7/11/2010 - 13th Annual Dixieland Jazz Service

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
Norwich, New York 13815

July 11, 2010 ~ 10:00 a.m.

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Known in Some Traditions as the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 10)

A Summer Union Service
United Church of Christ, First Congregational
First Baptist Church
Broad Street United Methodist Church
Christ Lutheran Church

13th Annual Dixieland Jazz Service

THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION—
“All music is folk music; I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.” — Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” — Victor Hugo

NOTE: There was a mission aspect to this service of worship: Strawberry Sundays served at a Coffee Hour run by Christ Lutheran. The Free Will Donations were targeted for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.

CHIMING OF THE HOUR

PRELUDE # 1 — Washington and Lee Swing
A Ragtime Classic, Washington and Lee Swing comes out of the same era as Dixieland and, hence, has many of the same musical roots. It was actually written as the “fight song” for Washington and Lee University by one Thornton W. Allen (class of 1913) in 1910. By 1924 more than fifty colleges had written Washington and Lee University for permission to adapt it. And yes, this song is of very little theological import. But it is great fun.

PRELUDE # 2 — A Closer Walk with Thee
This Gospel favorite makes an easy transition into many genres. Therefore, early on it became a staple of those who played jazz (there is a famous recording by clarinetist Pete Fountain) and, thereby, is a natural piece to be offered in a Dixieland arrangement.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

A TIME FOR MEDITATION— I’ve Got Peace Like a River #478
Isaiah uses the image “peace like a river” (Isaiah 66:12). The tune has its roots in African American Spirituals and it is likely this was originally a Mississippi River work song. Words such as are found in the text can sustain those who find themselves enmeshed in poverty and captivity.

WE PRAISE GOD

CALL TO WORSHIP
ONE: Praise the Lord!
MANY: Praise God in the sanctuary.
ONE: Praise God for mighty deeds.
MANY: Praise our
great living God
whose steadfast goodness
and love endures forever!
ONE: Praise God with trumpet,
lute, reed and harp!
MANY: Praise God with
tambourine and dance,
with voice and hands
and trumpet,
with trombone, piano, clarinet,
with tuba, drums and strings!
ONE: Praise God with
clanging cymbals,
with loud clashing cymbals!
MANY: Let everything
that breathes
praise the Lord!
Let us praise the Lord together
and worship God
with prayer and song!

HYMN— Amazing Grace #547
This hymn by Newton is an autobiographical reflection on the time he was caught in a storm while captain of a slave ship. It is an obvious plea for forgiveness for one’s actions towards other humans, in this specific case, the captives on Newton’s ship. In making such an appeal, this hymn, historically, has had a special meaning for people from oppressed communities.

*THE CONGREGATIONAL GREETING OF PEACE
ONE: May the peace of Christ, whose present reality we celebrate, be with you.
ALL: And also with you.

*THE SHARING OF THE PEACE

OFFERTORY
I Woke Up This Morning Insert
As these things go, I Woke Up This Morning is a very new song composed in the genre known as Spirituals. It probably dates no earlier than sometime the 1960s or 1970s. By the 1980s it is found in collections. But as is true of most works with the designation ‘Spiritual’ the origins of this work are murky, its writer unknown and it, hence, in the most real sense, if true ‘folk’ art.

*OFFERING RESPONSE— God of Grace (# 436)

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
IN SCRIPTURE AND SONG

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN THE SECTION KNOWN AS THE TORAH— Exodus 15:1-2, 19-20
READER: Scholars agree: the Exodus is the central event of the Hebrew Scriptures. Chapter 15 of Exodus contains two hymns. The first is often labeled The Song of Moses. The second is often labeled The Song of Miriam. Placed right after the Hebrews have crossed the expanse, both hymns commemorate the event. The Song of Moses takes up a good part of that Fifteenth chapter. The Song of Miriam comes second and is quite brief. Hence, on an initial reading, The Song of Miriam might seem to be an afterthought. But just as we can tell the difference between Elizabethan English and Twenty-first Century English because of differences in style, grammar and spellings, when scholars examine The Song of Miriam they come to the conclusion that The Song of Miriam very much predates The Song of Moses and, indeed, may be some of the oldest words recorded in Scripture. I shall first read a small section of The Song of Moses and I shall then read The Song of Miriam. Hear now this reading as it is found in the work known as Exodus.

[1] [Having crossed over] ...Moses and the Israelites
sang this song to Yahweh, God:
“To you, O God, I will sing:
You have triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider You have flung into the sea.
[2] Yahweh is our strength and courage;
You have become our deliverance;
You are our God, and we will praise You,
God of our ancestors— we exalt You!”

[19] And once Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and chariot drivers went into the seabed, Yahweh let the water collapse upon them. But the Israelites had walked through the seabed on dry ground.
[20] Then the prophet Miriam, who was the sister of Aaron, picked up a tambourine in her hand; and all the women followed her, dancing with tambourines in their hands [21] while Miriam sang this:
“Sing to Yahweh, God,
Who has triumphed gloriously;
Who has flung horse and rider
into the sea.”

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

HYMN— Wade in the Water Insert
This hymn, a so-called ‘slave song,’ has an important place in American history. Harriet Tubman sang it as a warning to runaway slaves. The message of the song was the escaping slaves were being told to abandon the land paths and move to the water. By traveling along the water’s edge or across a body of water, the slaves would throw chasing dogs and their keepers off the scent.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN THE SECTION KNOWN AS THE WRITINGS— Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4, 6, adapted
READER: No faith can survive long that is founded on the slippery slope of muddled piety. Often passages from the group of Biblical books known loosely as The Wisdom Literature offer doses of reality as a tonic. This is one such passage. Hear now this reading as it is found in that section of the wisdom literature knows as Ecclesiastes.

For everything there is a season,
and a time
for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up
what is planted;
a time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
and a time to keep,...

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

The next hymn is Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Tom Dorsey’s lament written after the death of his wife and newborn son in a car accident in 1932. Tom Dorsey became known as Gospel Tom Dorsey, the father of Gospel music after this hymn was published. In the nineteen twenties Dorsey had been a jazz musician who worked with Ma Rainey, but later became a choir director for forty years at the Pilgrim Church in Chicago. Gospel Tom’s Precious Lord, Take My Hand is hymn # 472.

HYMN— Precious Lord, Take My Hand #472
‘Georgia Tom’ Dorsey adapted this tune to his text after his wife and newborn son died in a car accident in 1932. Dorsey, born in 1899, was greatly influenced by the New Orleans style of music.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES— 2 Kings 2:4-14
READER: It has often been said God is on the side of the outcast and the oppressed. Indeed, some of the most compelling artistic expressions about God, a God who reaches out to humanity, come from those who are oppressed. Certainly there is no era recorded in Scripture in which the offspring of Abraham could not be said to be an oppressed people and, thereby, a people who looked to God for salvation. Still, the work of God in defense of the outcast and the oppressed through the Spirit of God continues and we look to the stories of Scripture to assure us that the Spirit of God continues to work among us. Hear now this reading from Second Kings.

[4] Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. [5] The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
[6] Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. [7] Fifty of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. [8] Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
[9] When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” [10] Elijah responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” [11] As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. [12] Elisha kept watching and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and the cavalry of Israel!” But when Elisha could no longer see Elijah, Elisha grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
[13] Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

The hymn is Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. It is found on an insert. Considering its origins in the African American community, this must not be seen as a hymn about redemption in the sweet bye and bye. Rather, as it recalls the scene in Second Kings, this is a hymn which insists there is a continuation of and there is a continuing of the work of God among the people of God.

HYMN— Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Insert
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, a hymn in the Spiritual tradition, a hymn which probably had its origins in the mid Nineteenth Century, should not be seen as a lament but as a call to understanding that there are things eternal. As is true of most Spirituals, this hymn adapts readily to the Dixieland style.

A READING FROM THE GOSPELS— Matthew 16:24-26
READER: Those who think the message of the New Testament conveys just a simple message, have either ignored the New Testament, have never read the New Testament or confine themselves to looking at only the parts which please them, while throwing out the rest. Looking at only the parts of Scripture we like, as opposed to studying the whole is more common than we realize. Thomas Jefferson, to use one example, actually compiled and published a book with only the parts of the New Testament he liked. (Slight pause.) This next reading is one commonly called The Hard Sayings of Jesus. Here the idea is addressed that discipleship, following God and the Word of God, comes at a cost. Hear now this reading from the Gospel we have come to know as Matthew’s.

...Jesus told the disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

This is the Gospel of Jesus, who is the Christ.

The theologian Reinhold Neibhur said anything worth doing takes longer than one lifetime to accomplish. The work of seeking God’s justice and God’s will and God’s freedom is a continuing work. Let us recommit to that idea with We Shall Overcome, hymn # 570.

HYMN— We Shall Overcome #570
While this hymn is classified as a spiritual, its origins are unclear, as there are at least three tunes from which it may have been adapted. One is the spiritual, “No More Auction Block for Me.” Another is a hymn in the European tradition, “Sicilian Mariners” and a third is a hymn, “I’ll Be All Right.” Despite murky origins, a prominent place for this hymn in the History of American Christianity was ensured through its use in the Civil Rights Movement.

A TIME OF PRAYER AND DEDICATION

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Silent Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer (‘debts’)

READER: Julia Ward Howe wrote the words to My Eyes Have Seen the Glory in December 1861, after the election of President Lincoln, but before the inauguration and the secession of the southern states. The tune pre-dates these lyrics and was already being used with other lyrics in the abolitionist movement and at camp meetings. Whenever this text is sung it should be remembered that the intent of the writer was not a proclamation of patriotism or nationalism, but an insistence that the people of God must seek the justice of God. Hence, it should be remembered that, as God’s people, we are called to always seek justice. I especially invite you to examine the last verse which remembers the cross. As a hymn of praise, please join with us in hymn # 610, My Eyes Have Seen the Glory.

A HYMN OF PRAISE— My Eyes Have Seen the Glory #610
Julia Ward Howe, suffragette and abolitionist wrote this text to the camp meeting tune when she witnessed a parade of Union troops near Washington, D.C. This was after the election but before the inauguration of Lincoln, just before the onset of the Civil War. The hymn, of course, expresses the sense of a clear religious call to action. That same call, but in a more secular sense, also served as a basis of the Union’s mission. It was the call to freedom for all people. Therefore, the hymn, if we are true to the sense of what the words actually mean, remains a call for all Christians to the kind of action that might ensure the freedom offered in the dominion of God.

CHILDREN’S TIME
(The Children were invited to hand out kazoos to everyone in the Congregation. The Congregation was invited to march out behind the musicians playing their kazoos and singing When the Saints Go Marching In.)

COMMISSION AND BENEDICTION

BLESSING: Hear now this blessing: let us walk in the Spirit, remembering that we are one in Christ, for, in the Dominion of God, the grace of true freedom is the inheritance of those who walk in the love of God.

And may we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe of God, that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.

*CLOSING HYMN— When the Saints Go Marching In
This tune is often associated with the march back from the grave-side. The joy expressed is because the deceased knows God face to face.

Note: this lyric is the one often used by Louis Armstrong throughout this career.

Oh, when the saints go marching in,
When the saints go marching in—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

And when the sun begins to shine,
And when the sun begins to shine—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the moon turns red with blood,
When the moon turns red with blood—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

On that hallelujah day,
On that hallelujah day—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

Oh when the trumpet sounds the call,
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When God’s revelation comes,
When God’s revelation comes—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the rich go out and work,
When the rich go out and work—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the air is pure and clean,
When the air is pure and clean—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When we all have food to eat,
When we all have food to eat—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When our leaders learn to cry,
When our leaders learn to cry—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

NOTES ON THE DIXIELAND SERVICE
Jazz, of which Dixieland is a sub-set, is nearly impossible to define. The Encyclopedia Britannica makes a self-admitted partial attempt by labeling jazz as an idiosyncratic musical form, developed by African-Americans, decidedly American in its many strands, often improvisational, containing rhythmic complexity, European harmonics, blues, group dynamics, solo ‘riffs’ and speech intonations. It is a unique experience which can never quite be repeated a second time.
The origins of Jazz, and especially the Dixieland variety, are found in the New Orleans area, dating to the brass bands of the mid 1800s. By then the custom had already developed to have brass band music at funerals. The tempo on the way to the grave was solemn, as one mourned loss. On the return trip the tempo was vibrant and the singing loud, as an expression of joy because a friend or relative was now with God. This music was, thus, early on, tied to worship, as was much music which developed out of the African-American experience. Jazz has, since its inception, influenced the worship experience and vice-versa.
Many jazz forms developed as African-American, Creole and Caucasian musicians exchanged musical and cultural experiences. The terms ‘Dixieland Style’ and ‘New Orleans Style’ are, at times, interchangeable. The earliest recordings of Dixieland date at 1917. At about that same time the purveyors of jazz and its many variations began migrating north, since there were more job opportunities in the north. Further, being a musician often meant one found only limited employment in that field and Chicago and New York City were willing to offer opportunities to the migrants.
Last, it should be noted that Spirituals, a genre used in this service several times, has close connections to Dixieland, at least in terms of sensibilities. But it should also be noted that Spirituals are notorious for having many and varied lyric possibilities, something rare in Western European music.

Note: All the readings were are adapted from the Inclusive Language Version of the Bible or the paraphrase known as The Message.