During this season of Lent we invite you to connect the practices of prayer, reflection and discussion with our life in worship together. Each week in worship, the Pastors’ sermons will explore themes generated by the content and history of African American Spirituals, each paired with a companioning Biblical text. Below are lyrics, music, scripture and reflection questions so that you might as an individual, family or small group continue to be shaped by God through the Spirituals, the scriptures and prayer.
The Music and Lyrics
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hand
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
He’s got the woods and the waters in His hand,
He’s got the woods and the waters in His hand,
He’s got the sun and the moon right in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
He’s got the birds and the bees right in His hand,
He’s got the birds and the bees right in His hand,
He’s got the beasts of the field right in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
He’s got you and me right in His hand,
He’s got you and me right in His hand,
He’s got everybody in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand,
He’s got the whole world in His hand.
Margaret Allison Bonds (1913-1972) was one of the first female African American classical composers to gain national recognition during her lifetime. She performed as a piano soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933, the first African American to ever appear as a soloist with that orchestra. Leontyne Price (b. 1927) commissioned Price to arrange He’s Got the Whole World in the early 1960s.
Listen to a live recording of Anqwenique Wingfield singing this arrangement in worship on April 6, 2014 with Dr. Ed Moore at the organ.
Let us Break Bread Together
Let us break bread together on our knees.
Refrain:
When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun,
O Lord, have mercy on me.
Let us drink wine together on our knees. [Refrain]
Let us praise God together on our knees. [Refrain]
Moses Hogan (1957-2003) was a well-known composer and arranger of choral music, especially his settings of spirituals. Having studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and Juilliard School, his life was cut short by a brain tumor at the age of 45.
Mary Randolph and Jonathan McNelis sang this arrangement during worship on April 6, 2014 with Gabriel D’Abruzzo at the piano. Listen to a live recording of it here:
The Scripture
The Reflection
Week Five – Global/Universal Themes
Our passages for today remind us that all of us – and all of creation – are in God’s hands. We read stories of vulnerable and broken people finding new life in God – even in the face of death! These stories from the Bible and the words of the Spirituals call us to trust in God, even when it is difficult to do.
Reflect:
- When is it easy for you to trust in God? When is it hard?
- Is there a situation in your life that you need to surrender to God’s care and direction?
Act:
- As a prayer of trust, write and sing your own verses to the song “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” – ideally with others. Feel free to name specific people you know and love (Mary and Martha!) or to be more general in your wording (Oceans and Trees; Athletes and Astronauts).