Skip to main content

Life in Greencastle - Cantata

O ye heights of heaven, adore him; angel hosts,

his praises sing;

Powers, dominions, bow before him and extol

our God and King.

Let no tongue on earth be silent, every voice

in concert ring

Evermore and evermore.

Christ, to thee with God the Father and,

O Holy Ghost, to thee

Hymn and chant and high thanksgiving and

Unending praises be,

Honor, glory and dominion, and eternal victory

Evermore and evermore.

Amen.

(Corde Natus ex Parentis, Aurelius Prudentius, 4th Century; translators, John M. Neale & Henry W. Baker, 19th Century)

Ah, the wind has been so cold – howling in from the west, like an icy-demon, stealing the warmth from our bones, slapping our faces till the blood rises to the surface, making car and street and tree stiff and ready to break. I sit in a comfortable place, looking down upon the city of Greencastle, but I can still see the cold’s effects: the salty streets, the slower motions. It is cold – so cold that when you step outside it truly does take your breath away.

But, the world will not be silent. Even the cold cannot keep a word of joy from crossing our lips, nor the carols from being sung. Soon it will be Christmas day. And we are readying ourselves, are we not?

We are driving through the winter winds to gather together. We are forming a choir of ourselves, a small band of voices and instruments and narrators. Cheryl is readying her fingers to do the obedience of art and grace. Patrick is urging the choir to expand their lungs, to raise their voices beyond themselves … to fill the sanctuary, to fill the world … to sing our faith again into a world that bears the brunt of other harsh winds.

Because all of life is a rehearsal for the coming concert,

Where every face will turn to the coming of the glory of God,

Where every man and woman and child will see with their own eyes the beauty and splendor of their King,

Where all nature and creation will fall again into harmony and chorus,

Where song will be the response and the singing will be love.

So, in the midst of the cold, come together and join the song. Take joy in those children who gather in auditoriums and in churches and in daycares to point us in the right direction with their cherub songs. Take part in the singing of carols. And listen as the choir leads you into the majesty and the mystery of it all.

Even though the cold wind blows, let no tongue keep silent. All praises to God in the highest, evermore and evermore. Amen.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 2:42-47 - Questions for Reflection & Study

This past Sunday, we took a look at Luke's first summary passage in the story of Acts:  chapter 2, verses 42-47.  Here, Luke is presenting a billboard of what the Church looks like at its best.  He is trying to convince Theophilus that Christianity is worth his attention.  The early Church captures what all of us are looking for, whether we know it or not.  This is a close community that truly cares for one another, where everyone truly is seen as a brother and sister, and where no one person is considered more or less important as the other.  Needs are being met.  There is joy in their fellowship.  Take a moment to think about a time in your life when you experienced the joy and blessing of a deep, loving community?  Where was it, and what made this community so different?  What role did you play in this community? Luke tells us the disciples "devoted themselves" to four essential practices.  The Greek word for "devoted" ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Touchdown Jesus

For the second consecutive year, I traveled up US 31 to South Bend, Indiana on a beautiful fall day. I traveled with Curtis Lawrence, and we went for the sole purpose of watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team take the field. Now, I must note that it was my childhood dream to attend Notre Dame. Even loftier, it was also my dream - like many young boys growing up in Indiana - to suit up for the Fighting Irish. Surprisingly - even with such hopes - I had never actually visited the campus. For the first thirty years of my life, I never set foot on one of the more storied and celebrated college campus and football meccas in America. That absence was broken, though, when I made that first trip up to South Bend last year. Let me tell you: even after all those years of waiting, the campus and football stadium at Notre Dame lived up to all the out-sized expectations I had. Like most places of prominence, Notre Dame Stadium really cannot be described through words. It is so...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Gifts of Austerity

I’ve had it.   The Canadian Geese finally pushed me over the edge.   That was my tipping point.   I was driving back to the church after running a few errands on my lunch hour, and there they were flying through the sky.   Steadily flying south in packs of ten and four and six. They were escaping what was feeling more and more like an existential play.   No Exit .   Waiting for Godot .     That sort of thing.   The sort of tale where you never really emerge.   You.   Just.   Wait. It’s been almost a year now since this whole COVID journey began, which seems both ridiculous and unreal.   There’s no possible way it hasn’t been a full year.   There’s no possible way we haven’t come up on the one-year anniversary of when they shut down the schools and we fumbled our way through our first on-line service.   There’s a word that captures where we are right now.   It’s not a fun word.   It’s a winter wor...
Post a Comment
Read more