Lamb of God

Image Source = Workman

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Stained_glass_Agnus_Dei.jpg)

Hymn Source = Lutheran Service Book (2006), of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Words (in 1997) by the Reverend Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr. (1923-2007), a minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (1976-1989)

(http://www.wfn.org/2007/03/msg00237.html)

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1.  How wide the love of Christ!

It knows not class or race

But upholds our one humanity

Within its broad embrace.

2.  How long the love of Christ!

Its patience will not cease

Until this broken world is bound

In everlasting peace.

3.  How high the love of Christ!

Beyond all thought it soars,

And yet upon our passing lives

Unmeasured mercy pours.

4.  How deep the love of Christ!

Descending to a cross!

He bears within His wounded hands

All human pain and loss.

5.  All praise to You, O Christ,

For love whose depth and height,

Whose length and breadth fill time and space

With endless life and light!

The Matterhorn

Image Source = Dirk Beyer

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Matterhorn_Riffelsee_2005-06-11.jpg)

Hymn Source = Lutheran Service Book (2006), of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod

Words (in 1997) by the Reverend Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr. (1923-2007), a minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and President of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (1976-1989)

(http://www.wfn.org/2007/03/msg00237.html)

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1.  Voices raised to You we offer;

Tune them, God, for songs of praise.

Hearts and hands we bring in tribute

For Your gifts through all our days.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Triune God, to You we sing!

2.  All creation joins to praise You;

Earth and sky Your works display.

Art and music, gifts You lend us,

We return to You today.

Alleluia! Alleluia! God, Creator, source of life!

3.  Christ, the song of Love incarnate,

Touching earth with heaven’s grace,

For Your living, suff’ring, dying,

For Your rising, hear our praise!

Alleluia! Alleluia! Christ, Redeemer, Lord of life!

4.  Spirit, flaming, through creation,

Kindle faith within each heart.

Lift our voices high in chorus;

Through our hands Your love impart.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Spirit, Helper, breath of life!

5.  How can any praise we offer

Measure all the thanks we owe?

Take our hearts and hands and voices–

Gifts of love we can bestow.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Triune God, to You we sing!

Image Source = Infrogmation

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Thank you, God,

for the rain

for the sunshine

for the clouds

for the morning

for the midday

for the afternoon

for the evening

for the night

for the moon and the stars

for friends

for family

for music

for peace and quiet

for good books

for good movies

for good food

for yesterday

for today

for help we have received

for help we have given

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Thank you, God,

for everything good.

Amen.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

JUNE 26, 2011 COMMON ERA

PROPER 8, THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, YEAR A

http://blogatheologica.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/thank-you-god/

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Athens, Georgia, March 6, 2011

Image Source = Bill Monk

(https://picasaweb.google.com/atldiophotos/EmmanualAthens#5581091491380224946)

Hymn Source = The United Methodist Hymnal (1989), of The United Methodist Church

Original text in Latin; English translation by John Mason Neale (1818-1866), a priest of The Church of England, leading light of the Oxford Movement, and translator of many hymns

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1.  Christ is made the sure foundation,

Christ the head and cornerstone;

chosen of the Lord and precious,

binding all the church in one;

holy Zion’s help forever,

and her confidence alone.

2.  To this temple, where we call thee,

come, O Lord of Hosts, today!

With thy faithful loving-kindness

hear thy people s they pray,

and thy fullest benediction

shed within its walls alway.

3.  Here vouchsafe to all thy servants

what they ask of thee to gain;

what they gain from thee forever

with the blessed to retain,

and hereafter in thy glory

evermore with thee to reign.

4.  Laud and honor to the Father,

laud and honor to the Son,

laud and honor to the Spirit,

ever three and ever one;

one in might and one in glory,

while unending ages run.

St. Mary and St. Martha Episcopal Church, Buford, Georgia, June 5, 2011

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Words by John Keble (1792-1866), a poet and a priest of  The Church of England

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1916 (1918), The Episcopal Church

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1.  Blest are the pure in heart,

For they shall see our God;

The secret of the Lord is theirs,

Their soul is Christ’s abode.

2.  The Lord, who left the heavens

Our life and peace to bring,

To dwell in lowliness with men,

Their pattern and their King;

3.  He to the lowly soul

Doth still himself impart;

And for his dwelling and his throne

Chooseth the pure in heart.

4.  Lord, we thy presence seek;

May ours this blessing be;

Give us a pure and lowly heart,

A temple meet for thee.

Times Square, New York, New York

Image Source = Terabass

Words by the Reverend Frank Mason North (1850-1935), a minister of the late Methodist Episcopal Church, a forerunner of The United Methodist Church (1968-); North, concerned with social justice, was active in the movement to end child labor and served as President of the Federal Council of Churches, a forerunner of the National Council of Churches, from 1916 to 1920

Hymn Source = The Methodist Hymnal (1905), of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; the hymn appeared first in this book

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1.  Where cross the crowded ways of life,

Where sound cries of race and clan,

Above the noise of selfish strife,

We hear thy voice, O Son of man!

2.  In haunts of wretchedness and need,

Of shadowed thresholds dark with fears,

From paths where hide the lures of greed,

We catch the vision of thy tears.

3.  From tender childhood’s helplessness,

From woman’s grief, man’s burdened toil,

From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,

Thy heart has never known recoil.

4.  The cup of water given for thee

Still holds the freshness of thy grace;

Yet long these multitudes to see

The sweet compassion of thy face.

5.  O Master, from the mountain side,

Make haste to heal these hearts of pain,

Among these restless throngs abide,

O tread the city’s street’s again,

6.  Till sons of men shall learn thy love

And follow where thy feet have trod:

Till glorious from thy heaven above

Shall come the city of our God.

Christ Pantocrator

Image in the Public Domain

Hymn Source = The Hymnal 1982, of The Episcopal Church

Words by Samuel John Stone (1839-1900), a priest of The Church of England

This is Stone’s 1868 shorter version of his hymn.  The full version is here.

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1.  The Church’s one foundation

is Jesus Christ her Lord;

she is his new creation

by water and the word:

from heaven he came and sought her

to be his holy bride;

with his own blood he bought her,

and for her life he died.

2.  Elect from every nation,

yet one o’er all the earth,

her charter of salvation,

one Lord, one faith, one birth;

one holy Name she blesses,

partakes one holy food,

and to one hope she presses,

with every grace endued.

3.  Though with a scornful wonder

men see her sore oppressed,

by schisms rent asunder,

by heresies distressed;

yet saints their watch are keeping,

their cry goes up, “How long?”

and soon the night of weeping

shall be the morn of song.

4.  Mid toil and tribulation,

and tumult of her war

she waits the consumation

of peace for evermore;

till with the vision glorious

her longing eyes are blessed,

and the great Church victorious

shall be the Church at rest.

5.  Yet she on earth hath union

with God, the Three in One,

and mystic sweet communion

with those whose rest is won.

O happy ones and holy!

Lord, give us grace that we

like them, the meek and lowly,

on high may dwell with thee.

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, Hamilton, Georgia, June 19, 2011

Image Source = Bill Monk, Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta

Hymn Source = The Hymn Book of the Anglican Church of Canada and the United Church of Canada (1971)

Original Words in Latin; English translation by Henry Williams Baker (1821-1877), a priest of The Church of England, editor of Hymns Ancient and Modern, and author of many hymns

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1.  On this day, the first of days,

God the Father’s name we praise,

who, creation’s Lord and spring,

did the world from darkness bring.

2.  On this day the eternal Son

over death his triumph won;

on this day the Spirit came

with his gifts of living flame.

3.  Father, who didst fashion me

image of thyself to be,

fill me with thy love divine,

let my every thought be thine.

4.  Holy Jesus, may I be

dead and buried here with thee;

and, by love inflamed, arise

unto thee a sacrifice.

5.  Thou, who dost all gifts impart,

shine, sweet Spirit, in my heart;

best of gifts thyself bestow;

make me burn thy love to know.

6.  God, the blessed three in one,

dwell within my heart alone;

thou dost give thyself to me:

may I give myself to thee.

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/first-day-of-easter-easter-sunday-year-b-principal-service/

http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/great-vigil-of-easter-year-b/

A Trappist Monk Praying

Image Source = Daniel Tibi

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Dear God,

when the noises, frets, and other stresses of life

threaten to overtake me,

may I resist them successfully, by grace,

and find you in silence.

Amen.

Statue of Reconciliation, St. Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry, England, United Kingdom

Image Source = Rebecca Kennison

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:UK_Coventry_Statue-of-Reconcilliation.jpg)

Website of the Cathedral:

http://www.coventrycathedral.org.uk/

Prayer by Jetty van den Berghe, who has graciously granted me permission to reproduce it; She posted it in the Facebook group for the Ecumenical Catholic Communion; I have adapted it slightly for ease of word choice and for punctuation here and there

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Lord,

You offer your love to all humankind,

It’s a gift, your unconditional love,

A love that is repeated every day.

Thou Faithful God, you’ve put in all your love by sending Your Only Son, Jesus.

The essence of this love is that You carried your creation

In the warmth of your heart.

Father, your Son has brought reconciliation in our lives.

Grant that we humans will be as you originally intended.

It is in this love that our lives are completely renewed.

Make us witnesses of this unconditional love,

to love one another,

That our environment may also be touched by this unconditional love.

Father of our existence, accept our honor and glory.

Amen.