Band of Angels A Service of Remembrance for the children who died in racial violence on September 15, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama by K. Lee Scott (ASCAP) Scripture readings taken from King James Version, altered by K. Lee Scott. 1. Hold Out Your Light African American Spiritual Hold out your light, O heav n bound soldier, let it shine over all the world. O brothers, O sisters, O Christians, O preacher, O deacon, O servant, O mothers, O fathers, O children, s The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him. (Habakkuk 3:20) I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. (Psalm 122:1) Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of God. (Mark 10:14b-16) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and though the mountains shake with the swelling waves. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:1-3, 7) 2. Congregational Hymn: Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee Copyright 2015 Birnamwood Publications (ASCAP) A division of MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc., St. Louis, MO All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. 1.800.647.2117 www.morningstarmusic.com (after stanza 2 while choir hums) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23:4-6)
3. Sweet Chariot African American Spiritual I looked over Jordan, and what did I see, coming for to carry me home? A band of angels coming after me, coming for to carry me home. Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home, swing low, sweet chariot, coming for the carry me home. Responsive Psalm 10, Book of Common Prayer Why do you stand so far off, O Lord, and hide yourself in time of trouble? The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised. The wicked boast of their heart s desire; The covetous curse and revile the LORD. The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; their only thought is, God does not matter. Their ways are devious at all times; your judgments are far above out of their sight; they defy all their enemies. They say in their heart, I shall not be shaken; no harm shall happen to me ever. Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; under their tongue are mischief and wrong. They lurk in ambush in public squares and in secret places they murder the innocent; they spy out the helpless. They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert; they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net. The innocent are broken and humbled before them; the helpless fall before their power. They say in their heart, God has forgotten; he hides his face; he will never notice. Rise up, O Lord; lift up your hand, O God; do not forget the afflicted. Why should the wicked revile God? why should they say in their heart, You do not care? Surely, you behold trouble and misery; you see it and take it into your own hand. The helpless commit themselves to you, for you are the helper of orphans. Break the power of the wicked and evil; search out their wickedness until you find none. The LORD is King for ever and ever; the ungodly shall perish from his land. The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear; To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, so that mere mortals may strike terror no more. 2
4. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord; He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible, swift sword; His truth is marching on. I have seen him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps, They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps. I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps; His day is marching on. I have read his fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel; As ye deal with my contemnors, so with you my grace shall deal ; Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, Since God is marching on. He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat; He is sifting out the hearts of men before the judgment seat; O be swift, my soul, to answer him! be jubilant my feet; Our God is marching on. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me, As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free; While God is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave; He is wisdom to the mighty, he is honor to the brave; So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of wrong his slave, Our God is marching on. Julia W. Howe, 1861 5. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning African American Spiritual Keep your lamps trimmed and a-burning, for this work s almost done. Children, don t grow weary, Darker midnight lies before us,, Christians, don t grow weary,, Lo, the morning soon is breaking,, Keep your lamps trimmed and a-burning,, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims, each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then I said, Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips and mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then one of the seraphims flew unto me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with the tongs from of the altar, and he laid it upon my mouth and said, Lo, this has touched your lips and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven. Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said, Here I am, send me. (Isaiah 6:1-8) 3
6. Congregational Hymn: A Charge to Keep I Have Music Copyright 2015 Birnamwood Publications (ASCAP) A division of MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc., St. Louis, MO All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. 1.800.647.2117 www.morningstarmusic.com (Choir continues to hum while next scripture is read) Come now, you rich, weep and lament for the miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the wages you failed to pay of the workers who have reaped your fields cries out, and their cries have reached the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. You have lived in pleasure on the earth and lived in excess, you have fattened yourselves as in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and killed the innocent who were not resisting you. Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth patiently waiting for the early and latter rain. Be patient, establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draws near. (James 5:1-8) Music Copyright 2015 Birnamwood Publications (ASCAP) A division of MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc., St. Louis, MO All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. 1.800.647.2117 www.morningstarmusic.com At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child to him and set him in the midst of them and said, Truly I say to you, except you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whoever, therefore, shall humble themselves as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives such a little child in my name receives me. (Matthew 18:1-5) 4
7. Precious Jewels When he cometh, when he cometh To make up his jewels, All his jewels, precious jewels, His loved ones, his own. Refrain: Like the stars of the morning, His brightness adorning, They shall shine in their beauty: Bright gems for his crown. He will gather, he will gather the gems for his kingdom; all the pure ones, the bright ones, his loved ones, his own. Refrain: Like the stars of the morning... Little children, little children who love their Redeemer are the jewels, precious jewels, his loved ones, his own. Refrain: Like the stars of the morning... William O. Cushing, 1856 For we know that if our earthly tent which is our earthly home were destroyed, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this house, we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heaven since if we are so clothed, we shall not be found to be naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, that death might be swallowed up by life. Now he who prepares us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. Therefore, we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:1-7) 8. I Want Jesus to Walk with Me African American Spiritual I want Jesus to walk with me. I want Jesus to walk with me. All along my pilgrim journey, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me. In my trials, Lord, walk with me. In my trials, Lord, walk with me. When my heart is almost breaking, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me. When I m in trouble, Lord, walk with me. When I m in trouble, Lord, walk with me. When my head is bowed in sorrow, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me. Lord, I want Jesus, Jesus to walk with me. 5
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And he said to me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said to me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, I will give to those who thirst from the fountain of water of life freely. (Revelation 21:1-6) 9. The River of Life And the angel showed me a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming out of the throne of God and of the Lamb flowing through the center of the street of the city. On either side of the river was the tree of life, which bears twelve kinds of fruit, yielding fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall be no more curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it. Servants shall serve him, and they shall see his face. His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there and no need of a lamp nor the light of the sun, for God shall be their light. They shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5) Congregational Hymn: They Suffer With Their Lord Below Copyright 2015 Birnamwood Publications (ASCAP) A division of MorningStar Music Publishers, Inc., St. Louis, MO All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. 1.800.647.2117 www.morningstarmusic.com And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all you his servants, and you who fear him both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of rushing waters and as the noise of mighty thundering saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. And he said to me, Write, Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Revelation 19: 5-9a) 6
10. Harps Eternal Hark, I hear those harps eternal ringing on the farther shore, as I near those swollen waters with their deep and solemn roar. Refrain Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah to the Lamb, Hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to the great I AM! And my soul, though stained with sorrow, fading as the light of day, passes swiftly o er those waters to that city far away. Refrain Souls have crossed before me, saintly, to that land of perfect rest; and I hear them singing faintly in the mansions of the blest. Refrain 11. Benediction Now unto him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God, our Savior, be power and authority both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 23-24) 12. In Paradisum In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiat te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. (May the angels lead you into paradise; at your coming may the martyrs receive you and lead you to the holy city of Jerusalem.) There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy dwellings of the LORD most high. God is in the midst of her, and she shall not be moved. God will help at dawn of day. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere aeternam habeas requiem. (May the chorus of angels receive you, and with Lazarus, once poor, may you have eternal rest.) Chorus angelorum te suscipiat in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. (May the chorus of angels receive you in the holy city of Jerusalem) 7
13. A Charge to Keep I Have A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, a never-dying soul to save and fit it for the sky. To serve this present age, my calling to fulfill; O may it all my powers engage to do my Master s will! A Moment of Silence will be kept. 8