This service was planned by Alistair Drummond, pastor, Amy Mendez, associate pastor, and Jorge Lockward, minister of music, along with members of a worship planning team at The West End Presbyterian Church, New York City.
ASSEMBLING IN GOD'S NAME
Introit: “Live in Charity” (Music of Taizé, vol 1; GIA) (1)
Ubi caritas et amor, ubi caritas Deus ibi est.
Donde hay amor y caridad. Donde hay amor, Dios tambien está.
Live in charity and steadfast love; live in charity: God will dwell with you. (2)
Processional Hymn: “Jump with Joy” (Chichewa Chorus transcribed as sung in the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (Book of Praise 406; Canadian Presbyterian hymnal) (3)
Welcome (4)
Call to Worship
One: The doors are open; the Good Shepherd calls.
Come in to find a place of comfort and safety.
All: We turn away from our weariness and fear.
We leave behind our anxiety and cares.
Uno: Aquà hay pan para satisfacer todas nuestras necesidades;
Hay aguas de reposo que refrescan nuestras almas.
Todos: Nos dedicaremos a orar y a estudiar.
Buscamos vivir en verdadera comunidad.
One: There are tasks for all of glad and generous heart.
Find strength in this hour to follow Jesus’ steps.
All: Praise God for this time apart;
praise God for refreshment and renewal.
Songs of Praise/Coritos (5)
Hymn: “To God Be the Glory”/“Alabad al gran Rey” (the Crosby text) PsH 473, PH 485, RL 355, TH 55 (6)
Prayer of Confession (in unison/unisono)
O God, it is so easy to stray from the best we know. Before we realize it, we are lost in our fears, dominated by life’s shadows, preoccupied with our own suffering. We complain of our lot, even though our cups overflow with your goodness and mercy. We are reluctant givers and ineffective followers. Turn us around, God, for we want to be disciples. Amen.
Oh Dios, es tan facÃl perder el camino. Sin darnos cuenta, nos perdemos en nuestros temores; las sombras de la vida nos controlan; vivimos preocupados por nuestro sufrimiento persona. Nos quejamos de nuestra suerte, a pesar de que nuestras copas rebosan de tu bondad y misericordia. Nos damos tentativamente, somos seguidores ineficientes. Cámbiamos, Señor, queremos ser tus discÃpulos.
Declaration of God’s Forgiveness
Gloria: “Gloria a Dios”/”Glory to God” (Trad. Peruvian folk song) (7)
Children’s Sermon
Exchange of Peace (8)
HEARING THE WORD
Prayer for Illumination (9)
First Lesson: 1 Peter 2:19-25
Anthem: “Like a Tree” (M. P. Douroux; sung by the gospel choir. Rev. Earl Pleasant Publishing, PO Box 3247, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359)
Gospel: John 10:1-10
Sermon: “Upon This Rock: Tend the Flock of God”
RESPONDING TO GOD'S WORD
Hymn: “Tu Has Venido a la Orilla”/“Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore” PH 377
Prayers of Intercession, concluded with the Lord’s Prayer
All: Jesus, you are the gate through which we come and go.
In our need we turn to you, for you are the source of all that is good.
Todos: Jesús, tu eres la puerta por la cual nosotros entramos y salimos.
En nuestra necesidad volvemos a tÃ, porque tu eres la fuente de todo lo bueno. (10)
Prayer Response: “Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying” PsH 625, SFL 54, TWC 629 (11)
The Offering
Offertory: “Acepta Hoy esta ofrenda” (N. Sambrano) 12
Doxology: “Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow” (Old Hundredth; introduced on the piano, but sung unaccompanied) PsH 638, PH 592, RL 556, TH 731, TWC 808
Prayer of Dedication (in unison)
O Guardian for our souls, we give thanks for your watchful care. We are grateful for the many ways you offer healing and renewal. We are delighted with the opportunity to return, with glad and generous hearts, the love you have given us. We praise you with our offerings, and we rededicate our time, talents, and treasure to the ministry of healing your broken, troubled world. Amen.
Hymn: “Marching to Zion” United Methodist Hymnal 733
At the end of the last stanza the refrain was sung in Spanish:
Coro
A Sión caminamos; nuestra mansión tan gloriosa;
alegres vamos cantando Sión nuestra bella mansión.
Commission
One: Go out into God’s pastures; they are everywhere;
there is food enough for all to share.
All: A table is prepared for us and all people;
we will invite others to God’s feast.
Uno: Deja que las aguas de reposo corran en lo profundo de tu ser.
Excerpt
1 When the service was ready to begin, the choirs positioned themselves in each of the side aisles, the congregation ended their conversations, and one of the members of the junior choir played the introit melody on his recorder as a prelude.
2 The text was sung twice. First the choirs sang in turn, unaccompanied; the children in Latin in unison, the praise team in Spanish in unison, the chancel choir in English in harmony. Then the whole text was repeated with all the choirs together, this time with piano, adding flute and recorder descants, and finally adding the congregation and choral descants. After the growing crescendo, we sang one final time in Latin, and Jorge quieted the accompaniment for the last phrase.
3 This song was accompanied by children dancing and waving streamers, leading the choirs in. The song alternated between a soloist and the choirs, accompanied only by clapping, after which the congregation joined in.
4 Informal words of welcome were spoken, first in Spanish, then in English. Both pastors spoke words of instruction in both languages. Those words were few and well prepared.
5 Several choruses were projected on two front screens; Jorge led this section, encouraging everyone to not only sing, but to feel free to move, even dance (“The best way to stand for a long time and not get tired is to dance!”) First several English songs were sung, accompanied by piano, drums, and guitars; several rhythm instruments were added on the Spanish songs. Then Jorge spoke of the meaning of the Spanish songs that followed—sung with piano, guitars, congas, claves, even accordian on one song. After several joyful songs he changed the pace completely (simply by the way he played) to quiet us for the final song, “Santo, Santo, Santo.” At that point, Rev. Mendez made a brief announcement that the sermon would be in English but with simultaneous translation into Spanish; headsets were available. That gave Jorge time to get up to the organ for the next hymn.
6 Some stanzas were sung in English, some in Spanish; the complete text was printed in the bulletin. The choirs sang a descant on the final stanza.
7 This call-and-response song was sung unaccompanied and antiphonally, line by line, alternating Spanish and English, first by the chancel choir and worship team, then by all. The music was included in RW 45, p. 32.
8 While people greeted each other, the praise team led us in singing a joyful Spanish setting of part of Psalm 133: (“Miren qué bueno”/“O Look and Wonder!” (P. Sosa; trans. G. Lockwood; see p. 30)
9 Offered in Spanish by a congregational member.
10 A number of members took part in turn; each prayer ended with either the English or Spanish response, depending on the language used by those who led; the Lord’s Prayer was said in both languages simultaneously.
11 Sung by a soloist, then chancel choir, accompanied on the organ
12 Sung by the praise team, with two soloists, one a teenager, the other an adult.
13 The choirs and then everyone started singing the refrain again; after two times, Jorge modulated up a step for the final time.
It was a blessing for me to worship at West End that Sunday. I was impressed with many things:
- How smoothly the service flowed, even though it was bilingual and included very diverse musical groups.
- Jorge’s skills both as a musician and a worship leader; but more than that, his heart for the all the people and for historic as well as contemporary musical expressions.
- The quality of the choirs. Jorge had to learn a lot about the black gospel choir tradition, which was new to him, but that choir too was excellent, and all the choirs had distinct flavors with distinct styles of accompaniment. He called forth the best talent of all ages.
- The simple dignity with which so many people participated. The fellowship begun in worship continued downstairs with a delicious potluck; nametags picked up before the service were color-coded so the tables had a good mix of people from both congregations.
—ERB.