Central Lutheran Choir

12/18/2024

Infusion day. Sit for an hour and watch a bag of liquid stuff drip into your arm hoping and faithing that it’s doing what they say it will do. I know some things it’s not doing—my laundry, getting my car washed, playing the piano, reading ‘French Bread’ (Anne Tyler), taking a nap. They tell me a nap is OK, but I don’t want to miss a single drip.

10/17/2024

Good morning, Lwazi Mzisto Dlamini.
Y'all come to Central Lutheran Church to hear Lwazi sing!

05/25/2022

Refrain:
Healer of our every ill,
light of each tomorrow,
give us peace beyond our fear,
and hope beyond our sorrow.

You who know our fears and sadness,
grace us with your peace and gladness;
Spirit of all comfort, fill our hearts. [Refrain]

In the pain and joy beholding
how your grace is still unfolding,
give us all your vision, God of love. [Refrain]

Give us strength to love each other,
every sister, every brother;
Spirit of all kindness, be our guide. [Refrain]

You who know each thought and feeling,
teach us all your way of healing;
Spirit of compassion, fill each heart. [Refrain]

05/24/2022

From Henri Nouwen's daily meditations for May 24.

Together we Pray to God
Prayer is the language of the Christian community. In prayer the nature of the community becomes visible because in prayer we direct ourselves to the One who forms the community. We do not pray to each other, but together we pray to God, who calls us and makes us into a new people. Praying is not one of the many things the community does. Rather, it is its very being. Many discussions about prayer do not take this very seriously. Sometimes it seems as if the Christian community is “so busy” with its projects and plans that there is neither the time nor the mood to pray. But when prayer is no longer its primary concern, and when its many activities are no longer seen and experienced as part of prayer itself, the community quickly degenerates into a club with a common cause but no common vocation.

By prayer, community is created as well as expressed. Prayer is first of all the realization of the community itself. Most clear and most noticeable are the words, the gestures, and the silence through which the community is formed. When we listen to the word, we not only receive insight into God’s saving work, but we also experience a new mutual bond. When we stand around the altar, eat bread and drink wine, kneel in meditation, or walk in procession, we not only remember God’s work in human history, but we also become aware of God’s creative presence here and now. When we sit together in silent prayer, we create a space where we sense that the One we are waiting for is already touching us, as he touched Elijah in front of the cave (1 Kings 19:13).
Henri J. M. Nouwen

04/30/2022

The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.8 million members. "God's work. Our hands."

04/11/2022

From the ELCA:
THE ARTS SERVE THE WORD Principle 11
"Music, the visual arts, and the environment of our worship spaces embody the proclamation of the Word in Lutheran churches . . . . Luther understood music to be a gift of God that had the power to proclaim God’s word. The church continues to hold Luther’s understanding yet today. Since proclamation of the Word is one of the primary roles of music in the liturgy, decisions about music will involve much more than personal taste or musical style. Music that serves the word shows forth Christ rather than draws attention to itself.
Application 11 Music is a servant of the Gospel and a principal means of worshiping God in Lutheran churches. Congregational song gathers the whole people to proclaim God's mercy, to worship God, and to pray, in response to the readings of the day and in preparation for the Lord's Supper."

From:
THE USE of the MEANS of GRACE
A Statement on the Practice of Word and Sacrament Adopted for guidance and practice by the Fifth Biennial Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, August 19, 1997

03/26/2022

A hymn for this time.
The words are #749 in the ELW and #414 in the LBW.
This tune is by Henry Kemble Oliver (1800-1885) of Salem, Massachusetts. The name of the tune - Federal Street - is where his home was (and still is). Oliver is the subject of my dissertation.

HYMN - O God of love, O King of peace (Organ)O God of love, O King of peace, Make wars throughout the world to cease;Our greed and violent ways restrain. Giv...

12/17/2021

Creator of the stars of night,
your people’s everlasting light,
O Christ, Redeemer of us all,
we pray you, hear us when we call.

In sorrow that the ancient curse
should doom to death a universe,
you came to save a ruined race
with healing gifts of heav'nly grace.

When earth drew on to darkest night,
you came, but not in splendor bright,
not as a king, but as the child
of Mary, virgin mother mild.

At your great name, majestic now,
all knees must bend, all hearts must bow;
all things on earth with one accord
join those in heav’n to call you Lord.

To God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Spirit, Three in One,
praise, honor, might, and glory be
from age to age eternally.

Photograph – Dawn at Nazareth (November 8, 2015)

12/09/2021

Our Vespers for the Second Week of Advent. You can find the order of Service here:
https://www.centrallutheran.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/clc.bulletin-for-vespers.-Advent-2.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1B4M3YKknPAkWvtwqPt_EhIlhwwGrIClISogv5kcUHM-Jzz_ooW67Nnak

12/05/2021

Advent II - we begin the series of three Advent Canticles. The first is the Song of Zechariah. We will sing it to a double Psalm tone. Thanks to Ashley Goins for helping us learn it.

For the second Sunday in Advent: A new Psalm tone (double) for use with Canticles (Biblical songs that are not psalms but are in the same form as psalms). Thanks to Ashley Goins for helping us learn it.

THE SONG OF ZECHARIAH - ELW Psalm tone 15
Blessed are you, Lord, the | God of Israel,
you have come to your people and | set them free.
You have raised up for us a | mighty Savior,
born of the house of your | servant David.
Through your holy prophets, you promised of old to save us | from our enemies,
from the hands of | all who hate us,
to show mercy | to our forebears,
and to remember your | holy covenant.
This was the oath you swore to our | father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our | enemies,
free to worship you | without fear,
holy and righteous before you, all the days | of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of | the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to pre- | pare the way,
to give God’s people knowledge | of salvation
by the forgiveness | of their sins.
In the tender compassion | of our God
the dawn from on high shall | break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the shad- | ow of death,
and to guide our feet into the | way of peace.

09/10/2021

The Hymn of the Month
(Photo: the altar of the Church of the Nations near the Palestinian town of Magdala overlooking the Sea of Galilee, November 7, 2015)

The Son of God, our Christ, the Word, the Way,
shared human life and toiled throughout the day;
from common folk he called the twelve to be
coworkers in his sacred ministry.

In ev'ry test, in trials manifold,
these servants witnessed, by their faith made bold;
and with the gifts and talents which they brought
the church was founded and God's message taught.

Today, as then, Christ summons us to dare
to follow boldly and his work to share,
to help and heal the sick, the blind, the lame,
declaring to the world his holy name.

In city street, in town, or on the soil,
may each serve Christ in faithful daily toil,
and in each thought and kindly word and deed,
obey Christ's call and go where he shall lead.

Where'er we find our witness should be made,
whate'er our task, be thou, O Christ, our aid,
that we may gladly give for thee our best
and find each task divinely sent and blest.