(graceful music) Woman: Duke University Chapel. Service of worship. November 4th, 1979. (orchestral warming up music) Conductor: Okay, shh, shh. You kids remind me that these cameras are capable of picking up flash-sized mustard seeds in the macaws, so-- with this, don't get at the eye of anything. (chair screech) (orchestra members talking) Why don't we do more one more escape? One, one, one, one of four, okay? (orchestra members talking) And let the B, instead of two each, one each. And then one course the course. So four times through letter B, then we'll be at E. I'll find it in the background, holding the last time. The quarter is plus point, only speed, until a mark. Can you play the kinwah pattern until the mark? - Yeah. - Then, "Saints Go Marching In," And then, "Oh Happy Day." I've gotta sort a whole lot on my watch a little bit, so I'll try to give you as much time as I can to give you on space, speed-dialing-- (talking from orchestra members) There's a reason for that. Are we good now? (orchestra members talking) (orchestra matching pitch with one another) One, two, one two three four. (lively jazz music, starting with bass fiddle) (murmurs from band, congregation) (silky, sultry music) (murmurs from band, congregation) (undulating, expressive music) (murmurs from band, congregation) (jubilant music, "When the Saints Go Marching In") (cheerful music, "Oh Happy Day") ♪ When the cross be gone the coils shall ♪ ♪ 'round him ransom me no more ♪ ♪ And the forming grace eternal price is paid ♪ ♪ When the Savior first shall gather ♪ ♪ All around me on His shore ♪ ♪ And the glory from a piaster I'll be saved ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ Is all about ♪ ♪ Is all we have ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ Is all that comes ♪ ♪ Comes from all we have ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ When the world ♪ ♪ With all of converts ♪ ♪ When the world is all I've got throughout His Hand ♪ (triumphant organ music) ♪ For all the saints ♪ ♪ Who from their labors rest ♪ ♪ Who thee by faith ♪ ♪ Before the world confessed ♪ ♪ Thy name O Jesus ♪ ♪ Be forever blessed ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Thou wast their rock ♪ ♪ Their fortress and their might ♪ ♪ Thou Lord their Captain ♪ ♪ In the well-fought fight ♪ ♪ Thou in the darkness ♪ ♪ Drear the one true light ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Oh may thy soldiers ♪ ♪ Faithful true and bold ♪ ♪ Fight as the saints ♪ ♪ Who nobly fought of old ♪ ♪ And win with them ♪ ♪ The victor's crown of gold ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Oh blest communion ♪ ♪ Fellowship divine ♪ ♪ We feebly struggle ♪ ♪ They in glory shine ♪ ♪ Yet all are one ♪ ♪ In thee for all are thine ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ And when the fight ♪ ♪ Is fierce the warfare long ♪ ♪ Steals on the ear ♪ ♪ The distant triumph song ♪ ♪ And hearts are brave ♪ ♪ Again and hearts are strong ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ But lo there breaks ♪ ♪ A yet more glorious day ♪ ♪ The saints triumphant ♪ ♪ Rise in bright array ♪ ♪ The King of glory ♪ ♪ Passes on His way ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ Leader: Let us remain standing and say together our call to awareness. - [Leader And Congregation] Oh God, we worship in your presence. You have spoken and given form and beauty to the world. You have spoken and forgiven us. You have spoken and freed us from the fear of death. You have spoken and given purpose to our life. Oh Lord, speak to us now. Awaken us to the wonder and beauty of life. Speak, and let us respond in praise and daily service in Christ's name. Amen. Leader: You may be seated. Let us offer our corporate confession to Almighty God. - [Leader and Congregation] Forgive us, Oh Lord, for we acknowledge ourselves as type of the common people, of the men and women who shut the door and sit by the fire. Who fear the blessing of God, the loneliness of the night of God. The surrender required, the deprivation inflicted. Who fear the injustice of others less than the justice of God. Who fear the hand at the window, the knock at the door, the words of our peers, the threats of the commonplace, the conflict with evil, less than we fear the love of God. We acknowledge our trespass, our weakness, our fault. We acknowledge that the sin of the world is upon our heads. That the blood of the martyrs and the agony of the saints is upon our heads. Lord have mercy upon us. Christ have mercy upon us. Lord have mercy upon us. Amen. Leader: Amen, amen. Let us confess our personal sin in the silence of our hearts. And now, sisters and brothers, hear and believe the Good News of the Gospel. We are no longer strangers and sojourners, but we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of the God. In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. Let us forgive one another. Amen. We would like to welcome all those of you who worship here today. You who come to the services regularly, and those of you who are visitors. We are glad you have joined us for this service. I would remind you that Communion is being served in the Memorial Chapel immediately following this service. You are invited to participate in the Lord's Supper. And now, let us continue our worship of God. (ebullient jazz music, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") Pastor: Let us pray. God of light, spirit of truth, we, your people, grope blindly to catch a glimpse of you. As we open your word, give us your light, that we may see your truth. Amen. The Epistle Lesson is from the 21st chapter of Revelation, verses one through six. Then I saw a new heaven, and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride, adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. "He will dwell with them and they shall be his people, "And God Himself will be with them. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, "and death shall be no more. "Neither shall there be mourning, "nor crying, nor pain, anymore. "For the former things have passed away." And He who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." Also, He said, "Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true. And He said to me, "It is done. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. "To the thirsty, I will give from the fountain "of the water of Life without payment." Here ends the reading from the Epistle. All praise and glory be to God. Amen. (jubilant, ebullient music) ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ ♪ The Kingdom of this world ♪ ♪ Is become ♪ ♪ The Kingdom of our Lord ♪ ♪ And of his Christ ♪ ♪ And of his Christ ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ Forever and ever hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ King of Kings and Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And he shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ Forever and ever ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever and ever ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ And He shall reign forever and ever ♪ ♪ Forever and ever ♪ ♪ King of Kings ♪ ♪ And Lord of Lords ♪ ♪ Forever and ever ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah hallelujah ♪ ♪ Hallelujah ♪ Preacher: Let us pray. Now may the words of my lips and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. Anybody who would try to preach after hearing the Duke Chapel Choir and congregation sing the Hallelujah Chorus, I think probably needs to have his head examined. Thank you, and you. All Saints' Day, in the life of the church, is one of those memorable days, like Easter, when we recall, remember, and celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will do. What has been, what is, and what is yet to be. Thus today, on the Sunday after All Saints' Day, we gather together to rejoice over God's gift to us of the saints of the ages, and of the saints of our own day. Peter, Paul, John, Mary, Dorcas, St. Augustine, St. Francis, St. Thomas, George Fox, Brother Lawrence, Joan of Arc, John Bunyan, William Law, Teresa of Avila, John Wesley, Susanna Wesley, mother of 18 children, no less, Thomas R. Kelly, Thomas a Kempis, John Calvin, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., Pope John XXIII, Dag Hammarskjold, Mother Teresa, one of the true saints of all ages, and blessed are we that she is living in our day. These and others in that great cloud of witnesses, living and dead, who surround us and support us through the love and grace of God, day by day and moment by moment. Thomas Merton, one of this century's true mystics and saints, writes in a little book of his entitled, "He is Risen." "True encounter with Christ liberates something in us, "a power we did not know we had, "a hope, a capacity for life, a resiliency, "an ability to bounce back, a capacity to grow and change, "a power of creative transformation." A power of creative transformation is ours when we encounter the living Christ. And then we read, and hear the word, as John's vision in Revelation gives it to us. John writes, "These magnificent words "which have been read so many, many times "through the centuries, and I, John, saw a vision. "A new heaven and a new earth, the Holy City, "the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, "and I heard a great voice saying, "'The dwelling of God is with men. "'He will dwell with them and they shall be his people. "'And God Himself will be with them. "'Listen, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, "'and death shall be no more, neither shall "'there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, "'for the former things have passed away.'" And then John writes, "He who sat upon the throne said, "'Behold, I make all things new.'" What a powerful, majestic, moving, beautiful word from the Lord our God! You really feel like singing and standing and singing the Doxology, or just standing and shouting to God, "Be the glory!" One of the really sad and unfortunate and undesirable experiences of our day today, at least for me, anyhow, is the realization of how many people have read, or are reading, writings by Hal Lindsey and others like him. Lindsey's book, "The Late, Great Planet Earth," is supposed to have sold, what, five or six million copies? Another book of his, "A New World is Coming," already sold a couple million. But in the eyes of most New Testament scholars, these writings of his and others like his, are pure distortions of the word of God in Revelation. Lindsey and other like him have simply done their best to ruin or destroy or pervert the power and beauty and meaning of the book of Revelation. A message of hope has been made by them a message of fear. A message of promise has been made by them a message of doom. A message of life has been made by them a message of destruction. In John's vision, he hears a great voice say, "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, "and death shall be no more. "Neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore "for these former things have passed away. "And then, he who sat upon the throne said, "'Behold, I make all things new.'" Oh, how we need that creative transformation! How we need all things to be made new by God in and through the power and the grace of Jesus Christ today. No more doom, no more destruction, no more misery, no more fear, no more threat, no more Hell. Here we have, not only a vision of John, but a promise, a pledge, a commitment, a new covenant of God with all of God's children, you and me. Let's note carefully two or three things about these verses. First of all, whatever happens, John says, it will be new. There will be a change, a transformation, a re-creation, a new heaven and a new earth. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem. The old has been tried and tested and found unworthy and unwanted. It's the new that is needed to fulfill God's will for us, and for all people. Second, whatever happens, it will happen as in a city on the earth, and not as some cloud out in the sky, not out there or up there or over there, wherever there is. The New Jerusalem, the Holy City, is to come down from heaven to this earth, to the new earth, to the transformed and recreated earth. It will be as a city, so that we will know, truly know, what community, what living with, what being together and being dependent upon, is really all about. Not city though, as most of us think and know of cities as hellholes today, but along the lines of St. Augustine's The City of God. A city, a community, a place where we know and are known. Third, though, this dwelling of God is to be with us. That is, with God's people. Listen, if you will, to how beautifully, and undeniably, and unalterably, we are bound to God, and God is bound to us! John asserts here, with real daring, the glorious fellowship that we are to know with God and with one another. He says, "The dwelling of God is with men." That is, with us. Then, so that we will understand clearly, he repeats the words, "God will dwell with them." Then the hope that John gives us is stated once again. "They shall be God's people." And then finally, recalling for us the Garden of Eden, the Exodus Covenant, the New Covenant of Jeremiah, and the everlasting covenant given us in Jesus Christ, he says, "God himself will be with them." And so, my friends, John's word from God, is that whatever God is to do in the new creation in the age to come, is, he says, it will be new. It will be as a city here on earth, and God will be our God, and we will be the people of God. But then John goes on. For the first time in all of the book of Revelation, here in the 21st chapter, with certainty, we hear the voice of God, the voice from the throne, the voice of power and wisdom and majesty which says-- remember, this is the first time in the whole book that God Himself has spoken-- "Behold, I make all things new." This, it seems to me, is the word that the saints of the ages have proclaimed and witnessed to and lived out, that is the word that the saints of this day and of every day have tried to get us to know and experience and believe and live out. I can't help but feel, and feel very, very deeply this morning, that whoever God is, and wherever God is, as God looks upon the face of this earth as you and I know it, and as all God's children know it, God surely must be saying, "All things on earth "really do need to be made new." It is true, so very, very true. I don't know about other generations, I don't know about other days, other times. I don't know if this is the most evil, the most wicked, the most sinful generation that has ever been, and I'm not so sure that those who contend that know either. But in terms of who we are as a people, how we relate to one another, and whether we are truly God's people, living according to God's love and way, there is no question but what we do, individually and corporately, need to be made new. And the God who created this universe, the God who called it into being, the God who made you and me and every other child upon this earth. The God who looked out on all that had been made and said, "It is good, indeed, it is very good,." surely is saying this morning not just, "I make all things new," but is surely saying, "I must make all things new." Tears, death, mourning, crying, pain, these former things are to be no more, for "Behold," God says, "I will make all things new." I want to look at these words in two ways this morning. For I believe that God can make things new in this life, and God surely can make things new in the life to come. First of all, God can make things new in this life. There seems to be no way in the life which you and I are called to live, no way that we can avoid tears and death and mourning and crying and pain, absolutely no way anyone of us can avoid these. I saw some words on the wall of a psychiatrist friend of mine recently, where the writing went like this: "Life is full of hardship and duress. "For everything else, be thankful." And so it is, I guess. There is no way to avoid a life that does not need to be made new this moment, today, right now. And then these words, my friends, how painfully, how tragically aware we must be this morning, of our need to be made new as a people, for I'm sure that most all of us have seen the news and have read the papers, showing the tragic, senseless, barbaric slaughtering, killing of four persons, by whomever, and whoever they are, they are sick and torn and insane, surely. It makes one ask the question, "What is there in the heart and soul of us, of any of us, "that would allow that sort of behavior to take place?" In one sequence which I saw on the 11 o'clock news on channel 11 last night, it showed a man running away from two or three other men. And as he ran, he had two guns, one in each hand and he was firing at those from whom he was running, and they were no more than 8 or 10 feet away. How in God's name can one human being do that to another human being? What is going on? And last night, and this morning as I reflected on that, the question came to my mind, "Are we as a people "in this land going to relive the '60s "all over again as we begin the '80s?" God forbid. Vividly, painfully, plainly, tragically, sadly, brokenheartedly, we see and know and surely believe that things really need to be made new in this life. What can we do? I know, no one here this morning really had anything directly to do with what happened in Greensboro yesterday. All of us are brokenhearted and sick. So we ask, not why did it happen but what can we do? One thing I believe is that when the call comes, and it will in the next few days, for those of us who believe in right and justice and human dignity to stand up for those who were attacked, every one of us here, and every other person that we can influence can stand clearly and firmly for two things. One is that we believe that those who did the shooting and the attacking yesterday should be brought to trial quickly, and kept in custody so that other human beings may be safe. A second thing is that equal protection under the law by the police should be provided for all persons. If the Klan gets police protection, and it has every time I have ever seen a news clipping of any of their parades or demonstrations, if the Klan gets protection from the police, then those who protest the Klan should be protected as well. No, my friends, we do not have to look very far. Just yesterday, and just next door, to see how desperately we need for things to be made new. But then it may not be possible for things to be made new in this life, that may be out for some of us. Indeed it may be out for all of us. It just may be that it will have to be in the life to come that all things will be made new. Perhaps that is why the old Negro spirituals from the South of another generation had much otherworldly theology in them. They knew that there was no hope under their slave masters, under the system as they had to live it, but when that chariot swings low, and someone comes to carry me home where all God's children has shoes, I'm gonna put on my shoes, and you got shoes, I got shoes, all God's children got shoes, and we're gonna put on our shoes and walk all over God's heaven. Perhaps it was because they knew that there was no hope in this life that the theology did have an otherworldliness to it. Or maybe it's because we realize that the fullness of life that is home must be somewhere else. Hermann Hesse, the German poet, writes, "Across the sky the clouds move, "Across the fields the wind, "Across the fields the lost child "Of my mother wanders. "Across the street, leaves blow, "Across the trees, birds cry-- "Across the mountains, far away, "My home must be." Somewhere across, my home must be. Or perhaps it's like Carlyle Marney wrote John Claypool one day. John Claypool is a Baptist minister. His daughter was 10 years old and was dying with leukemia. Marney wrote Claypool just a note, and in it, he admitted that he had absolutely no word to say about the suffering of the innocent. He never had had, and probably never would have. But he said, "I fall back on the idea that God someday will have a whole lot to give account for." And I believe that, I really do. Or, to put it in John's words, "I believe that someday, some way, "some place, somehow, God will make all things new." Every time I walk down the halls, or go in the wards of the Veterans Administration Hospital, every time I am around the Alcoholic Rehabilitation Center or the Center for Mentally Retarded Children at Butner, every time I go to the city jail, or come near the Guess Road Prison, every time I go in or drive by the Cerebral Palsy Hospital and see those children playing out front, every time I see pictures of children or hungry masses of people starving, every time I see somebody whose body or mind or spirit is warped or broken or not whole, every time I'm around someone who is struggling to breathe with emphysema, or is dying with leukemia or some other cancer. Every time I see any child of God not living life to the full, not experiencing life in its wholeness, not knowing the goodness and joy and blessing of life, I say and believe and know that the God in whom I believe, the God of the Old and New Covenants of Love and Life, the God of Moses and Jesus and John, the God of you and me someday, somehow, some way, will make all things new. Surely, my friends, it is an amazing grace. Amazing grace that comes from God to us through Jesus Christ. It gives us life. Life in the now, and life that will be full and whole in that age to come. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come. Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. When we've been there 10,000 years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. And the voice from the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And to God be the glory. Amen and amen. (courageous music, "Amazing Grace") ♪ Amazing grace how sweet the sound, ♪ ♪ That saved a wretch like me ♪ ♪ I once was lost but now am found ♪ ♪ Twas blind but now I see ♪ ♪ Twas grace that taught my heart to fear ♪ ♪ And grace my fears relieved ♪ ♪ How precious did that grace appear ♪ ♪ The hour I first believed ♪ ♪ Through many dangers toils and snares ♪ ♪ We have already come ♪ ♪ Twas grace that brought me safe thus far ♪ ♪ And grace will lead me home ♪ ♪ The Lord has promised good to me ♪ ♪ His Word my hope secures ♪ ♪ God will my Shield and Portion be ♪ ♪ As long as life endures ♪ ♪ Yea when this flesh and heart shall fail ♪ ♪ And mortal life shall cease ♪ ♪ I shall possess within the veil ♪ ♪ A life of joy and peace ♪ ♪ When we've been there 10,000 years ♪ ♪ Bright shining like the sun ♪ ♪ We've no less days to sing God's praise ♪ ♪ Than when we'd first begun ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ Leader: Let us unite in this historic confession of the Christian faith. - [Leader and Congregation] I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. The third day He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Leader: You may be seated. The Lord be with you. Congregation: And also with you. Leader: Let us pray. Mighty God, we give you thanks for all those saints and servants of yours who have acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly in your way. There have been those who have done amazing and startling things in their ministry. And there have been those who are meek and lowly, ministering quietly from day to day, for all these we give thanks, oh God. We are especially thankful today for those whom we have known and loved, who have shown us the way as they walked in the footsteps of Jesus. Their names fill our memories, and our memories fill this place with their spirits. For their guidance and comfort, we give you thanks. With all these witnesses around us like a cloud, we thank you that you have bound us together with them in one fellowship, and that you have founded a church, and have revealed your loving, and kindness, and truth in every age. Make your people loving, and kind, and committed to serve you in righteousness and reverence. We pray today for those who know suffering and who need our caring. As we look at our world, words of Jesus haunt us. For we see Him hungry. In the faces and lifeless eyes of the hungry of the world, we see Jesus. And we pray that our commitment is great enough to feed them. We see Him a stranger, and naked, in the areas where disasters have struck and people have the necessities of life, we see Jesus, and we pray that our commitment is great enough to meet their needs for food, shelter, and clothing. We see Him in the faces of those who work for justice for all people even at the expense of their own lives. And we pray that our commitment is great enough to move into areas where even angels fear to tread, to work to bring about love, justice, reconciliation, peace, and understanding, in situations like the one in Greensboro, where at this moment, little makes sense, and we are confused. We see Jesus sick, and in prison, in those places where folk through political turmoil have been displaced from their homes and held in camps of poverty and misery, we see Jesus. And we pray that our commitment is great enough to open our arms and our hearts to them in their despair and fear. In the lives of those known to us who are ill, bereaved, and lonely, we see Jesus, and we pray that our commitment is great enough to stand by them, to bring words of healing and comfort, to wipe away tears from their eyes. And now, oh God, may a glimpse of that New Jerusalem call us to begin its building in this world now. Grant to us an understanding, that we live to make each day new, even in the midst of death. To hope, even in the midst of despair. To love, even in the face of apathy and hate. We pray in the name of Him who came to make all things new, and who gave to us a model of newness in the prayer He taught us to pray. - [Leader And Congregation] Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory, forever. Amen. (celebratory organ music) (bright, spiritual orchestral music) ♪ Oh what a magical Lord ♪ ♪ Spirit to behold ♪ ♪ You are my Savior ♪ ♪ He has become man ♪ ♪ A glorious fall ♪ ♪ He would suffer ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaah ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaah ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaah ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaah ♪ ♪ In the face of death ♪ ♪ In the face of death ♪ ♪ In the race of death ♪ ♪ In the race of death ♪ ♪ Aaaaaaaah ♪ ♪ He would die ♪ ♪ He had to find me ♪ ♪ Come to raise me ♪ ♪ Come create me ♪ ♪ Were He ♪ ♪ The man to feed me ♪ ♪ Man to bring some ♪ ♪ Man to bring some ♪ ♪ He knew spirit in His life ♪ ♪ He knew value from the fight ♪ (choir singing muffled by orchestra) ♪ And til the sun eclipse the sea ♪ ♪ Til then ♪ ♪ He has helped His servants inland ♪ ♪ And made us upon His mainland ♪ ♪ We see ♪ ♪ Oh God ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ He is powerful ♪ ♪ He is wonderful ♪ ♪ God my Savior ♪ ♪ He stands beside me ♪ ♪ The creator ♪ ♪ Jesus' Father ♪ ♪ He holds the future His will ♪ ♪ God makes a mocking death for ♪ ♪ It seems that He can cost me ♪ ♪ Long years in gain ♪ ♪ In gain ♪ ♪ In gain ♪ ♪ Long years in gain ♪ (regal organ music) ♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪ ♪ Praise Him all creatures here below ♪ ♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪ ♪ Praise Him above ye heavenly Host ♪ ♪ Praise Father Son and Holy Ghost ♪ ♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia alleluia ♪ ♪ Alleluia ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ Leader: Mighty God, send down your Holy Spirit upon us, we pray, to cleanse our hearts, hallow our gifts, and perfect the offering of ourselves unto you. Amen. (mournful music, "Mine Eyes Seen the Coming of the Lord") ♪ Mine eyes have seen the coming ♪ ♪ Of the glory of the Lord ♪ ♪ He is trampling out the vintage ♪ ♪ Where the grapes of wrath are stored ♪ ♪ He hath loosed the fateful lightning ♪ ♪ Of His terrible swift sword ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ ♪ I have seen Him in the watch fires ♪ ♪ Of a hundred circling camps ♪ ♪ They have builded Him an altar ♪ ♪ In the evening dews and damps ♪ ♪ I can read His righteous sentence ♪ ♪ By the dim and flaring lamps ♪ ♪ His day is marching on ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ ♪ He has sounded forth the trumpet ♪ ♪ That shall never call retreat ♪ ♪ He is sifting out the hearts of men ♪ ♪ Before His judgment seat ♪ ♪ Oh be swift my soul to answer Him ♪ ♪ Be jubilant my feet ♪ ♪ Our God is marching on ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ ♪ In the beauty of the lilies ♪ ♪ Christ was born across the sea ♪ ♪ With a glory in His bosom ♪ ♪ That transfigures you and me ♪ ♪ As he died to make men holy ♪ ♪ Let us die to make men free ♪ ♪ While God is marching on ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ ♪ He is coming like the glory ♪ ♪ Of the morning on the wave ♪ ♪ He is wisdom to the mighty ♪ ♪ He is honor to the brave ♪ ♪ So the world shall be His footstool ♪ ♪ And the soul of wrong His slave ♪ ♪ Our God is marching on ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ Glory glory hallelujah ♪ ♪ His truth is marching on ♪ Let us join together in the prayer of commemoration and commitment. Let us pray. - [Leader and Congregation] Eternal God, help us this day to remember the unseen cloud of witnesses who compass us about, those who in every age and generation, witness to their faith, in life and in death; those who by their courage and their sacrifice, won for us the freedom and the liberty we enjoy; those who have served, and those who continue to serve, others at the cost of pain, of persecution, and of death; those living martyrs who now suffer at the hands of oppressors and dictators, and yet remain faithful to Christ in obedience and in witness; those whom we love, and have gone to be with You, and whose lives live on in us. Help us to walk worthily of those in whose unseen presence our lives are lived. Help us to commit our lives to Christ in such a way that we may their courage in danger, their steadfastness in trial, their perseverance in difficulty, their loyalty when loyalty is costly, their love which nothing can change, their joy which nothing can take away. So grant to us in this life never to forget those who have gone before, so that in the life to come, we may share with them in their joy and blessedness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Leader: And now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing, that you may abound in hope, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. ♪ It would be life in Christ ♪ (triumphant music, "Jesus Christ Superstar") (anticipatory music, "Blood Money") (energetic music, "I Only Want to Say") (energetic, anticipatory orchestral music) (slowing, melancholic music) (tender, tentative music, "I Don't Know How to Love Him") (clapping and cheering) Conductor: Does everyone have their cars parked pretty close here so like, all together? Let's all just take the stuff back and put it away. Nice job! (sounds of congregation leaving, band leaving)