Feria
choral evensong
with dedication of sedilia
statues and shields
march 11, 2009
at five thirty pm
washington national cathedral
The Reverend Canon Carol L. Wade, cantor
The Right Reverend John Bryson Chane, officiant
The Very Reverend Samuel T. Lloyd III, homilist
The Boy Choristers
Canticles: Four Cathedrals Service by Malcolm Archer (b. 1952)
Responses: M. Archer
organ voluntary
Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877–1933)
Harmonies du soir, Op. 72, No. 1
The people stand for the procession.
welcome
preces
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts,
and I will tell of your greatness.
They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness;
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is loving to everyone
and his compassion is over all his works.
All your works praise you, O Lord,
and your faithful servants bless you.
They make known the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your power;
That the peoples may know of your power
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
first reading
Luke 4:14–19
Read by Anton Wong,
grandson of Howard Thurman.
Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a
report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He
began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went
to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood
up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He
unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring
good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the
captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go
free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
magnificat
Sung by the choir.
O Lord, open thou our lips;
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world
without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord’s name be praised.
The people are seated as the choir sings the psalm.
psalm 145:1–12
I will exalt you, O God my King,
and bless your Name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless you
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
there is no end to his greatness.
One generation shall praise your works to another
and shall declare your power.
I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty
and all your marvelous works.
chant: Major
The people are seated.
second reading
I will sing a new song.
I must learn the new song for the new needs
I must fashion new words born of all the new
growth in my life—of my mind—of my spirit.
I must prepare for new melodies that
have never been mine before,
That all that is within me may lift my voice unto God.
How I love the old familiarity of the wearied melody,
How I shrink from the harsh discords of
the new untried harmonies.
Teach me, my Father, that I might learn with the
abandonment and enthusiasm of Jesus,
The fresh new accent, the untried melody,
to meet the need of the untried morrow.
Howard Thurman (1900–1981)
nunc dimittis
My soul doth magnify the Lord,
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm;
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel,
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
The people stand as the choir sings.
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,
according to thy word;
for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
to be a light to lighten the Gentiles,
and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
the apostles’ creed
The people stand as the choir sings.
The Untried Melody
Read by Dr. Walter Earl Fluker
director, Howard Thurman papers, Morehouse College.
Sung by all.
I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in
Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead,
and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the
dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the
Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the
dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church, the communion
of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen.
lesser litany
Sung by the choir.
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Choir
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
the lord’s prayer
Sung by all.
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 trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against
us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
2
3
suffrages
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Cantor
Choir
Sung by the choir.
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, save the State;
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness;
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people;
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord;
Because there is none other that fighteth for us,
but only thou, O God.
O God, make clean our hearts within us;
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
Bishop
People
Bishop
Solomon beautified the sanctuary of the temple.
Oh, the majesty and magnificence of God’s presence!
Oh, the power and the splendor of God’s sanctuary!
Bishop
Let us pray. God, whose blessed Son has sanctified and
transfigured the use of material things: Receive these statues
and shields that are offered to your glory, bless them as a sign
of your eternal presence, and grant that they may proclaim
your love, benefit your Church, and minister grace and joy to
those who behold them; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
People
Dean
collects and grace
People
The people are seated.
homily
anthem
Dean Lloyd
arr. Margaret Bonds (1913–1972)
The Negro Speaks of Rivers
Sung by Kehembe V. Eichelberger,
Howard University.
I’ve known rivers: I’ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than
the flow of human blood in human veins. My soul has grown deep like the
rivers. I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young. I built my hut
near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I looked upon the Nile and raised
the pyramids above it. I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe
Lincoln went down to New Orleans, and I’ve seen its muddy bosom turn
all golden in the sunset. I’ve known rivers: Ancient, dusky rivers. My soul
has grown deep like the rivers.
Langston Hughes (1902–1967)
inviting the offering
The people are seated and an offering is received to support the Cathedral’s work of sharing
God’s love with the world.
anthem
Dean
We gather here today to dedicate, to the glory of God and
for the edification of God’s people, these Sedilia statues and
shields.
Presenters
On behalf of the Cathedral Chapter’s Fabric and Fine Arts
Committee, we present to you these statues and shields to be
set apart for the service of Christ’s holy Church.
Dean
People All things come from you, O Lord;
And from your own gifts do we give to you.
Dean
People
Prosper the work of our hands;
Prosper our handiwork.
Dean
People
Show your servants your works.
And your splendor to their children.
Bishop
Let us pray: Almighty God, we thank you that you have put it
into the hearts of your people to make offerings for your service,
and have been pleased to accept their gifts. Be with us now
and bless us as these statues and shields are set apart to your
praise and glory. May they be for all who see them a reminder
of God’s call to us, that we may, by our words and actions, let
justice toll down like water, seeking the welfare and freedom of
people everywhere, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
People
4
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
The Call
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life: such a way as gives us breath;
such a truth as ends all strife; such a life as killeth death. Come, my
Light, my Feast, my Strength: such a light as shows a feast; such a
feast as mends in length; such a strength as makes his guest. Come,
my Joy, my Love, my Heart: such a joy as none can move; such a love
as none can part; such a heart as joys in love.
George Herbert (1593–1633)
prayer
The people are seated.
dedication of the sedilia statues and shields
We bless your Name, O Lord, because it has pleased you
to enable your servants to offer these gifts given for the
beautification of this House of Prayer for All People. Grant that
all who benefit from these gifts may show their thankfulness to
you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The people stand.
Read by Bernard Richardson, PhD,
dean, Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel, Howard University.
Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening into the house and gate of
heaven to enter in and dwell in that house, where there shall be no darkness
nor dazzling, but one equal light; no noise nor silence, but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession; no ends, nor beginnings, but
one equal eternity; in the habitation of thy majesty and thy glory, world
without end. Amen.
John Donne (1572–1631)
collects
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the
evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over,
and our work is done. Then in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, and a holy
rest, and peace at the last. Amen.
blessing
The bishop offers the blessing and the people respond Amen.
hymn 382
King of glory, King of peace
Sung by all.
organ voluntary
General Seminary
John Cook (1918–1984)
Fanfare
presenters
Catharine Murdock
Olive Thurman Wong
Anton Wong
Walter Earl Fluker
Kehembe V. Eichelberger
Bernard Richardson
Joe Alonso
Mason Foreman
Joe Moss
carver of George Herbert and Howard Thurman statues
Malcolm Harlow
carver of John Donne statue
Sean Callahan
carver of Herbert shields and Thurman manger shield
Andy Uhl
carver of Donne shields and Thurman Bible shield
Eileen Yago
Chair, Fabric and Fine Arts Committee
The Reverend John Runkle
Cathedral Conservator
Ever gracious God, whose Son Jesus came not to be served but to serve:
We thank you for the numerous and manifold gifts given to us by those
who serve in this Cathedral Church and pray for the enrichment of our lives
by their presence. We thank you also for the varied ministries offered by
these your servants: strengthen and uphold them; nourish and guide them;
and so empower our shared ministries that by your Spirit we may continue
to glorify your kingdom through this holy place; this we ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Almighty God, who declares your glory and shows forth your handiwork
in the heavens and in the earth: Deliver us, we beseech you, in our several
occupations from the service of self alone, that we may do the work which
you give us to do, in truth and beauty and for the common good; for the
sake of him who came among us as one that serves, your Son Jesus Christ
our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
5
Massachusetts and Wisconsin Avenues, NW
Washington, DC 20016-5098
(202) 537-6200
www.nationalcathedral.org