Robert Morehead

November 3, 2013
 

5. Celebrating All Saints’ Sunday

This coming Sunday we have various selections that commemorate the festival of the Saints who have gone before us and are now in heaven for eternity. The introit titled “If You Will Only let God Guide You” reminds us of the absolute need of God’s leadership in our lives and how the many Saints practiced this before us. The arrangement is a chorale setting in G minor which ends with an interesting cadence of : bVI-iv-V-i.  “Prayer” by Humperdinck will feature the “ebb and flow” of the romantic period amidst chromaticism and short phrases that cadence on surprising scale degrees.
 The Sanctuary Choir will present the anthem “Sing Me To Heaven” by Daniel Gawthrop. This generally through-composed choral classic explores contemporary harmonies ranging from seventh chords to light dissonances. The text reminds us of the role that music plays in our lives as a form of comfort: It can be in the form of a lullaby as we are young children, it can be a love song when we fall in love and it can also be a requiem when death confronts us. On this Sunday we celebrate those souls that are now home with Jesus and have lived through these events.   More importantly, the anthem reminds us that music can be used as an evangelistic tool to lead someone to take a step of faith. Yes, we cannot officially sing someone to heaven, however we can offer our song and music as a prayer to lead others to Jesus Christ which will ultimately bring them to heaven and to eternity with Jesus.  This question remains for all Christians: Who do we know that does  not have a relationship with Jesus and how can we pray (or sing) for them-so they can have the eternity that we share with our King, Jesus Christ?
                                                                                    ‘til Sunday-Robert Morehead
 
Other music selections:
 
Gathering Music: 
La Réjouissance from Music For The Royal Fireworks-Handel/Fennell 
Salvation is Created-Tschesnokov/Thompson
Psalm XIX: The Heavens Declare-Marcello/Fennell 
Hymn of Praise:   Open Now Thy Gates Of Beauty (#489)
Special Music:  Come All Christians Be Committed (BEACH SPRING)
Hymn of Response:  Come All Christians Be Committed
Choral Offering:  Sing Me To Heaven-Daniel E. Gawthrop
Communion Music: My Beloved-Kari Jobe
I Worship You, Almighty God-Arr. Berry
Hymn of Dedication:  For All The Saints  (#526)
Postlude:  Marche Royale-Charpentier 
Sunday’s musicians:
1 Beulah Instrumental Ensemble
2 Jeremy Bosse
3 Terry Lee, organist
4 River City Brass Quintet
5 Sanctuary Choir
6 Sharon Smeltzer, soloist
7 Linda Yorkshire