Category: religion

Like a father…

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On father’s day, we sang a hymn at church entitled “Loving Spirit” written by New Zealand hymn writer Shirley Erena Murray (b.1931), set to one of my favorite tunes, RESTORATION*, from Walker’s Southern Harmony of 1835.

Full disclosure — I picked this hymn (as the music director of our church). I should also add that I’m not a fan of letting secular holidays or observances horn in on the worship of the church. In my view, Worship isn’t about Mother’s Day, Veteran’s Day, etc. But that’s not what this post is about. It just so happens that this hymn uses father imagery (as well as mother, friend, and lover imagery) to explore the nature of the Holy Spirit. But it did seem particularly poignant to me as I stood in the pew with Ann and our two boys on Father’s Day, that this hymn included this line:

“Like a father you protect me, teach me the discerning eye, hoist me up upon your shoulder, let me see the world from high.”

It caught my attention for a number of reasons– the joy and responsibility that comes with being a parent, that parents are called to protect and to teach. But what really moved me was this idea of helping our children (as well as God helping us as God’s children) to see the world in a different way, from a larger, higher-altitude perspective than a child could on his or her own. The image of hoisting up on our shoulders is beautiful. It also made me sad to think of all the times when Max (our now six year old) has asked me to put him on my shoulders and I’ve said, “you’re too heavy” or “it’ll hurt my back” or “we’re too busy for that right now.” I’m going home after work today and putting him on my shoulders just because I can and to think about what such an act means. I’m also thinking about what such an act looks like with our oldest, Carter (now eleven and almost as tall as me!)– perhaps more figuratively than literally! This act is not just about the mechanics of one person sitting on top of another person’s shoulders. It’s about connecting, doing for others, of partnership, of being a servant, of lifting up another, of sharing an experience and view of life.

*Here’s a link to an organ arrangement of the tune by Herbert Colvin, who was my music theory professor during my undergrad.

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God’s Love Made Visible

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Jazz legend Dave Brubeck died yesterday, 5 December 2012, one day short of his 92nd birthday. A noted composer, pianist, and band leader, he is probably best remembered for his recording of the 1959 classic “Take Five” (composed by fellow band member and saxophonist Paul Desmond), the first jazz recording to sell over a million copies. Brubeck’s fascination with exploring non traditional time signatures (at least for jazz at the time), is seen in other works from the time as well, such as his “Blue Rondo à la Turk (in 9/8 time). In addition to his work in jazz, he also composed orchestral works, ballets, oratorios, and cantatas.

In the 1970s, he collaborated with his wife, Iola, on the cantata La Fiesta de la Posada, reflecting the Mexican Christmas tradition commemorating the journey of Mary and Joseph and their search for lodging in Bethlehem.

Brubeck says about the musical tradition that inspired Fiesta de la Posada: This music “reflects those qualities I most admire in people…dignity in moments of tragedy, infectious high spirits in moments of joy, and an unshakable religious faith made evident in a strong sense of one’s own worth and a deep respect for the shared values of one’s group — family, church, village. These qualities, I think, are universal to people with a strong communal sense — an increasingly rare attribute in urban culture. It is this sense of sharing in an event which I have tried to capture in the simple retelling of the Christmas story.”
(source)

I had the wonderful opportunity to experience this cantata performed by Dave Brubeck and his trio in San Antonio in 1984.

From this cantata comes one of my most favorite “christmas songs” — God’s Love Made Visible!. Dave Brubeck incorporate the same 5/4 time signature used in “Take Five”, but here blends it with a joyful Mexican musical style (complete with claves, maracas with interjections from a celebratory pair of trumpets). Iola’s text beautifully sums up the the most central theme of Christmas:

God’s love made visible! Incomprehensible!
Christ is invincible! His love shall reign!
From love so bountiful, blessings uncountable
make death surmountable! His love shall reign!
Joyfully pray for peace and good will!
All of our yearning he will fulfill.
Live in a loving way! Praise him for everyday!
Open your hearts and pray. His love shall reign!

God gave the Son to us to dwell as one of us –
a blessing unto us! His love shall reign!
To him all honor bring, heaven and earth will sing,
praising our Lord and King! His love shall reign!
Open all doors this day of his brith,
all of good will inherit the earth.
His star will always be guiding humanity
throughout eternity! His love shall reign!

Blessing of Bicycles

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Blessing of Bicycles

A reading from the prophet Ezekiel:

When the living creatures moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the living creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they went, and the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When they moved, the others moved; when they stopped, the others stopped; and when they rose from the earth, the wheels rose along with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. (Ezek. 1:19-21)

Holy wisdom, holy word.
Thanks be to God.

Let us pray.
Present in a world groaning under the excesses of consumption, we acknowledge the inherent goodness of nonmotorized, human-powered transportation and give thanks for the simple beauty of the bicycle. God of life,
hear our prayer.
Present in a community filled with children, we pray for those learning to ride. Keep them smart, safe, and visible on their neighborhood roads. God of life,
hear our prayer.
Present in a community filled with strife, we pray for the victims of road rage and bike theft. We ask for the strength to forgive people who behave in unkind ways. God of life,
hear our prayer.
Present in a world of work, we pray for those who build, repair, and clean our bikes and those who rely on bicycles to earn their living. Bless those who choose not to drive to work and those for whom driving isn’t even an option. God of life,
hear our prayer.
Present in a community of beautiful diversity, we ask your protection and blessing on all who ride: recreational riders, athletes, homeless folks, students, children, eco-warriors, bike messengers, and all the others who take to the streets, bike paths, parks, and mountains. Keep us safe as we ride. God of life,
hear our prayer.

Let us remember all those who have died while riding (especially).
A brief silence.
God of life,
Hear our prayer.

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be ever at your back.
May all your journeying be joyous.
And until we meet again, may God hold you
and your bicycles in the palm of God’s hand.

Go in peace and safety.
Amen.

reflections on prophecy and myth and stuff

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During a recent lunch conversation with some friends about different ways of reading scripture, I was reminded of a couple things I recently heard Rob Bell talk about while speaking at the Greenbelt Festival.

When asked a question about prophecy and its relevance today, Rob noted that for some, “prophecy” means foretelling future events but that in Hebrew scriptures, prophecy much more often means “speaking truth” – even when it’s unpopular.

I think we see a lot of that from old testament prophets. where they’re job and their message is “you need to get your shit together…God is not cool with what’s happening here.” (that’s my non-sunday-school-friendly paraphrase)

In the lunch conversation, the frustration was in how some folks are all worked up about finding coded messages within scripture that predict the future, which is, i think, in part, all tied to how you read/understand scripture and how you understand (or don’t) the cultural context of the writings.

In the Greenbelt discussion, rob responds to another question about the genesis creation story and issues of trying to rectify the story with science. rob noted that the poem of the genesis creation account and the whole point of it for the culture in which it was created, was focused on how you tell a story, and the “more than literal” truth. the goal was not about getting historical moments lined up correctly (like many modern minds are obsessed with) and more about getting at the meaning.

in my mind, this conflict about literal vs. nonliteral reading is profoundly rooted in our understanding/definition of “truth.” I remember this notion hitting me like a two-by-four on the very first day of my philosophy class as a freshman in college. for many ancient cultures, truth does not equal fact. and often fact has little to do with truth. truth is much bigger and more profound than fact. that’s why it’s unsettling for some bible fans (literalists) to hear another say that the noah/flood story or the creation story are myths. because to many modern folk, myth = “not true” instead of myth = “bigger than fact.” for a literalist to hear someone say that something (especially when talking about the bible) might not be factual, in his/her mind threatens the bible’s credibility, because in calling it a myth, you’re calling it a lie. this is the unfortunate pitfall of “just reading what’s on the page”, free of context. if people can shed this modern, myopic, way of reading scripture, they might finally begin to understand that maybe God laughs (and cries) at all the petty particulars we fuss about. they might begin to see that it’s not about whether or not there was a person named Adam that lived at 1504 Eden St. it’s not about whether or not we can scrounge up proof of Jesus’ resurrection. the meaning behind the stories/accounts is “TRUTH” and that is so much bigger and greater that any fact. facts or no facts cannot unravel or diminish the truth.