Musings... on Music and Falling Markets!

… on Music and Falling Markets!

On Wednesday morning last week, I woke early with thoughts for the Palm Sunday reflection running through my mind – to the sound of global markets continuing to fall…

So, I got up and jotted down my notes - but alas, the rest of the reflection that would follow the Palm Sunday Parade continued to be as elusive as the Shriner Clown on a go-kart in a Santa Claus parade – teasing with treats and then zooming off!  So, I began work on collating the result from the Centennial Celebration in Music Survey.

Eighteen people responded to the survey and identified among them 86 hymns as favourites! Seven (7) of those favourites are from hymnbooks other than Voices United and More Voices. Fifty-four (54) of the favourite hymns came from Voices United and twenty-five (25) were from More Voices.

There was a tie in respect to the favourite hymn (from among the eighteen respondents). #509 Voices United, I, The Lord of Sea and Sky and #135 More Voices, Called By Earth and Sky were tied with five (5) votes each. A rabbit hole for exploring might be our theological orientation toward earth, sea and sky as analogous with Divine Mystery/God…

Second place was also tied – a four-way tie – with three of those being from More Voices and one from Voices United:

  MV 079 Spirit Open My Heart

  MV 135 Called By Earth & Sky

  MV 142 O A Song Must Rise

  VU 703 In the Bulb There Is A Flower

A big thank you to all who participated! Have a look at the eighty-six hymns listed and see if you can find one of your favourites! The Ministry Team and the Music Directors will be using this list as they select hymns for the Easter and Pentecost seasons!  Hope to see you on Sunday mornings and may the stars align, and we sing one of your favourites on that Sunday morning!

Hymn Number and Title                            # of Instances

MV 001  Let us build a house                         2

MV 010 Come and Seek           

MV 012 Come Touch Our Hearts                    2

MV 023 Come O Holy Spirit                            3

MV 030 It a Song of Praise                             2

MV 041 O Beautiful Gaia                                2

MV 079 Spirit Open My Heart                         4

MV 082 Bathe me in your light              

MV 088 Over my head                                     2

MV 092 Like a rock                                          2

MV 120 My Soul Cries Out                              2

MV 135 Called by Earth and Sky                     5

MV 138 My Love Colours Outside      

MV 142 O a song must rise                             4

MV 144 Like a Healing Stream              

MV 145 Draw the Circle Wide                          2

MV 150 Spirit God, be our breath       

MV 154 Deep in our Hearts                              2

MV 161 I Have Called you by Your

MV 169 When Hands Reach Out 

MV 171 Christ has no Body   

MV 187 Water Flowing                

MV 191 What Can I Do?            

MV 209 Go make a diff'rence                            2

VU 018 There's a Voice in the Wilderness        2

VU 087 I Am the Light of the World   

VU 155 Jesus Christ is risen today    

VU 166 Joy Comes with the Dawn     

VU 208 Veni Sancte Spiritus

VU 217 All Creatures Great and Small            

VU 222 Come let us sing of a wonderful love              

VU 222 Joyful joyful we adore thee   

VU 229 God of the sparrow                               2

VU 234 Let us with a gladsome mind               

VU 236 Now thank theeall our god   

VU 266 Amazing grace               

VU 274 Your hand, O God, has guided            

VU 291 All Things Bright and Beautiful            

VU 296 This is God's wondrous world              

VU 296 This is my Father's world        

VU 299 Teach Me God to Wonder                       2

VU 307 Touch the earth lightly              

VU 313 God, whose almighty word  

VU 315 Holy, Holy, Holy                                       2

VU 328 Jesu Joy of God’s Desiring     

VU 352 I Danced in the Morning          

VU 352 Lord of the dance        

VU 374 Come and Find the Quiet Center            2

VU 375 Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness   

VU 378 Spirit of God 

VU 380 She Comes Sailing on The Wind            2

VU 395 Come in, Come In and Sit Down       

VU 395 Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness   

VU 409 Morning has broken  

VU 424 May the God of Hope Go With Us    

VU 459 Here, O my Lord           

VU 460 All who hunger, gather gladly               

VU 471 Eat this Bread and Never Hunger     

VU 509 I The Lord of Sea and Sky                         5

VU 563 Jesus, You have Come to the…           

VU 567 Will You Come and Follow Me                   2

VU 579 The Church is Wherever God's…      

VU 586 We Shall Go Out with Hope

VU 595 We are pilgrims (on a journey)             

VU 624 Give to us Laughter   

VU 625 I feel the winds of God                                2

VU 635 All the way my Saviour leads me      

VU 639 One More Step Along the World I Go               

VU 642 Be Thou My Vision      

VU 646 We are Marching          

VU 651 Guide me ,Othou grat Jehovah           

VU 660 How firm a foundation             

VU 664 What a friend we have in Jesus           

VU 675 Will Your Anchor Hold               

VU 675 will your anchor hold                 

VU 703 In a Bulb There Is A Flower                        4

VU 716 My life flows on             

VU 766 As the deer pants for the water          

VU 808 On Eagle's Wings        

?? ??? count your blessings  

?? ??? Crossing the Bar            

?? ??? In the Garden 

?? ??? It is Well With My Soul                

?? ??? Jerusalem ("and did those feet")         

?? ??? Just a Closer Walk with Thee                  

?? ??? Ring the Bells of Heaven!         

Faithfully,

Lloyd

Looking Ahead

This morning I will be at the office at Sackville United Church. I will meet with Julia via Zoom for our regular staff meeting. Over lunch I will gather with other United Church ministry personnel as we mark the beginning of Holy Week Together. Monday afternoon will be spent at the Drew Nursing Home and on Monday evening I will gather with the governing body of Visions United Church for their regular meeting.

Tuesday morning will be spent online meeting with the Sackville United Church Pastoral Care Committee and the Lectionary Study Group then it is off to Moncton where I have four pastoral visits planned and visits to the hospital.

On Wednesday morning there is a meeting scheduled with the Collaborative M&P Committee and in the evening I'll be meeting with a couple who is planning their wedding before gathering with the Prayer Circle at Sackville United Church at 6:30PM and the SUC Executive at 7PM. As time allows I will work on the reflection for Easter Sunday.

Thursday morning will be devoted to writing a reflection for Sunday and preparing for the Holy Thursday gathering at 6PM at Sackville United Church and the Good Friday Service that will take place at Central United Church on Friday at 10:30AM.

Julia and I and others from the three congregations of the Collaborative will offer leadership at the Good Friday Service at Central United Church at 10:30AM on Friday morning. This service will be broadcast and it is hoped that there will be many participants present in-person from the three congregations!

Saturday will be a day of rest and reflection.

And on Sunday we will proclaim renewal and resurrection as we gather at Central United Church and Sackville United Church at 10:30AM. Folk from Visions are encouraged to gather with Central or Sackville in-person or particiate via the broadcast from Sackville or via Zoom with Central.

I will be out of the office from April 21 to 24 and will respond to messages and phone calls when I return. In my absence Julia is available to respond to pastoral and administrative issues.