Church of the Nativity, Hamilton
Favourite Hymns
April 30, 2017
The goal of this activity is to help the congregation get a clearer sense of their faith culture; shared beliefs and God-stories, shared practices
Share the title, first line, refrain of your favourite hymn, and why it is so powerful for you; going beyond the simple “the words” or “the music” to the ways in which the text is particularly meaningful or the ways in which the music is particularly moving or transformative.
Silent Night: calming, inspirational, uplifting, makes me thankful and happy and hopeful
On Eagle’s Wings: lifts my spirits, makes me feel safe, healing, keeps me above negativity
Dear Lord & Father of Mankind: reminds me of school days, comforts me and it covers all aspects of life
Let My Little Light Shine aka This Little Light of Mine: makes us feel better, reminds us to do nice things for other people, and gets me to be a better person
Rock of Ages: sense of there for everybody, providing comfort, sense of strength
Just As I am: how I want to be accepted by God and everyone, teaches me to accept others, everyone is loved
It’s a Wonderful World: Positive, caring, joyful in spite of the world’s ills. God is everywhere, nature is beautiful
Hymn of Promise (There is a Flower): resurrection, end of our earthly life isn’t the end, more to come, God is always there for us, does things in God’s time not ours
Amazing Grace: makes me cry, reminds me of my mom, when I’m alone, this is what I turn to for comfort, promises
From the Falter of Breath: reminder of God’s presence and care in every moment
On Eagle’s Wings: Proclaims God’s promise to always care for us and protect us
Jerusalem: vision of God, imaginative and spiritual, images resonate with me
We’ll Sing in the Morning: the tempo engages my body lively, lifts my spirits
Power in The Blood: rousing music, power brings back childhood
Christ The Lord is Risen: uplifting, promise of what’s to come, gives me goosebumps
Jesus Loves Me: Childhood memory, Jesus always there no matter what your circumstances,
Mary, Did You Know? foreshadowing of Jesus’ life thru Mary’s eyes, different perspective, sorrow of mother over destiny of child despite understanding the value of what’s to come
Part 2
What does what we was just shared about our favourite the hymns/songs tell us about how we see God?
- Always there for us
- Protective
- No matter how circumstances change, God stays the same – the Rock
- Forgiving
- Our refuge
- A positive force
- What God says goes
- Friend
- Lifts us up when we are down
- Hope
- Here for us even when we aren’t her for God – constant
- Loving
- Healing
- Comforting
- Accepting
- All powerful
- Unconditional never –ending love
- Positive energy
- Living being cloaked in light who communicates with us
- God is who we need God to be when we need something
- Transformative
- Patient
- Spirit living in my heart
And what do those hymn choices say about how we see human life?
- We need help from one another and God
- Called to action in God’s ways
- Essential
- Fragile
- Seekers
- Needful
- Need forgiving
- Need friends – community
- We are all worth helping
- Need to be more forgiving
- Possibility for change
- Created in the divine image
- Listen to God and each other
- Essential to the planet (caregiver)
- Here to spread God’s word
- To act in justice, love, heal, forgive, share gifts
- Meant to struggle to live all these things in our daily lives as example and as change agent
- Willingness to do right thing even when change in others isn’t obvious…where it seems there is no reward
- Love everyone even if you don’t like (respect?)
- Persist no matter how often we fail
- To teach about God’s way – adults and children
- Gives us tools/skills to put that teaching into action (living God’s way)
- Constant to values/God’s way in a culture that doesn’t support our values
- Not just about what happens on Sunday; God’s way has to be part of daily life – for example, reclaiming Sabbath time – create a couple of hours at a time…our midweek service/social/book study meets that need
- Show understanding and respect for other religious/faith walks
Given all of this reflection, what do we see as the purpose for our congregation?
- Listen to Spirit, function as change agent, open and receptive to change discernment – be responsive to the world in which God placed you
- Walk in God’s way – kind, generous, loving, forgiving,
- Regardless of our shortcomings, we need to remember to act out of our call
- Church is the community and people around us
- Reconnect with the message of the Ten Commandments
Remember that our actions can separate us (not that God leaves us) and part of the purpose of worship is reconnecting with the God that loves us