Bay Shore Church - Sermons and News from Bay Shore Community Congregational Church in Belmont Shore, California.

The offertory will be an arrangement of the hymn “All Things Bright and Beautiful” (Chalice Hymnal No. 61). The words were written by Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848 as an aid for children struggling to learn the Apostles’ Creed. She sought to covert the Apostles’ Creed into songs specifically for children. The Creed begins: I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. From the phrase “Maker of heaven and earth …”, she wrote “All Things Bright and Beautiful” and based the text on Genesis 1:31: “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.” Although this hymn was written for children, it has universal appeal. The tune is based on a 17th century English melody.

May our worship together with the children presenting a message in word and song nourish God’s love within each of us.

May 11th – As we celebrate Pentecost, the postlude will be an arrangement of the hymn Hail Thee, Festival Day. The famous and perhaps best known English composer of the 20th Century, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is credited with writing the music. The words to this hymn were originally written in Latin by Venantius Fortunatus, who was born circa 530 and died in 609. The text of this hymn provides a focus for our worship:
Hail thee, festival day!
Blessed day to be hallowed forever; Day when the Holy Ghost Shone in the world full of grace. Bright and in the likeness of fire, On those who await your appearing, You Whom the Lord had foretold Suddenly, swiftly descend. Forth from the Father You come With sevenfold mystical offering, Pouring on all human souls Infinite riches of God. May our worship together bring a realization that God, through the Holy Spirit, is at work among us.

George Frideric Händel (Germany.1685-1759) was quite successful as a composer even though several times during his life he lost everything and then was able to rebuild to an even stronger position. In 1715 he totally lost favor in the music community and became indebted, disgraced and close to imprisonment. However, he overcame the difficulties and once again became proud and victorious. The prelude will be a movement from one of Händel’s organ concertos written in 1735-1736. The organ concertos were devised by Händel to provide entertainment to the audience and a rest for the singers between acts of his operas. No doubt, the concertos were intended to show case Händel’s technical skills at the keyboard. For this particular movement I will utilize the antiphonal organ in the balcony. So, be sure and listen for the delicate flute sounds from behind you (you may want to turn your head slightly to help facilitate hearing the antiphonal organ). May our worship together guide us to a closer relationship with God and each other.

The postlude will be an arrangement of the hymn tune MADRID, titled Come, Christians, Join to Sing (Chalice Hymnal No.90). The words were written by Christian Henry Bateman (1813-1889), a minister of the Richmond Place Congregational Church, Edinburgh, Scotland.. Originally, the first line was “Come, children, join to sing,” growing out of Bateman’s desire to have hymns particularly for children to sing. In 1933, the Presbyterian Church USA changed the text to be all inclusive substituting “Christians” for “children”. The tune, a popular Spanish folk melody, was arranged for Bateman’s text in 1927 by David Evans (1874-1948). Each verse ends with “Alleluia, Amen” an exclamation of praise. My our worship together guide us to a closer relationship with God and each other.
Alicia Adams

For the the prelude on this Music Appreciation Sunday, I have selected a piece written by André Knevel (Netherlands.1950). At the age of eight, Knevel began formal musical training on the organ and piano with several well-known Dutch masters. At nineteen years of age, he gave his first official organ recital in the St. Vitus Cathedral of Bussum. In 1975, Knevel emigrated to Canada, making St. Catharines, Ontario, his permanent residence. The piece, “Toccata in g minor” is light hearted (even though it is written in a minor key), lyrical, and brings a smile to my face. My hope would be that the music this piece brings to your ears will provide a beginning for our worship together.

Our worship together will be blessed once again by the talents of the Biola Women’s Chorus.
One of the pieces they will sing during the service is a spiritual “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit” arranged by William L. Dawson (1899-1990) born in Anniston, Alabama. Dawson was a talented composer, choir director and professor. From 1931 – 1956, he taught at Tuskegee Institute (founded in 1880 and named “Normal School for Colored Teachers with a mission to provide education for “the man farthest down”, the poor, one-horse farmer). Dawson established the School of Music and for 25 years conducted the 100
voice Tuskegee Choir which was a main attraction at the grand opening of the Radio City Music Hall in New York. The choir also performed for Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dawson is a
recognized authority on the religious folk music of African Americans. His arrangement of “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit” exhibits his talents in arranging gospel songs. May we, at Bay Shore, experience God’s spirit and love through our worship together.

The offertory will be an arrangement of a favorite hymn to many: “How Great Thou Art” (Chalice Hymnal No. 33). Although the hymn originated in Europe, it was not widely known until 1957, when the Billy Graham Crusade in New York City began using the hymn. S. K. Hine brought this hymn to America after 70 years of literary activity, involving several different writers and translators. In 1885 or 1886 Rev. Carl Boberg, a Swedish preacher, wrote the hymn O Store Gud (O Great God). In 1907 it was translated into German, and in 1912 into Russian. In 1927, the English missionary Hine found it and started using it in his ministry in the Ukraine. When W.W. II broke out, Hine brought the English translation with him to England. He added the fourth stanza just after W.W. II, when many refugees from eastern Europe were streaming into England. The refugees were always asking: “When are we going home?” Hine’s response was: “In the day we reach our heavenly home will we proclaim with the hymn, ‘My God, How Great Thou Art’.” May we, at Bay Shore, experience God’s presence and love through our worship together.

Alicia Adams

March 23 – I have written this before, but I am so moved by the story that it has to be repeated. As a tradition at Bay Shore, George Frederick Händel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” from the Messiah will conclude the service. The Messiah is a long work requiring 2-1/2 hours to perform, and Händel composed it in ONLY 24 days. Never a religious man in the same sense as Bach, Händel became a God-intoxicated man while writing the Messiah. When he completed the “Hallelujah Chorus” he exclaimed to his servant, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God himself.” Again and again his servants found him in tears as he put to paper an awesome phrase or a devout passage. And then, after the last monumental Amen had been written, he confided simply to a physician, “I think God has visited me.” May we, at Bay Shore, experience God’s presence and love through our worship together this Easter Sunday.

The processional hymn is “Hosanna, Loud Hosanna ”. The tune Ellacombe as we
know it was first published in 1868; however, the tune was adapted from an older tune
written in 1784. The tune has been set to numerous words, and, for Palm Sunday there are no other words more appropriate than those written by Jeannette Threlfall (1821-1880) which describe Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The text is one of joy, although Ms. Threlfall suffered from severe disabilities due to two accidents that left her crippled, mutilated and an invalid. She cheerfully and patiently bore her pain and difficulties as revealed in her poetry.

May our worship together guide us as we celebrate with palms and reflect on the
passion.

Alicia Adams

March 9th – The prelude by The Bay Shore Bells will include an arrangement of “Beneath the Cross of Jesus” (Chalice Hymnal No. 197). The words to this hymn were written by Elizabeth Clephane (1830-1869). After Ms. Clephane’s death, the words were discovered by Ira Sankey and published. Mr. Sankey put the words to music and introduced the hymn during the great Moody/Sankey revival meetings in Britain. The first time the hymn was sung, Mr. Sankey sang it as a solo. With tear filled eyes and deeply moved, the preacher said: “Dear friends, I had intended to speak to you this morning upon work for the Master, but this new hymn has made such an impression on my heart, and evidently upon your own, that I will defer my proposed address and speak to you on ‘The Cross of Jesus’.” May our worship together guide us in our Lenten journey.