Please click here to download the service bulletin:

7P Pentecost 27 July 2025 LS.pdf

Download PDF • 945KB