O Clap Your Hands 

Contributed by Stephen Wickman, St. Thomas Episcopal, McLean

Every Sunday the BBC carries a church service from somewhere in the United Kingdom. This morning (June 29) was a choral matins service from the heart of the Anglican Communion, of which my church, an American Episcopal Church, is a member. The service and the music of Orlando Gibbons and of William Byrd, himself an unreformed Roman Catholic, is perfect. Listen here www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/ or follow the text below, which speaks for us here today and, indeed, for all time. 

CHAPLAIN: Good morning and welcome to Sunday Worship from the Chapel of The Queen’s College Oxford. I’m the Chaplain, The Reverend Alice Watson.  

CHOIR: O Lord make thy servant (Byrd) 

CHAPLAIN: In 1627, a Queen’s College fellow recorded in his diary that he attended a performance of Gibbons’ music for stringed instruments, perhaps in a similar recital to the ones which we enjoy weekly to this day. 

Gibbons hailed from an Oxford family and was baptised on Christmas Day 1583 in St Martin’s Church, the surviving part of which is now known as Carfax Tower. 

He studied in Cambridge and became a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1605, serving as one of the two organists of the Chapel Royal and as a composer and keyboard player in the household of Charles, Prince of Wales. He also became organist of Westminster Abbey. 

Our first hymn is Eternal Ruler of the Ceaseless Round, set to a tune by Gibbons. 

 CHOIR/ORGAN/CONGREGATION: Eternal Ruler of the Ceaseless Round (Song 1) 

CHAPLAIN: As I lead us in prayer, we give thanks for those who enhance our worship with their many gifts, especially the gift of music. Let us pray: 

Lord, you have taught us, that all our doings without love are nothing worth: send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, the true bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whoever lives is counted dead before you. Grant this for your son Jesus Christ’s sake, who is alive and reigns with you,  in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

  CHAPLAIN: We return to the year 1625: Charles became king in March, at the death of James I. On 31 May the King left London to greet his wife, Henrietta Maria, who was travelling from France. A large number of the royal musicians, including Gibbons and the other members of the Chapel Royal travelled with him, and stayed in Canterbury, where the king’s entrance into the city was marked with celebratory music. 

  While the king was at Dover awaiting his queen on Whitsunday, the 5th of June, Gibbons died suddenly after attending a service in Canterbury Cathedral; and he was buried, with some haste, the next day, in the cathedral. The people of Canterbury were somewhat afraid that he had died of the plague, for the year saw the worst plague in living memory, and these anxieties accompanied the new King and Queen as they returned to London. 

Our service of matins continues with the preces, followed by the first four verses of Psalm 145, both set to music by Gibbons. 

CANTOR/CHOIR: Preces (Gibbons) 

  Cantor:              O Lord, open thou our lips; 

Choir:                 And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 

  Cantor:              O God, make speed to save us; 

Choir:                 O Lord make haste to help us. 

                              Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: 

                            and to the Holy Ghost 

                            As it was in the beginning, 

                            is now, and ever shall be: 

                            world without end. Amen. 

                            Praise ye the Lord. 

               CHOIR/ORGAN: Psalm 145:1-4 (Gibbons) 

  I will magnify thee, O God, my King : and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever. 

Every day will I give thanks unto thee : and praise thy Name for ever and ever. 

Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised : there is no end of his greatness. 

One generation shall praise thy works unto another : and declare thy power. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

CHAPLAIN: The first lesson is taken from the book of Deuteronomy, the fifteenth chapter, beginning at the first verse. This part of the law code focuses on the remission of debt, and the assurance of God’s blessing if the commandment is observed. 

READER 1: Deuteronomy 15:1-11 

Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbour, not exacting it from a neighbour who is a member of the community, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. From a foreigner you may exact it, but you must remit your claim on whatever any member of your community owes you. There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the Lord is sure to bless you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, if only you will obey the Lord your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today. When the Lord your God has blessed you, as he promised you, you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you. 

If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted towards your needy neighbour. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near’, and therefore view your needy neighbour with hostility and give nothing; your neighbour might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt. Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, ‘Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbour in your land.’ 

 CHOIR/ORGAN: Jubilate, Second Service (Gibbons) 

CHAPLAIN: The second lesson is taken from the Acts of the Apostles, the twenty-seventh chapter, beginning at the thirteenth verse. This reading describes the great storm off the coast of Crete, which shipwrecked Paul and his travelling companions. 

 READER 2: Acts 13:13-26 

 When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete. Since the ship was caught and could not be turned with its head to the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. After hoisting it up they took measures to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea-anchor and so were driven. We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.  

Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and thereby avoided this damage and loss. I urge you now to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you.” So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we will have to run aground on some island.’ 

  CHAPLAIN: The anthem ‘O clap your hands’ is a setting of words from Psalm 47 by Orlando Gibbons. 

  CHOIR: O clap your hands (Gibbons) 

  CHAPLAIN: 

In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Orlando Gibbons’ anthem “O Clap your Hands” is amongst his best known pieces and almost certainly is his grandest work. It takes its text from psalm 47, one of a subgrouping of the royal psalms known as enthronement psalms – songs which call others to praise God in the light of his kingship. Because of this they have become connected with earthly ruling and monarchy also. This is the same psalm of which a section was sung at our own King’s coronation – clap your hands together all you people, rejoice, for the Lord is high and greatly to be feared. Its themes are those of power and kingship; both earthly and heavenly. 

  But how do we conceive of this power? How do we untangle that power which is earthly and that which is divine? The last 400 years have given a great shift in our conception of kingly power, one which was ultimately played out in the life of Charles I, one with more facets and debates than this homily could ever capture. But today, our current King portrays a more gentle kingship, and following in the path of his mother, our late Queen, one which offers a sense of stability and unity among all people, of many backgrounds and faiths. But as we look across the world we see a spectrum of ruling styles and philosophies, earthly kings of many flavours. And above this bustling throng, this anthem reminds us, God reigns. 

 We see earthly powers rise and decline, ideologies and philosophies of rule come in and out of fashion. We witness the great harm done by unjust leaders, and see that history sometimes shines unexpected lights on some. We do not know how this era of ours will be remembered. Many words have been written with the aim of defining power, of capturing its essence, of laying out how to rule; in whatever sphere of life, from Machiavelli to management tomes. 

 But God is beyond these myriad human conceptions. God’s power is beyond our searching, his Kingship above our ideologies: In our psalm, 145, the choir sang: ‘Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised : there is no end of his greatness’  – ideals of Kingship or methods of power will change here on earth, but God remains – for his rule is not one of any power as we are able to conceive it. 

His power is the type of power made real, made flesh, evident in the cry of a newborn baby, in the touch extended to those in need, or the struggle of a dying breath at the hands of empire. But also in the raising of the dead and the judgement that is to come. We worship a God who is as comfortable, as intimate, with the mess of the manger as with the throne of heaven. 

Four hundred years ago, as today in many places around the world, life seemed one full of change and often fraught with confusion or danger. Most of us know these feelings on some level from our own lives. But through the many storms of life; through the greyness of grief, or the tumult of political uncertainty, conflict, or personal illness and pain, God’s presence and God’s love remain unchanging. For God is a great King, as merciful and tender as he is awe inspiring, and in His sure ways we can ever place our trust. 

So rejoice, and clap your hands. 

 CHOIR: Three-fold Amen (Gibbons) 

 READER 3: 

Let us pray: 

God of justice we pray for your will to be done in the world around us. As we reflect upon your commands in Deuteronomy, we pray for those held in bondage or any kind of debt. For those struggling with financial burdens, those worn down by the cost of living or gnawing poverty. For those who today are forced into lives of servitude, those who are trafficked or controlled. We pray for a world in which all are seen with their created dignity, and where power is not cruelly wielded over others. 

Loving God, whose arms are sanctuary and whose paths are peace, we pray for those cast upon the storms of our own world. For those living with the effects of natural disaster, or human-made conflict. We pray for peace in our world today, for those with the power to bring peace, and for those called to political leadership of any kind. We pray for King Charles and the royal family, giving thanks for his gentle rule. 

We lift to you those in need of any kind, those who are anxious or despairing, those who are unwell, in mind, body, or soul. Comfort those who mourn and make your presence familiar to those who feel alone. We pray for those who long to know more of you, those approaching baptism or ordination, and those pondering your call upon their lives. 

We wrap these, and the prayers of our own hearts, in the words of the Lord’s Prayer: 

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; 

thy will be done; in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen. 

CHAPLAIN: Our final hymn is Forth in thy name O Lord I go. 

CHOIR/ORGAN/CONGREGATION: Forth in thy name O Lord I go (Song 34) 

 CHAPLAIN: The peace of God which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. And the blessing of God almighty; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be upon you and remain with you always. Amen. 

  ORGAN: VOLUNTARY: Voluntary in A minor  (Gibbons) 

This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writers and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.