10/5 - World Communion Sunday

Greetings St. Andrew's Family

Next Sunday we will join Christians all around the world in celebrating World Communion Sunday. Across nations, languages, and traditions, we gather at Christ’s Table, united in the same love, the same bread, the same grace.

The Revs. Hemenway will guide us as we reflect on the theme of Grace—the gift we cannot earn, but that God freely gives, inviting us to come just as we are. Our music helps tell this story and carry us along the arc of worship.

We begin with “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, a hymn that names God as the source of grace and tunes our hearts to sing God’s praise. Every good gift flows from God’s hand, including the grace that gathers us here.

Then, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” invites us to consider the depth and cost of God’s love. Grace is not cheap—it is sacrificial and transforming, revealed most fully in the cross.

The choir will share the anthem “For By Grace”, a musical proclamation of Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” In this moment, we don’t just sing—we preach through song.

At the Table, we will lift our voices with “Come to the Table of Grace”. Here the invitation is open, the welcome wide. We join the global Church as one body, nourished and made whole by God’s grace.

Finally, we go forth singing “Amazing Grace”, the testimony of the Church universal. It is the song of every forgiven sinner, every changed life, every heart set free. It sends us into the world to live and share the grace we’ve received.

Together, our music traces a holy arc: from the fount of blessing → to the depth of Christ’s love → to the proclamation of salvation by grace → to the shared feast of grace → to the amazing grace that carries us out into the world.

As we sing, may our voices become instruments of grace, helping one another hear and feel the unearned, unlimited love of God.

Musically,

Music Tom 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

7/6 - Freedom to Lead, Teach, and Serve

 Dear St. Andrew’s Family, Next Sunday, I have the honor of preaching as we gather during this July 4th holiday weekend. While our civic celebrations often focus on independence, our worship invites us to reflect on a deeper, enduring kind of freedom—the freedom we receive in Christ. The sermon is titled: “Freedom to Lead, Freedom to Teach, Freedom to Serve.” In today’s world, freedom is often seen as personal choice or independence. But Scripture offers a countercultural view: Christian freedom is not for self-indulgence, but for self-giving. It leads us into deeper connection, greater humility, and wider service. Guiding Scriptures Four key passages will frame our worship: Galatians 5:13 “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.” Freedom in Christ is not about comfort or status—it’s about mutual love and service. 1 Peter 4:10 “Like good stewar...
Read more

7/13 - Light, Transformation, and a New Beginning

  Light, Transformation, and a New Beginning This Sunday marks a sacred milestone in our life together as we welcome  Pastor Norma  to the pulpit for her first Sunday of worship leadership at St. Andrew’s. She’ll be preaching on  2 Samuel 21:15–17 , a short but deeply resonant passage in which King David, exhausted in battle, is saved by Abishai—a companion who quite literally steps in to carry the weight when David no longer can. It’s a story about vulnerability, community, and light—how God often shines through the faithful presence of others. Pastor Norma’s theme of  light and transformation  flows throughout our worship. Our musical journey this week is intentionally curated to reflect both continuity and newness: We begin with  “Holy, Holy, Holy”  sung in  both English and Spanish  (v.1 English, v.1 Spanish, v.4 English, v.4 Spanish), symbolizing the universality of God’s holiness and our unity across language and culture. We follow...
Read more

6/29 - Comings, Goings, and New Beginnings

This will be a tough weekend across many churches. For us at St. Andrew's, it will be Pastor Sherri and Pastor David’s final service with us and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on how the musical and spiritual threads of the service are beautifully woven together. This weeks Bluey episode is "Camping"  It is an episode that teaches us of unexpected friendship, temporary goodbyes, and long-term impact that reminds us how people can come into our lives for a season — and leave us changed forever. That’s Pastor Sherri and Pastor David for us. They’ve camped with us — sometimes in the rain and mud of ministry, sometimes under starry skies — and now they’re heading to the next stop on their journey. Our message theme, “God Will Take Care of Us All,” grounded in Psalm 121:8 (“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”),  assures us that while these changes bring tears and tenderness, we are not without care or guidance. God goes with them. God...
Read more