October 3, 2024

On this upcoming first Sunday in October, we celebrate World Communion Sunday, that promotes Christian unity and ecumenical cooperation. The tradition was begun in 1933 by Hugh Thomson Kerr, who ministered at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Our Choral Prelude is a gem by Dallas’ own Jane Marshall, Become to Us the Living Bread. Miriam Drury’s exquisite text from 1970 calls us to unite around Christ’s sacred board, where all are welcomed and truly fed.

1. Become to us the living bread by which the Christian life is fed, renewed,            and greatly comforted. Alleluia!
2. Become the never-failing wine, the spring of joy that shall incline our hearts        to bear the covenant sign. Alleluia!
3. May Christians all with one accord unite around the sacred board to praise       your holy name, O Lord. Alleluia!

Jane Marshall’s harmonies are so rich and profound that the men’s and women’s parts can easily be sung separately to beautiful effect, which we will do on stanzas 2 and 3, before returning to verse 1 with all parts.

The Choir’s Anthem is truly new wine in an old flask, as it were – setting David Bjorlin’s 2018 social justice text Build a Longer Table to the 15 th -century French Carol Noel Nouvelet. We cannot print the text here due to copyright restrictions, but the video includes the entire choral score with text so you
can appreciate this wonderful marriage of text and tune. Arranger John Helgen has written a constantly dancing accompaniment of very modern harmonies under the lovely line of this much- loved tune ancient.

As we traverse the settings of Amazing Grace in our choral library during our Sustaining Grace Campaign, we arrive at a lively gospel setting by John T. Coates of the familiar “New Britain” tune, and sung today by one of our newest church members, Bryce Aaron. The rousing piano accompaniment gives freedom for the singer to improvise on the melody as the Spirit moves.

This storied church home of ours can truly be called Amazing Grace, with amazing history, people, outreach, and spaces for gathering to praise our Creator and to help nurture God’s Creation. None of this happens without our gifts of Time, Talent and Treasure, and I pray that these will sustain Grace
for many years to come.

With a Thankful Heart,
Kenton