The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Presider

The Chautauqua Choir

Joshua Stafford
Director & Organist

Owen Reyda
Pianist

Prayers for Peace: A Service of Ecumenical Communion

We invite you to quietly prepare your hearts for worship during the Prelude.

* Denotes that the congregation is invited to rise in body or spirit.It is our custom to sing the first and last verses of hymns in unison,the interior verses may be sung in parts.

Hymn

“Day is dying in the west”

Chautauqua, William Fisk Sherwin, 1877
Mary Lathbury, 1877

Day is dying in the west;
Heav’n is touching earth with rest;
Wait and worship while the night
Sets her evening lamps alight
through all the sky.

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heav’n and earth are full of Thee;
Heav’en and earth are praising Thee,
O Lord most high!

Call to Worship

From the Jewish Tradition 

Bar’chu et Adonai ham’vorach. Baruch Adonai ham’vorach l’olma va-ed. Praise to Adonai to whom praise is due forever. Praised be Adonai to whom praise is due, now and forever. 

From the Muslim Tradition 

Allahu Akbar. Ash-had an-la ilaha illa llah. Ash-hadu anna Muhammadarrasulu llah. Hayya ‘alas-salah. Hayya ‘alal-falah. Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah 

God is most great. I bear witness that there is no god but God. I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God. Hasten to the prayer. Hasten to the spiritual success. God is most great. There is no god but God. 

From the Christian tradition 

Glory to God, glory to God, glory in the highest! To God be glory forever! Alleluia, Amen! Glory to God, glory to God, glory to Christ Jesus! Glory to God, glory to God, glory to the Spirit!

Hymn

“Day is Done”
Ar hyd y nos, Welsh Melody, 1784 

#1. Day is done, but love unfailing dwells ever here; Shadows fall, but hope prevailing, calms ev'ry fear. God our maker, none forsaking, Take our hearts, of love's own making, Watch our sleeping, guard our waking, Be always near. 

#2. Dark descends, but light unending Shines through our night; You are with us, ever lending New strength to sight: One in love, your truth confessing, One in hope of heaven's blessing, May we see, in love's possessing, Love's endless light! 

#3. Eyes will close, but you, unsleeping, Watch by our side; Death may come, in love's safekeeping Still we abide. God of love, all evil quelling, Sin forgiving, fear dispelling, Stay with us, our hearts indwelling, This eventide. 

Gathering of Lights

Mary Beth Thomas, 2017 

L: God, with you there is no darkness. Your character has no shadows, and you are pure and good. Yet in our broken world, we see so much darkness around us. Pain, sickness, and disease are in our community and in many of our homes. Bring your light and restoring presence to the dark places in our lives. Bring your hope to hearts that feel defeated. Bring your love and compassion to those in pain. Give us faith to say with the psalmist, “Lord, you light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness.” May your light of hope shine in the darkness for families today. Show us glimpses of your presence with us and the comfort you bring. In the busyness of today, help us to take a moment to be still and sit with you. To slow down, breathe deeply, and release our burdens to your strong hand. You are trustworthy, good, and true, and we thank you for caring for us so deeply and beautifully. Open our eyes to see you at work today. Give us your light.  

P: Amen.  

Anthem

Verleih' uns Frieden
Felix Mendelssohn, 1831
Martin Luther, 1529 

#1. Verleih' uns Frieden gnädiglich, Herr Gott, zu unsern Zeiten! Es ist doch ja kein Andrer nicht, der für uns könnte streiten, denn du, unser Gott alleine.  

#2. Graciously grant us peace, Lord God, in our time. For there is indeed no one else who can defend us Other than you, our God, alone

The Peace

L: May the peace of God be always with you.  

P: And with your spirit.  

L: You are invited to silently greet your neighbor in peace with a bow of the head, a handshake, or a hug. 

Hymn

“O, for a world” 
Miriam Therese Winter, 1987, Azmon, Carl Gotthelf Gläser, 182

#1. O for a world where everyone respects each other's ways, where love is lived and all is done with justice and with praise. 

#2. O for a world where goods are shared and misery relieved, where truth is spoken, children spared, equality achieved. 

#3. We welcome one world family and struggle with each choice that opens us to unity and gives our vision voice. 

#4. The poor are rich, the weak are strong, the foolish ones are wise. Tell all who mourn, outcasts belong, who perishes will rise. 

#5. O for a world preparing for God's glorious reign of peace, where time and tears will be no more, and all but love will cease.

Poem

Making Peace, Denise Levertov, 1987

A voice from the dark called out, ‘The poets must give us imagination of peace, to oust the intense, familiar imagination of disaster. Peace, not only the absence of war.’ But peace, like a poem, is not there ahead of itself, can’t be imagined before it is made, can’t be known except in the words of its making, grammar of justice, syntax of mutual aid. A feeling towards it, dimly sensing a rhythm, is all we have until we begin to utter its metaphors, learning them as we speak. A line of peace might appear if we restructured the sentence our lives are making, revoked its reaffirmation of profit and power, questioned our needs, allowed long pauses . . . A cadence of peace might balance its weight on that different fulcrum; peace, a presence, an energy field more intense than war, might pulse then, stanza by stanza into the world, each act of living one of its words, each word a vibration of light—facets of the forming crystal. 

Hymn

"Dona nobis pacem"
Anonymous, Traditional liturgical text
This hymn will be sung as a round. 

Dona nobis pacem, pacem. Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem. Dona nobis pacem.

Hebrew Scripture

Micah 4:1—4  

In days to come the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised up above the hills. Peoples shall stream to it, and many nations shall come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples and shall arbitrate between strong nations far away; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more; but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. 

Hymn

"Mi shebeirach"
Debbie Friedman, 1989

Mi shebeirach avoteinu; M'kor hab'racha l'imoteinu; May the source of strength Who blessed the ones before us Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing And let us say Amen; Mi shebeirach imoteinu; M'kor habrachah l'avoteinu; Bless those in need of healing with r'fuah sh'leimah; The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit And let us say Amen

The Noble Quran

al-Nur, 24:35      

And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between them. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allah. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy. 

Anthem

“The house of faith” 
Craig Phillips, 1998  

#1. The house of faith has many rooms where we have never been; there is more space within God’s scope than we have ever seen. We dare not limit God’s domain to what our creeds declare, or shrink from probing things unknown lest God should not be there. 

#2. The way to God is not escape, though truth does make us free: the life of chosen servanthood is perfect liberty. Yet still we seek at journey’s end the last and sweetest grace, the gift of room to turn around and know God face to face. 

The New Testament

Colossians 3:12—15      

Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 

Litany for Peace and Justice

L: Siblings in Faith: God commands us to love one another, to love our neighbors as ourselves, to strive for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of every human being. Let us now honor those vows and pray for our nation, for wise and just leaders, and for the needs of others throughout our country and the world. We pray for your guidance on all peacemakers, on leaders who value peace, and on everyone who promotes nonviolent solutions to conflict. We pray for a speedy end to all violence and conflict around the world. God of peace and gentleness,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for the strength of heart and mind to look beyond ourselves and address the needs of our siblings throughout the world; for the rural and urban poor; for the rebuilding of our communities; and for an end to the cycles of violence that threaten our future. God of generosity and compassion,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for all nations, that they may live in unity, peace, and concord; and that all people may know justice and enjoy the perfect freedom that only God can give. God of liberty and freedom,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray that the you would embrace the most vulnerable members of our society; we pray also for an end to the growing disparity between the rich and poor; and for the grace and courage to strive for economic justice. God of all gifts and blessings,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for an end to prejudice throughout our country and the world; that we will respect all people as precious children of God; and that racism, sexism, and all other forms of discrimination will be forever banished from our hearts, our society, and our laws. God of fellowship and equality,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for a reverence of creation; that we will have the tools and the will to conserve it; that we will use its bountiful resources in the service of others; and that we will become better stewards of all that has been entrusted to us. God of nature and the universe,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for all immigrants, refugees, and pilgrims from around the world, that they may be welcomed in our midst and be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. God of outcasts and wanderers,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for the sick, the aged and the infirm; that all may have access to proper health care; and that God's loving embrace may be felt by all who suffer. God of comfort and healing,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for all prisoners and captives; that a spirit of forgiveness may replace vengeance and retribution; and that we, with all the destitute, lonely, and oppressed, may be restored to the fullness of God’s grace. God of absolution and mercy,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for all children and families, and particularly for the orphaned, neglected, abused, and those who live in fear of violence or disease; that they may be relieved and protected. God of children and families,  

P: Hear our prayer.  

L: We pray for all who have died as a result of violence, war, disease or famine, especially those who died because of human blindness, neglect, or hardness of heart. God of eternal life and resurrecting love,  

P: Hear our prayer. 

Benediction

L: May God bless and keep us; may God grant us strength to live through troubled times; may God fill us with grace equal to every need and peace which passes all understanding; may God grant us the wisdom and the will to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God; and may God surround us with love, and lead us in the paths of everlasting life.  

P: Amen.

Hymn

“Now the day is over” 

Merrial, Joseph Barnby, 1868
Sabine Baring-Gould, 1865

Now the day is over, night is drawing nigh,
shadows of the evening steal across the sky.

Jesus, give the weary calm and sweet repose
with thy tend’rest blessing may our eyelids close.

When the morning wakens, then may I arise
pure, and fresh, and sinless in thy holy eyes. Amen.

Postlude

Largo

George Frederick Handel, 1738
from the opera Xerxes

Use of this piece to close the Sunday evening service has been Chautauqua’s tradition since the dedication of the Massey Memorial Organ on August 6, 1907.Part of the custom has been to remain in our seats until the piece is finished.It is a gesture that we treasure, and one in which you are invited to join.We invite you to leave the Amphitheater silently — without applause.

JOIN THE CHAUTAUQUA CHOIR
Thursday 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Smith Wilkes Hall
Friday 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Fletcher Hall
Saturday 6:15 p.m. Rehearsal at Lenna Hall

We invite you to join us and sing with the Chautauqua Choir this season. This group is open to anyone who has experience singing in choirs and the ability to read music, and requires members to attend at least one out of three weekly rehearsals, though two or more rehearsals are preferred. Our preference is for members to sing both Sunday Morning and Sunday Evening services, though it is possible to sing only one. Questions can be directed to choir@chq.org or by calling the choir library at 716-357-6321. Click here to register ahead of rehearsals.

CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
Department of Religion

Melissa Spas
Vice President of Religion

The Rt. Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton
Senior Pastor

Rafia Khader
Director of Religion Programs

Joshua Stafford
Director of Sacred Music & The Jared Jacobsen Chair Organist

Rees Taylor Roberts
Organ Scholar

Owen Reyda
Organ Scholar

Carolyn Snider
Administrative Assistant

Annie Leech
Student Minister