October 9, 2016 Jewish New Year 11:00 am Warning! To enter into the life of this people of God is to encounter God s soul-challenging, life-changing, radicalizing love. Will you join us? Do you dare? THE GATHERING PRELUDE Prelude for Rosh Hashanah Louis Lewandowski This day the world was called into being Prelude for Yom Kippur Open Thou the gates of heaven Lewandowski *HYMN 24 Yigdal Elohim Chai Leoni (The God of Abraham Praise) *CALL TO WORSHIP One: Many: One: Many: One: Many: * Indicates all who are able may stand John M. Edgerton Praise the Lord, Who is to be praised. Praise the Lord, Who is to be praised forever. Bless the Lord, Who is to be blessed. Bless the Lord, Who is to be blessed forever. Blessed is the One Who spoke and the world came into being. Blessed is the Holy One, Author of the universe.
*A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION WORDS OF WELCOME We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them peace or the peace of Christ. ANTHEM Ani Ma-Amin Azriel David Fastag arr. John Leavitt I believe. I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah. And even though he may tarry, nonetheless I will wait every day for him to come. I believe. Moshe ben Maimon, known as Maimonides (c. 1135-1204); tr. Howard Wachtel THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD SCRIPTURE The Book of Jonah (3:4-10, 4:1-2) Rabbi Or Rose *HYMN 202 O God, How We Have Wandered Passion Chorale TURNING AND RETURNING Rabbi Or Rose and Nancy S. Taylor *HYMN Hineh mah tov Hebrew melody 1x Choir in unison 1x Congregation in unison 3x Round (women first, then men) 2
OFFERING OUR PRAYERS AND OUR GIFTS *CALL TO PRAYER One: God be with you. Many: And also with you. One: Lift up your hearts. Many: We lift our hearts to God. One: Let us pray. (The congregation may be seated.) Donald A. Wells PASTORAL PRAYER AND SILENT PRAYER THE LORD S PRAYER (unison) Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. PRAYER RESPONSE O Lord, May the Words Bruce Saylor O Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Amen. Psalm 19:14 CALL TO THE OFFERING John M. Edgerton In thanksgiving to God and giving witness to generous hearts, our financial gifts support ministries of mercy, justice, and beauty. Visit our secure online giving page to donate. 3
OFFERTORY ANTHEM Chichester Psalms: III Leonard Bernstein PRAYER OF DEDICATION Lord, Lord, My heart is not haughty, Nor mine eyes lofty, Neither do I exercise myself In great matters or in things Too wonderful for me. Surely I have calmed And quieted myself, As a child that is weaned of his mother, My soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord From henceforth and forever. Psalm 131 Behold how good, And how pleasant it is, For people to dwell Together in unity. Psalm 133:1 *HYMN 20 God of Abraham and Sarah Constantine *BIDDING TO MISSION AND BENEDICTION Rabbi Or Rose and Nancy S. Taylor POSTLUDE Processional Music Herman Berlinski Close-Up, a 20-minute tour of the Sanctuary, begins following worship at the front of the Sanctuary. Led by docent Chuck Gerlinger. 4
WELCOME TO OLD SOUTH CHURCH Welcome to Old South Church in Boston. We are a progressive Christian church first gathered in 1669. The Church played a significant role in early American history. Today, Old South Church continues to outfit itself for mission and ministry in the 21st century as a thriving urban church in the heart of Boston. Join us immediately following worship for fellowship and refreshments in the Gordon Chapel. The flowers today are given by Helen McCrady in loving memory of her parents, Ned and Sally McCrady. Name tags facilitate community and help newcomers feel welcomed. If you don t see a tag with your name on it, let us know. Parents are free to wander when restless. Audio of the service is available across the Narthex in the Gordon Chapel. For LARGE print bulletins or hearing assistance devices ask an Usher. NOTES ON TODAY S MUSIC This Sunday falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, two of the most central observances in the Jewish liturgical year. In honor of our Jewish friends, neighbors and colleagues, the music in this service is by Jewish composers and reflects the mystery and grandeur of the High Holy Days. The first anthem, Ani Ma amin, has become one of the most powerful expressions of belief for the Jewish people. The text is the penultimate line from the 12 th -century Sephardic Jewish philosopher Maimonides thirteen articles of faith. Together they summarize what he viewed as the required beliefs of Judasim: 1. The existence of God. 2. God's unity and indivisibility into elements. 3. God's spirituality and incorporeality. 4. God's eternity. 5. God alone should be the object of worship. 6. Revelation through God's prophets. 7. The preeminence of Moses among the prophets. 8. The Torah that we have today is the one dictated to Moses by God. 9. The Torah given by Moses will not be replaced and that nothing may be added or removed from it. 10. God's awareness of all human actions and thoughts. 11. Reward of good and punishment of evil. 12. The coming of the Jewish Messiah. 13. The resurrection of the dead. 5
The haunting melody is attributed to Azriel David Fastag, a Hasidic musician who reportedly composed the tune in a cattle car while being taken to the Treblinka concentration camp. The tune rapidly spread throughout Treblinka and to other Nazi death camps, and began to be referred to as the Song of the Camps. It was sung by thousands of Jews as they marched to the gas chambers. Today it is often included in the Memorial Service liturgy on Yom Kippur, as well as at Holocaust Remembrance Day services. The prayer response, O Lord, May the Words, is a simple setting of Psalm 19:14 by New York composer Bruce Saylor (b. 1946). This text is often sung by choirs in Jewish Reform temples following the Silent Meditation during a Shabbat service. Perhaps the most beloved American Jewish composer was Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), who was born in Lawrence, MA. A true Music Man, he was a composer, conductor, author, lecturer, and pianist who blessed the world with such immortal works as West Side Story and the Jeremiah Symphony. He was a man of faith more to the point, a man of questioning faith a faith molded by the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust and the emerging new world following those atrocities. The music during the offering is the third movement from Bernstein s Chichester Psalms, a work for choir and orchestra that was commissioned for the 1965 Southern Cathedrals Festival at Chichester Cathedral in England. This movement beings with a conflicted organ prelude again, Bernstein struggling with his questioning faith but soon settles into a gentle, rolling ballad, lulling the listener with the gentle breezes and swaying palm branches of the Middle East. The finale of the movement is a haunting pianissimo chorale on the words Hineh mah tov, a cry for unity and peace in the world. At the last amen, a muted trumpet softly recapitulates the theme of questioning, i.e. that the quest for unity and peace is yet a work in progress. The organ voluntaries during the prelude are from the pen of German composer Louis Lewandowski (1821-1894), the greatest writer of synagogal music in the 19 th century. His most famous works were composed during his tenure as music director at the New Synagogue in Berlin (destroyed during WWII), and his melodies form a central part of the synagogue service in Reform, Liberal, Conservative and Orthodox communities around the world today. The postlude is by Herman Berlinski (1910-2001), a German-born American composer. At the outbreak of WWII he immigrated to France and joined the French Foreign Legion, but by 1941 the Vichy government declared him a foreigner and refused his military service. Fearing ultimate incarceration, he and his family fled to the United States. He began music studies in earnest, with Olivier Messiaen at the Tanglewood Music Centre, and later with Hugo Weisgall at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In 1963 Berlinski was appointed as music director of the Reform Hebrew Congregation in Washington, D.C., a fruitful collaboration that resulted in a vast canon of Jewish liturgical choral and organ music until his retirement in 1977. Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music 6
CALENDAR Sunday, October 9 8:30 am First Worship Choir 9:00 am FIRST Worship, Nancy S. Taylor preaching 9:45 am Old South Café in the Gordon Chapel 10:00 am HEALING Worship 10:00 am Community Hour 10:00 am Lectionary Bible Study 11:00 am FESTIVAL Worship, Nancy S. Taylor preaching Monday, October 10 Church Closed for Indigenous Peoples Day Tuesday, October 11 5:30 pm Membership Committee 5:30 pm Old South Ringers Rehearsal 7:00 pm Church Council Wednesday, October 12 6:00 pm (G)RACE TALKS Book Group 6:15 pm Young Adults Small Group: Study of the Psalms 7:00 pm Music Committee Thursday, October 13 6:00 pm JAZZ Worship, Rebecca Bowler preaching 6:30 pm Old South Choir Rehearsal 7:00 pm Through the Whole Bible Study 7:00 pm Young Adults Small Group: Imagining Redemption 7:00 pm Small Group: Study of Jesus Parables 8:00 pm Small Group: Faith and Politics Friday, October 14 12:30 pm Planned Giving Committee 6:00 pm Parents Night Out Saturday, October 15 Boston Book Festival - Events All Day - Sunday, October 16 Celebrating James W. Crawford and The New Century Hymnal 7
OLD SOUTH CHURCH IN BOSTON MINISTERS, OFFICERS AND STAFF Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music John M. Edgerton, Associate Minister Anthony T. Livolsi, Associate Minister James W. Crawford, Senior Minister Emeritus Kate Nintcheu, Director, Children and Family Ministries Donald A. Wells, Theologian in Residence June Cooper, Theologian in the City Calvin Genzel, Wedding Outreach Minister Ken Orth, Healing Worship Minister Carrie Swayne-Gerrish, Youth Leader Rebecca Bowler, Seminarian Intern Carolyn Davis, Director, Old South Preschool George Sargeant, Associate Organist and Choirmaster Laurel Leslie, Choir Director, First Worship Willie Sordillo, Music Coordinator, Jazz Worship Peter Coulombe, Director, Old South Ringers Amy Budka, Children s Music Leader Linda O Donnell, Director, Children s Choirs Timothy Harbold, Director, Gospel Choir Deb Washington, Moderator Rob Gabler, Clerk Lauren Berk, Treasurer Phil Stern, Chair, Board of Trustees Emily Click, Historian Debbie Leonard, Senior Deacon Vicki A. Newman, Pledge Secretary Helen McCrady, Senior Church Administrator Amy Perry, Communications Kelsey Walck, Administrative Assistant Linda Van Praet, Accounting and Human Resources Janet Butler, Wedding Coordinator Elias Perez, Senior Sexton Ozo Nwodo and Oppong Serebour, Sextons Corey Spence, Rubia Reyes, and Lena Rojas Receptionists www.oldsouth.org CCLI License #2802138 A NOTE ON THE INCLUSIVE DIMENSIONS OF GOD S GRACE Old South Church in Boston, in the name of its host, Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of Christ s invitation carved into the stone of this church s portico, Behold I Set Before You an Open Door, welcomes all who seek to know God. Following the One who we believe is Sovereign and Savior, we affirm that each individual is a child of God, and recognize that we are called to be like one body with many members, seeking with others of every race, ethnicity, creed, class, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to journey together toward the promised realm of God. We invite everyone to join in the common life and mission of our reconciling community through participation and leadership in this congregation, and by fully sharing in the worship, rites and sacraments of this church. As we all move forward with the work of this church, we commit ourselves to making justice and inclusivity a reality in this congregation and in the world. On the threshold of Christ s open door, we rely upon the healing, unconditional nature of God s love and grace to be our help and guide. 8
ANNOUNCEMENTS COMMUNITY LIFE Our Faith. Our Time. Our Future. All Church Celebration Lunch Join us Sunday, October 23rd, at 12:30 pm, to break bread together and hear the exciting ways we are shaping our future. Now. To attend, please RSVP by Sunday, October 16th to the Front Desk, reception@oldsouth.org. Your Vote Counts. Make Sure It s Counted! COMMIT TO VOTE: Whether you know your precinct captain by name or have never cast a ballot before, make sure your vote is counted this election. For the first time ever, Massachusetts is hosting early voting. On Wednesday, October 26th at 6:30 pm, an Old South Church group of Boston residents, along with The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, will cast early votes at Boston City Hall. Email john@oldsouth.org to join early voting on October 26th. YES ON 5: Old South Church believes Boston should be a city where everyone rich or poor can afford to live and thrive. Old South Church is urging Boston residents to strongly consider voting yes on question five in support of the Community Preservation Act. Email john@oldsouth.org to commit to vote Yes on 5. And on Sunday, October 30th, at 12:30 pm, Rev. John Edgerton will present his philosophy of faith and politics, and why it informs his work to support 'Yes on 5'. LIFTING 200 VOICES MASS CHOIR: On Saturday, October 22, at 3 pm, Old South Church will host a choral festival celebrating 200 years of good works by City Mission, New England s oldest social justice organization. All are invited to participate in the mass choir. As a singer, your day will include a morning rehearsal, free time in Copley Square for lunch, and an afternoon rehearsal and concert. To participate, email OSC Gospel Choir Director and 200 Voices Committee Chair Tim Harbold at tharbold@wheatonma.edu.
ADULT EDUCATION SUNDAYS at 10 am between First and Festival Worship COMMUNITY HOUR: Today, join Senior Minister Nancy Taylor for Everything You Wanted to Know about Church Finances but Were Afraid To Ask. LECTIONARY BIBLE STUDY: Engage the preached scripture text for the week in depth and detail and enjoy the lively discussion facilitated by our Boston University School of Theology Seminarian Rebecca Bowler. WEEKDAYS (G)RACE TALKS BOOK GROUP: Wednesdays, October 12th, and 19th at 6 pm. A discussion on Third Reconstruction: How a Moral Movement is Overcoming the Politics of Division and Fear by Rev. William Barber continues. Facilitated by Theologian in the City Rev. June Cooper. FUN-AND-NOT-SCARY, AT-A-SNAIL S-PACE READ THROUGH OF THE WHOLE BIBLE STUDY: Thursdays, 7 pm. Study and savor the scriptures (currently Leviticus) as we take them chapter by chapter, book by book. Led by Rev. Anthony Livolsi. NEXT WEEK Hymn Festival Sunday Celebrating the 80th birthday of Senior Minister Emeritus Rev. Dr. James W. Crawford. COMMUNITY HOUR Rev. James Crawford will present on the creation of a radical Christian document, T he N e w C e ntury H y mnal, for which he served as committee chair. Jim will be joined by his daughter, Betsy Regan, and Rev. Ansley Coe Throckmorton. FESTIVAL WORSHIP Rev. James Crawford will preach A Mo st Pro saic Reflectio n. And the service will feature music from the New Century Hymnal. FELLOWSHIP, BIRTHDAY CAKE & SING-ALONG Join us for a very special Fellowship Hour on the second floor.
CHILDREN + FAMILIES TODAY: Due to the All Church Retreat on Cape Cod, children s and youth programming (with the exception of childcare) will not be held. CHILDCARE: Infants through grade 2 are welcome in our childcare ministries beginning at 8:40 am. Care is available uninterrupted through First Worship, Community Hour, and Festival Worship. HELP OUR YOUTH HELP THE HOMELESS Beginning next Sunday, October 16th, and through November 18th, the Youth Group will collect items for blessing bags for our unhoused neighbors. The weather is growing exceedingly cold at night, please help keep our brothers and sisters comfortable. Items include travel size toiletries, non-perishable food, bottled water, and hand warmers. A complete list of requested items is available online and will be included in next week s bulletin. For more information, contact Youth Leader Carrie Swayne-Gerrish at carrie@oldsouth.org. LGBTQ BRUNCH GROUP On Sunday, October 16th, the LGBTQ Brunch Group will meet in the main lobby immediately following Festival Worship and then head out to City Table located in the Lenox Hotel for food and fellowship. To RSVP or reserve childcare, email anthony@oldsouth.org.
MUSIC ART & JUSTICE CONCERTS Benefit Recital with Sam Ou - Friday, October 14, 8:30 pm Cellist Sam Ou will be performing his annual benefit recital at Pierce Hall, New England Conservatory of Music. Featuring violin, viola, and special accompaniment by Sam s sister, Carol Ou, also on cello. Free admission. An offering will be taken for Saturday/Sunday s Bread, an all-volunteer organization dedicated to serving free hot meals to those in need. Lifting 200 Voices in Celebration - Saturday, October 22, 3 pm A choral festival celebrating 200 years of the good works of City Mission, featuring the Boston Children s Chorus as well as community choirs, including our very own Gospel Choir, under the direction of Donnell L. Patterson from the New England Conservatory. Songs for Syria - Sunday, November 13, 3 pm Old South Church is co-sponsoring a concert for humanitarian relief featuring the music of Klezperanto and Layaali Arabic Music Ensemble. An offering will be taken for the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) whose volunteer physicians provide medicine and medical services to Syrian civilians and refugees in neighboring countries. SERVE ROLLING FOOD DRIVE: Collecting peanut butter for the Allston-Brighton Food Pantry. Collection is in the stone entryway. NOTICES 1) Worship services and events at Old South Church are sometimes photographed and videotaped to document the vibrant life of our church. If you do not wish to be included in these recordings, please notify an usher. 2) Please do not leave bags unattended in the building, including in the Sanctuary, for any length of time. Old South Church in Boston (617) 536-1970 OldSouth.org