Musical Reflection :: Easter | Psalm 150 Praise Ye the Lord

"Psalm 150 Praise Ye the Lord" by Jessi Colter

I found this album thanks to an All Songs Considered episode with Lenny Kaye, who produced it. He got the idea when he came over to Waylon and Jessi's house, and Jessi was sitting at the piano. She was just playing whatever popped in her head and singing from a Bible open on her lap. In our Church, we have a long tradition of chant. Chant allows you to sing anything - and just like I said in my Holy Thursday reflection, singing adds another dimension to your prayer. Jessi Colter, whether she realizes it or not, participates in that.

I suppose I always knew that about chant, but I didn't really enjoy it. I was visiting my great-aunt one weekend at the Mount St. Scolastica convent in Atchinson, Kansas, when I got up for morning prayer with the community. I had prayed the liturgy of the hours before, but never chanted the entire thing. It took a long time, but it gave space to really internalize the words. And singing them gave a whole new dimension. I felt like I really understood chant for the first time, but more importantly, I really felt chant for the first time.

What better day do we have to praise the Lord than today? In our feelings, our own words, in the words of the psalmists, in dance or music or cooking or whatever we do to make our space more beautiful. Because today is beautiful. Our God loves us so much He died. God loves us so much He conquered death and brought us eternal life. How else do we respond?

Psalm 150 (King James Version)

1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp.

4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.

5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

How will you bring some beauty to the world today? How will you express this psalm today? 

Triduum Musical Reflection #3 :: Holy Saturday | One More Night

"One More Night" by Michael Kiwanuka

One of the great gifts of our faith are the rituals that bring us together and give meaning to the big moments in life. Our entrance to the Church in Baptism, our community in Eucharist, our pain in Anointing. Today we ritualize the most mundane of activities: waiting.

We spend so much time waiting. We wait in line. We wait for the page to load. We wait for the new Star Wars movie. While there are good arguments to be made about our inability to wait created by our smartphones, we still spend a lot of time in the in-between. Today we wait in hope for our savior.

If you attend the Easter Vigil, it's the longest Mass for us Catholics. We usually get antsy at 60 minutes, and this is at least two hours, if not four. People who have been waiting to enter the Church join tonight. Our waiting is rewarded with the lights going on and Gloria.

This song is all about waiting. One more night, he sings. But I believe it, one more night til the morning. It's hopeful, but the repetitiveness keeps you there. He sings the same phrases, or variations on the same phrases, over and over. We're waiting, and hopeful, but we're still waiting. We're still here.  

Triduum Musical Reflection #2 :: Good Friday | All These Things I've Done

"All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers

This song is about a life lived, and searching for acknowledgement of that life. Things have gotten desperate but not hopeless. I imagine Jesus singing this song on his last day. 

Today I participated in my local church's Stations of the Cross, which takes two hours and is a full passion play though the streets. There were estimated about 2,000 people taking this walk, this pilgrimage, in the streets of Chicago. The police were blocking the streets and I could not help but think this walk had to be similar to the one Jesus took, with onlookers and questionable law enforcement everywhere. What was going through Jesus's mind during that walk?

When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son

I want to shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand

I am so much older than I can take

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner

While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done

Listen to the song, and think of the Stations of the Cross. Think of Jesus's journey, not just today but through his life - coming to this moment, his death. Jesus made his sacrifices for us, for the unimaginable love of God for us. What do we make sacrifices for? What do we think about on the road to those sacrifices?

Triduum Musical Reflection #1 :: Holy Thursday | American Tune

The lyric video was terrible, so you can find the lyrics here. You'll need them. 

"American Tune" by Paul Simon

There's a two-fold reason I chose this song, the lyrics and the melody. Perhaps that seems obvious, but they are almost not connected. Almost.

First, the lyrics. This song was written about the American experience, and all the contradictions and hope included in that. We live in a country built and sold on dreams, and reality can sometimes be a sharp and harsh contrast. Immigrants were told the streets were paved with gold, but the reality was a struggle in a housing project. The Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal, but those words were written by slave owners. Tired and poor are welcomed here by the Statue of Liberty, and find derision and suspicion even from and immigrant people, sometimes only a generation removed. We are sold the dream that working hard can get you anywhere, but sometimes factory work is outsourced and the student debt can never be paid.

We are, however, an extremely hopeful people. And I can hear these words from Jesus's perspective on this night. He gathers with his friends to celebrate a beloved holiday that remembers the love of God for his people that saved them. He knows what will happen, and though his friends may not grasp the precariousness of their position, many were probably worried. Every act of that Last Supper is colored with the joy of the now, fellowship, love, service and the sorrow of the future, the uncertainty, pain, death.

Imagine Jesus, washing his disciples' feet:

I don’t know a soul who’s not been battered
I don’t have a friend who feels at ease
I don’t know a dream that’s not been shattered
Or driven to its knees
Oh, but it’s all right, it’s all right
For lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
We’re traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can’t help it, I wonder what’s gone wrong

And a little later, giving them his body and blood to eat and drink:

And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassuringly
...
Oh, it’s all right, it’s all right
It’s all right, it’s all right
You can’t be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow’s going to be another working day
And I’m trying to get some rest
That’s all I’m trying to get some rest

That sorrow and hope are all mixed together, like it was to live then, as it is to live now.

Then, the melody. You probably recognize it, as we tend to sing it this time of year with the words "O Sacred Head Surrounded" (or "Now Wounded," in some circles). It's one of my favorite melodies, one that when I sing in church it usually brings tears to my eyes. Simon took it from JS Bach's St. Matthew Passion, and it was a Hans Leo Hassler German tune before that. The melody's origins in the Passion of Jesus cannot be coincidence. The Passion is a story of sacrifice, pain, and love, one that should sound familiar when we look at our own lives - very few of us escape without those being part of our existence. 

That brings both of these together. St. Augustine said that singing is praying twice, and I think he would have appreciated this song. The words and the music express two different but connected ideas, and if a prayer then we pray two ways, in two ideas. We truly pray twice. 

With this song today give it another listen, to the words and then to the music. Where do the two take you? Is it the same place, or different places? Imagine Jesus sharing earbuds with you. What would He say about it?

Advent Musical Reflection #3 :: 3rd Week: "Sing About It" The Wood Brothers

Happy Gaudate Sunday! It's my favorite Sunday of the liturgical year. It's the only day of the year we celebrate joy for joy's sake, and that's pretty amazing. Also, the liturgical color is pink. That's awesome.

Weirdly enough, the deacon's homily this morning was pretty much what I was planning on talking about today, so if you happened to be at Sacred Heart this weekend I swear it's not a rip-off. More like great minds.

I chose this song because it is a fantastic, joyful song about pain. As a religion, we've never glossed over the pain in life. Some people can offer some horrific platitudes in times of pain, but we exalt the cross for goodness' sake. In case you forgot because of all the plastic glitter crosses out there, it's an instrument of torture. We have a Savior who felt all our pain as acutely as we did, and do.

Despite this, we have a day like today, where the priest wears pink (or is supposed to) and nearly all the candles on our Advent wreaths are lit. The Light of the World is almost here. We have so many griefs and pains and aches and sadness and anger in our lives. This is the day we look at all those pains and say a resounding "yes, AND," to them. Yes, I am in pain, AND I am joyful about the coming of my Emmanuel. (another both/and situation! What are the odds?)

Of course there are days when this is not possible. There are days out there that are just not going to be better. But there are days that have little bit of light in them. And those days are worth celebrating.

I can't help but dance to this song - it's the most effective use of a melodica ever. In fact, I've never witnessed an effective use of melodica before. So dance to it! And sing about it!

Original image: https://flandin505.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/satx122311-75.jpg

Advent Musical Reflection #2 :: 2nd Week: "Ain't No Man" The Avett Brothers

I'm going to do a weird thing this week - and contradict and not contradict the main idea of this song. How does that even make sense? Well, it's a both/and situation. Yes, that happens. Jesus is both human and divine, so blammo.

Human AND divine, you say? We call it Christ's dual nature, that Jesus was both 100% divine and 100% human. This, of course, makes no sense. Back in the early church several heresies gave alternative views, that Jesus was just divine and his body was an illusion, or he was a man who divinity was given to, or just a cool guy. Eventually, after those theories had been thrown out, people generally understood Jesus as human and divine. Then, around 300, Arius hit the scene.

Arius poked a hole in the rhetoric around Jesus's relationship with the Creator and said that the Son must be a creation of God the Father's, and therefore not eternal. The dogma of Trinity had not yet been fully formed, so he made some headway with his argument. He even had a slogan: "There was a time when the Son was not." (Placher 73) I have a story in my head but I can't find the source (if someone can cite it for me that would be great!) that in Alexandria, people at the marketplace were debating this topic.

Imagine that! While bartering and haggling was happening, the nature of Jesus was being debated. Imagine a world where talking faith and discussing theology was as common as buying bread. Emperor Constantine even got involved in the debate, even though he didn't understand the difference. "Having made a careful inquiry into the origin and foundation of these differences, I find the cause to be of a truly insignificant character, and quite unworthy of such fierce contention." (75) Constantine, probably worried about the unrest, called the Council of Nicea and (now Saint) Athanasius, who was the champion of anti-Arianism was declared the winner and Arius a heretic. Arianism did not quite hit the mark.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/33/af/49/33af491c8d0d1c166d45c95d420a64b5.jpg

Why is it so important? Why did Saint Nicholas punch Arius? Why was the extremely stubborn Saint Athanasius so adamant about the words begotten and of the same substance/consubstantial? (or homoousios in Greek, but that starts a whole other story about the Trinity which is connected but I won't go there for this. But it's super interesting.) So what does all this have to do with an Avett Brothers song?

I hear this song in two parts: the first and third lines, and the rest of it.

There ain't no man can save me

...There ain't no man or men who change the shape my soul is in

That's true, except for one. There is no man or woman (Trump or Clinton) who can save you, or change the shape of your soul, except for one. And that one can save you because he is both human and God. He is begotten or consubstantial or however you would like to say it with our Creator. There was no time when the Son was not. That is something to rely on when there's not much else that can be considered eternal.

There ain't no man can enslave me
...There ain't nobody here 
who can cause me pain or raise my fear
'cause I got only love to share

The rest of the song, lines 2, 4, and beyond. All that is true because of this great mystery of divine and human as one person. "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because God first loved us." (1 John 4:18-19) We have the ability to love because our Eternal Creator loved us; we know how to put our love into action because the human Jesus gave us examples.

This song is joyful; Advent is joyful. Advent is our preparation for celebrating this great mystery, something we celebrate every Sunday but commemorate in a special way with Jesus's birth. Another big word (because I didn't give you enough in this post) is Incarnation. That is the word we use for Jesus's birth as both a fully human and fully divine being. God incarnate. This is what I mumble to myself whenever I watch a bad Christmas movie tell me the "real meaning of Christmas" is family, or caring, or warm fuzzy nonsense. It's about the Incarnation. (so, all those things but only because of the Incarnation) It is incredible to consider being loved so much that my Creator wanted to live, die, rise for me. And you. And everybody.

So there are a couple lines I contradict, but I affirm the other lines because of the contradiction to the few. Theology so often works out in that confusing kind of way, but the message of all of this is always the same: you are loved.

If you're looking for truth I'm proof you'll find it there.

original image http://www.stpatrickshamilton.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Advent-Wreath-5.jpg

Placher, William C. A History of Christian Theology: An Introduction. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1983.

Advent Musical Reflection #1 :: 1st Week: "Get Ready" The Temptations

The readings today are all about being prepared for the coming of the day of the Lord. The first reading says

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
one nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again." (Is 2:4)

Exciting prospect, right? We've been through so much fighting lately. We have acts of terrorism being perpetrated every day; the biggest story of the last week was tips on how to have a peaceful post-election Thanksgiving. Or, if you should even try. 

The readings today also call us to joy. The responsorial psalm today is "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord." (Ps 122) With these thoughts of getting ready with joy, I settled on "Get Ready." Yes, it is definitely a song about pursuing a woman, but if we blink past a few lyrics we have the heart of Advent:

"So, fee-fi-fo-fum
Look out baby, 'cause here I come"

Jesus is coming! Get ready!

"And I'm bringing you a love that's true
So get ready, so get ready
I'm gonna try to make you love me too
So get ready, so get ready 'cause here I come"

Advent is about preparing for the coming of Jesus. It is a penitential season, hence the purple, just like Lent. But it is joyful. When I anticipate something good, I get a gearing-up, rolling-forward feeling right at the base of my ribcage. Advent is that feeling - anticipating not just something good, but the best thing. Our Light of the World, Emmanuel (God-with-us), Divine Love, Savior of the World.

The Sunday after the election the priest giving the homily made sure to talk about our Savior. Our Savior is not a politician. Our Savior is not a winner. Our Savior is not a loser. No person who holds office can save us. No person can save us. Only our God, ever present in perfect, sacrificial love, can save us. That story of salvation starts with the event we are preparing for: The Nativity of the Lord. (one could easily say, and I will agree with you, that salvation history starts long before then. That is true. But I mean, specifically here, the story of Jesus.)

In the song, the singer wants to build anticipation. He wants to race to the object of his affection, and overwhelm her with his eagerness. He still tells her to prepare, however. "Here I come," he says. He's "bringing you a love that's true," and he's "gonna try to make you love me too," but offers no specifics on how she should go about doing that. How does one prepare for that?

There are the questions for reflection: How do you prepare for a love that's true? 

How do you get ready for a love that saves?