Selah Service

Here is the Selah sequence from 2007’s Selah Service at St. Aidan’s church on Camano Island, Washington on the evening of the Summer Solstice. The church traditional Vespers service which usually begins at 7PM was a good foundation to build on for this service…

A Vespers Selah Service ~ 6.20.2007

CIRCLE ME (Johnson) Solo
Circle me, O God, let Your arms enfold me,
Circle me, O God, let Your love surround.
Circle me, O God, let Your light shine brightly,
Circle me, Circle me, O God.

Circle me, O God, when I’m weak and weary,
Circle me, O God, when despair is near.
Circle me, O God, let Your peace surround me,
Circle me, Circle me, O God.

Circle me, O God, when I’m tired and restless,
Circle me, O God, be my hope, my strength.
Circle me, O God, let Your presence guide me,
Circle me, Circle me, O God.

PROCLAMATION
Leader: Light and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

DON’T BE AFRAID (Iona Community) All sing
Don’t be afraid,
My love is stronger,
My love is stronger than your fear.

Don’t be afraid,
My love is stronger,
For I have promised,
Promised to be always near.

IN GOD ALONE (Taizé) All sing
In God alone my soul can find rest and peace,
In God my peace and joy.
Only in God my soul can find it’s rest,
Find it’s rest and peace.

FROM PSALM 139
Lord, you have searched me out and known me;
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
You trace my journeys and my resting-places
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Indeed, there is not a word on my lips,
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
You press upon me behind and before
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain to it.
Where can I go then from your Spirit?
where can I flee from your presence?
If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there your hand will lead me
and your right hand hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me,
and the light around me turn to night’,
Darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day;
darkness and light to you are both alike.

STAY WITH US (Taizé) All sing
Stay with us O Lord Jesus Christ,
Night will soon fall.
Then stay with us, O Lord Jesus Christ,
Light in our darkness.

EVEN IF (Johnson) Instrumental

DOXOLOGY (Bourgeois / Ken) All sing
All praise to thee, my God, this night
for all the blessings of the light.
Keep me, oh keep me, King of Kings,
beneath Thine own almighty wings.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

GREATER (Moss) All sing
Father become greater, greater,
So we become less.
You are the King of all that is holy. Amen.

Jesus become greater, greater,
So we become less.
You are the Way of all that is worthy. Amen.

Spirit become greater, greater,
So we become less.
You are the breath of all that is living. Amen

FROM 2 CORINTHIANS 4
It is not ourselves that we proclaim; we proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants, for Jesus’ sake. For the same God who said, “Out of darkness let light shine,” has caused his light to shine within us, to give the light of revelation — the revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

OUR DARKNESS (Taizé) All sing
Our darkness is never darkness in Your sight:
The deepest night is clear as the daylight.

THE LORD’S PRAYER
followed by SILENT PRAYER

PIPE ORGAN SOLO (JS Bach)

KYRIE / I CALL TO YOU (Ronning/Johnson) Solo
Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Dona nobis pacem.

When my eyes cannot see,
And my heart cannot feel,
When my soul longs for mercy,
I call to You.
Take my eyes, take my heart,
Take my soul – make they whole.
I am lost if You won’t hear my prayer.

Kyrie eleison,
Christe eleison,
Dona nobis pacem.

CREATOR OF THE STARRY HEIGHT
(7th Century) All sing
Creator of the starry height,
Thy people’s everlasting Light;
Jesu, Redeemer, save us all,
And hear thy servants when they call.

At Thy great name, exalted now,
All knees in lowly homage bow;
All things in heaven and earth adore,
And own Thee King forever more.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might and glory be,
From age to age eternally. Amen.

LIVE IN CHARITY / UBI CARITAS (Taizé) All
Live in charity and steadfast love,
Live in charity;
God will dwell with you.

Ubi caritas et amor,
Ubi caritas,
Deus ibi est.

FROM MATTHEW 5
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one lights a lamp to put it under a bucket, but on a lamp-stand where it gives light for everyone in the house. And you, like the lamp, must shed light among your fellow men, so that they may see the good you do, and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

BENEDICTION (Johnson) All sing
May your heart find grace,
May your soul know peace,
May your mind be renewed.

And may your eyes see the light,
May your ears hear the glory,
Of Jesus Christ in our midst.

CLOSING PRAYER (Newell)
I lie down this night with God
And God will lie down with me.
I lie down this night with Christ
And Christ will lie down with me.
I lie down this night with the Spirit
And the Spirit will lie down with me.
The Three of my love
will be lying down with me.
I shall not lie down with sin
Nor shall sin or sin’s shadow
lie down with me.
I lie down this night with God
And God will lie down with me.

ALLELUIA (Gouzes) All sing

~
Musicians:
Jeff Johnson: Keys & voice
Gwen Franz: Viola
Billie Jensen: Pipe organ
Steve Jensen: Voice
Hailey Johnson: Voice

Here is the sequence from our 2007 Celtic Selah Service Tour

BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD / ALLELUIA
(Bell / Johnson)
Behold the Lamb of God,
Behold the Lamb of God.
He takes away the sin,
The sin of the world.

PRAYER (from the Orthodox tradition)
O Lord, we look upon thy Cross with both grief and hopefulness. For upon it, thou, the life of all, wast nailed. O Saviour, thou hast opened paradise to the thief who turned to thee in faith, and thou hast counted him worthy of blessedness when he confessed to thee crying, ‘O Lord remember me’. Accept us like him, as we cry: We all have sinned, in thy merciful kindness despise us not.

JESUS, REMEMBER ME (Taizé)
Jesus, remember me,
When you come into Your kingdom
Jesus, remember me,
When you come into Your kingdom

RESPONSIVE PRAYER (St. Patrick)
–From Psalm 8
Leader: Our God is the God of all.
People: The God of heaven and earth,
of the sea and of the rivers;
The God of the sun and of the moon and of all the stars;
The God of the lofty mountains and of the lowly valleys.

Leader: He has His dwelling around heaven and earth,
and sea, and all that in them is.
People: He inspires all,
He gives life to all,
He dominates all,
He supports all.
He lights the light of the sun.
He furnishes the light of the night.
He has made springs in dry land . . .

Leader: He is the God of heaven and earth,
of sea and rivers, of sun, moon and stars,
of the lofty mountain and the lowly valley,
All: He is the God above heaven,
and in heaven and under heaven. Amen.

CHRIST BEFORE ME (Johnson)
-From St. Patrick and Psalm 139
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I rise.
Christ in my journey,
Christ in my heart.

Christ go before me,
Christ be my shield.
Christ deep within me,
Christ in my heart.

A QUIET KNOWING Instrumental (Johnson)

BE THOU MY VISION (Irish)
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art-
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true child;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever be fall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

VOWS Instrumental (Johnson & Dunning)

PRAYER (St. Columba)
The path I walk, Christ walks it.
May the Land in which I am in be without sorrow.
May the Trinity protect me wherever I stay;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Bright angels walk with me.
Dear presence – in every dealing…
May every path before me be smooth;
May man, woman and child welcome me.

THE KING OF LOVE (Irish)
The King of Love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness fails me never.
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever.
Confused and foolish oft I strayed,
But yet in love he sought me.
And on His shoulder gently laid,
And home, rejoicing brought me.

In death’s dark vale I fear no ill,
With you, dear Lord, beside me.
Your rod and staff my comfort still,
Your cross before to guide me.

And so through all the length of days,
Your goodness fails me never.
Good Shepherd may I sing Your praise,
Within Your house forever.

DOWN BY THE GLEN (Irish)

BLESS THE LORD (Taizé)
Bless the Lord, my soul,
And bless God’s holy name.
Bless the Lord, my soul,
Who leads us into life.

THE LORD’S PRAYER – Matthew 6: 9-13
(Music by Johnson)

SILENT PRAYER

TOWARDS CALVARY Instrumental (Johnson)

REMEMBER (Moss)
Remember, remember, remember the grace divine.
Remember, remember, His Spirit is with us.

Remember the body, remember the blood,
Remember the grace divine.
Remember the Father, remember the Son,
His Spirit is with us.

PRAYER (David Adam)
Eternal God and Father,
we thirst for your love,
we long for your presence,
we yearn for your peace.
Come, Lord, restore us that we may live to your glory;
through him who gives us the water of life,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FLUTE SOLO (Dunning)

CREATOR OF THE STARRY HEIGHT (7th Century)
Creator of the starry height,
Thy people’s everlasting Light;
Jesu, Redeemer, save us all,
And hear thy servants when they call.

At Thy great name, exalted now,
All knees in lowly homage bow;
All things in heaven and earth adore,
And own Thee King forever more.

To God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, Three in One,
Praise, honor, might and glory be,
From age to age eternally.

WAYFARER Instrumental (Johnson & Dunning)

BENEDICTION (Johnson)
May your heart find grace,
May your soul know peace,
May your mind be renewed.

And may your eyes see the light,
May your ears hear the glory,
Of Jesus Christ in our midst.

PRAYER (based on an ancient Jewish prayer)
Christ – wherever I go – only Thou!
Christ – wherever I stand – only Thou!
Just Thou; again Thou! always Thou! Thou! Thou!
When things are good, Thou!
When things are bad – Thou! Thou, Thou.
Amen. Alleluia.
~
Musicians -
Brian Dunning: Flute & whistles
(Co. Kildare, Ireland)
Gwen Franz: Viola & violin
(Bainbridge Island, WA)
Jeff Johnson: Keys & vocal
(Camano Island, WA)