How does the work of this composer appear in the United Methodist Hymnal? Bear with me for a minute here. It’s the day set apart from all work and toil, to be sure. Information and translations of come sunday in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. He notes the ways we value all of our seemingly ceaseless “doing,” our endless cycles of work and spend, of productivity and consumption. Webster defines it as 'so-called, because this day was anciently dedicated to the sun;' and the North British Review styles it 'the wild holiday of all pagan times.' The one notion which will come as no surprise to most of you is straight from the ten commandments in Exodus 20. It was written in 1942 as a part of the first movement of a suite entitled Black, Brown and Beige. Thanks for your vote! It has nothing to do with the now 380 years since our founding. It means literally, "Come, my beloved." Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year A, Home All Rights Reserved, Terms of Use Privacy Policy Cookie Policy, Duke Ellington (1899-1974) once said, “By and large, jazz has always been like the kind of a man you wouldn’t want your daughter to associate with.” Yet, this master of jazz has a hymn in the, How does the work of this composer appear in the, “Come Sunday” is a song derived from Ellington’s instrumental jazz suite, The inclusion of this song in a mainline hymnal is unique and reflects the jazz interest and background of the, Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost, Year A. The very word vacation is rooted in the latin, vacation, which means vacancy or unoccupied! In 1958, Ellington added text to this instrumental theme and the song became a standard of his sacred jazz concerts. In the Luke text especially, we see two traditions of Sabbath that in fact can be traced to two different sources in Jewish tradition. As Labor Day approaches, we might well be reminded of the bumper sticker that two labor lawyer friends of mine proudly tout - The Labor Movement: the ones who brought you the weekend! Are we willing to do less, buy less, know less, even be less so that we and others may simply be? For more information on his life and accomplishments, see www.dukeellington.com. I wonder to what extent our cultural ideas of Sabbath or even “time off’ mirror the struggle in this text! Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Here, we find Sabbath as a day given to the promise of equality and to the promise of freedom from bondage! Carlton Young, editor of the UM Hymnal, notes that “Ellington revolutionized jazz by integrating his ‘big band’ style into his scores and innovative arrangements.” The composer of over 1,000 compositions, Ellington established a reputation for sacred jazz concerts. It’s on an Ellington album called Black, Brown and Beige. Still, as we begin to gear up for fall, as we worship together this Sunday, and every Sunday the commandment is clear! In Deuteronomy 5, we find a similar command to remember: Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy… Here we are, in the waning days of Summer, a season that is typically given to ‘getting away’ and to taking vacation. Know that when we truly remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, God will be close no matter which way we feel called. This tradition recalls the Sabbath of creation! In both texts, what we know as the day of rest is related to God’s work of justice and healing and liberation. Come, Sunday, oh Come Sunday, that’s the day! You do not have to do more. Ellington didn’t like categories of any kind. Come, Sunday, our Lord, dear Lord of Love, is waiting, like a bride, like a queen, ready as ever to bring peace and comfort to every soul, ready as ever to see all people through! The first version of this song appeared in the collection Ecumenical Praise (1977), also edited by Dr. Young. For example, an Ellington quotation, “Gray skies are just clouds passing over” becomes “I don’t mind the gray skies, ’cause they’re just clouds passing by.”, The song is ultimately about the providence of God in all our lives. Can you remain unoccupied or at least unproductive for the rest of the day? She comes away, free of the pain that had kept her down or 18 years! You do not have to control more. See the difference? We may take breaks in the summer. Discipleship Ministries After all, even [slave] masters and owners tried to be more human on Sunday.”. If not, Sunday is here! If we keep staying up in contention, hopefully three, four of us have a chance come Sunday, all of us obviously want to win, but if we don't win I think having a buddy and a Canadian would be pretty cool. And yet, with Jesus and the bent over woman, we know too that our collective healing only comes through the Sabbath of liberation for all! Included among the catalogue of songs he played that day was one of my all-time favorites: “Come Sunday”. They would very much welcome... 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138  |  617-547-2724  |  Send a message  |  Search©2018 First Church of Cambridge    |  Site Credits  |  Admin, Explore ways to get involved at First Church in CambridgeMore Info >, Learn more about worship, music and spiritual life at First Church in Cambridge.More Info >, Come be a part of service and outreach at First Church in Cambridge.More Info >, Learn more about our community resourcesMore Info >. In Luke, Sabbath lies at the heart of a controversy between the temple priests, and Jesus, who heals a bent-over woman on the Sabbath day. We feel drawn by the Sabbath of creation, the commandment to rest on the 7th day. . They are doing their best to honor a very important tradition! These create a social system of have’s and have not’s, rich and poor, people with access and people denied access. Nashville, TN 37212 “Come Sunday” is a song derived from Ellington’s instrumental jazz suite Black, Brown and Beige (1943), a musical history of African Americans that premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1944. In, Deuteronomy the context is the story of exile, and the cycle of captivity and liberation! He showed an early preference for athletics and art and was even offered a scholarship to attend The Pratt Institute of Fine Art, but turned it down. Meaning of come sunday. We may not always have those resources to dig in and reach out to those parts of ourselves and our world that are bent over or held captive. God requires of us that we rest, one day for every seven! For Jesus, you see, there is no contradiction! 1908 Grand Avenue, Rather than being written by Ellington in a set hymn form, the stanzas in the hymnal are excerpted from improvised performances found in recordings and personal statements. Perhaps it’s not so unreasonable for them to ask Jesus to wait a day and honor the Sabbath! He wasn’t doing any human labor on the Sabbath!