Fifth Sunday in Lent
9:00 a.m. (Order of Worship) in Old South Church Chapel
&
11:00 a.m. Service in Santuary
(Order of Worship below)
A Congregation of the United Church of Christ
The Old South Church in Boston
Gathered 1669
HAD I BUT PINIONS OF A DOVE: LENTEN MUSIC SUNDAY
PRELUDE Pavane, op. 50 Gabriel Fauré
Cantilena Bruce Saylor
*HYMN O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising Charterhouse
WORDS OF WELCOME Robert W. Brown
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION
All are invited to sing the response as indicated. Greek for “Lord have
mercy,” Kyrie eleison is an ancient prayer by which Christians have
approached Jesus since the earliest days of the church.
One: O God, if we have not loved you with all our hearts and all our minds
and all our strength, and our neighbors as ourselves,
Many: Sung response
One: If we have not heard your call to serve as Christ served us;
If we have been full of pride, or hypocrisy, or impatience,
Many: Sung response
One: If we have been self-indulgent; if we have exploited another;
If we have loved worldly goods and comforts too much;
If we have been dishonest in thought or expression,
Many: Sung response
One: Holy God, if we have failed to notice human suffering,
or if we have caused it;
If we have failed to notice the waste and pollution of your creation,
or if we have caused it,
Many: Sung response
One: If we have trusted violence rather than peace,
and the rulers of the earth over your rule,
Many: Sung response
*A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION
We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them
“peace” or “the peace of Christ.”
COLLECT Mark S. Burrows
Almighty God, you have returned us from the long marches of sleep; you have
summoned us from our separate darknesses; you have called us into the
daylight. In you alone we hope. Let our prayers come unto you, fragile and
bewildered and broken though they be, until our falsehood tangles with your
truth and our vanity is shaken by your power. Bring us through this day,
restless for your peace within our hearts and for your righteousness plain
within our souls. Amen. –Arnold Kenseth
ANTHEM Cantique de Jean Racine Gabriel Fauré
O Redeemer divine, our sole hope of salvation,
Eternal light of the earth and the sky,
We kneel in adoration.
O Savior, turn on us thy loving eye!
Send down on us the fire of thy grace all-consuming,
Whose wondrous might dispersed the powers of hell.
And rouse our slumbering souls with thy radiance,
That they may waken thy mercy to tell.
O Christ, bestow thy blessing on us, we implore thee,
Who here are gathered on penitent knee.
Accept the hymns we chant to thine eternal glory
And these thy gifts we return unto thee!
–Translation by Harold Heiberg
CALL TO PRAYER Quinn G. Caldwell
One: God be with you
Many: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
Many: We lift our hearts to God.
One: Let us pray. (The congregation may be seated.)
PASTORAL PRAYER AND SILENT PRAYER
THE LORD’S PRAYER
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 debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
(Children and teachers may leave for their Church School classes.)
ANTHEM Out of the Depths Kevin Oldham
Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice:
let thy ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
If thou, Lord, shouldst keep account of all sins, who, O Lord, could hold up his head?
But in thee is forgiveness, therefore thou art revered.
I wait for the Lord with all my soul, I hope for fulfillment of his word.
More eagerly than the watchmen for the morning; like those who watch for the morning,
O Israel, look for the Lord.
For in the Lord is love unfailing, and great is his power to set us free.
He alone will set Israel free from all their sins.
Out of the depths have I cried to thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice:
let thy ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
–Psalm 130
RESPONSIVE READING Mark S. Burrows
One: In God I take refuge. How can you say to me,
“Flee like a bird to the mountains;
For see, the wicked string their bows and fit the arrow to the bowstring, to
shoot from the darkness at honest folk”?
Many: When foundations are undermined, what can the just person do?
One: God is in the holy temple; God’s throne is in heaven. The gaze of
the Eternal is upon humankind, the searching eye of the Judge tests
them.
Many: God weighs just and unjust, and hates all who love violence.
One: God will rain fiery coals and brimstone on the wicked; scorching
winds will be the portion they drink.
Many: For God is just and loves just dealing; the face of the Eternal is
turned towards the upright.
–Psalm 11
ANTHEM The Best-Beloved Chris DeBlasio
Four Jacobean Motets Psalm 63
Holy Sonnet
My thoughts hold mortal strife …
My beloved is mine, and I am his ….
Refer to insert
REFLECTION Jesus of Nazareth: Muse Nancy S. Taylor
*HYMN O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising Charterhouse
CALL TO THE OFFERING Abigail G. Henderson
OFFERTORY ANTHEM There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy Calvin Hampton
arr. Allison Sniffen
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God’s justice, which is more than liberty.
There is welcome for the sinner, and more graces for the good;
There is mercy with the Savior; there is healing in Christ’s blood.
There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven;
There is no place where earth’s failings have such kindly judgment given.
There is plentiful redemption in the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members in the sorrows of the Head.
For the love of God is broader than the measure of the mind;
And the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more faithful, we would gladly trust God’s word;
And our life would be thanksgiving for the goodness of our God.
–Frederick William Faber, 1854; alt.
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
*HYMN O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising Charterhouse
*BIDDING TO MISSION AND BENEDICTION Nancy S. Taylor
Please be seated for the final anthem and postlude.
ANTHEM Had I But Pinions of a Dove McNeil Robinson
Had I but pinions of a dove to fly away and be at rest; far, far away would be my flight,
in the wilderness would I settle.
To my haven would I hasten, out of the sweeping wind and tempest.
Had I but pinions of a dove to fly away and be at rest; far, far away would be my flight,
in the wilderness will I settle.
I’ll fly away, and be at rest.
–Psalm
55:6-8
POSTLUDE Solemn Procession Calvin Hampton
During the Postlude you are invited to stand and stretch (quietly, please)
while the crew sets up a screen.
Today, immediately following the Lenten film clip, all who are interested in
a tour of the Sanctuary are invited to meet Docent Dick Yeo at the front of
the Sanctuary.
The new Lenten pulpit hanging is given by Elizabeth and Betty Pitcher
in loving memory of Jean M. Jackson, M.D.
WHO KILLED JESUS?
We invite you to remain for an intriguing 10-minute film presentation, “Who
Killed Jesus?” from Session V of our Lenten Study, Saving Jesus. Following
the film clip, here are some options:
1) Go directly to the fourth floor to participate in a guided, small group
discussion until 1:45 pm. On the fourth floor you will find refreshments to
sustain you during the discussion.
2) Go into the Chapel to enjoy conversation and refreshments. You might even
decide to discuss the film clip there.
3) Take the Saving Jesus insert home with you to read, meditate and chew
on for the week.
THE OLD SOUTH CHOIR
Soprano
*Alecia Batson
Melissa Burdick
Louise Jones
Lisa Loveland
Laurel Macey
Michael Moon
Dawn Patterson
Gloria Platt
*Adriana Repetto
Elizabeth Tustian
Tenor
*Julius Ahn
Chris Bocchiaro
Dave Elliott
*Owen McIntosh
Timothy Milliken
Tyler Schwaller
John Williams
Alto
*Carrie Cheron
Joan Christenson
Mary Lou DeLacy
Alliea Groupp
Anna Lifvergren
*Rebecca O’Brien
Laura Perkins
Susan Stern
Bass
*Harry Baechtel
Gary Griffiths
Erik Gustafson
Michael Hand
Christopher Harrington
Kenneth Hekmann
Robert Lake
Sean O’Donnell
Jonas Roy
*Nathan Troup
*Section leader
Harry Lyn Huff, Minister of Music & Conductor
George Sargeant, Assistant Organist & Choirmaster
INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE
Zachary Taxin & Julia Glenn, violins
Charlotte Austin, viola
Kathryn Austin, cello
David Miller, bass
Rebecca Gruskin, horn
Krysten Keches, harp
TODAY AT OLD SOUTH
Welcome to Old South Church in Boston. Our faith is over 2000 years old, but
our thinking is not! Old South opens its doors to the city, to tourists from
near and far, to the needy, to an array of building users, and to a
congregation (of members, friends, and family—both the curious and the
committed) who call this their church home. Join us for fellowship and
refreshments in Gordon Chapel immediately following worship.
The flowers today are given in memory of Ruth Ann Strong by the Palma Strong
Fund.
More than thirty volunteers are extending hospitality to visitors and
parishioners. In addition, over twenty volunteers sing in the choir, while
others teach in the Church School. If you’re interested in volunteering for
hospitality tasks, please call Betty Smith at 781/721-7777; to sing with the
choir, call Harry Huff at 617/425-5146; to learn about the church school,
call Tricia Hazeltine at 617/536-1970.
Wearing name tags is a great way to facilitate community and make newcomers
feel welcomed. If you don’t see a tag with your name on it, let us
know—there will be one waiting for you next Sunday!
CD recordings of today’s service may be obtained by calling Jessica
Goodknight at 617/536-1970 or emailing <reception@oldsouth.org>. Sunday
sermons and worship services are also available on the Web and as podcasts
at <www.oldsouth.org>.
Large print bulletins and hearing assistance devices
are available at the Front Desk.
REMINDERS
Here in Copley Square we are just a short walk from many bus stops, subway
and rail lines, cab stands, and walking/cycling paths. For information on
these or affordable parking (3 hours during worship services) through Old
South’s arrangements with nearby parking garages at 100 Clarendon Street or
the Prudential Center Garage, ask at the Front Desk for validation
details or visit our website <www.oldsouth.org>.
Find directions by transit from your address to 645 Boylston Street at
<www.mbta.com>.
For information or to join the Old South E-mail Forum, send an e-mail
message to <oldsouth-approval@world.std.com>.
NOTES ON TODAY’S MUSIC
The season of Lent binds us across the centuries to those before us who
struggled with their daily existence and found solace in meditating on God’s
great mercy. In our modern and complex lives we often face despair,
confusion and frustration, and time and again, it is the mere promise of
hope which God provides that sustains us. “Had I but pinions of a dove…”
seems a fitting supplication to voice the “what if” of a happier earthly
existence. The musical meditations presented today, many of which are
inspired by the Psalms, speak of the human yearning for transformation from
despair—an ageless pain that can only be assuaged by divine intervention.
Chris DeBlasio (1959-1993) was a New York composer who wrote theater songs
of dark humor and sacred music of soaring beauty. Toward the end of his
life, he turned his efforts from music to AIDS activism. For this change
there is no better explanation than his own question, “What use is art when
people are dying?” The Best-Beloved, the culmination of his return to
musical composition, provides an imperfect answer. It epitomizes his style:
accessible but never trite, affecting without being sentimental, melodic,
and harmonically rewarding. DeBlasio chose as his texts Jacobean
poetry—works written during the reign of James I of England, 1603-1625—that
uses love as a metaphor for spiritual faith. The essence of the art and
imagery in these selections is their sublimation to the divine of the most
secular of emotions and experiences. The four motet texts are Psalm 63 (in
the King James’ version) and poems by John Donne, William Drummond and
Francis Quarles.
Two other New York composers who died due to complications from the AIDS
virus are represented today: Calvin Hampton (1938-1984), by his poignant
setting of the well known hymn text, “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy,”
and Kevin Oldham (1960-1993), by his setting of Psalm 130, “Out of the
depths have I cried to thee.” The final anthem offered by the choir is Had I
But Pinions of a Dove, an exquisite setting of Psalm 55:6-8 by McNeil
Robinson, who is organist at Park Avenue Christian Church and Park Avenue
Synagogue in New York City.
The postlude is Calvin Hampton’s Solemn Procession, chosen to presage the
reenactment next Sunday of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an
ironic prologue to the events culminating in his passion and crucifixion.
–Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music
OLD SOUTH CHURCH IN BOSTON
MINISTERS, OFFICERS AND STAFF
Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister v Quinn G. Caldwell, Associate Minister
Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music v James W. Crawford, Senior Minister Emeritus
Calvin Genzel, Wedding Outreach Minister v Janet Butler, Wedding Coordinator
Ken Orth, Healing Prayer Service Minister
Robert W. Brown, Ministerial Intern v Abigail G. Henderson, Field Education
Intern
Mark S. Burrows, Theologian in Residence
Patricia Hazeltine, Church School Director v Rolanda Ward, Youth Worker
Carolyn Davis, Director, Old South Preschool
George Sargeant, Assistant Organist & Choir Director
Willie Sordillo, Jazz Service Music Director
Peter Coulombe, Director, Old South Ringers
Amy Budka & Phil Stern, Children’s Music Directors
Wayne Davis, Moderator v Pamela Holland, Clerk v James Monsma, Treasurer
Phil Stern, Chair, Board of Trustees v Susan T. Campbell, Historian
Diane Gaucher, Senior Deacon v Vicki A. Newman, Pledge Secretary
Helen McCrady, Senior Church Administrator
Amy Perry, Administrative Assistant v Rosemary Clarke, Accountant
Elias Perez, Senior Sexton v Ozo Nwodo & Robert Blenman, Sextons
Jessica Goodknight, Rubia Reyes & Jim McDonnel, Receptionists
www.oldsouth.org 617/536-1970
A NOTE ON THE INCLUSIVE DIMENSIONS OF GOD’S GRACE
Old South Church in Boston, in the name of its host, Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of Christ’s invitation carved into the stone of this church’s portico, “Behold I Set Before You an Open Door,” welcomes all who seek to know God.
Following the One who we believe is Sovereign and Savior, we affirm that each individual is a child of God, and recognize that we are called to be like one body with many members, seeking with others of every race, ethnicity, creed, class, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to journey together toward the promised realm of God.
We invite everyone to join in the common life and mission of our reconciling community through participation and leadership in this congregation, and by fully sharing in the worship, rites and sacraments of this church.
As we all move forward with the work of this church, we commit ourselves to making justice and inclusivity a reality in this congregation and in the world. On the threshold of Christ’s open door, we rely upon the healing, unconditional nature of God’s love and grace to be our help and guide.