February 11, 2007

6^th Sunday in Epiphany

Preparation for Worship

Jesus came down with them

and stood on a level place…

They had come to hear him

and to be healed of their disease;

and those who were troubled

with unclean spirits were cured.

Luke 6:17-18

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.

W. T. Purkiser

However many blessings we expect from God, God’s infinite liberality will always exceed all our wishes and our thoughts.

John Calvin

Our worship on this 6th Sunday of Epiphany focuses on our need for God's help and the constancy of care He provides for us through His grace.  The scriptures chosen this morning instruct us that "Blessed are those who trust in the Lord." Each hymn expresses that trust we place in the Lord.  "When Morning Guilds the Skies" reflects the light of this Epiphany season and directs us to praise God in all things. "Blest Are the Uncorrupted in Heart" is a setting of the text of Psalm 119, which reminds us of our need to trust God and walk in his ways. "God of Grace and God of Glory" is a text written by Harry Emerson Fosdick for the opening of Riverside Church in New York in 1930. With each verse, the text supports today's message that, in all things, we pray God might "grant us wisdom, grant us courage." This tune is among the more familiar and beloved of the Welsh hymn tunes.

     The prelude and postlude are taken from an organ concerto composed by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). The lively energy of this concerto, coupled with its lighter and more reflective moments, help frame our spirit of worship this morning. Handel wrote 16 such organ concerti, along with 50 operas, 23 oratorios, and a large volume of sacred motets and anthems. Handel's collective volume of work influenced a number of later classical composers, including Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. In fact, music scholars agree that Handel's compositions bridged the transition from the Baroque to the Classical periods in music history.

     The choir anthem today is a beautiful expression of a collective prayer for God's help.  The piece was written by the Italian composer Giovanni Battista Martini (1706-1784).  Martini was raised in a musical family, entered the Franciscan monastery, and received his first church appointment as a musician at the age of 19.  At the urging of his colleagues, he opened a school of composition and amassed a music library of over 17,000 volumes.  Martini was so well respected within the musical community that Leopold Mozart consulted him concerning the musical education and development of his son, Wolfgang.  Martini would later become one of Mozart's first musical tutors and teachers.

     The offertory is a work composed for harpsichord by Muzio Clementi (1752-1832). Being a contemporary of Mozart and Beethoven, Clementi is a lesser-known figure in music history. However, he is credited with being the creator of both the modern piano as an instrument, and the father of modern piano-playing. In Clementi's music, some hear the sounds of Mozart.  This is not surprising since, despite an avid and very public dislike of Clementi, Mozart took original themes composed by Clementi for use in his opera, The Magic Flute.  In keeping with the compositional practices of the day, this offertory is developed from a theme Clementi "borrowed" from Domenico Scarlatti.  Although set in a minor key, the piece is reminiscent of our cry for help and the exuberant response made possible through God's grace.

     We extend a warm Westminster welcome to our guest musicians who offer their music in praise of God this morning. Please extend the hand of Christian friendship to these guests as you leave worship today.