大象传媒

Presenters: V Rev Kelvin Holdsworth, Rev Canon Oliver Brewer-Lennon, Rev Dr Maggie McTernan
Cantor:听 Rev Canon Oliver Brewer-Lennon
Cathedral Choir directed by Frikki Walker
Organist: John Gormley

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KELVIN听听听

Good morning. I鈥檓 The Very Reverend Kelvin Holdsworth.

For months on end, this church, St Mary鈥檚 Episcopal Cathedral, was silent.

As in so many other cities and communities, the lockdown in Glasgow was a long one. We kept the rules faithfully and diligently. Locking the doors of the church was our way of praying for a world that needed prayer more than any time I could remember.

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But our musicians were silent. Unable to sing. Unable to lead the people of God in praise. It was one of the hardest times for all churches, particularly a musical church such as this.

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And then we were allowed, very tentatively to come back into this glorious Cathedral space to worship again. And the rules were very clear. We were allowed just one singer at any service.

MUSIC:听 OLIVER 鈥� SOLO PLAINSONG: CANTATE DOMINO CANTICUM NOVUM

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KELVIN
That snatch of plainsong was sung by our Vice-Provost, the Reverend Canon Oliver Brewer-Lennon, who joins me in leading the service with The Reverend Dr Maggie McTernan.

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MAGGIE

This Sunday has been designated as music Sunday by the Royal School of Church Music. Here in the vibrant West End of Glasgow we are now able to sing the praises of God with all our might once again. People come to this church for many reasons, but many here speak of our inclusive ethos which seeks to embrace all people and hear all voices. And they come here because we enjoy our music.

Here in this place, we sing because God is good. We sing because life is better when we can open our voices and join in singing with others. We sing for the sheer joy of it.

And as we sing, God is glorified.

MUSIC:听 HYMN 鈥� WHEN IN OUR MUSIC GOD IS GLORIFIED (Tune: Engelberg)

KELVIN:
Our first prayer today is one known, often by heart, by members of church choirs up and down the country and indeed around the world. It is called the choristers prayer.

Let us pray.

Bless, O Lord,
us thy servants who minister in thy temple;
Grant that what we sing with our lips,
we may believe in our hearts,
and what we believe in our hearts we may show forth in our lives;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
ALL:听 Amen

MAGGIE:

It鈥檚 the custom of many Christians around the world to recite daily prayers together. Often this involves singing or reciting portions of the psalms. The book of one hundred and fifty psalms at the heart of the Hebrew scriptures includes songs that seem to contain every emotion from the lament of grief and despair to ecstatic praise. Traditionally associated with the experience of King David, the psalms seem to speak to everyone. The psalms have been used by people of faith as the sun has come up and as the sun has gone down every day since they were first sung.

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We now hear the Cathedral choir sing one of the psalms often used for morning prayer. The Jubilate 鈥� psalm 100, in a setting by Philip Stopford. It invites us to be joyful in the Lord. It imagines human existence as being primarily about having fun with God, rejoicing and giving thanks through every hour of the day.

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O be joyful in the Lord, all you lands.

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MUSIC 鈥� JUBILATE, PSALM 100 (Composer: Philip Stopford)

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MAGGIE:

The first reading from the bible that we hear this morning is the start of a sequence of songs. Halfway through the book of the prophet Isaiah, a voice is suddenly heard crying out. The songs that follow are known as the Servant Songs and Christians have often deepened their understanding of Jesus Christ by thinking about these songs, with which he was so familiar.

OLIVER: 听[Isaiah 40: ]
Comfort, O comfort my people,
听听听says your God.
2听Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
听听听and cry to her
that she has served her term,
听听听that her penalty is paid,
that she has received from the听Lord鈥檚 hand
听听听double for all her sins.

3听A voice cries out:
鈥業n the wilderness prepare the way of the听Lord,
听听听make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4听Every valley shall be lifted up,
听听听and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
听听听and the rough places a plain.
5听Then the glory of the听Lord听shall be听revealed,
听听听and all people shall see it together,
听听听for the mouth of the听Lord听has spoken.鈥�

6听A voice says, 鈥楥ry out!鈥�
听听听And I said, 鈥榃hat shall I cry?鈥�
All people are grass,
听听听their constancy is like the flower of the field.
7听The grass withers, the flower fades,
听听听when the breath of the听Lord听blows upon it;
听听听surely the people are grass.
8听The grass withers, the flower fades;
听听听but the word of our God will stand for ever.
9听Get you up to a high mountain,
听听听O听Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
听听听O听Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
听听听lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
听听听鈥楬ere is your God!鈥�
10听See, the Lord听God听comes with might,
听听听and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
听听听and his recompense before him.
11听He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
听听听he will gather the lambs in his听arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
听听听and gently lead the mother sheep.

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KELVIN

The hymn we sing now reminds us that God joins us in singing a better world into being. I discovered these words by Becca Lachman on a recent sabbatical in America. Today we pair them with a Lewis Folk Melody from the Gaelic tradition, knitting something from far away together with something much more local and making something entirely new.

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KELVIN READS LINES FROM HYMN:

Oh, the Spirit, she was singing 鈥� [Copyright material]

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MUSIC: HYMN 鈥� COULD IT BE THAT GOD IS SINGING (Tune: Lewis Folk Melody)

Words: Becca J R Lachman /听 Music Arr John Bell and Frikki Walker

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OLIVER:

In our second reading this morning, we get a glimpse of heaven. John, the author of the book of Revelation is describing a mystical experience that includes prophetic words to the churches of his day and alarming visions of the end times. In the midst of all this, John encounters the worship of heaven. And singing is one of its clearest characteristics.

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MAGGIE

I looked, and there in heaven a door stood open! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, 鈥楥ome up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.鈥� At once I was in the spirit, and there in heaven stood a throne, with one seated on the throne! And the one seated there looks like jasper and cornelian, and around the throne is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. Around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones are twenty-four elders, dressed in white robes, with golden crowns on their heads. Coming from the throne are flashes of lightning, and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne burn seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God; and in front of the throne there is something like a sea of glass, like crystal.

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Around the throne, and on each side of the throne, are four living creatures, full of eyes in front and behind: the first living creature like a lion, the second living creature like an ox, the third living creature with a face like a human face, and the fourth living creature like a flying eagle. And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and inside. Day and night without ceasing they sing,

鈥楬oly, holy, holy,

the Lord God the Almighty,

听听 who was and is and is to come.鈥�

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And whenever the living creatures give glory and honour and thanks to the one who is seated on the throne, who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives for ever and ever; they cast their crowns before the throne, singing,

鈥榊ou are worthy, our Lord and God,

听听 to receive glory and honour and power,

for you created all things,

听听 and by your will they existed and were created.鈥�

For the word of God among us, for the word of God within us.

ALL: 听Thanks be to God.

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SERMON PART 1

The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth

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A couple of weeks ago, I sat on the sand in the blazing sunshine on the West Coast of Scotland chatting to a friend. I was to come away from that conversation with a furiously sunburnt face but also with a snatch of conversation that I remember that was about singing.

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My friend was telling me about the experience of living right beside the rocks and the beach for a couple of months. Swimming in the sea every day no matter what the temperature. And scrambling over the rocks to see what wildlife would pop up each day.

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鈥淪ometimes there鈥檚 seals鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut not always鈥�.

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鈥淵ou should try singing to them,鈥� I said. 鈥淭hey always come if you start singing鈥�.

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鈥淩eally鈥� she said,

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鈥淵es鈥�, I said, 鈥渂ut I think they prefer it if you sing in Gaelic鈥�.

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And I鈥檝e seen it. If you sit on the rocks and sing then the seals get curious.

You should try singing to them. They always come if you start singing.

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That鈥檚 the thing that I took away from this conversation.

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Because when I thought about it, I realised that it was true not just for seals.

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In our day, many churches and local faith communities are struggling, particularly since the pandemic. The experience of finding worship difficult for a period of time and the experience of having our music hushed for that time has left many communities more than a little precarious and vulnerable.

But here鈥檚 a prediction from me. When revival comes to the life of our churches, as surely it will eventually come, those places that are going to see growth and wellbeing in their worship will be recognised for their singing.

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For it is almost impossible to recall any revival of church life 鈥� any period of growth and development in church history which has not had singing at its core.

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When the people of God want to express themselves then they sing. And when we are looking to share our faith with others, perhaps we should try singing to them.

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They always come if you start singing.

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For months during the pandemic, we could only have one voice singing. And here in St Mary鈥檚, we reached back into the church tradition for music that particularly worked for one voice and started to use Plainsong, some of the earliest of musical expressions to be written down.

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Here鈥檚 some of the music that we鈥檝e recovered in our worship and now use regularly here that we probably would not have rediscovered without that experience.听 My colleague, Oliver Brewer-Lennon sings Cantate domino canticum novum 鈥� Sing to the听 Lord a new song for the Lord has done marvellous things.

And as we hear these words, we remember that they speak of something more than just a simple song. The invitation from God is to sing new songs in our lives. To find new ways of being and make all things new.

MUSIC:听 OLIVER 鈥� SOLO PLAINSONG: CANTATE DOMINO CANTICUM NOVUM: QUI A MIRABILIA FECIT DOMINUS

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SERMON PART 2

The Very Rev Kelvin Holdsworth

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I suppose I can be very thankful that I鈥檝e sung God鈥檚 praises in so many different ways.

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On this music Sunday, I find myself thinking about them and being grateful for the vastness of human creativity when it comes to finding new ways to sing.

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I remember singing in a cave-like chapel in the Egyptian desert with monks who sang the whole psalter 鈥� all the psalms every day and knew the whole thing by heart. Their prayer was kept going for hours and hours accompanied only by the jingle-jangle of a triangle and small hand cymbals.

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And I鈥檝e sung with Christians in great crowds in a football stadium, inspired and held aloft as we sang by the hottest guitar licks in town.

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And most often, I鈥檝e sung in churches like this one with choir and organ leading the praises of the congregation and egging them on to greater and greater heights of praise.

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And yet at the heart of it all, music is something of a mystery, a gift from God that isn鈥檛 easily tied down or explained.

I remember asking one of the musicians who is helping to animate our music this morning about a particular hymn tune that he loves. 鈥淲hy is it so fantastic?鈥� I asked him. And it was a tune that I know that lots of church musicians adore.

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鈥淭hat鈥檚 the funny thing鈥� he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e no idea. No-one knows. It is just fabulous to sing and makes the words soar鈥�.

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Music that makes the words soar is what we celebrate today, giving thanks to God for music that comforts, music that inspires and sometimes for music that challenges us too.

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But above all on this music Sunday, I want to give thanks for music that makes the words soar.

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Almost all the visions of heaven that we have in the bible suggest that music surrounds the God whom we worship.

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For God seems to have given us an ability to hear significance in certain chords. Our emotions are all set a-tingle by a beautiful melody that might prompt tears of joy or tears of sorrow听 or suddenly take us back to that time when someone told us they loved us.

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When we sing in church, we are offering not just a gift of notes on the page or random noise to fill the silence. We are offering a gift of love to one who loved us first.

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Music and love seem so very often to go together.

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That association of music and love is what church music is about at its finest.

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For God is love. Love that is real and strong. And God鈥檚 love has been proclaimed by people who have sung through the ages and will sing forevermore.

MUSIC:听 OVER MY HEAD, I HEAR MUSIC IN THE AIR

African American Spiritual arranged by Pamela Warrick Smith

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MAGGIE听听听听听听 Intro to Intercessions
Let us join our hearts in prayer with all those who worship today, holding before God the world in which we live and those who need to know God鈥檚 love most of all today.
Let us pray.

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OLIVER
Eternal God,
remembering all who feel their voices are silenced
and all who go unheard,
call us to listen
and to work for a
world where everyone is included and every voice is heard.

God in your mercy
ALL: HEAR OUR PRAYER

MAGGIE:
Saviour of the world,
we remember all who have decisions to make which affect the lives of others.
We pray for those who use their own voice in our parliaments to speak up for others.

We pray too for this great city and pray that you will let Glasgow flourish.

God in your mercy
ALL: HEAR OUR PRAYER

OLIVER
Holy Spirit of God
we remember all those whose hearts need to be cheered today. Help us to reach out to those in need and comfort those who are distressed. Help us to accept and receive the love that others offer us in the week that is ahead.

God in your mercy
ALL: HEAR OUR PRAYER

MAGGIE
Creator, Saviour and Holy Spirit, on this day we remember before you lives that are ending and lives that are beginning. We hold up especially the sick, the sorrowful, the weary and the dying. 听All our journeys begin and end with you.

Give to those who have died your eternal life and to those who mourn the grace and comfort of your holy spirit.

God in your mercy
ALL: HEAR OUR PRAYER

OLIVER:
Eternal God, by your Holy Spirit you have made us one
with your saints in heaven and on earth: Grant us the grace to glimpse heaven on earth as we join others in worshipping you. We pray for all church musicians this day and we unite our hearts with all who sing for joy

KELVIN:
We make all our prayers in the company of our Blessed Lady Mary and all the saints, in the power of the Spirit and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
ALL: AMEN

MAGGIE听听听听听听 Intro to ALLELUIA

When people from different parts of the world gather together, it is often music that gives them a common language. Often those who have difficulty understanding one another鈥檚 speech can relate to one another鈥檚 singing. And through time for centuries, one word has been common to people of faith from many traditions and on every continent when they want to sing for joy.

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One way of summing up Christianity in just one line is this 鈥淲e are an Easter people and our song is alleluia!鈥�

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Reaching back to the earliest forms of written music that we possess, we join those who have sung that word through vastly different human experience in an ever changing world.

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For Alleluia is still our song.

MUSIC:听 OLIVER 鈥� SOLO PLAINSONG: ALLELUIA

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MAGGIE:

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious
favour, and further us with your continual help; that in all our
works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify
your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting
life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ALL: AMEN

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MAGGIE:听 Kyrie
Lord have mercy upon us
ALL:听 Christ have mercy upon us
Lord have mercy upon us.

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LORD'S PRAYER

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KELVIN听 As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray:

ALL:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,听 your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. 听Amen.

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MAGGIE:

When we sing, we join with the worship of heaven. I鈥檝e no idea what angels

sound like. But I鈥檓 sure they join our singing as we make our offering of praise.

MUSIC:听 HYMN 鈥� ANGEL VOICES EVER SINGING (Tune: Angel Voices)

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KELVIN听听听 Collects and closing responses

O God, whom saints and angels
delight to worship in heaven:
Be ever present with your servants
who seek through art and music
to magnify the praises offered by your people on earth;
and 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.

ALL: AMEN

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ALL:
God most holy,
we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night
into the light of morning,
and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service
so that when evening comes,
we may once more give you thanks,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 听Amen.

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KELVIN听听听听听 Blessing

May the worship of heaven inspire you,

Breathe with all who breathe,

Sing with all who sing,

Rejoice with all who rejoice

Lament with all who weep.

And know that God is with you in all you do.

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May you be blessed with people to comfort you
and be blessed with those whom you may comfort.

May you know peace when life brings silence
and experience calm when life is frantic.

May you be free from all discord

And experience God-given harmony in all you do.

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May you encounter beauty,
May you experience love,
and may all that comes to you be good.

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And may God bless you this day, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

ALL: AMEN

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MUSIC: ORGAN VOLUNTARY 鈥� FANFARE by William Mathias

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