Notes

Sunday, October 26, is Celebration Sunday, the day when we bring our gifts and give back to God in response to how we have been blessed. In today’s liturgies, we will place our estimate of giving cards in boxes as we approach the altar to receive Communion. God is never more present to us than in the bread and wine of Holy Communion, and the word “Eucharist” itself means “Thanksgiving.” It is, indeed, most appropriate that we offer our gifts to God at this most sacred moment, and we encoura... Read More

[getty src="458767807?et=rsliWhKnQwNit9M1pwYc3g&similar=on&sig=f6OOhQ_fSvV2Sb1g1kwxN5zUVr6yLfI6-qwRujCGw-w=" width="594" height="421"]Our gospel story for today from Matthew is Jesus’ famous “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s” scene in which the Pharisees attempt to ask Jesus a “trick question.” Jesus’ responses are quick, brief and classic, and the Pharisees “were amazed.”The text of our Communion hymn Sunday, October 19, is five stanzas of John Greenleaf Whittier’s original 17-sta... Read More

[caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="660"] Westminster Abbey.[/caption] Henry Purcell’s (1659-1695) setting of Philippians 4:4-7, "Rejoice in the Lord always," is the choir’s anthem this Sunday morning (October 12). Dating from between 1682-1685, this anthem acquired is nickname "The Bell Anthem" from its opening prelude, which emulates the pealing of bells, even when accompanied by strings, as it was originally. This anthem is a "verse anthem" (alternating between solo voice... Read More

For the anthem at the Offertory this Sunday morning, October 5, the Parish Choir sings the well-known choral staple, "The heavens are telling" from The Creation, by Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809). During his visits to England in the late 1700s, Haydn heard the large choral works (oratorios) of Handel and was inspired to write his own. The Creation was written in three sections: Part I celebrates earth, heavens, light, water, weather, plants, and trees; Part II celebrates the creation of fis... Read More