When John the Baptist Died

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me.”
Matthew 14:13-21

We followed you into your grief
when John the Baptist died,
but not to offer you relief:
For our own needs we cried.

And we who'd gathered at the shore
to hear him call us back,
we hungered then for something more
and followed in your tracks.

Although you sought a place to mourn,
we dogged your weary feet
and begged you'd not leave us forlorn:
You gave us bread to eat.

But not the bread of village shops
or new loaves for a guest;
what scraps we had, you took them all
and gave them to us, blessed.

No meagre crumbs to tide us o'er
or teach us how to fast,
but all our hunger filled and more,
as if all wants were past!

So John decreased and you increased,
and in that desert place,
you hosted his memorial feast
and fed us by your grace.

Feeding the multitude. Armenian manuscript. Daniel of Uranc gospel, 1433. By Daniel of Uranc – Michel Bakni, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98280902

Come On Clouds Descending

For today’s readings on the Feast of Christ the King, to the tune AURELIA (“The Church’s One Foundation”):

You came at first in chaos,
when earth and heav'n were born,
in all the clouds of cosmos
and coalescing forms.
The whisper of creation
that split the day from night
was your first revelation:
You came, and there was light.

Then in the fog of empire,
of upheaval and doubt,
the clouded skies of midnight
when all the lights went out:
You came to bring the kingdom,
a rule not of this world,
that set the heavens ringing
with songs of peace on earth.

But come again, Christ Jesus;
come fill our hearts, we pray.
To draw us to your feasting,
come overturn our ways.
Transform us by your presence
as you transform this food;
come to the cloud of witness
with holy flesh and blood.

Then come once more forever
to reign as Christ our king.
Oh, come on clouds descending,
your lasting peace to bring.
Come, Alpha and Omega,
eternal Word of truth.
Speak into us, O Savior;
make us forever new.

Gospel Book, Second Coming of Christ, Walters Manuscript W.540, fol. 14v By Walters Art Museum Illuminated Manuscripts – https://www.flickr.com/photos/39699193@N03/8509826031/, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76790938

Corpus Christi

For the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, based on the sequence Lauda, Sion, to the tune DUGUET (“O Saving Victim”):

More precious than the blood of rams
poured out upon the altar stone,
the self-gift of the spotless Lamb
who takes us each to be his own.

He takes the bread, eternal priest,
and breaks his body for us all,
completely gives himself to each,
unbroken savior of our fall.

He lifts the chalice, filled with wine,
and offers us his living blood.
As rain on branches of the vine,
his mercy falls on us in flood.

Then take him as he gives himself,
the undivided Christ for you,
not in the hope of help or health
but for his love forever true.

Come forward to the altar now,
beyond the veil, and see your God:
the son of God, to earth come down,
who will not leave his earthly flock.

Come, take your groom, belovèd bride,
and give him all yourself complete.
For Christ will never leave your side,
and welcomes you to heaven's feast.

Last Supper. Russian icon By Anonimous – http://www.sedmitza.ru/ index.html?did=32500, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3071693

Come and See, For Christ Has Risen

While they were still speaking about this,
he stood in their midst and said to them,
“Peace be with you.”
But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have.”
Luke 24:35-48

One for today’s Gospel, to the tune ODE TO JOY:

Come and see, for Christ has risen,
breaking all the chains of death.
Come, receive the peace he's given,
resting on you with his breath.
Take his hand and feel him living,
not a ghost, but bone and flesh.
Cast aside your fear and listen:
He has come again to bless.

Come and see: He stands before you,
here as in the upper room.
Wounded hands and feet implore you:
Bring him here your pain and wounds.
Christ alive will not ignore you;
bride belovèd, greet your groom.
Come to him; he will restore you,
opening your very tomb.

Come, though hearts are torn and aching;
come receive his love divine.
Come, his broken body taking,
though you see but bread and wine.
In this sweet communion making
branches of the living vine,
Christ, the dawn upon us breaking,
shares his light that you might shine.

Attributed to Jacopo Bassano (c. 1510-1592) – The Supper at Emmaus By anonymous – Royal Collection, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92141882

Dedication: Psalm 116 & Widow of Zarephath

To the tune NUN DANKET (“Now Thank We All Our God”):

You heard me, Lord my God,
when none on earth could listen—
the whirling of my thoughts,
my mind's inward division—
and you stretched out your rod,
oh God, in my defense,
my anxious racings caught,
and set my soul at rest.

How can I pay you, Lord,
for all your goodness to me?
Take heart and hand and word
and pour your graces through me
into the spinning world
that longs your love to see,
your mercies speeding toward
new goodness yet to be.

And so I trust in you
thought doubting all else living.
You are the living truth,
and my life is thanksgiving.
Take everything I do
and everything I have:
I give them all to you,
as first to me you gave.

This one doesn’t have a tune, but would work as a communion song or a song about discipleship or mission. EDIT: “This Is My Father’s World” works for this one.

The God who clothes the fields
in shades of green and gold
asks me for mercy's sake to yield
the little that I hold,
who once my jars had filled
and overfilled my soul
now begs that hunger's cries be stilled
by sharing of my all.

The God who grows the vines
and tends the olive tree
has hid himself, his grace divine,
in our humanity.
Who made the bread and wine
and gave them us for free,
asks me to give what I call mine
but what he first gave me.

The little I have left,
oh God, it came from you.
The flour and oil were first your gift—
let them be my gift, too.
Great Maker, take me, sift
and knead me as the dough;
conform my heart, as yours was cleft,
that love may overflow.