Happy Easter!

This song is God's little chat with Job, and Job's response. And it's perfect for today. Thanks to Cathy for bringing it to my attention!

Happy Easter, my friends!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj-pZQ_XjyU

Breathe in us, Holy Spirit

It's interesting how my relationship with God has shifted as I've grown and changed through life. As a child, I related most to God as a father figure, probably because I have a wonderful dad. When I reached my teen years, I got to know BJ, or Brother Jesus, at a youth retreat, and he became my dearest friend. But now that I'm in middle age, it's the mysterious Holy Spirit who speaks to me the most through my creative endeavours, through the beauty of creation, and in the quietness of morning meditation. I have come to love the Spirit's gentle proddings... and I suspect today's moodling is about one of them.

In organizing our Taizé Prayer schedule for 2017 back in November, I decided, as usual, that it would be a good idea to take a break in the schedule for June, July and August as people are usually into camping/holiday/summer mode in those months, and it's hard to get musicians together for rehearsals. But the morning after our May 14th prayer, the last one scheduled until September, this chant to the Holy Spirit started playing in my brain and wouldn't quit. So I emailed my musician friends to see if any of them would be willing to lead a prayer at the beginning of June, and got enough immediate positive responses to set up a prayer for Pentecost tomorrow. I guess we were all open to the Holy Spirit's promptings... and, of course, the first church I called was willing to host a prayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp_jPUHfcqA

"Breathe in us, Holy Spirit" is the translation of the German Atme in uns, Heliger Geist. It's a beautiful prayer -- asking God to fill us up, to sustain us, to bring life to our world, and the repetition of such a simple phrase makes room for the Spirit to move, at least in my experience.

In Taizé last October, this chant moved me deeply, and right away I asked Brother Jean-Marie if it would be possible to get the music, but it hadn't been released yet. When new music is being developed in the Taizé community, they take their time trying it out and perfecting it before they make it available to the public.

I love the descants to this piece, at least the ones I can understand. The English verse is from a beautiful prayer, the Invocation to the Holy Spirit by St. Symeon the New Theologian, and the first French verse lists the gifts of the Holy Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. I don't know what is being sung in Spanish and German, but it all sounds just beautiful to me, and brings to mind the many languages spoken when the Spirit descended on the apostles.

The chant was released for publication last month, and even though our music group doesn't have access to the official sheet music, we will sing and pray it tomorrow evening as best we can. If you are in Edmonton and are able to join us, we'll meet for ecumenical prayer on June 4th at Assumption Church, 9040 95 Street, at 7 p.m. All are welcome. Feel free to bring a friend.

Even when perturbed, Benissez le Seigneur

On Friday night, I had a lot of dishes to wash, so I downloaded the Taizé podcast from www.domradio.de (thanks to my friend, Claudia) and got to work. It was uplifting to hear the community singing -- including two of my favourite frères -- and there was also flute, recorder and oboe, a trio I hadn't yet heard together on a podcast. In February, when pilgrims aren’t so numerous, it seems the musicians come out of the woodwork!

Toward the end of the podcast, the community sang the chant below, and I realized that this week, I was perturbed and weighed down by so many things that I kind of forgot to Benissez le Seigneur (Bless the Lord). Good thing God is compassion and knows exactly where I’m at -- with friends and family who have health issues, an unexpected cat-care regimen, my frustration with politics, and my worry-wart nature...

So I’ve decided to make up for my self-absorption by posting the chant with verses taken straight from the Book of Daniel (3:58 onward), sung in the many languages of the brothers at Taizé. Even if life seems a little bleak for the moment, it’s still important to Benissez le Seigneur – and it lifts the spirits, too. God is good, and continues to hold us and our beautiful world together even in our struggles!

All you peoples, bless the Lord -- benissez le Seigneur... Spirits and souls of the just -- benissez le Seigneur... and have a good week!

Grand est ta bonté

I'm home, safe and sound, all in one piece. Tired from jetlag, but really good otherwise. It was a fantastic two weeks in Europe, all of it spent with friends, and this evening was the icing on the cake -- a lovely Taizé prayer in downtown Edmonton that raised over $100 for Hope Mission (we accept donations toward copying, and the rest of our money goes to charity).

I'll have some stories to share from my travels, but for now, I just want to post a beautiful piece of music that accompanies a video of driving to Taizé. A Hungarian fellow named Gregor led the choir practice that helped me to learn it. It's a difficult piece, but just gorgeous. I hope to sing it again someday with a group that can manage all the parts.

Happy Sunday!

A happy tune for a Sunday

My dear friend Charleen still forwards me the best emails. Here's a video that she sent me last week (made by a man named Isaac, who is the nephew of her sister's friend, I think?? An aspiring musician with considerable talent, for sure). I've watched it several times, just because people are so interesting and the tune is catchy and uplifting. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV5WHK5tzpI

A simple prayer... in a song

Here's one that we like to sing at our family sing songs, sung by the man who wrote it, Kris Kristofferson, a man who hasn't had the easiest life. It's one of those little gratitude prayers to God that says, basically, "What have I ever done to deserve the goodness in my life." The thing is, we don't have to do anything. God just loves, period. Even so, I feel I'd like to respond to that love more wholeheartedly. So here's my own third verse:

Thank you, Lord
for your love all around
in the sights and the sounds
of our lives here on earth.
Teach us, Lord,
to be loving and true
show us what we can do
to give your mercy birth.

+Amen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtQOY-0sViQ

God restores us

Tonight is our annual Taizé Prayer for Peace. With Remembrance Day on Tuesday, it’s important to reflect on our world’s past conflicts, not to glorify our military, but to recall their sacrifices and to pray that peace and justice come to the trouble spots around the globe, and that they live in our own lives and hearts.

You’re invited to come and join us in our prayer for peace this evening at 7 p.m. at Strathearn United Church (8510 95 Avenue). A friend of mine was telling me yesterday that it has been proven that meditative practice actually has the ability to alter the state of certain things – so Alfred Lord Tennyson’s comment, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of,” is truer than he knew.

Tonight we’ll be singing the beautiful chant in the video below in its original Italian, reminding ourselves that God does not push us away, but restores us through holy presence. The icon you see in the video, taken from the Bawit monastery excavation in Egypt, is now housed at the Louvre. It’s an image of Christ and Abbot Mena. I love how Jesus has his arm around his friend the Abbot, who was living in a dangerous time. I like to think that Christ has his arms around all those living in dangerous situations today, bringing them peace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzSaV5IasyM

Il Signore ti ristora.
Dio non allontana.
Il Signore viena ad incontrarti.
Viene ad incontrarti...

An Easter Song for a Sunday

With the weather improving and a busy weekend behind us, I almost forgot to post something for this Sunday. But this song has been running through my head in the last week or so. I remember the first time I heard it at my parents' church supplies store on a demo record. The singer, Don Francisco, had a voice with a strong vibrato, something I've never been fond of, but the storytelling and the melody caught my attention.

Dolly's voice also has a strong vibrato (and I seem to have one now, too -- poetic justice?) but I've always loved gospel choirs, and this story... Enjoy!

Feast of the Magi (Epiphany)

Funny how much we take for granted that we know about the Magi... because they brought the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, it's assumed there was one magus per gift. The richness of the gifts seems to indicate that they were wealthy, but kings? And the fact that they came from the east (Iran, perhaps) and were following a star probably indicates that they were Zoroastrian seekers who read the sky for signs and portents more properly understood by mystics and prophets, rather than kings.

Whoever they were, they found the One they sought, and disappeared into history, showing the way, but leaving us to wonder about them, making it possible for writers like me to pen stories like Monica's Epiphany. Today, they remind us that redemption is not just for those who call themselves Christians, but for everyone on the planet, and, I would argue, for all of creation, from the smallest living thing to the largest whale. God became human in Jesus, and lives in each one of us for the good of all.

I think there must be some Celt in my blood, or maybe it's my husband's side rubbing off on me, but I love the sound of this video... and some of the pictures are really interesting. Happy Epiphany Sunday!

More gratitude on a Sunday

This is absolutely beautiful... sharing "the gift to realize that everything is a gift." Be sure to watch right to the end... Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my American friends and Happy First Sunday of Advent (my favourite season!) to all!

Come and fill our hearts with your peace

Tonight's Taize Prayer will be held at Strathearn United Church at 7 p.m. As we're into the Remembrance Day weekend, we are praying for peace, and for our veterans -- those who have given their lives for freedom, and those still with us. May they feel the Good Shepherd's care for them through the people who surround them, and may we all work tirelessly to end poverty, injustice and war in our world.

Easter music for a Sunday

The Easter Season lasts until Pentecost, so tonight we'll be having Taizé Easter Prayer at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Anglican Church (8424 95 Avenue). All are welcome! It will be our last Taizé prayer until September, and will involve a lot of Easter Alleluias. To whet your appetite, here’s a short video from the Church of Reconciliation in Taizé, of an Easter chant that’s not on tonight’s program, but is still one of my favourites. Happy Sunday!

A little Mozart for a Sunday

I've always loved Mozart's music... it's so amazing to me to imagine one person being able to compose a masterpiece like the one below -- all the orchestral parts fitting together like an intricate puzzle. The way he wrote his Requiem absolutely floored me in the movie, Amadeus, but I don't feel like posting such a somber melody for the day I drive to Saskatoon for Uncle Louis' funeral. I think Uncle Louis would like this one better, Piano Concerto No. 23. Close your eyes and listen... or let the music play as background to a phone conversation with a friend... or watch these amazing musicians... I love close ups of them as they weave their magic, don't you?