Amazed

Yesterday I received a wonderful gift of song. It was a CD of liturgical music recorded by the daughter of one of my oldest and dearest friends dating back to high school and college - Betty Ann.

In college, my friends Pat, Betty Ann and I, worked as liturgical musicians at the College Church and at a couple of parishes near by. While Pat and I continued our stint into graduate school - and I did for a while beyond that while I was teaching - only Betty Ann made a career out of music and went on to have three children who are musically gifted as well.

The CD titled - Holy is His Name - features her daughter Sarah in the vocals and her daughter Danielle as the mixing engineer - in addition to other young members of their parish who also contributed musically.

I put the CD in my player as soon as it arrived...

The melody, lyrics, and Sarah's voice - hooked me in by the very first song...

I had never heard any of the songs before except for one - which was a personal favorite...

As I listened, I was initially transported to memories of another time and place - playing and singing decades ago in the company of friends...But almost immediately I came back - and I listened and felt myself moved beyond words by the passionate faith - and the purity and beauty of Sarah's voice that brought tears to my eyes - as memories of the past and present blended: two generations praising and worshiping in song.

All of the tracks on this CD spoke to me and brought great joy into my heart - but I will share the lyrics of two in particular:

Amazed
By Jared Anderson

You dance over me
while I am unaware
You sing all around
but I never hear the sound

Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You
Lord I'm amazed by You

How wide
How deep,
How great -
is Your love for me!

You Are Still Holy
By Rita Springer

Holy, You are still holy
even when the darkness
surrounds my life
Sovereign, You are still Sovereign
Even when confusion
has blinded my eyes

Lord, I don't deserve
Your kind affection
when my unbelief has kept me
from Your touch
I want my life to be
a pure reflection of Your love

And so I come into Your chambers
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Savior and I am at Your mercy,
All all that has been in my life up to now
Belongs to you,
for you are still holy

And for the first time in months,
as an act of praise
and an act of faith -
as an expression of gratitude,
and as embodied prayer -
I danced...

(For CD Info: hnjlifeteen@yahoo.com)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rumi - "The Lord is in Me" and "Love Said to Me"

I was sent a couple of poems by Rumi recently, and I wish to share them here. May you find inspiration in them for a glorious weekend! The Lord is in Me The Lord is in me, and the Lord is in you, As life is hidden in every seed. So rubble your pride, my friend, And look for Him within you. When I sit in the heart of His world A million suns blaze with light, A burning blue sea spreads across the sky, Life's turmoil falls quiet, All the stains of suffering wash away. Listen to the unstruck bells and drums! Love is here; plunge into its rapture! Rains pour down without water; Rivers are streams of light. How could I ever express How blessed I feel To revel in such vast ecstasy In my own body? This is the music Of soul and soul meeting. Of the forgetting of all grief. This is the music That transcends all coming and going. Love Said to Me I worship the moon. Tell me of the soft glow of a candle light and the sweetness of my moon. Don't talk about sorrow, tell me of that treasure...
Read more

Upside Down Siva and Ultimate Freedom

Image
While I was in Denver last month, on Thursday May 7th, the day of the week in which the Guru and teachers are traditionally honored, I was drawn to buy a "murti" (sacred statue) of Siva doing a one-handed handstand. I bought this statue the very morning I was to demo this pose, unbeknowst to me... The murti of Siva is now on my desk in front of me, where it is constantly in my peripheral vision, every time I sit at my computer. It is also to the left of the meditation alcove I built into a closet. I was drawn to this piece from the first moment I laid eyes on it, and so after receiving it in the mail, I wrote to Dr. Manoj Challam, from whom I purchased it, asking him to give me more insight into the meaning of this representation of Siva. A primary focus of the week that Anusara Yoga teachers gathered in Denver was the study of the Siva Sutras with Dr. Paul Muller Ortega, a pre-eminent Siva scholar. I have always been very drawn to Siva , and this particular murti was so ...
Read more

An Advent Guided Meditation

I wrote this meditation for an Advent Quiet Day for St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Va, last week. And while it is long, I wish to share it here, for those who would like to embark on a little journey of going inward to experience the quiet and the true gifts of this season. Enjoy! Introduction: Advent is a time for waiting, for preparing, for embodying joy, faith, peace, and love… Advent is a journey, which invites us to sojourn more deeply within ourselves. Advent is a time to slow down, to open our hearts to receive the Gift of the Divine in our lives, and to share our own lives with one another, for there is no greater gift that we can give… Let us take a few moments to settle ourselves – our minds and hearts and body into stillness, that we may open, prepare, and receive the gifts of the season… Centering: Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible, sitting in whatever way will enable you settle most deeply… If you have to make...
Read more