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Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-- Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.) O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe. (There's never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.") Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek-- And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need! Of work the men! Of take the pay! Of owning everything for one's own greed! I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the Negro, servant to you all. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean-- Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years. Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream In the Old World while still a serf of kings, Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true, That even yet its mighty daring sings In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned That's made America the land it has become. O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas In search of what I meant to be my home-- For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore, And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea, And torn from Black Africa's strand I came To build a "homeland of the free." The free? Who said the free? Not me? Surely not me? The millions on relief today? The millions shot down when we strike? The millions who have nothing for our pay? For all the dreams we've dreamed And all the songs we've sung And all the hopes we've held And all the flags we've hung, The millions who have nothing for our pay-- Except the dream that's almost dead today. O, let America be America again-- The land that never has been yet-- And yet must be--the land where every man is free. The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-- Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again. Sure, call me any ugly name you choose-- The steel of freedom does not stain. From those who live like leeches on the people's lives, We must take back our land again, America! O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath-- America will be! Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death, The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies, We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain-- All, all the stretch of these great green states-- And make America again!

INDEPENDENCE SUNDAY
(Honoring Those Who Helped Gain Our Independence)

MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Sunday, July 4, 2010
 
W. Patrick Alston, Sr., Lectionary Team Liturgist
 
1. Litany/Call to Worship—Liberation

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters.

“Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey…

“The cry of the Israelites has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them.

“So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. You shall observe my statutes and faithfully keep my ordinances, so that you may live on the land securely.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

To bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners;

To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

To provide for those who mourn in Zion—to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted, and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, despicable, hating one another.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Lift Every Voice and Sing. By James Weldon Johnson. Tune by J. Rosamond Johnson

(b) My Tribute. By Andraé Crouch

(c) Oh, What He’s Done for Me. Traditional. Arr. by James Abbington

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord. By Undine Smith Moore

(b) God Never Fails. By George Jordan

(c) We Are Soldiers. Traditional. Arr. by Nolan Williams, Jr.

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) You Deserve the Glory. By Lena Hellmark

(b) My Name Is Victory. By Jonathan Nelson and Justin Savage

(c) I’m Encouraged. By Thomas Whitfield

5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) Faith. By Darnelle Harris

(b) He’s on Your Side. By David Frazier

6. Anthems
(a) Lord, We Give Thanks to Thee. By Undine Smith Moore

(b) It Pays to Serve Jesus. Arr. by Nathan Carter

(c) O for a Faith. Arr. by Nathan Carter

7. Modern Songs (Songs Written after 1989)
(a) Champion. By Jonathan Nelson and Kenneth Shelton

(b) Hero. By Kirk Franklin

(c) I Owe You the Praise. By Milton Biggham

8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Bye and Bye. By Milton Biggham

(b) He Saved My Soul. By Thomas Whitfield

(c) It Must Be the Lord. By Alvin Darling

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Somebody Here Needs a Blessing. By Eddie A. Robinson

(b) Mansions of the Lord. By Randall Wallace and Nick Glennie-Smith

(c) Precious Memories. Roberta Martin and Georgia Jones. Arr. by Joseph Joubert

10. Sermonic Selection
(a) Oh What Love. By T. J. Hemphill

(b) I Can’t Thank You Enough. By Tony Dyson

(c) The Promise. By Darius Brooks

(d) Soon as I Get Home. By Thomas Whitfield

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) I Am Redeemed. By Jesse Dixon

(b) We Won’t Leave Here Like We Came. By Maceo Woods. Arr. by Nolan Williams, Jr.

(c) May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me. By Sullivan Pugh. Arr. by Kenneth Morris

12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) God of Our Fathers. By Daniel C. Roberts. Tune, (NATIONAL HYMN), by George  
W. Warren

(b) For All the Saints. By William How. Tune, (SINE NOMINE), by Ralph Vaughan
Williams

(c) The Star-Spangled Banner. By Francis S. Key. Tune, (STAR SPANGLED  
BANNER), by John S. Smith

13. Audio Visual Aids
Use family photos from congregants. These photos should be representative of the theme (Independence Day) from an African American perspective. If congregational photos are not available, use other images (photos, sculptures, quilts, or dramas) that represent the theme from an African American perspective.

14. Other Recommendations
(a) If your choir chooses to sing Spirituals, they may want to dress in period attire.

(b) Today it is appropriate, if desired, to have worship flags (Christian and Civil) on flag stands.

(c) Consider having your children and youth perform a skit that brings Independence Day to life and teaches history at the same time.

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed Above

1. Litany/Call to Worship—Liberation. Old Testament: Exodus 3:7-10; Leviticus 25:13, 18; Isaiah 61:1-3; Psalm 18:2. New Testament: John 8:31-32, 36; Romans 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 5:1, 13; Titus 3:3-5.
Location:
2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) Lift Every Voice and Sing. By James Weldon Johnson. Tune by J. Rosamond Johnson
Location: (b) My Tribute. By Andraé Crouch
Location: (c) Oh, What He’s Done for Me. Traditional. Arr. by James Abbington
Location:
3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord. By Undine Smith Moore
Location: (b) God Never Fails. By George Jordan
Location:
(c) We Are Soldiers. Traditional. Arr. by Nolan Williams, Jr.
Location:
4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) You Deserve the Glory. By Lena Hellmark
Location:
(b) My Name Is Victory. By Jonathan Nelson and Justin Savage
Location:

(c) I’m Encouraged. By Thomas Whitfield
Location:

5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) Faith. By Darnelle Harris
Location:
(b) He’s on Your Side. By David Frazier
Location:
6. Anthems
(a) Lord, We Give Thanks to Thee. By Undine Smith Moore
Location: (b) It Pays to Serve Jesus. Arr. by Nathan Carter
Location:
(c) O for a Faith. Arr. By Nathan Carter
Location:
7. Modern Songs (Songs Written after 1989)
(a) Champion. By Jonathan Nelson and Kenneth Shelton
Location:
(b) Hero. By Kirk Franklin
Location:
(c) I Owe You the Praise. By Milton Biggham
Location:
8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Bye and Bye. Arr. By Milton Biggham
Location:
(b) He Saved My Soul. By Thomas Whitfield
Location:
(c) It Must Be the Lord. By Alvin Darling
Location:
9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) Somebody Here Needs a Blessing. By Eddie A. Robinson
Location:
(b) Mansions of the Lord. By Randall Wallace and Nick Glennie-Smith
Location:
(c) Precious Memories. By Roberta Martin and Georgia Jones. Arr. by Joseph Joubert
Location:
10. Sermonic Selection
(a) Oh What Love. By T. J. Hemphill
Location:
(b) I Can’t Thank You Enough. By Tony Dyson
Location:
(c) The Promise. By Darius Brooks
Location:
(d) Soon as I Get Home. By Thomas Whitfield
Location:
11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) I Am Redeemed. By Jesse Dixon
Location:
(b) We Won’t Leave Here Like We Came. By Maceo Woods. Arr. by Nolan Williams, Jr.
Location:
(c) May The Work I’ve Done Speak for Me. By Sullivan Pugh. Arr. by Kenneth Morris
Location:
12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) God of Our Fathers. By Daniel C. Roberts. Tune, (NATIONAL HYMN), by George  
W. Warren
Location: (b) For All the Saints. By William How. Tune, (SINE NOMINE), by Ralph Vaughan  
Williams
Location: (c) The Star-Spangled Banner. By Francis S. Key. Tune, (STAR SPANGLED  
BANNER), by John S. Smith
Location:

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