Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
July 6, 2008
11:00 am


THE GATHERING


PRELUDE                  Voluntary on Materna                    Calvin Hampton

*HYMN 592                  God of the Ages                           National Hymn

*CALL TO WORSHIP                                                        David Becker
One:    This is the day that God has made;
Many:   Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
One:    O come, let us worship and bow down;
Many:   Let us kneel before God, our Maker.
One:    I lift up my eyes to the hills-from where will my help come?
Many:   My help comes from God, who made heaven and earth.
One:    Blessed be the name of God,
Many:   from this time on and forever more.
One:    From the rising of the sun to it setting,
Many:   the name of God is to be praised.
One:    It is good to give thanks to God,
Many:   to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
One:    to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
Many:   and your faithfulness by night.

*A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION
We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them
"peace" or "the peace of Christ."

WORDS OF WELCOME                                             Nancy S. Taylor

ANTHEM                          Freedom Is Coming
South African song
Oh freedom is coming, oh yes, I know. My spirit knows.
Oh freedom is coming, oh yes, I know.
-Traditional

THE GIFT OF THE WORD

READING                         Matthew 17:24-27                Rock Ripple

*HYMN (see insert)            Once to Every Heart and Nation    Ebenezer
(Elementary-school-aged children may depart for Summer Church School.)

SERMON                  Of Tea, Taxes and Talk           Nancy S. Taylor

*HYMN 593               Lift Every Voice and Sing        Lift Every Voice

*CALL TO PRAYER                                          David Becker
One:            God be with you
Many:           And also with you.
One:            May the peace of Christ dwell in your hearts.
Many:           Christ is our peace, our light, and our hope.
One:            Let us pray. (The congregation may be seated.)

PASTORAL PRAYER

THE LORD'S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

PRAYER RESPONSE                Oh, Freedom             Spiritual
Harry Baechtel, baritone

Oh, freedom!  Oh, freedom!  Oh, freedom over me!
And before I'd be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave,
And go home to my Lord and be free.

There'll be singing, there'll be singing, there'll be singing over me!
And before I'd be a slave, I'll be buried in my grave,
And go home to my Lord and be free.
-Traditional

OFFERING OURSELVES AND OUR GIFTS

CALL TO THE OFFERING

OFFERTORY ANTHEM      My Country, 'Tis of Thee              Calvin Hampton
My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty,of thee I sing;
Land where my parents died, land of the pilgrims' pride,
>From ev'ry mountainside let freedom ring.

My native country, thee, land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills, thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills like that above.

Let music swell the breeze, and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
Let mortal tongues awake, let all that breathe partake,
Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

Our parent's God, to thee, author of liberty,to thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright with freedom's holy light;
Protect us by thy might, Great God, our King.
-Samuel F. Smith

*SONG OF PRAISE
Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Christ the Word in flesh born low; Alleluia! Alleluia!
Praise Holy Spirit evermore; One God, Triune, whom we adore.
Alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! alleluia! Amen!

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION                                  Nancy S. Taylor

*HYMN (see insert)           O Beautiful for Spacious Skies         Materna

*BIDDING TO MISSION AND BENEDICTION

POSTLUDE              The Stars and Stripes Forever         John Philip Sousa

Today, immediately following the postlude, all who are interested in a tour
of the Sanctuary are invited to meet Docent Gregg Plummer at the front of
the Sanctuary.


                          TODAY AT OLD SOUTH

Welcome to Old South Church in Boston. Our faith is over 2000 years old, but
our thinking is not! Old South opens its doors to the city, to tourists from
near and far, to the needy, to an array of building users, and to a
congregation (of members, friends, and family-both the curious and the
committed) who call this their church home. Join us for fellowship and
refreshments in Gordon Chapel immediately following worship.

The liturgists this morning, David Becker and Rock Ripple, joined Old South
in 2004. David, a veteran of both Viet Nam and the Gulf Wars, serves on the
Board of Ministers and Deacons. Their daughter, Amelia, is singing this
morning with the Old South Choir.

The flowers today are given by Anne Brown in memory of her father, Frank
Brown.

Today's ASL Interpreter, Tracy Villinski, joined Old South in 2007. She
coordinates our ASL Interpreter services.

More than thirty volunteers are extending hospitality to visitors and
parishioners. In addition, over twenty volunteers sing in the choir, while
others teach in the Church School. If you're interested in volunteering for
hospitality tasks, please call Betty Smith at 781/721-7777; to sing with the
choir, call Harry Huff at 617/425-5146; to learn about the church school,
call Tricia Hazeltine at 617/536-1970.

Wearing name tags is a great way to facilitate community and make newcomers
feel welcomed. If you don't see a tag with your name on it, let us
know-there will be one waiting for you next Sunday!

Membership at Old South is a vital avenue to full participation in the life
and ministry of the church. Contact Associate Minister Quinn Caldwell at
617/536-1970 or <quinn@oldsouth.org>.

CD recordings of today's service may be obtained by calling Jessica
Goodknight at 617/536-1970 or emailing <reception@oldsouth.org>. Sunday
sermons and worship services are also available on the Web and as podcasts
at <www.oldsouth.org>.


                      NOTES ON TODAY'S MUSIC

This weekend we honor our nation and rejoice and give thanks for the many
blessings, joys and freedoms which are often taken for granted. Yet on this
232nd anniversary of our country's independence, we are mindful of the
reality that many of our sisters and brothers throughout the world-and even
in this country-do not partake of the "liberty and justice for all" which we
value so highly as Americans.  This has perhaps been most recently evident
in the inequitable efforts of rebuilding the lives of those devastated by
the hurricanes of 2005. It is in this spirit of conflicted pride and
humility that the prelude is offered this morning. Calvin Hampton's setting
of "America, the Beautiful" is at once a tender love song and a complex
harmonic study with murky undertones of doubt and questioning. This piece
served as a poignant meditation at a memorial service gathered on the
morning of September 12, 2001.

The struggles of those yearning for "liberty and justice for all" in the
midst of apartheid South Africa and the Civil Rights Movement in our own
country are evident today in the first two offerings by the Old South Choir:
a protest song, "Freedom Is Coming" and the spiritual, "Oh, Freedom." We as
a congregation will respond with "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which has been
dubbed the African-American national anthem, and was written by the brothers
James Weldon and John Rosamund Johnson, respectively poet and composer of
the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920's. The third anthem, "My Country 'tis of
Thee," again by the late Calvin Hampton, is a gentler, more reflective
setting than the familiar one for the beloved hymn of thanks and invocation
for God's protection over this country.

The service ends with a spirited rendition of John Philip Sousa's
ever-popular "Stars and Stripes Forever," immediately evocative of parades,
fireworks, picnics, childhood summers, apple pie and ice cream. As we relish
the fond memories of family, friends and nation, let us aspire not only to
be better as citizens and stewards of this country, but also as citizens and
stewards of the world, and of the realm of God.


Thank you for turning off cell phones, pagers and beepers upon entering the sanctuary.
(Children and teachers may leave for their Church School classes.)

*A SIGN OF OUR UNITY AND RECONCILIATION
We invite you to greet those around you, wishing them
“peace” or “the peace of Christ.”
Thank you for turning off cell phones, pagers and beepers upon entering the sanctuary. Please maintain a respectful and meditative quiet throughout the service,
except of course when congregational participation is invited.
(Elementary-aged children may depart for Summer Church School.)




A NOTE ON THE INCLUSIVE DIMENSIONS OF GOD’S GRACE
Old South Church in Boston, in the name of its host, Jesus Christ, and in the spirit of Christ’s invitation carved into the stone of this church’s portico, “Behold I Set Before You an Open Door,” welcomes all who seek to know God.
Following the One who we believe is Sovereign and Savior, we affirm that each individual is a child of God, and recognize that we are called to be like one body with many members, seeking with others of every race, ethnicity, creed, class, age, gender, marital status, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression to journey together toward the promised realm of God.
We invite everyone to join in the common life and mission of our reconciling community through participation and leadership in this congregation, and by fully sharing in the worship, rites and sacraments of this church.
As we all move forward with the work of this church, we commit ourselves to making justice and inclusivity a reality in this congregation and in the world.  On the threshold of Christ’s open door, we rely upon the healing, unconditional nature of God’s love and grace to be our help and guide.

OLD SOUTH CHURCH IN BOSTON
MINISTERS, OFFICERS AND STAFF

Nancy S. Taylor, Senior Minister ~ Quinn G. Caldwell, Associate Minister
Harry L. Huff, Minister of Music ~ James W. Crawford, Senior Minister Emeritus
Calvin Genzel, Wedding Outreach Minister ~Janet Butler, Wedding Coordinator
Ken Orth, Healing Prayer Service Minister  ~ Robert W. Brown, Ministerial Intern
Mark S. Burrows, Theologian in Residence
Patricia Hazeltine, Church School Director  ~ Rolanda Ward, Youth Worker
Carolyn Davis, Director, Old South Preschool
George Sargeant, Assistant Organist & Choir Director
 Willie Sordillo, Jazz Service Music Director
Peter Coulombe, Director, Old South Ringers
Amy Budka & Phil Stern, Children’s Music Directors

Wayne Davis, Moderator v Pamela Holland, Clerk  ~ James Monsma, Treasurer
Phil Stern, Chair, Board of Trustees  ~ Susan T. Campbell, Historian
Diane Gaucher, Senior Deacon   ~ Vicki A. Newman, Pledge Secretary

Helen McCrady, Senior Church Administrator
Amy Perry, Administrative Assistant v Rosemary Clarke, Accountant
Elias Perez, Senior Sexton  ~ Ozo Nwodo & Robert Blenman, Sextons
Jessica Goodknight, Rubia Reyes & Jim McDonnel, Receptionists

www.oldsouth.org v 617/536-1970

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Old South Church
645 Boylston St. Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-1970 Tel (617)536-8061 Fax