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SENIORS, ELDERS, AND GRANDPARENTS DAY
MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Bruce Henderson, Guest Lectionary Liturgist
Minister of Music, Madison Ave. Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, MD
Worship Planning Notes
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Old places and old persons in their turn, when spirit dwells in them, have an intrinsic vitality of which youth is incapable, precisely, the balance and wisdom that come from long perspectives and broad foundations. |
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—George Santanyana |
What a wonderful opportunity for your music and arts ministry to shower your elders and seasoned saints with appreciation, admiration, and love. At least one month prior to this service, take photos of all of the seniors of your church, including those in nursing homes and those who are home-bound, if they give permission for you to do so. If you cannot get permission to take current photos, try to get older photos. Then, create a wall of the “Seasoned Saints.” Names should be listed under each photo and if possible, the year the person joined your church and any church groups or committees on which they have served.
Create a video that can be shown throughout the day’s service featuring all of the saints on the wall of Seasoned Saints.
Honor the senior member of your church who has served the longest. Invite his or her family member and friends to be present for the celebration.
All seasoned saints who are able to can march in together and then sit together. Each should be pinned prior to the service with a pin/ribbon to indicate that they are being honored.
1. Responsive Reading
Our Elders
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Sovereign God, we remember our elders of African descent. They fought courageously during times of war and peace. They built much of the United States of America with the knowledge, skill, and sweat of their brows. They also built their own institutions when denied admission to the institutions of others. They cared for their own needs and the needs of others. Despite many hardships, they sustained their families and communities.
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We remember our elders today with pride.
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They loved God. They created new means of expressing that love in their preaching and praying, in their spirituals and gospel music. They built churches and religious organizations, and expressed their faith in the lives they lived.
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We remember our elders today with faith and reverence.
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They gave us birth. They loved and cared for us. They passed a cherished heritage on to us. Our elders educated us and opened our eyes to the beauty of our past and the hopefulness of our future. They taught us to love ourselves and one another.
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We remember our elders today with love and gratitude.
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They filled their lives with art, poetry, and literature. They excelled whenever they were given the opportunity. They were brilliant, creative, and inventive. They painted, tapped, sculpted, drummed, hummed, sang, and shouted, leaving us a rich, imaginative legacy.
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We remember our elders today with respect and appreciation.
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Now let us call the names of some of them: Absolom Jones, Lemuel Haynes, Richard Alien, David Walker, Maria Stewart, Sojourner Truth, and Jarena Lee,
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Daniel Payne, Frederick Douglass, Mary Pleasant, Harriett Tubman, Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Booker T. Washington,
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Anna Julia Cooper, William O. Tanner, Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, George Washington Carver, Adam Clayton Powell, and William E. B. Du Bois,
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Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Carter G. Woodson, Mary McLeod Bethune, Marcus Garvey, Paul Robeson, Duke Ellington, and Howard Thurman.
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Now let us be mindful of those elders whose names are lost to us in history, those who were washed away in the Middle Passage. Let us remember them before God.
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(Silence)
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Let us now call the names of the elders, living and departed, who in our lifetime have positively influenced our homes, churches, communities, and the world.
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(Naming of elders by the congregation.)
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We thank you, O God, for the elders you have given us.
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Thanks be to God! |
2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Great Is Thy Faithfulness. By Thomas O. Chisholm
(b) Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand. By Jennie Wilson and F. L. Eiland. Tune, (UNCHANGING HAND), by F. L. Eiland
(c) The Solid Rock. By Edward Mote and William B. Bradbury
(d) All the Way My Savior Leads Me. By Fanny J. Crosby and Robert Lowry
3. Spirituals
(a) Lord, I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired. Arr. by Jester Hairston
(b) Fix Me, Jesus. Arr. by Uzee Brown
(c) Ole-Time Religion. Traditional
4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Be Ye Steadfast. By Arthur Jones 
(b) I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired. By Curtis Burrell YouTube:
(c) Hold On, Old Soldiers. By Walter Hawkins
5. Liturgical Dance and Mime Ministry Music
(a) Fix Me, Jesus. Arr. by Hall Johnson YouTube:
(b) Safe in His Arms. By Darius Brooks
(c) Restoring the Years. By Donald Lawrence
6. Anthems
(a) Wait on the Lord. By Willis Barnett
(b) God of Our Fathers. Arr. Diane Bish
(c) Some Day. Arr. by Nathan Carter
7. Modern Songs (Written between 2000–2010)
(a) Never Seen the Righteous Forsaken. By Donald Lawrence
(b) In the Midst of It All. By Kevin Bond
(c) Servant Well Done. By Glenn Burleigh
8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Faithful Is Our God. By Hezekiah Walker
(b) Oh, What He’s Done for Me. Traditional Congregational Song
(c) If It Had Not Been for the Lord on My Side. By Helen Baylor
9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) In the Garden. By C. Austin Miles
(b) May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me. By Sullivan Pugh
(c) Only a Look. By Virginia Davis Marshall and Anne Shepherd
10. Sermonic Selection
(a) It Pays to Serve Jesus. Arr. by Nathan Carter
(b) It Is Well with My Soul. Arr. by Carl W. Haywood
(c) And He Blessed My Soul. By Anita W. Stevens
11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) Put All Your Trust in Jesus. By Carol Cymbala and Jim Hammerly
(b) He’s Sweet I Know/He Knows How Much You Can Bear. Arr. by Kirk Whalum
(c) I Love to Tell the Story. By A. Catherine Hankey and William G. Fischer
12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) Come and Go to That Land. Congregational Song
(b) Be with Us All, Lord. By Uzee Brown, Jr.
(c) Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise. By John Ellerton. Tune, (ELLERS), by Edward J. Hopkins
13. Other Recommendations
(a) The church can take this occasion as an opportunity to establish a ministry or council of elders chosen from the various ministries and leadership organizations in your church. The process of establishing the council would take place before Seniors, Elders, and Grandparents Day. It is important that clear guidelines for the make-up of the council be established. The council members are to be chosen by vote.
The rationale for establishing this council would be for the church and the community it serves to benefit from their accumulative wisdom in a collective forum. The council would gather at least once each month, and also in response to special situations, to consult and give advice on various non-governance issues involving your church community. These issues could include family or marriage/relationship matters, disputes between members, personal-development for youth and young adults, conserving the history and useful traditions of the church, moral instruction, etc.
At a designated point in your Seniors, Elders, and Grandparents service, the council would be presented to the church as a part of an initiation ritual where they would be awarded special status as deserving appreciation and respect for their wisdom and their accomplishments as family and community leaders.
(b) Invite a family to begin a scholarship fund to honor an elder, especially an elder who was an educator. The fund would begin with at least one thousand dollars and have contributions made each year. If several families want to begin a scholarship, all families can contribute to the church’s general scholarship refund and have recipients send letters of thanks to the contributing family and the seasoned saint who is the reason the scholarship funding was made.
(c) Plan a “Seasoned Saints Event.” Possible events include: A luncheon for seniors the Saturday before the special service; an appreciation service after the special service; and a token of appreciation bag being given to all seniors of the church, especially those in nursing homes and those who are home-bound. Tokens might include: gift cards to stores seniors frequent, toiletries, a copy of a popular magazine for seniors, and CDs of music that seniors will enjoy.
Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed
1. Responsive Reading—Our Elders.
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. Chicago, IL: GIA Publishing House, 2001. #75. Used with permission
2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Great Is Thy Faithfulness. By Thomas O. Chisholm
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #158
Boyer, Horace Clarence. Lift Every Voice and Sing II: An African American Hymnal. New York, NY: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1993. #189
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21stCentury Edition. Nashville, TN: Triad Publications, 2005. #153
Church of God in Christ. Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. Memphis, TN:
Church of God in Christ Pub. Board in association with Benson Co., 1982. #122
(b) Hold to God’s Unchanging Hand. By Jennie Wilson. Tune, (UNCHANGING HAND), by F. L. Eiland
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #404
African Methodist Episcopal Church. The African American Episcopal Church
Bicentennial Hymnal. Nashville, TN: The African Methodist Episcopal Church, 1984. #513
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #248
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #406
(c) The Solid Rock. By Edward Mote and William B. Bradbury
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #385
Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #99
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #223
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #103
(d) All the Way My Savior Leads Me. By Fanny J. Crosby and Robert Lowry
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #469
The African American Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #293
The Celebration Hymnal. Nashville, TN: Word/Integrity Music, 1997. #680
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #201
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #383
3. Spirituals
(a) Lord, I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired. Arr. by Jester Hairston
Location:
Bourne Co. Music Publishers
5 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212-391-4300
(b) Fix Me, Jesus. Arr. by Uzee Brown
Location:
O Redeemed! By Uzee Brown
Roger Dean Publishing
The Lorenz Corporation
501 E. Third Street
Dayton, OH 45402
Phone: 937-228-6118
(c) Ole-Time Religion. Traditional
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #161
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #505
Cleveland, J. Jefferson and Verolga Nix. Songs of Zion. Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1981. #89
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #488
4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Be Ye Steadfast. By Arthur Jones
Location:
Florida Mass Choir. Fill Us Lift Us. Jackson, MS: 601 Music (Malaco), 1998.
(b) I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired. By Curtis Burrell
Location:
Cleveland, James. I Don’t Feel No Ways Tired. Jackson, MS: 601 Music (Malaco), 1997.
(c) Hold On, Old Soldiers. By Walter Hawkins
Location:
Mississippi Mass Choir. It Remains to Be Seen. Jackson, MS: Malaco, 1993.
5. Liturgical Dance or Mime Ministry Music
(a) Fix Me, Jesus. Arr. by Hall Johnson
Location:
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The Music of Revelations. New York, NY: Entertainment One, 1999.
(b) Safe in His Arms. By Darius Brooks
Location:
The Reunion. Chicago, IL: Journey Music Group, 2006.
(c) Restoring the Years. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
Lawrence, Donald & Co. I Speak Life. New York, NY: Verity, 2004.
Sheet Music Available
I Speak Life. By Donald Lawrence
Norwood Music Publishing
4913 Albemarle Road
Charlotte, NC 28205
Online location: www.ntimemusic.com
6. Anthems
(a) Wait on the Lord. By Willis Barnett
Location:
GIA Publications, Inc.
7404 South Mason Ave.
Chicago, IL 60638
Phone: 1-800-GIA-1358
Online location: www.giamusic.com
(b) God of Our Fathers. By George William Warren. Arr. By Diane Bish
Location:
Beckenhorst Press
960 Old Henderson Road
Columbus, OH 43220
Phone: 614-451-6461
Online location: www.beckenhorstpress.com
(c) Some Day. Arr. by Nathan Carter
Location:
7. Modern Songs (Written between 2000–2010)
(a) Never Seen the Righteous Forsaken. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
Lawrence, Donald presents the Tri-City Singers. tri-city 4.com. Brentwood, TN: EMI Gospel, 2000.
Sheet Music Available
I Speak Life. By Donald Lawrence
Norwood Music Publishing
Online location: www.ntimemusic.com
(b) In the Midst of It All. By Kevin Bond
Location:
Adams, Yolanda. Mountain High…Valley Low. New York, NY: Elektra, 1999.
(c) Servant Well Done. By Glenn Burleigh
Location:
Look and Listen Series. By Glenn Burleigh
Glenn Burleigh Memorial Ministries
c/o LaVonne Burleigh P.O. Box 48306 Watauga, TX 76148-0306 Phone: 817 577-7570 E-mail: bonnieburleigh@att.net
8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Faithful Is Our God. By Hezekiah Walker
Location:
Walker, Hezekiah & LFC. 20/85 the Experience. New York, NY: Verity, 2005.
Sheet Music Available
NTIME MUSIC COMPANY
4913 Albemarle Road #103
Charlotte, NC 28205 Phone: 704-531-8961 Online location: www.ntimemusic.com
(b) Oh, What He’s Done for Me. Traditional Congregational Song
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #154
(c) If It Had Not Been for the Lord on My Side. By Helen Baylor
Location:
WOW Gospel 1999. New York, NY: Zomba Recording Corporation, 1999.
9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) In the Garden. By C. Austin Miles
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #494
Lift Every Voice and Sing II. #69
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #109
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #87
(b) May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me. By Sullivan Pugh
Location:
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #399
(c) Only a Look. By Virginia Davis Marshall and Anne Shepherd
Location:
10. Sermonic Selection
(a) It Pays to Serve Jesus. Arr. by Nathan Carter
Location:
(b) It Is Well with My Soul. Arr. by Carl W. Haywood
Location:
(c) And He Blessed My Soul. By Anita W. Stevens
Location:
Chris and Kyle, with True Spirit. Comin’ Out from Under. Detroit, MI: Crystal Rose Records, 2002.
11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) Put All Your Trust in Jesus. By Carol Cymbala and Jim Hammerly
Location:
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Singers. Only to Him. Nashville, TN: Warner Bros. Records Inc., 1992.
(b) He’s Sweet I Know/He Knows How Much You Can Bear. Arr. by Kirk Whalum
Location:
Whalum, Kirk. Hymns in the Garden. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros. Records Inc., 2001.
(c) I Love to Tell the Story. By A. Catherine Hankey and William G. Fischer
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #513
The African American Episcopal Church Bicentennial Hymnal. #217
The New National Baptist Hymnal 21st Century Edition. #407
Yes, Lord! Church of God in Christ Hymnal. #450
12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) Come and Go to That Land. Congregational Song
Location:
Wade in the Water, Volume II: African American Congregational Singing. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1996.
(b) Be with Us All, Lord. By Uzee Brown, Jr.
Location:
African American Heritage Hymnal. #641
(c) Savior, Again to Thy Dear Name We Raise. By Rev. John Ellerton. Tune, (ELLERS), by Edward J. Hopkins
Location:
The Lutheran Service Book. St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2006. #917
The Presbyterian Hymnal: Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990. #539
The United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989. #663
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