audio by artist dan johnson becky sechrist

Celebration Sunday

Dedicating our stewardship commitments and commemorating the musical ministry of Charles Wesley on the 300th anniversary of his birth.

Prelude: "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling"

Our service this morning will both celebrate the culmination of our stewardship and capital campaign, and will celebrate the birth of Charles Wesley (Dec. 17, 1707). The service will follow the movement of the Church Year, starting at Advent and moving through to Pentecost. We will sing and hear hymns from Charles Wesley for each of these seasons, change the paraments for the appropriate time, and share information about the life of Charles Wesley. Let us begin with that well-known hymn, "O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing"

Introit: O For a Thousand Tongues: Bells

Dawn:

They never knew whether the blaze was an accident or arson, but back in 1708 the home of Samuel and Susanna Wesley started on fire while the family of eight children and one on the way were asleep. About 11 pm the parents awoke to flames and smoke and rushed to get their brood outdoors, but one was left behind. The sleepy in home nurse snatched baby Charles from his crib and called to little Jackie, just five years old, to follow. But Jack slept through her calls only to awaken to the confusion after all were down the staircase and out of sight. Disoriented and frightened, Jack made his way to the window of an upstairs room. There Samuel saw his son from the garden, plunged back into the house, but the stairs were an impassable inferno.