Lewis MacLachlan - Service of Holy Communion (August 7, 1960)
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| (melodic music) | 0:03 | |
| (choral music) | 0:24 | |
| (bright instrumental music) | 1:43 | |
| (choral music) | 2:25 | |
| - | The Lord be with you. | 5:22 |
| Let us pray. | 5:26 | |
| Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, | 5:29 | |
| all desires known and from whom no secrets are hidden. | 5:34 | |
| Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration | 5:39 | |
| of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee | 5:43 | |
| and worthily magnify thy holy name | 5:48 | |
| through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. | 5:52 | |
| Almighty God who has caused all holy scriptures | 5:59 | |
| to be written for our learning, | 6:03 | |
| grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, | 6:05 | |
| learn, and inwardly digest them. | 6:12 | |
| That by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, | 6:16 | |
| we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope | 6:20 | |
| of fellowship with thee, | 6:26 | |
| which thou has given us in our savior Jesus Christ, amen. | 6:29 | |
| - | Philippians, the second chapter and the first verse. | 6:53 |
| "So if there is any encouragement in Christ, | 7:03 | |
| any incentive of love, any participation in the spirit, | 7:08 | |
| any affection and sympathy complete my joy | 7:16 | |
| by being of the same mind, having the same love, | 7:23 | |
| being in full accord and of one mind. | 7:29 | |
| Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, | 7:34 | |
| but in humility count others better than yourself. | 7:39 | |
| Let each of you look not only to his own interests, | 7:47 | |
| but also to the interests of others. | 7:53 | |
| Have this mind among yourselves, | 7:57 | |
| which you have in Christ Jesus, | 8:01 | |
| who though he was in the form of God, | 8:04 | |
| did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, | 8:09 | |
| but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, | 8:15 | |
| being born in the likeness of men. | 8:21 | |
| And being found in human form, he humbled himself | 8:25 | |
| and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. | 8:31 | |
| Therefore God has highly exalted him | 8:39 | |
| and bestowed unto him the name which is above every name, | 8:44 | |
| that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow | 8:50 | |
| in heaven and on earth and under the earth. | 8:57 | |
| And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, | 9:01 | |
| to the glory of God the Father." | 9:08 | |
| And these words in the epistle to the Galatians, | 9:17 | |
| the second chapter at the 20th verse. | 9:22 | |
| "I have been crucified with Christ. | 9:30 | |
| It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. | 9:35 | |
| And the life I now live in the flesh, | 9:42 | |
| I live by faith in the son of God | 9:45 | |
| who loved me and gave himself for me." | 9:50 | |
| Friends, these are words from which the ordinary Christian | 9:59 | |
| might reap. | 10:06 | |
| I live yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. | 10:09 | |
| And yet these are words not preserved for saints. | 10:15 | |
| These are not words for saint Paul only, | 10:20 | |
| but they are words for us who are members | 10:25 | |
| of the church of Christ. | 10:29 | |
| They are words for those who belong to the human family. | 10:31 | |
| I live yet not, I but Christ... | 10:38 | |
| Don't let us shrink from them. | 10:43 | |
| They speak of proofs of word of God. | 10:46 | |
| And they tell us that in every one of us, | 10:51 | |
| there is something out of this true humanity | 10:54 | |
| which we find in Christ. | 10:58 | |
| For he who sometimes we exalt | 11:01 | |
| to be different from ourselves, and so rightfully | 11:06 | |
| how different he is from all of us | 11:12 | |
| and yet he is one of us. | 11:15 | |
| And he is not the extraordinary humanity, | 11:18 | |
| but the true humanity. | 11:25 | |
| He's truly human, and it is we who are sub-human. | 11:27 | |
| It is we who have fallen from the likeness of him | 11:33 | |
| in which we were made. | 11:38 | |
| And when we say, "I live, yet not I, but Christ," | 11:41 | |
| are we not confessing our faith in Christ? | 11:46 | |
| There can be no other kind of Christian after all, | 11:52 | |
| except one in whom the spirit of Christ is evident. | 11:56 | |
| Is there any other sort of Christian? | 12:02 | |
| We have our varieties. | 12:05 | |
| I believe that in this country | 12:07 | |
| you have an even greater variety than we indulging | 12:09 | |
| on the other side of the Atlantic, but we have far too many. | 12:14 | |
| And most of us thinks that the others | 12:19 | |
| could well be done with us. | 12:22 | |
| But there is only one kind of Christian, | 12:24 | |
| and that is someone in whom the spirit of Christ dwells. | 12:29 | |
| I think we are beginning to realize in this generation | 12:35 | |
| that Christ demands of us, that we take the unity | 12:39 | |
| of his body more seriously. | 12:45 | |
| And we are beginning perhaps even now | 12:48 | |
| to put less emphasis on some of the things | 12:54 | |
| which have divided us. | 12:57 | |
| We realize, as you do here that there is only one | 12:59 | |
| essential Christianity and we must lean to that. | 13:04 | |
| That is how we shall be judged, how much of the spirit | 13:08 | |
| of Christ is there in us. | 13:12 | |
| And here is a simple confession of faith. | 13:15 | |
| This is not the description of sainthood, | 13:18 | |
| but a confession of faith for all, "I live yet not I." | 13:22 | |
| This is the incarnation by which the spirit of Christ, | 13:30 | |
| something of Christ is in every one of us, | 13:36 | |
| but how much it must be developed by faith. | 13:40 | |
| Here is this image of Christ over ground, corrupt, | 13:44 | |
| cannot be seen nearly in so many of us. | 13:51 | |
| And those who look at us desiring to see Christ, | 13:56 | |
| how disappointed they must be. | 14:00 | |
| And sometimes how misdirected. | 14:03 | |
| Because instead of seeing Christ in us, | 14:09 | |
| they see some reflection of the world, | 14:13 | |
| some reflection, perhaps of our own miserable ideals. | 14:15 | |
| But saint Paul could say, "I live yet not I." | 14:20 | |
| And those who look at him, those who look at this apostle | 14:26 | |
| see something of Christ. | 14:31 | |
| They see perhaps somethings which are not entirely | 14:34 | |
| Christ like, but they see something of Christ. | 14:38 | |
| And those who look at us must be able to see | 14:41 | |
| something of our Lord. | 14:44 | |
| I think we're putting more emphasis now | 14:50 | |
| on the indwelling spirit of Christ. | 14:54 | |
| Last century, I think perhaps there was an undue emphasis | 14:58 | |
| on one side of the gospel, the most important feature | 15:04 | |
| of the gospel, that feature of the gospel | 15:07 | |
| by which we recognized that our salvation | 15:11 | |
| is in the death of Christ. | 15:16 | |
| That the values which we see in the crucifixion of our Lord, | 15:19 | |
| are the only values by which the world can be saved. | 15:25 | |
| Yes, our Father saw that so clearly | 15:30 | |
| that they almost made it exclusively their gospel. | 15:35 | |
| And perhaps you will think there is great need | 15:44 | |
| of that in our day too, that we should return to see | 15:46 | |
| in the crucified our only savior and our only Lord. | 15:51 | |
| Saint Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ." | 15:58 | |
| How we shall be crucified with him? | 16:04 | |
| We must work out, we must work on our own way of living | 16:09 | |
| and in our own place in society, | 16:14 | |
| in our own life as citizens, | 16:17 | |
| but we must indeed work it out because it is only, | 16:21 | |
| gives the crucified that is in us. | 16:28 | |
| That we are maintaining our Christian witness, | 16:31 | |
| and that we are being used by God, | 16:35 | |
| for the redemption of the world. | 16:39 | |
| We must recognize that that defenseless and heroic death | 16:43 | |
| of Christ, previews and releases the only power | 16:50 | |
| by which the nations can be saved today. | 16:56 | |
| But that only is not the whole gospel, | 17:02 | |
| and we must recover again what has always been emphasized | 17:08 | |
| in the east although sometimes overclouded in the west. | 17:14 | |
| The fact of the enduring spirit of Christ, | 17:20 | |
| is not how we are saved by Christ living in us. | 17:24 | |
| It's all the things, if apostle could say, | 17:29 | |
| "Not I, but Christ." | 17:32 | |
| And every one of us must be able to say, "Not I, | 17:36 | |
| not I, but Christ." | 17:40 | |
| Christ living in me will show the world | 17:42 | |
| the way of salvation. | 17:46 | |
| Christ living in me alone is by righteousness. | 17:48 | |
| Christ in me only is my peace and my joy. | 17:53 | |
| It is the indwelling spirit of Christ, | 17:59 | |
| who only is the savior of the world. | 18:03 | |
| Yes, but this indwelling spirit of Christ is the crucified. | 18:08 | |
| He is the same. | 18:12 | |
| I think sometimes we have talked as though, | 18:14 | |
| Christ died on the cross. | 18:19 | |
| And then the tables will turn and this meek and gentle lamb | 18:22 | |
| of God was raised up in Paul to be one | 18:29 | |
| of a different character, but surely that is not how we read | 18:33 | |
| the scripture. | 18:38 | |
| It is because he was crucified that he is exalted. | 18:40 | |
| The crucified is the man of is power, | 18:46 | |
| therefore God also highly exalted him. | 18:50 | |
| Because he had emptied himself, | 18:56 | |
| because he had become obedient to death, | 18:59 | |
| even death on a cross. | 19:03 | |
| Because he had offered himself to the world, | 19:06 | |
| bearing the world's misrepresentation, | 19:12 | |
| bearing the world's shame and infamy. | 19:16 | |
| Bearing the injuries that the world imposed upon him. | 19:20 | |
| And because of his defenseless and forgiving death, | 19:27 | |
| God therefore highly exalted him and gave him the name | 19:33 | |
| which is above every name, that's the name of Jesus, | 19:39 | |
| the crucified, every knee should bow. | 19:44 | |
| Oh friends, I wish I could make this message | 19:48 | |
| clear to you today, for surely this is the very heart | 19:53 | |
| of our gospel. | 19:58 | |
| How shall the nations be saved in our day? | 20:00 | |
| How shall the world be saved from that disaster | 20:04 | |
| which is absence from God? | 20:11 | |
| Unless we grasp again these roots that only the crucified | 20:15 | |
| can save us. | 20:21 | |
| Only by the blood of Christ, by the death Christ | 20:23 | |
| on the cross can we bring redemption to the nations today. | 20:28 | |
| I don't know how this is gonna be translated | 20:37 | |
| into social theory and international policy, | 20:40 | |
| but I'm sure it must be. | 20:45 | |
| And I'm sure we must give far more research | 20:47 | |
| into the practical application | 20:51 | |
| of these profound Christian truths. | 20:53 | |
| It is a very hard thing to realize | 20:57 | |
| how to be a Christian in this world, | 21:00 | |
| but perhaps we ought not to be making so much effort, | 21:05 | |
| but just to be taking in the spirit of Christ, | 21:12 | |
| Christ who gave himself. | 21:16 | |
| It is by faith, it is by faith that we receive Christ. | 21:18 | |
| And this is the message of our the gospel, | 21:24 | |
| that while we can do nothing to save ourselves | 21:26 | |
| and the world could do nothing to redeem itself. | 21:30 | |
| We received the Christ who is given. | 21:33 | |
| I don't know how these truths can be translated? | 21:39 | |
| But surely in our time, the churches all together unitedly, | 21:46 | |
| all Christian people, all those who own the Lord as savior | 21:53 | |
| must show the indwelling Christ, the Christ who comes to us | 21:59 | |
| and gives himself to us. | 22:06 | |
| We may not know precisely what the will of God is for us | 22:11 | |
| in our day. | 22:15 | |
| Perhaps only when we get together as a United church | 22:16 | |
| will that be revealed to us. | 22:20 | |
| But I think we can say quite plainly, | 22:23 | |
| the word of God would not hesitate to tell us | 22:25 | |
| that it cannot be by holding any of God's children | 22:29 | |
| in contempt or indifference or hatred or misrepresentation. | 22:35 | |
| It must be by having that mind in us, | 22:44 | |
| which was also in Christ and get into our ourselves, | 22:47 | |
| the spirit of Christ. | 22:51 | |
| Here we are in this communion service, | 22:55 | |
| in which we have come to receive Christ. | 23:00 | |
| And as we receive these precious elements, | 23:03 | |
| we receive by faith the living spirit of our savior. | 23:07 | |
| As we draw near to this communion table, | 23:14 | |
| shall we hear Christ telling us that our way of life | 23:18 | |
| is repulsive to him? | 23:24 | |
| That we have grown corrupt? | 23:26 | |
| That we are all together unworthy to be Christians? | 23:28 | |
| No, he came not to condemn but to save, | 23:33 | |
| and we come to him to be received and to be cleansed, | 23:40 | |
| and to be forgiven and to be taken again | 23:44 | |
| into his fellowship. | 23:47 | |
| And so we must go out to preach the rest of humanity, | 23:49 | |
| as he has received us, we must receive our brethren. | 23:53 | |
| And as we are forgiven by him and taken | 23:58 | |
| into his companionship, as he shows us his love | 24:02 | |
| in the sacrament, so must we go out and all men now know | 24:07 | |
| that we have been with Jesus. | 24:13 | |
| He loved us and gave himself for us, | 24:17 | |
| and that's what every one of us must do | 24:22 | |
| in his name to give ourselves to our brethren. | 24:25 | |
| Adjust of the love of Christ, and we can take | 24:31 | |
| these words then and not labeling ourselves as saints, | 24:35 | |
| but maintaining our Christian witness | 24:40 | |
| in these simple words of confession. | 24:43 | |
| "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless shall I live, | 24:49 | |
| yet not die, but Christ liveth in me." | 24:57 | |
| "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding, abundantly | 25:04 | |
| above all that we ask or think, according to the power | 25:08 | |
| that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church | 25:14 | |
| by Christ Jesus throughout all generations, | 25:19 | |
| world without pain, amen. | 25:24 | |
| (soft music) | 25:45 | |
| (choral music) | 29:01 | |
| - | O God most merciful and gracious, | 34:15 |
| of whose bounty we have all received, | 34:17 | |
| accept we beseech thee this offering of thy people. | 34:21 | |
| Remember in thy love those who bring it | 34:26 | |
| and those for whom it is given. | 34:29 | |
| And so follow it with thy blessing | 34:32 | |
| that it may promote peace and goodwill among man | 34:34 | |
| and advance the kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. | 34:40 | |
| Amen. | 34:46 | |
| (soft music) | 34:52 | |
| Yee who do truly and honestly repent of your sins, | 35:21 | |
| and are in love and charity with your neighbor, | 35:25 | |
| and intend to lead a new life following the commandments | 35:29 | |
| of God and walking from henceforth in his holy ways, | 35:32 | |
| draw near with faith and take this Holy sacrament | 35:38 | |
| to your comfort and make your humble confession | 35:43 | |
| to Almighty God. | 35:47 | |
| Let us pray. | 35:50 | |
| Almighty God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ, | 35:59 | |
| maker of all things, judge of all men, | 36:04 | |
| we acknowledge and beware our manful sins and wickedness, | 36:08 | |
| which we from time to time, | 36:12 | |
| most grievously have committed by thought, | 36:15 | |
| word and deed against thy divine majesty, | 36:18 | |
| provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. | 36:23 | |
| We do earnestly repent and are heartily sorry | 36:28 | |
| for these our misdoings. | 36:31 | |
| The remembrance of them is grievous unto us. | 36:34 | |
| Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, | 36:38 | |
| for thy son our Lord Jesus Christ sake, | 36:41 | |
| forgive us all that is passed | 36:45 | |
| and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee | 36:47 | |
| in newness of life to the honor and glory of thy name, | 36:52 | |
| through Jesus Christ, our Lord. | 36:57 | |
| Amen. | 37:01 | |
| Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of thy great mercy | 37:04 | |
| has promised forgiveness of sins to all them | 37:09 | |
| that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto thee, | 37:13 | |
| have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, | 37:19 | |
| confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, | 37:26 | |
| and bring us to everlasting life | 37:30 | |
| through Jesus Christ, our Lord. | 37:34 | |
| Amen. | 37:37 | |
| (soft instrumental music) | 37:41 | |
| (choral music) | 38:05 | |
| Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. | 39:30 | |
| Congregation | For he is good all the days. | 39:34 |
| - | Let us pray. | 39:37 |
| It is very neat, right in our bounded duty | 39:45 | |
| that we should at all times and in all places give thanks | 39:48 | |
| unto thee O Lord, holy Father, Almighty, everlasting God. | 39:54 | |
| (choral music) | 40:01 | |
| We do not presume to come to this thy table, | 40:53 | |
| O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, | 40:57 | |
| but thy manifold and great mercies. | 41:02 | |
| We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs | 41:06 | |
| under the table, | 41:10 | |
| but thou are the same Lord whose mercy is unfailing. | 41:12 | |
| Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, | 41:17 | |
| soul to partake of these memorials of thy son Jesus Christ, | 41:20 | |
| that we may be filled with the fullness of his life, | 41:25 | |
| may grow into his likeness, | 41:30 | |
| may ever more dwell in him and he in us. | 41:33 | |
| Amen. | 41:39 | |
| Almighty God, our heavenly Father, | 41:44 | |
| who of thy tender mercy did give thy only son, | 41:46 | |
| Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross | 41:50 | |
| for our redemption. | 41:53 | |
| Who made there by his oblation of himself once offered, | 41:55 | |
| a full, perfect and sufficient sacrifice for the sins | 41:59 | |
| of the whole world and did Institute | 42:04 | |
| and in his holy gospel command us to continue | 42:07 | |
| a perpetual memory of his precious death | 42:11 | |
| until his coming again. | 42:15 | |
| And who in the same night that he was betrayed, | 42:18 | |
| took bread, and when he had given thanks, he break it, | 42:21 | |
| He gave it to his disciples saying, "Take, eat. | 42:27 | |
| This is my body, which is given for you, | 42:32 | |
| do this in remembrance of me." | 42:35 | |
| Likewise, after supper, he took the cup, | 42:39 | |
| and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying, | 42:43 | |
| "Drink of it, all of you, | 42:46 | |
| for this is my blood of the new covenant, | 42:49 | |
| which is poured out for many, | 42:52 | |
| for the forgiveness of sins. | 42:54 | |
| Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." | 42:57 | |
| Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee, | 43:04 | |
| and grant that we receiving these thy creatures | 43:09 | |
| of bread and wine, according to thy son, our savior, | 43:13 | |
| Jesus Christ's holy institution in remembrance of his death | 43:18 | |
| and passion, maybe partakers of his most blessed body | 43:23 | |
| and blood that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. | 43:30 | |
| Amen. | 43:37 | |
| (soft music) | 43:44 | |
| ♪ Our Father who art in heaven ♪ | 44:29 | |
| ♪ Hallowed be Thy name ♪ | 44:33 | |
| ♪ Thy kingdom come ♪ | 44:37 | |
| ♪ Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven ♪ | 44:40 | |
| ♪ Give us this day our daily bread ♪ | 44:48 | |
| ♪ And forgive us our trespasses ♪ | 44:54 | |
| ♪ As we forgive those who trespass against us ♪ | 44:57 | |
| ♪ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil ♪ | 45:04 | |
| ♪ For Thy is the kingdom, the power and the glory ♪ | 45:12 | |
| ♪ Forever, amen ♪ | 45:18 | |
| (soft music) | 45:39 | |
| Jesus said, "This is my body, which is given for you. | 47:20 | |
| Take and serve this to the people of God | 47:25 | |
| that we in the may be thankful." | 47:28 | |
| Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, | 47:39 | |
| which is shed for you. | 47:43 | |
| Take this and serve the people of God | 47:45 | |
| that we may drink in remembrance that Christ died for us | 47:47 | |
| and be thankful." | 47:53 | |
| (soft music) | 48:02 | |
| Having now been guests at our Lord's table, | 1:00:31 | |
| and having fellowship with him, | 1:00:33 | |
| now let's offer unto God our prayers of Thanksgiving | 1:00:36 | |
| and of dedication. | 1:00:40 | |
| Let us pray. | 1:00:42 | |
| Almighty and ever living God, we most hardly thank thee, | 1:00:48 | |
| the thou to save us, who have dually received | 1:00:53 | |
| these holy mysteries with the spiritual food | 1:00:57 | |
| of the most precious body and blood of my son, | 1:01:01 | |
| our savior Jesus Christ. | 1:01:04 | |
| And thus to assure us thereby of thy favor | 1:01:06 | |
| and goodness toward us. | 1:01:09 | |
| And that we are very members in corporate, | 1:01:11 | |
| in the mystical body of thy son, | 1:01:15 | |
| which is the blessed company of all faithful people, | 1:01:17 | |
| and are also heirs through hope of thy everlasting kingdom, | 1:01:21 | |
| by the merits of his most precious death and patient. | 1:01:25 | |
| And we humbly beseech thee oh, heavenly Father, | 1:01:29 | |
| so to assist us with thy grace that we may continue | 1:01:33 | |
| in that holy fellowship. | 1:01:37 | |
| And here we offer and present onto the O Lord, ourselves, | 1:01:39 | |
| our souls and bodies to be a reasonable, wholly, | 1:01:43 | |
| and lively sacrifice unto thee. | 1:01:48 | |
| Humbly beseeching thee that all we who are partakers | 1:01:51 | |
| of this holy communion may be filled with grace | 1:01:55 | |
| and heavenly benediction through Jesus Christ, our Lord, | 1:01:58 | |
| and with whom in the unity of the Holy Spirit, | 1:02:04 | |
| all honor and glory be unto thee. | 1:02:08 | |
| O Father Almighty, world without end. Amen. | 1:02:12 | |
| The peace of God which passes understanding, | 1:02:28 | |
| keep your hearts and minds and the knowledge and love of God | 1:02:32 | |
| and of his son, Jesus Christ our Lord, | 1:02:37 | |
| and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, | 1:02:41 | |
| and the Holy Spirit be amongst you | 1:02:46 | |
| and remain with you always. | 1:02:50 |