Baptism Of Our Lord
This week in the Lectionary we hear Mark's account of the Baptism of Jesus. In Mark's version of the story, as Jesus emerged from the water after being baptized, the clouds opened and the Spirit of the Lord descended on to Jesus like a dove, proclaiming that he is the the beloved Son of God, with whom he is well pleased.
This story is paralleled by the Creation story, which we hear the beginning of this Sunday. Our recreation and rebirth through baptism is an image of the account of Creation in Genesis, hence its inclusion.
HYMNS AND SONGS
Crashing Water At Creation (Opening Hymn- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This amazing hymn by Sylvia Dunstan takes water and through four adjectives, ties it to four important Biblical concepts.
"Crashing"- The crashing waters refer to the creation story, as the waters were born and the first to witness the new dawning day.
"Parting"- The parting waters of stanza two refer to Moses parting the Red Sea, creating a channel that allowed the Israelites to escape bondage.
"Cleansing"- Though Jesus is never specifically referred to in stanza three, it is clear that the water used here is for his baptism. The "one foretold" is certainly referencing Jesus, who reveals his glory to the world.
"Living"- I feel this concluding stanza is quite literal given it being part of a sacred hymn. While so much of the language in the hymnal is rooted in faith and belief, it is a fact that we need water to live. Whether it is literal water, or the river of goodness and life bestowed on to us by God, both are indispensable for our lives.
Songs Of Thankfulness And Praise (Hymn Of The Day)- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This is a wonderful "past, present, future" hymn for the stage we are at now in the Lectionary. It addresses birth (past) in stanza one ("...branch of royal David's stem in thy birth at Bethlehem."), baptism (present), in stanza two ("Manifest at Jordan's stream..."), and the future acts of Jesus in stanzas two and three (Wedding at Cana, overcoming sin, etc..).
A key word in this hymn in the word "manifest." It is sung ten total times, including the short refrain-like phrase, "God in flesh made manifest." The adjective meaning that Jesus was, at the time, the empirical, undeniable presence of God on earth. Throughout the hymn, the birth, baptism, and actions of Jesus are all made manifest as well.
The tune, named after the birthplace of Mozart and one of the largest cities in Austria (SALZBURG), was composed by Austrian composer Jakob Hintze. The harmonization we have in our ELW hymnal was created by J.S. Bach.
Mothering God, You Gave Me Birth (Communion Hymn: 9:00 AM)
This is one of the few hymns, especially in mainstream hymnals, that places the Holy Trinity in a female context. These beautiful words by Carolyn Jennings add credence that many of God's acts are in fact motherly in nature. In stanza one, God gives birth to us. In stanza two, Christ gives us his body and blood in the form of bread and wine, nourishing and sustaining us. Finally in stanza three, the Holy Spirit holds us close and watches over us that we may grow into a God-loving people. All of these acts are things that a mother would do for their child.
When Jesus Came To Jordan (Communion Hymn: 9:00 AM)
This hymn by English poet Fred Pratt Green is yet another that foreshadows what Jesus is to accomplish following his baptism. Stanza one shows us that he did not go to John to be baptized for his own sake, but rather to be able to eventually absolve us of all of our sins. This continues in stanza two, as the spirit descends like a dove and begins the age of grace.
The concluding stanza places the emphasis back to us, and asks that this very same Holy Spirit descend to us and give us strength, our lives direction, and lead us all the way to Pentecost.
Let All Things Now Living (Closing Hymn: 7:45 AM, Communion Hymn: 9:00 AM)
As a continuation from our previous hymn in the Communion triptych, this poem by Katherine Davis about creation, thanksgiving, and guidance is set to the Welsh folk tune ASH GROVE. For such a joyful sounding tune, it is continually surprising to learn that Benjamin Britten set a poem about a man looking for his wife's grave site to this exact tune.
CHORAL ANTHEM
This Is My Beloved Son- Dan Uhl (Offering- 9:00 AM)
The text of this anthem is based on our Gospel reading for this Sunday. The anthem is in ABA form, with the two outer sections sharing the bulk of the Gospel text. These sections are in a pastoral 6/8 time, with a sounds-like-a-hymn-tune-but-actually-isn't melody. The second time it occurs, it is accompanied by a soaring flute melody in the organ, depicting the spirit coming down from heaven as a dove.
The middle section is in four parts, a capella, and calls upon that very spirit, in the form of a dove, to descend upon all of us, renew our Baptismal grace, and restore to us our salvation.
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Improvisation on the Creation Story (Prelude- 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
The creation story lends itself so well to a musical interpretation. The dawning of time, creation of stars, land, sea, plants, animals, and everything else all can be depicted through musical means, which is what I will be doing for a prelude.
Improvisation on SALZBURG (Postlude, 7:45 AM, 9:00 AM)
This Austrian tune lends itself nicely to improvisation, due to having a primarily stepwise melody, a variety of harmonies between the four lines, and a homophonic texture which can result in many different styles of interpretation.
One last thing I would like to talk about today is the reformation of the 11:15 AM service. I initially brought the idea to worship board that this service needed its own identity. It felt a little out of place amongst the rest of the services here at St. Paul's, and I tasked them with coming up with a name for this service, which could then have an identity built around it.
The worship board came up with the name REJOICE: Worship Renewed. I think this was an excellent choice. I feel that the "renewal" of this service will be found in the music. Rather than trying to insist that every piece of music we use be from the year 2000 onward, I've focused on choosing music that is spirit-filled, depicts the scripture being preached, and reflects the spirit of the new service. For example, the closing song this Sunday is a text that was written 150 years ago (Rejoice, You Pure In Heart), but has been slightly re-written to give it a "renewed" sound. Anything old can be made new again, and I hope you enjoy the new direction of this service.
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