Jesus, Dylan and the Signs of the Times: A Eucharistic Liturgy

Church of the Redeemer
Nov. 15, 2015

The songs for this service were chosen by David Krause, Deb Whalen and Brian Walsh. The liturgy was written and curated by Brian Walsh.

All songs are written by Bob Dylan, as are the words of “Father of Night” employed in the “Prayers of the People,” and “Forever Young” employed in the Blessing.

 

Prelude: “When He Returns” 

The iron hand it ain’t no match for the iron rod

The strongest wall will crumble and fall to a mighty God

For all those who have eyes and all those who have ears

It is only He who can reduce me to tears

Don’t you cry and don’t you die and don’t you burn

For like a thief in the night, He’ll replace wrong with right

When He returns

 

Truth is an arrow and the gate is narrow that it passes through

He unleashed His power at an unknown hour that no one knew

How long can I listen to the lies of prejudice?

How long can I stay drunk on fear out in the wilderness?

Can I cast it aside, all this loyalty and this pride?

Will I ever learn that there’ll be no peace, that the war won’t cease

Until He returns?

 

Surrender your crown on this blood-stained ground, take off your mask

He sees your deeds, He knows your needs even before you ask

How long can you falsify and deny what is real?

How long can you hate yourself for the weakness you conceal?

Of every earthly plan that be known to man, He is unconcerned

He’s got plans of His own to set up His throne

When He returns

 

Gathering of the Community

Behold the magnificence of our city.
Not one stone will be left on another.

Behold the stunning progress of history.

Not one stone will be left on another.

Behold our universities of boundless knowledge.

Not one stone will be left on another.

Behold the church in all of its ascending beauty.

Not one stone will be left on another.

Behold that God is on our side.

Not one stone will be left on another.

Not one stone?

Not one stone.

Opening Song: “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall”

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways,
I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin’,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin’,
Heard ten thousand whisperin’ and nobody listenin’,
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin’,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Oh, what’ll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what’ll you do now, my darling young one?
I’m a-goin’ back out ‘fore the rain starts a-fallin’,
I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the executioner’s face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I’ll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I’ll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin’,
But I’ll know my song well before I start singin’,
And it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard,
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.

Collect of the Day

The Proclamation of the Word

Psalm 6

Song: “When the Ship Comes In”

Oh the time will come up

When the winds will stop

And the breeze will cease to be breathin’

Like the stillness in the wind

’Fore the hurricane begins

The hour when the ship comes in

Oh the seas will split

And the ship will hit

And the sands on the shoreline will be shaking

Then the tide will sound

And the wind will pound

And the morning will be breaking

 

Oh the fishes will laugh

As they swim out of the path

And the seagulls they’ll be smiling

And the rocks on the sand

Will proudly stand

The hour that the ship comes in

And the words that are used

For to get the ship confused

Will not be understood as they’re spoken

For the chains of the sea

Will have busted in the night

And will be buried at the bottom of the ocean

 

A song will lift

As the mainsail shifts

And the boat drifts on to the shoreline

And the sun will respect

Every face on the deck

The hour that the ship comes in

Then the sands will roll

Out a carpet of gold

For your weary toes to be a-touchin’

And the ship’s wise men

Will remind you once again

That the whole wide world is watchin’

 

Oh the foes will rise

With the sleep still in their eyes

And they’ll jerk from their beds and think they’re dreamin’

But they’ll pinch themselves and squeal

And know that it’s for real

The hour when the ship comes in

Then they’ll raise their hands

Sayin’ we’ll meet all your demands

But we’ll shout from the bow your days are numbered

And like Pharoah’s tribe

They’ll be drownded in the tide

And like Goliath, they’ll be conquered


Isaiah 21.6-10

 Gradual Hymn: “All along the Watchtower”

There must be some way out of here,

said the joker to the thief,

There’s too much confusion,

I can’t get no relief.

Businessmen, they drink my wine,

plowmen dig my earth,

None of them along the line

know what any of it is worth.

 

No reason to get excited,

the thief, he kindly spoke,

There are many here among us

who feel that life is but a joke.

But you and I, we’ve been through that,

and this is not our fate,

So let us not talk falsely now,

the hour is getting late.

 

All along the watchtower,

princes kept the view

While all the women came and went,

barefoot servants, too.

Outside in the distance a wild captive growls

Two riders were approaching,

the wind began to howl.

Gospel: Mark 13.1-8

Sermon                  Dr. Brian Walsh

Prayers of the People

(from “Father of Night”)

Father of night, Father of day

Father, who taketh the darkness away

Father, who teacheth the bird to fly

Builder of rainbows up in the sky

Father of loneliness and pain

Father of love and Father of rain
Hear our prayer.

 

For a world where the darkness is ever growing,

and the promise of the rainbow is so vulnerable.

Hear our prayer.

For all who suffer loneliness and pain,

depression, betrayal and hurt.

Hear our prayer.

 

(time of silent and spoken prayer)

 

Father of day, Father of night

Father of black, Father of white

Father, who build the mountain so high

Who shapeth the cloud up in the sky

Father of time, Father of dreams

Father, who turneth the rivers and streams

Hear our prayer.

 

For those who suffer from racism,

sexism, homophobia and all persecution.

Hear our prayer.

For those whose dreams are nightmares,

and for those whose time is running short.

Hear our prayer.

 

(time of silent and spoken prayer)

 

Father of grain, Father of wheat

Father of cold and Father of heat

Father of air and Father of trees

Who dwells in our hearts and our memories

Father of minutes, Father of days

Father of whom we most solemnly praise

Hear our prayer.

 

For food security in a hungry world,

for climate justice and the healing of creation.

Hear our prayer.

For those whose memories are nightmares,

for those whose hearts can no longer sing praise.

Hear our prayer.

 

(time of silent and spoken prayer)

 

Father of night, Father of day

Father, who taketh the darkness away

Hear our prayer.

 

The Peace

 

The Celebration of the Eucharist

 

Offertory: “Chimes of Freedom”

Far between sundown’s finish an’ midnight’s broken toll

We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing

As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds

Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing

Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight

Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight

An’ for each an’ ev’ry underdog soldier in the night

An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

 

In the city’s melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched

With faces hidden while the walls were tightening

As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin’ rain

Dissolved into the bells of the lightning

Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake

Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an’ forsaked

Tolling for the outcast, burnin’ constantly at stake

An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Even though a cloud’s white curtain in a far-off corner flashed

An’ the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting

Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones

Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting

Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail

For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale

An’ for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail

An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Starry-eyed an’ laughing as I recall when we were caught

Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended

As we listened one last time an’ we watched with one last look

Spellbound an’ swallowed ’til the tolling ended

Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed

For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an’ worse

An’ for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe

An’ we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Eucharistic Prayer                 

 

The Lord be with you.

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts.

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks

to the Lord our God.

It is right to give our thanks and praise.

 

Truly it is right to praise you, Holy God
wonderful and beyond all knowing.
You are glorious in splendour and light.
In your goodness and loving-kindness
you breathed your word of love
and all creation sprang forth.

 

(singing)                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

                 

Giver of life, and lover of all things,
you formed us in your own image,
placing us in the garden of your delight,
and giving the whole world into our care.

 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

When we turned from you in folly and in pride,
you would not leave us.
In every generation your wisdom
entered into holy men and women,
making them your friends, prophets
and witnesses to your love,
heralds of your reign of justice and mercy.

                 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Holy One, in the fullness of time
you sent your eternal Word,
made mortal flesh in the womb of his mother Mary.
Dwelling among us as a servant,
he revealed your glory.
He fasted to learn your will, and feasted with sinners.
Holding out his hands of mercy to all in need,
he called all the fallen to join in your great feast.

 

On the night before he gave his life for us
Jesus, at supper with his friends,
took bread, gave thanks to you,
broke it and gave it to them, saying,
“Take, eat, this is my body which is given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

In the same way, after supper he took the cup
and gave you thanks.
He gave it to his friends, saying,
“Drink this all of you.
This is my blood of the new covenant
which is shed for you and for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
Whenever you drink it,
do this for the remembrance of me.”

 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Therefore, we proclaim the death he died when lifted on the cross,
we celebrate his bursting from the tomb,
and look for him to come again in glory,
offering to you our sacrifice of thanks and praise.

                 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Send forth your Holy Spirit upon these gifts that they may be for us
the body and blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
As we share this holy sacrament,
so renew us by your Spirit
that we may live as Christ’s Body
for the love of the world.
Bless what is broken, healing to the sick,
and freedom to the oppressed.
Make us swift and faithful to serve you.

                 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

Gather your people from the ends of the earth
together with the ever-blessed Virgin Mary,
with prophets, apostles, martyrs and all your saints
to feast at the table of your kingdom.
Through Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
all honour, glory, and praise are yours, now and forever.

                 

                  And we gazed upon

                  the chimes of freedom flashing

 

The Lord’s Prayer                 

Presider                  As our Saviour taught us, let us pray,

People                                    Our Father in heaven,

                                    hallowed be your name,

                                    your kingdom come,

                                    your will be done,

                                    on earth as in heaven.

                                    Give us today our daily bread.

                                    Forgive us our sins

                                    as we forgive those

                                    who sin against us.

                                    Save us from the time of trial,

                                    and deliver us from evil.

                                   

                                    For the kingdom, the power,

                                    and the glory are yours,

                                    now and for ever. Amen.

 

Breaking of the Bread                 

Lord, we died with you on the cross.

Now we are raised to new life.

We were buried in your tomb.

Now we share in your resurrection.

 

The Gifts of God

for the people of God.

Thanks be to God.

 

Communion Song: “When the Deal Goes Down”

 

In the still of the night, in the world’s ancient light

Where wisdom grows up in strife

My bewildering brain, toils in vain

Through the darkness on the pathways of life

Each invisible prayer is like a cloud in the air

Tomorrow keeps turning around

We live and we die, we know not why

But I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

 

We eat and we drink, we feel and we think

Far down the street we stray

I laugh and I cry and I’m haunted by

Things I never meant nor wished to say

The midnight rain follows the train

We all wear the same thorny crown

Soul to soul, our shadows roll

And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

 

The moon gives light and shines by night

I scarcely feel the glow

We learn to live and then we forgive

O’er the road we’re bound to go

More frailer than the flowers, these precious hours

That keep us so tightly bound

You come to my eyes like a vision from the skies

And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

 

I picked up a rose and it poked through my clothes

I followed the winding stream

I heard a deafening noise, I felt transient joys

I know they’re not what they seem

In this earthly domain, full of disappointment and pain

You’ll never see me frown

I owe my heart to you, and that’s sayin’ it true

And I’ll be with you when the deal goes down

 

Prayer after Communion

 

Let us pray.

For food that sustains when the hunger is so deep,

We give you thanks.

For words of truth when the confusion is so deep,

We give you thanks.

For the comfort of your love when the loneliness is so deep,

We give you thanks.

For dreams in the face of nightmares,

for vision when there is smoke in our eyes,

for hope when it is all falling apart,

for chimes of freedom in the midst of oppression,

We give you thanks.

 

The Blessing

 

May your hands always be busy

May your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation

When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful

And may your song always be sung

May you stay forever young

May you stay forever young.

Amen

 

Closing song: “Pressing on”

 

Well I’m pressing on

Yes, I’m pressing on

Well I’m pressing on

To the higher calling of my Lord

 

Many try to stop me, shake me up in my mind

Say, “Prove to me that He is Lord, show me a sign”

What kind of sign they need when it all come from within

When what’s lost has been found, what’s to come has already been?

 

Well I’m pressing on

Yes, I’m pressing on

Well I’m pressing on

To the higher calling of my Lord

 

Shake the dust off of your feet, don’t look back

Nothing now can hold you down, nothing that you lack

Temptation’s not an easy thing, Adam given the devil reign

Because he sinned I got no choice, it run in my vein

 

Well I’m pressing on

Yes, I’m pressing on

Well I’m pressing on

To the higher calling of my Lord

 

Announcements

 

Postlude:                  “Rainy Day Women #12 &35

 

Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re trying to be so good

They’ll stone ya just a-like they said they would

They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to go home

Then they’ll stone ya when you’re there all alone

But I would not feel so all alone

Everybody must get stoned.

 

Well, they’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ ‘long the street

They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to keep your seat

They’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ on the floor

They’ll stone ya when you’re walkin’ to the door

But I would not feel so all alone

Everybody must get stoned.

 

They’ll stone ya when you’re at the breakfast table

They’ll stone ya when you are young and able

They’ll stone ya when you’re tryin’ to make a buck

They’ll stone ya and then they’ll say “good luck”

Tell ya what, I would not feel so all alone

Everybody must get stoned.

 

Well, They’ll stone you and say that it’s the end

Then they’ll stone you and then they’ll come back again

They’ll stone you when you’re riding in your car

They’ll stone you when you’re playing your guitar

Yes, but I would not feel so all alone

Everybody must get stoned.

 

Well, they’ll stone you when you walk all alone

They’ll stone you when you are walking home

They’ll stone you and then say you are brave

They’ll stone you when you are set down in your grave

But I would not feel so all alone

Everybody must get stoned.

 

Dismissal

 

 

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