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Join us each Sunday for worship in the University Chapel, led by the dean and the associate dean of religious life and of the chapel, that draws students, faculty, staff, and townspeople together to hear God’s word, to sing God’s praise, to lift up the University in prayer. Each season, marvelous guest preachers are invited to preach in the chapel as well. We hope you can join us!
Princeton University Chapel, February 5, 2023 – Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
A Service of Holy Communion. You are invited to rise, in body or spirit, for those parts of the service marked with an asterisk (*)
Invitatory: Allegro ma non troppo and Adagio e espressivo from Third Sonata by Gerald Near (b. 1942)
Cantabile from Deuxième Symphonie, Op. 20 by Louis Vierne (1870-1937)
Welcome and Announcements by Dean Thames
*Hymn No. 27: From All That Dwell below the Skies, Lasst Uns Erfreuen
*Call to Worship by Natalie Harvey
*Invocation
Reading: Isaiah 58:1-9a
Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,
and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to God?
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of God shall be your rearguard.Then you shall call, and God will answer; you shall cry for help, and God will say, Here I am.
Anthem: I Would Be True by Undine Smith Moore (1904-1989)
I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare!
I would be friend of all, the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I know my weakness;
I would look up and laugh and love and lift!
Howard A. Walter (1833-1918)
Reading: Matthew 5:13-20
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven. ”Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the realm of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the realm of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the realm of heaven.”
Sermon: “Shout and Shine!” by Dean Boden
*Hymn No. 311: Renew Your Church, All Is Well
Prayers of the People by Becky Schad
(If there are prayer requests that you would like to share, please raise your hand.)
After each petition:
One: God of love and mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.
Lord’s Prayer: Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
*Exchange of the Peace
One: The peace of God be always with you.
All: And also with you.
(The people may exchange the peace with one another.)
Offertory Sentence
Music at the Offering: I Don’ Feel No Ways Tired, Traditional spiritual arr. Stacey V. Gibbs
Oh I am seekin’ fo’ a city, hallelujah!
Fo’ a city into de Kingdom hallelujah!
Oh Lord, I don’ feel no ways tired, childun,
Oh, glory hallelujah!
Fo’ I hope to shout glory when dis worl’ is on fiyer, childun
Oh, glory, hallelujah!
Dere’s a bettuh day a comin’, Hallelujah!
When I leave dis worl’ of sorrow, hallelujah,
Fo’ to jine dat holy numbah, hallelujah.
Oh Lord, I don’ feel no ways tired…
*Doxology: Sung to the tune of hymn no. 27, Lasst uns erfreuen
Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise God all creatures here below, alleluia, alleluia. Praise God above ye heavenly hosts, Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
*Communion
Invitation to Communion
One: God be with you.
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them to God.
One: Let us give thanks to God most high.
All: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
One: Holy God, our loving Creator, close to us as breathing and distant as the farthest star, we thank you for your constant love for all you have made. We thank you for all that sustains life, for all people of faith in every generation who have given themselves to your will, and especially for Jesus Christ, whom you have sent from your own being as our Savior. We praise you for Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection, and for the calling forth of your church in the world. Gifted by the presence of your Holy Spirit, we offer ourselves to you as we unite our voices with the entire family of your faithful people everywhere:
Sanctus: Holy, holy, holy, God of pow’r and might! Heaven and earth, heaven and earth, heaven and earth are full of your glory! Hosana! Hosana in the highest!
All: Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
One: Creator God, We bless you and praise you, You spoke and the Earth was formed. You drew a breath and the sea rose. All of creation sings your praises:
Gloria: Glory to God, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. Glory to God, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace. These glad tidings of great joy shall be to all people, great joy! Glory to God, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace.
One: From the dust of the Earth, you created our bodies. You gave us our senses and blessed us with the power of reason and love. Yet we turned against you and one another.
Kyrie: Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison, Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison, eleison.
One: And so you sent us Jesus, the incarnate one, to show us how to love you. He announced good news to the poor, release to the captive, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed.
All: Through all his life and death, He reconciled us to you and to one another.
One: Witnessing to that reconciliation, on the night he was arrested, in company with his good friends, Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, he broke it and said:
All: Take. Eat. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this, remembering me.
One: After supper, he took a cup of wine and said:
All: “Drink this, all of you. This is the new covenant, sealed in my blood; whenever you drink it, do this, remembering me.”
One: Remembering Jesus, we ask you to send the power of the Holy Spirit upon this bread and this wine that these gifts may be for us the sacrament of your healing presence among us in a broken and bleeding world. Feed us with your power; fill us with your peace; lead us, reconciled and redeemed, into the world, to work for the liberation and reconciliation of all peoples. In the name of God, Creating, Redeeming, and Sanctifying, we pray, Amen.
All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!
One: The gifts of God for the people of God.
Agnus Dei: Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Miserere nobis. Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Miserere nobis. Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Dona nobis pacem.
All of God’s people are welcome at God’s table.
Please come forward to receive Communion. You are then invited to return to your seats to keep silence for meditation and prayer.
Music during Communion: Agnus Dei by José Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830)
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
*Thanksgiving: To be said by all: Eternal God, we thank you for graciously calling us into community with Jesus and one another, and for beginning in us the age that is to come. Grant us courage and send us forth to do the work you have given us to do, to love and serve you as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ. To Christ, to you, and to the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.
*Prayer for Princeton: to be said by all: O Eternal God, the source of life and light for all peoples, we pray you would endow this University with your grace and wisdom: give inspiration and understanding to those who teach and to those who learn; grant vision to its trustees and administrators; to all who work here and to all who bear her name give your guiding Spirit of sacrificial courage and loving service. Amen.
*Hymn No. 573: Lead On Eternal Sovereign, Lancashire
*Benediction
Voluntary: Final from Deuxième Symphonie, Op. 20 by Louis Vierne
University Chapel Staff: The Rev. Alison L. Boden, Ph.D., Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; The Rev. Dr. Theresa S. Thames, Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel; Dr. Nicole Aldrich, Director of Chapel Music; Eric Plutz, University Organist; Elizabeth Powers, Chapel Administrator; Natalie Harvey and Becky Schad, Seminary Interns; Edgar Gomez, Sexton; Lisa McGurr, Sexton
The University Chapel is a welcoming community of faith. We gather to sing God's praises, to hear God's living Word, to seek justice, and to proclaim God's love for all people. If you are interested in making a contribution toward Sunday flowers in the chapel as a memorial please contact Liz Powers for details at 258-3048.
Every Sunday of every month the congregation is invited to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to Arm in Arm.
The offering this morning will go to further the ministry of the University Chapel.
The flowers today are given in memory of Robert Carter Miller ’28, Mildred Baylis Miller (“MooMoo”), their granddaughter, Fiona Gibson Miller, and Robert Carter Miller, Jr '58, by their loving relatives.
Black History Month Music Series. In February, the Chapel Choir features music by Black composers in various genres. Our goal is to venture off the well-worn path of choral arrangements of spirituals into a more complex musical world. We recognize that Black history is far more expansive and vibrant than the centuries of slavery and oppression in the United States. Black history is rich and varied, spans the globe over millennia, and has stories to tell of joy and liberation, not just struggle. This month we will share some of these stories, and we recommit to our goal of including historically marginalized composers throughout the year.
About today’s music: Undine Smith Moore is often called the “Dean of Black Woman Composers.” She studied piano, organ, and music theory at Fisk University, a historically Black institution, and earned a Master of Arts in Teaching at Columbia University. While a faculty member at the Virginia State University Department of Music, she founded the university’s Black Music Center, which brought leading Black composers, lecturers, and other musicians to the college. Many of Moore’s compositions and arrangements were written for her own students, drawing from spirituals and other songs she learned as a child. The piece we sing today, “I Will Be True,” is an original work, a gem of simplicity and beauty unified by a two-note descending motive.
“I Don’ Feel No Ways Tired” is a traditional spiritual arranged by Stacey V. Gibbs, whose spiritual settings have been described as “an exhilarating gift to choirs around the world.” Gibbs wrote the text in dialect to foster authentic performance practice, representing the elision and softening of consonants common in the speech of enslaved Africans in the United States. “I Don’ Feel No Ways Tired” is an exuberant celebration of persistence and promise.
José Mauricio Nunes Garcia was born in Brazil to parents of European and African descent. A priest and gifted composer, in 1808 he was appointed Master of Music of the Royal Chapel in Rio de Janeiro, making him the first musician of the Kingdom of Portugal. Nunes Garcia’s education, musical and otherwise, was steeped in European tradition, and an early biographer compared him to W. A. Mozart. One can hear the resemblance in the restrained and elegant Agnus Dei from his Mass in E-flat.
All week—Chapel Choir auditions. All members of the campus community--faculty, staff, undergrad and grad students, and their families and friends--are welcome to join us. Auditions continue through February. Visit www.princetonchapelchoir.com/audition to learn more and to schedule an appointment. Contact director Nicole Aldrich with any questions ([email protected] or 609-258-3654).
Calendar:
Today, February 5, 2023—1:30 p.m. Hallelujah Church @ Princeton, Murray-Dodge Hall, Room 104 — A service of exciting worship, inspiring music, and a place of grace where love, hope and faith come alive.
Wednesday, February 8, 2023—12:00 noon—Hour of Power, Murray-Dodge Hall 104—an interdenominational weekly Christian service of praise, prayer, music, and proclamation.
Thursday, February 9, 2023—12:30 p.m.—After Noon Concert Series—The concerts are free and all are invited. The performer will be Thomas Sheehan, Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC.
Sunday, February 12, 2023—11:00 a.m. University Chapel Service. The preacher will be Dean Thames.