First 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
THE GATHERING
PRELUDE Prelude in B Minor, BWV 544 J.S. Bach
*HYMN Halle, Halle Hallelujah, arr. Carlton R. Young
The choir will sing the verses; the congregation will sing the refrain as printed.
*CALL TO WORSHIP (St. Patrick, 4th century) Nancy S. Taylor
One: I bind unto myself today
the strong name of the Trinity
Right Side: By invocation of the same the
Three in One and One in Three.
I bind unto myself today
the power of God to hold and lead
One: God’s eye to watch, God’s might to stay
God’s ear to hearken to my need.
Left Side: The wisdom of my God to teach,
God’s hand to guide, God’s shield to ward
the word of God to give me speech
God’s heavenly host to be my guard.
One: Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Right Side: Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Left Side: Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
One: Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
All: I bind unto myself the name,
the strong name of the Trinity;
By invocation of the same.
The Three in One and One in Three,
of whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Parent, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.
*A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION
We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them
“peace” or “the peace of Christ.”
WORDS OF WELCOME
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE The Burial of the Alleluias Quinn G. Caldwell
(Children and teachers may leave for their Church School classes.)
THE GIFT OF THE WORD
SCRIPTURE Matthew 4:1-11 William Hazeltine Palmer
SERMON Who Quinn G. Caldwell
*HYMN 211 Lord Jesus, Who through Forty Days St. Flavian
OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS
*CALL TO PRAYER Robert W. Brown
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.)
PRAYERS OF CONFESSION AND INTERCESSION
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.
CALL TO THE OFFERING
OFFERTORY ANTHEM Kyrie from Mass in B Minor J.S. Bach
Lord, have mercy
THE SACRAMENT OF COMMUNION
COMMUNION LITURGY Abigail G. Henderson and Nancy S. Taylor
One: Friends, having given, let us now receive. Let us gather around the
table with the offering of bread and cup upon it and the promise of the
living Christ among us. This is the welcome table of God where all who seek
to be at peace with their neighbor and all who seek the mercy of God in
Christ are embraced. Come, for we are invited into this holy mystery. Come.
Many: We are ready!
One: Jesus said, I am the bread of life. All who come to me shall not
hunger, and all who believe in me shall never be thirsty.
Many: We are hungry and thirsty. O Christ, Savior and Brother, we come!
One: We remember that on the night of betrayal and desertion, Jesus took
his authority as the Christ and said:
Many: “Take, eat. This is my body which is given for you. Do this in
remembrance of me.”
One: In the same way, and by the same authority, Jesus offered the cup in
thanksgiving and said:
Many: “Take and drink. This is the blood of the new covenant which is
poured out for you and for many, for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as
often as you drink of it, in remembrance of me.”
One: Come, Holy Spirit. Come. Open our eyes to the mystery of Christ’s
presence in these ordinary things and in our ordinary lives. May they be for
us the very essence of the living Christ in our midst. Through this broken
bread …
Many: We participate in the body of Christ.
One: Through the cup of blessing …
Many: We participate in the new life Christ gives.
SHARING THE MEAL
Our communion table is open to all. When served the bread, please wait until
all have been served; we shall then partake of it together and so symbolize
our unity and community as God’s people. We partake of the cup when served
and so symbolize our solitariness as we each stand alone before our God.
Gluten-free bread is available on each plate in a separate container. The
cup is unfermented grape juice.
MUSIC DURING COMMUNION
Bread: Erbarme dich from St. Matthew Passion J.S. Bach
Carrie Cheron, mezzo-soprano
Have mercy, my God, for the sake of my tears! See here, before you hear and
eyes weep bitterly. Have mercy, my God.
Cup: Hymn 334 Graced with Garments of Great Gladness Schmücke dich
PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
Abigail G. Henderson
*HYMN 439 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God Ein’ feste Burg
BENEDICTION Quinn G. Caldwell
POSTLUDE Fugue in B Minor, BWV 544 J.S. Bach
During the Postlude you are invited to stand and stretch (quietly please)
while the crew sets up a large screen.
WHO IS JESUS? We invite you to remain for an intriguing 12-minute film
presentation, “Who is Jesus?”, from Session I 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 1:30 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.
2) Take the Saving Jesus insert home with you to read, meditate and
chew on for the week.
Please refer to the insert for more information.
Today, immediately following the Lenten Film Clip, all who are interested in
a tour of the Sanctuary are invited to meet Docent Barbara Neale
at the front of the Sanctuary.
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.
Today’s scripture reader, Will Hazeltine Palmer, is a member of the Old
South Youth Group and also sings in the church’s summer choir.
The flowers today are given in loving memory of Clarence A. Dauber and
Catherine M. Dauber by their Boston family, Sarah Ann and Michael Pollack
and Prue Young.
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.
NOTES ON TODAY’S
MUSIC
An ancient tradition precludes the singing of “alleluias” during the
penitential season of Lent. Today, the first Sunday of Lent, the Sunday
School children will join in the processional hymn, Halle, Halle, after
which will follow a ritual “Burying of the Alleluias”—the concealing of
alleluia banners in a chest until Easter Sunday.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a master of utilizing musical keys for
symbolic and emotional effect. The selections during the prelude, offertory,
communion and postlude are all in the key of B Minor, expressive of noble
grief. It is believed that the Prelude and Fugue in B Minor was composed for
use in the memorial service for Saxon Electress Christiane Ebhardine that
took place in the University Church in Leipzig on October 17, 1727. If that
is the case, the work would have served as an organ prelude for Cantata 198,
the Trauerode (“Mourning Ode”), which is also cast in B minor and whose
opening chorus contains similarly poignant chromatic harmonies. The Prelude
abounds with “seufzers” (sigh motives), frequently employed by Bach to
signify sorrow and anguish. This practice is likewise prevalent in the
evocative “Erbarme dich,” which will be sung during communion. It is
excerpted from the St. Matthew Passion, which was written for Good Friday,
also in 1727. The haunting aria follows the Evangelist’s narrative of
Peter’s denial of Jesus.
Some parts of Bach’s epic Mass in B Minor, BWV 232, were written as early as
1724, but the whole was assembled in its present form in 1749, just before
the composer’s death in 1750. The Kyrie was composed in 1733 as a lament for
the death of Elector Augustus the Strong. The work commences with a powerful
declamation—a cry to heaven—after which a grand fugue slowly evolves, based
on one of Bach’s most exquisite melodies.
OLD SOUTH CHURCH IN BOSTON
MINISTERS, OFFICERS AND STAFF
Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister ~ Quinn G. Caldwell, Associate Minister
James W. Crawford, Senior Minister Emeritus
Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music
Calvin Genzel, Wedding Outreach Minister ~ Janet Butler, Wedding Coordinator
Ken Orth, Healing Prayer Service Minister
Robert W. Brown, Ministerial Intern ~ Abigail G. Henderson, Field Education Intern
Mark S. Burrows, Theologian in Residence
Patricia Hazeltine, Church School Director ~ Rolanda Ward, Youth Worker
Carolyn Davis, Director, Old South Preschool
George Sargent, Assistant Organist
Willie Sordillo, Jazz Service Music Director
Peter Coulombe, Director, Old South Ringers
Amy Budka & Phil Stern, Children’s Music Directors
Jeff Makholm, Moderator ~ David Clark, Clerk ~ James Monsma, Treasurer
Dwight Crane, Chair, Board of Trustees ~ Susan T. Campbell, Historian
Diane Gaucher, Senior Deacon ~ Vicki A. Newman, Pledge Secretary
Helen McCrady, Senior Church Administrator
Amy Perry, Administrative Assistant ~ Rosemary Clarke, Accountant
Elias Perez, Senior Sexton ~ Ozo Nwodo & Robert Blenman, Sextons
Jessica Goodknight, Rubia Reyes & Jim McDonnel, Receptionists
www.oldsouth.org - 617/536-1970