Rick & Russ' Blog 
at RnRFusion.com
Buried In The Snow!
Last week we had over 12 inches of snow to fall on the city of
Amarillo. Schools were closed for two whole days! I have not seen
snowfall like it since I lived in Pampa. We had blizzards that
literally piled snow from the ground up and onto the roof of the
house. I noticed that the "snow crews" piled most of the snow in the
middle of the streets to keep from blocking entrances to the driveways
and parking lots all over town. Now they are going back scooping up
the blackened snow from the center of the streets.
There is a spiritual lesson here. I personally have piled up years
of experiences , like we all have, that often lay far beneath my
consciousness. Suddenly, something will happen to draw back a memory
or a thought I have long forgotten.....(click here to read more)
--------------------------------------------------
We would love to invite you to participate in a weekly discussion with Rick & Russ through their blog at www.RnRFusion.com.
We hope to engage our fellow worshipers in thoughtful discussion on many topics concerning worship, religious and humanitarian issues. Just click on the above web address link or logo and join in the discussion. You can contribute comments by filling out the form on the blog page at the bottom of the post. Let us know what your thoughts are on the subjects discussed about in our blog. Our discussions will be fun as well as provocative.
|
The Sounds of St. Matthew's
You can listen to a few clips of last week's service (1/31/2010) as well as clips from past services online by clicking one of the following links:
-Rick & Russ (Offertory)
-St. Matt's Congregation (Processional)
-Russ & St. Matt's Congregation
-Rick (Postlude) |
Vita brevis, Longa ars
(Life is Short, Art long - Hippocrates)
"O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for 'evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
Music For The Liturgy
This week at St. Matthews the service contains many music selections that could be considered "spiritual" or perhaps of a more emotional slant. There are many former evangelicals among Episcopalians and we all remember the emotional context of the "preaching" services we attended.
During the early days of my growing "worship" awareness I recall the Old Testament reading for this Sunday as being quoted by Dr. Bruce Leafblad, professor of worship studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He chose these words as the crucible for true worship -"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips: yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!"
I wish I could gather multitudes of my former Baptist and evangelical friends in a huge space and we could all sing those great songs of Zion and hear a powerful voice singing "I'd Rather Have Jesus". I often long for those days. Even now the tears flow from my eyes as I recall my mother and her sister singing that great gospel song "A Name I Highly Treasure".
Those days are long gone but once in a while we recreate great emotion in our liturgy when we sing "Here, O My Lord, I see Thee face to Face" or "Let us break bread together" during communion. I actually was reminded on one occasion by Fr. Jordan at St. John's in Dallas not to let the music get too emotional. He was not being critical - just wise. But, oh how we need true emotion in our worship. We cry at movies and the opera but we need tears in church as well.
We will be playing one of the arrangements sung by the Brooklyn Tabernacle and written by their director Carole Cymbala - King of Glory - for the prelude this week.
I have been in that awesome place and heard that unbelievable choir. I experienced emotions in that room that I thought I had buried years ago.
We have had a special request for the choir to sing "On Eagle's Wings" for the anthem.
All in all we may "see the Lord" this week.
|
Adult Sunday School Class Resumes
Come join our weekly Adult Inquiry Sunday
School class that resumes this weekend. Remember, we meet each Sunday morning at 9:30 AM in the Parish
Hall. The class is growing and is a very interactive discussion of
topics that concern our lives as the people of God.
This week the class will focus on the "Sword Verses", the part of the Koran that is hotly debated by Muslims and their critics.
Please join us and help enrich the lively discussion and insights of this most fascinating subject.
|
Hymns For February 7, 2010
PROCESSIONAL HYMN 535 Ye Servants of God / tune Paderborn
SEQUENCE HYMN Surely It Is God Who Saves ME
COMMUNION HYMN
We See the Lord
661 They Cast Their Nets
RECESSIONAL HYMN 671
Amazing Grace / tune New Britain
|
