If you missed this past Friday’s concert, Spirituals, Psalms, and Songs for Social Change featuring Justin Payne, it is available on demand by clicking HERE. You can also view previous concerts by Kusi Taki – The Music of the Andes, by clicking HERE and Edem Soul Music, by clicking HERE.
Be sure to tune in for a piano concert featuring Dr. Kristín Jónína Taylor and the UNO Piano Studio this Friday, August 28th, at 7pm on our YouTube channel or at www.countrysideuccc.org/concerts.
If you are watching on KMTV and would like to view the prelude, you can do so on our YouTube page by viewing today’s service video. The prelude will take place live on YouTube at 10:50 each Sunday.
Ama Sua, Ama Llulla, Ama Quella – Quechua Chant – Performed by Kusi Taki
A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke – Performed by Justin Payne
I was born by the river in a little tent
Oh, just like a river, I’ve been running ever since
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change’s gonna come, oh, yes, it will
It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die
‘Cause I don’t know what’s up there above the sky
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change’s gonna come, oh, yes, it will
And I go to the movies, and I go downtown
Somebody keep telling me, don’t hang around
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change’s gonna come, oh, yes, it will
Oh, when I go to my brother
I’d say brother, help me, please
But he winds up knockin’ me
Back down on my knees
There been times that I thought I wouldn’t last for long
Now I think I’m able to carry on
It’s been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change’s gonna come, oh, yes, it will
Sam Cooke was an influential artist who broke through barriers during his tragically short career. While “A Change is Gonna Come” is now thought of as one of the greatest songs of all time, writing it was a risky move – putting in jeopardy the crossover career he had built for himself transitioning from a gospel singer to secular genres. In fact, a portion of the song was censored. He wrote the song after being arrested when he and his band were turned away from a Holiday Inn in 1963.
God, With Joy, We Look Around Us – Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
God, with joy we look around us at your world’s diversity.
Folk of every kind surround us and you call your church to see:
All are made in your own image! All are people whom you love!
In the times we’ve hurt each other, Lord, we’ve hurt the ones you bless.
Hating sister, cursing brother, we’ve denied what you express:
All are made in your own image! All are people whom you love!
God, you sent a Savior to us, breaking walls that would divide.
By your Spirit, now work through us as we witness side by side:
All are made in your own image! All are people whom you love!
Reflections on “God, With Joy We Look Around Us” from Carolyn Winfrey Gillette
A seminary classmate, Richard Lanford, was serving as the pastor at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in Skokie, Illinois, when the Ku Klux Klan announced they were going to have a rally in front of a Cook County Courthouse a few days before Christmas. Richard asked that a new hymn be written that the churches in the community could sing to counter the hate group’s rally. The hymn has since been used by many churches as part of their annual celebrations of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
We hope and pray that there is less prejudice than there used to be — that things are getting better — but we still see attitudes of hatred, intolerance and fear in too many places. You know where it exists in your own community. You know the work that still needs to be done.
Colossians 1:19 reminds us of the meaning of Christ’s coming into our world: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” Jesus Christ is the one who tears down the walls that divide us. What walls of hatred and prejudice need to be taken down in your community? In your life?
When this hymn was first sung by churches struggling to respond to a Klan rally in their community, they had a creative response beyond the hymn. In addition to inviting people of faith to attend services in their houses of worship, they also encouraged them to pledge money for a group working to end racism, the Southern Poverty Law Center. So, even as the Klan rally was going on outside, people of faith were responding with acts of worship, peace and justice.
Spirit of the Living God – Audrey Assad
O Spirit of the living God, thou Light and Fire Divine
Descend upon Thy Church once more and make it truly Thine
Fill it with love and joy and power, with righteousness and peace
Till Christ shall dwell in human hearts, and sin and sorrow cease.
Blow, wind of God, with wisdom blow until our minds are free
From mists of error, clouds of doubt, which blind our eyes to Thee
Burn, winged fire, inspire our lips with flaming love and zeal
To preach to all Thy great good news, God’s glorious commonweal.
So shall we know the power of Christ, who came this world to save
So shall we rise with Him to life which soars beyond the grave
And earth shall win true holiness which makes Thy children whole
Till, perfected by Thee, we reach creation’s glorious goal
We Walk in Love – Deanna Witkowski and Lemuel Colon
We walk in love united in purpose
We join our hands and lift up one voice
We speak the truth with strength and compassion
resounding with hope, with courage and joy.
We cry for peace and rights for all people
We welcome friends from far and near
We fight for those whose voices are silenced
Resisting in faith until all are free.
We dream a world of justice and kindness
We build a bridge creating new paths
We march with pride as all walk together
Embracing each one, we boldly stand.
Reflections on “We Walk in Love” from Deanna Witkowski:
In early 2017, I responded to a call for scores for a new collection of social justice songs being curated by Abbie Betinis, Tesfa Wondemagegnhehu, and Ahmed Anzaldúa. The songs to be selected as part of a new movement called Justice Choir would be offered free of charge for anyone to sing for non-commercial use: at concerts, marches, protests, and in houses of worship.
The idea was to have accessible, easy-to-learn songs that speak into the moment that we are living in now, and to provide opportunities for all to create community by singing together. When I saw a Facebook post from Abbie about the call for scores, I immediately responded by sitting down at the piano. I wrote and harmonized a simple tune in 3/4- not rangy, no big jumps, something that everyone could sing.
Next, I went to my living room couch with a large sketchbook on my lap. I started writing lists of nouns: “love, purpose, voice, compassion, truth, bridge, justice, kindness.” Then I pulled out the text to James Weldon Johnson’s hymn, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and started adding more nouns: “hope, faith.” I began a list of verbs: “dream, stand, fight, cry, walk, join, speak.”
Sketchbook page with “We Walk in Love” initial lyric ideas.
My boyfriend sat with me when I got stuck on a phrase or two and contributed to the lyric. We sang the three verses to each other multiple times before I returned to the piano and recorded myself singing and playing the song, “We Walk in Love.”
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me