Beyond the turmoil
The Sung Eucharist
for the Fourth Sunday before Lent had much of an accession theme as it was
quite ministering to my state of mind. As much as I had the intention of
attending to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the reign of our Sovereign Lady,
Elizabeth our Queen, along the way was the funfair for the Chinese New Year at
Chinatown that I did much to miss on my return.
The Processional
Hymn climaxed at the quietude of these lines that I received with a sense of gratitude.
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still small voice of calm!
New English Hymnal (NEH 353)
During the singing of
the Gloria in Excelsis, sung only by the choir, you follow what is being said
so far until between the orchestration of music and singing, you are lost in
the mystery of Latin imitating the esoteric of the spiritual, like the
transponder of an aircraft switched off and untraceable in flight until, near the
end of the journey, you grasp what is going on, just before the final Amen.
At the call to serve
At the Gradual Hymn
before the reading of the Gospel, I found some encouragement in my apparent
vulnerability from the ending of the first and last verses.
Will you let my life be grown,
In you and you in me?
Thus I’ll move and live and grow,
In you and you in me.
Common Praise (CP 662)
I was tapping my left
foot to the Scottish Traditional melody of this hymn as I was signing and
meditating on the words of it. It is known as the Summons, the call to service
and ministry.
Though, keeping with
the spirit of monarchic significance, during Communion, the choir was in full
voice signing Zadok
the Priest, composed by George Frideric
Handel for the coronation of George II
in 1727. The lyrics of which derived from Scripture are in their simplicity not
as orchestrated as the singing, and the gender is not changed for the sex of the
reigning monarch that we would do for the anthem God Save the Queen;
written in 1745 also during the reign of George II; that we sang in two verses without
the controversial middle one, at the end of the service.
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet
anointed Solomon king,
And all the people rejoiced and said:
God save the King! Long live the King! God save the King!
May the King live for ever. Amen. Hallelujah.
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