June 13^th at 5 P.M. hosts the CitySingers of Hartford in their presentation entitled Celtic Fire! For this concert and reception at Emmanuel, we are in need of volunteers for the following: Ushering, (6 people), ticket sales attendants, (2 people), ‘will-call’ table, (1 person), a small crew for refreshment set up, another crew for clean up and of course, everyone to bring a plate of goodies to share at the reception. I expect to be wearing many hats in all of the above and will greatly appreciate any help people can give in this, Emmanuel’s first big concert offering to the community since April 2009, more than a year ago.

Music Notes: (Now posted on the Web) Pentecost 2 – June 6^th emphasizes life; the altar paraments color is aptly green. ‘New life is what happens when God ‘visits his people’ and gets involved, bringing redemptive power into the very darkest situation – and in ways that will never cease to surprise us.’ [RSCM Sunday by Sunday, Issue 51]. Paul had that happen in his conversion, briefly mentioned in today’s lessons and later, he wrote to the Galations about receiving the gospel through a ‘revelation of Jesus Christ’ and to the Corinthians, ‘I will sing with the spirit, and with understanding also,’ his first letter, chapter 14, verse 15, which has been adapted as the Chorister Creed. Starting this Sunday and for several Sundays to come, we turn to saying the psalm and The Lord’s Prayer in contrast to singing them. Our music continues to span the traditions of French, German, American and English hymn writing, acknowledging first, praise and thanksgiving, ‘On this day, the first of days,’ #47. Hymn 47 and then, 255, both use German melodies from the late 1600’s. The first hymn sums up the entire Christian message in just six short stanzas, (after which we could just summarily – call it a day, but not without the Eucharist), and the latter hymn, 255, references Paul’s conversion (actually celebrated on January 25). Both speak of darkness, but also of God’s revealing light. Hymn 302 at the Presentation, is a Greek text from about the year 110, set to a French tune, which turns to singing of thanks for what God has done and for what we are about to receive in the Eucharist. At the anthem, the choir sings the beautiful ‘Litany to the Holy Spirit,’ by Peter Hurford, at the communion Barbara Roos sings, ‘He shall feed His flock like a shepherd’ from Messiah and in closing, all of us will render the final blessing of praise in Hymn 411, ‘O bless the Lord, my soul!’ In this time of light and praise, we can be thankful we are free to worship in spirit and truth, but do keep your hearts and minds in prayer for those who are truly in deeply dark and desperate situations all over our planet, like Canon White ministering in Iraq. With the gift of the Web, Canon White’s work can be followed at: www.frrme.org and his book, The Vicar of Bagdad can be obtained from the church office for $15.00.

Don’t forget to tell your family, friends and neighbors about the CitySingers of Hartford concert, just a week away on June 13^th. We look forward to filling the church with Celtic Fire.

Peace and see you at worship – AJH

The Chorister Creed & Prayer

‘I will sing with the spirit and with understanding also’

The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians 14:15

Bless, O Lord, us your servants who minister in your 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. Amen

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Music Notes - June 6, 2010 Pentecost 2

Psalm 30 BCP page 621