Sunday Song: A Blessing in Disguise by the Lost Dogs

Lately I've been celebrating Sunday mornings with the Community of Emmanuel in the inner city, and I'm loving the contemporary songs that Farley sings (with his mask on). Today's was a definite God moment, and a song that St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast we celebrate today, probably would have appreciated. Take a moment and listen to the lyrics... and enjoy.

We don't have to fight

I'm sighing tonight. At church today, our new deacon's homily said several times that we need to fight for our eternal salvation. Where on earth did he get that idea? I guess Paul tells us to fight the good fight of faith, but is fight the right word? I wonder if Paul's letter was translated incorrectly, or if perhaps Paul just wanted to cheer people on like we cheer on sports teams. God and fighting seem rather incongruent in my books.

God gave the world Jesus so that we might believe in him and inherit eternal life. Jesus never said anything about fighting for it. He told us to love one another, to do good, to give away things that distract us from God, to share our abundance with those who don't have enough, and to let tomorrow take care of itself. Nary a word about fighting, because God's reign doesn't require it. God gives eternal life to us all, equally, and we don't have to do anything but accept it. So fighting for it is kinda silly.

What's more important is just letting God love us, letting God give us life, not just when we die, but right now. To appreciate God's goodness and allow it to fill us to overflowing so that we have some to share with others who need it. To let God's Spirit guide us in the way that Jesus came to show us, falling in love with God instead of fighting for what's already been freely given if we only let it happen. Eternal life starts now, if we let God's love run the show.

I'm afraid I didn't really hear the deacon's homily (but I hope he was encouraging us all to look for the poor Lazaruses who people our lives, and to care for them). Instead, his idea of fighting for eternal life lost me somewhere and led me into a prayer of gratitude for not having to fight, just living my way into it. And a long lost memory came back to me of a song that I first heard when I was just starting to fall in love with God as a teenager, around the time that contemporary Christian music took off. I share that song below. No confusion, no time of tribulation required, just slowing down and waiting on the Spirit of the Lord -- who is generous beyond our belief! Happy Sunday!

A creed to give me goosebumps

We had another lovely Taize Prayer tonight, and it brought back some wonderful memories... including hearing this Creed for the first time in the Church of Reconciliation during the Sunday morning mass. I loved how the voices increased from one to three, and the harmony in the last verse gave me goosebumps! Thanks to Maureen Ward for posting it. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHMhrD2Xqv0

A gorgeous Sunday song

Tonight's Taizé Prayer will take place at St. Luke's Anglican Church (8424 95 Avenue) at 7 p.m., and of course, all are welcome. I look forward to the day when people invite and bring neighbours from all denominations to pray as one, as Jesus intended, I suspect.

This is the first Taizé Prayer that I've organized and will miss, as I'm in Montreal at a L'Arche Emmaus retreat for assistants from communities across the country. I've spent the past week learning some gorgeous non-Taizé French songs for use at the retreat -- mostly thanks to my daughter's brilliant idea to check YouTube since I didn't have sheet music for some of them. This one below is an amazing piece by self-taught musician Jean-Claude Gianadda, easy to play on guitar, and with a refrain that can be sung as counter melody to the verses. When I hear it, I think about God's presence in the many beautiful moments of life -- love of family and friends, the beauty of our planet, the joys we experience. It's been stuck in my head for days, and I don't even mind. A perfect Sunday song, if you ask me. Enjoy!

Mon ame se repose

My soul rests in peace in God alone... I have always loved this. If our souls can't rest in God, they can't rest... and I always seem to find some peace resting in this music, too. Tonight we will be singing this chant at Taizé Prayer, 7 p.m. at St. Thomas D’Aquin Catholic Church (8410-89 Street) in Edmonton. All are welcome to join us. Thanks to Mostar Taize for sharing this video through YouTube. Enjoy.

Venite exultemus Domino

Being stuck at home with the flu, I've had a little more time on my hands than expected. So here's a gorgeous Taizé chant for the feast of the Holy Family, which invites us to come and exult over God's presence in our lives. Merry Christmas, all!

N'kosi Sikelel'iAfrika

This Sunday, I'm praying for South Africa. Like everyone else, I've been watching the coverage of Nelson Mandela's passing, and I've been thinking about his life and the love he had for his country and its people. Years ago, I read his book, Long Walk to Freedom, and learned that he was a man who had every reason to want revenge and to be resentful. Instead, he absorbed the anger and division of his country and chose to live the meaning of reconciliation and renewal. I don't know his faith background at all, but I expect he was a man that would have walked very comfortably with someone like Jesus.

I was travelling North America and Europe with an international group of students that performed a musical show about peace and friendship during Mandela's last few years in prison... and this song in the Zulu language was always my favourite moment of our performance -- the harmonies and togetherness always filled me with happiness, and gave me goosebumps on occasion. I still know the words.

Nkosi Sikelel'i Afrika (God bless Africa) and God bless Nelson Mandela!

Within our darkest night You kindle a fire that never dies away

It's already the second Sunday of Advent, and tonight we'll be having our Advent Taize Prayer at 7 p.m. in Holyrood Mennonite Church (9505 79 Street). All are welcome. Here's one of the chants we'll be singing this evening for those unable to attend. Thanks to Charles Pope for posting it with some lovely images of God's light...

Give a little love

I know I've posted this one before, but Noah and the Whale's song and this video are worth hearing/seeing more than once. We never know when a small action to help a stranger carries further than we think... Enjoy!

Video from KarmaTube

Spirit Movers on a Sunday

I love this video... taken at a Gala at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, where the L'Arche Daybreak Spirit Movers celebrated their 20th anniversary. It's a beautiful song, with a beautiful dance by people with and without disabilities from Daybreak, Canada's first L'Arche community near Toronto. I love to watch each and every one of them dance, and if anyone can tell me who the musicians are, I'd be delighted to put their tune on my iPod. Happy Sunday!

Spirit Movers Gala 2013 - 3 from L'Arche Daybreak on Vimeo.

A Kindness Song for a Sunday

Here's a lovely little 5 minute music video by rapper-activist Nimo Patel. It came to me from KarmaTube (on the sidebar) and is his response to a kindness challenge that circled the world through www.kindspring.org. What I love about it is that it underlines the fact that we don't have to be overwhelmed by how much there is to do; we can all manage one small act at a time. This production has some wonderful faces, and some great lines... I won't say more than that as I'm sure you'll see for yourself. Enjoy!

One of my very favourite songs for a Sunday

Here's one I had completely forgotten. I once had a Working Girl soundtrack cassette, but alas, in the many years since the tape wore through, I lost track of this incredible tune... until my hubby took me out for lunch yesterday, and it played over the restaurant's sound system, evoking the same feelings as when I heard it for the first time in a darkened movie theatre, with tears running down my cheeks for reasons I couldn't name (the movie was just starting, and was certainly not a tear jerker!)

Carly Simon, who composed and performed it, calls it a hymn with a jungle beat, and for me, somehow, there's something primordial in the music, deeper than time, that fills me with a joy so immense that sometimes (often) I weep when I hear it. I'm glad Carly got the hat trick of Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy for it in 1989-90. Let the River Run is a perfect tune for a Sunday, if you ask me, and I think I'm going to have to buy myself a new copy. Let all the dreamers wake the nation... Come run with me now; the sky is the color of blue you've never even seen in the eyes of your lover... Click play, and then the Watch on YouTube link... and enjoy! Kudos to the young lady who made the video!

A simple song for a Sunday

I think I've moodled a fair bit about St. Francis already, and have already recommended Franco Zeffirelli's Brother Sun, Sister Moon as a beautiful film about my favourite saint, who is, as it turns out, the one who inspired the new Pope's name. I hope and pray that he lives up to the name and brings the church back to a deeper understanding of the beauty and value of creation and of all of our sisters and brothers...

Here's a beautiful moment from the movie, after Francesco and Clara and their friends celebrate in thanksgiving after they have rebuilt the abandoned church that becomes known as the Portiuncula. It carries a line that I absolutely love... "Do few things but do them well; heartfelt joys are holy." Enjoy!

P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day -- with the ThinkFast this weekend, it wasn't much on my radar... but we'll all enjoy our potatoes for supper!

Some new Taizé music for a Sunday

Tonight our Taste of Taizé Prayer will be held at 7 p.m. at Assumption Catholic Church, 9040 95 Avenue, and I hope you can join us if you live in the area. But if you're far away, not to worry. Here's a video with some images from Taizé itself, and some new music that I hadn't heard before, Ȏ toi l'au-delà de tout. The lyrics are wonderful... what I love is that they don't talk about God, but directly to God, as a real prayer should. Enjoy!

Ô toi l'au-delà de tout,

Quel esprit peut te saisir

Tous les être te célèbrent

le désir de tous aspire vers toi.

You who are beyond all things,

what mind can grasp you?

All that lives celebrates you;

the desire of all reaches out towards you.

For more information about Taizé, visit www.taize.fr

A favourite piece of video for a Sunday

I've already moodled about how I love Alice Walker's writing... but I somehow missed sharing this little video clip from The Color Purple. 25 years ago, my castmates and I sang "Maybe God is Tryin' to Tell You Somethin'" in our Up With People show, and it was one of my many favourite moments -- such a lively piece with such a great message, and so much fun to sing and clap while the dancers brought it to life. Francis or Lisa's lead vocals never failed to give me goosebumps!

If you've never seen The Color Purple, I'd highly recommend it. In this scene, Shug Avery and her preacher daddy share a wonderful reconciliation. It also softens Albert's heart... Enjoy!

Bless the Lord, my soul

Tonight we’ll be having a Taste of Taizé Prayer at Holyrood Mennonite Church (9505 79 Street) at 7 p.m. Ten musicians had a wonderful rehearsal in my living room yesterday afternoon, and after everyone left, Christina and I talked about how delighted we were to be making Taizé music once again. EVERYONE IS WELCOME to join us for an ecumenical evening of music and prayer. Here’s a video with one of my favourite chants, and pictures from Taizé, France, a place that’s definitely on my list of places to visit. Enjoy, and happy Sunday!

Happy dancing on a Sunday

I don't know if you've run into Matt and his around the world dancing videos in the last six years, but here's his most recent. It's nice to see how his videos have evolved, and that he's now learning the dances of others rather than having everyone do his strange little solitary dance from years gone by. And there's a sweet surprise on his shoulders at the end! Thanks once again to Charleen for sharing this one!

Beautiful music for a Sunday

On Thursday morning, I happened to be at home when CBC radio played an amazing program about the 1992 siege of Sarajevo, and how the artistic community of that city continued performances in the midst of sniper fire and shelling to raise peoples' spirits. One musician told how an orchestra was giving a concert in a cathedral when it was hit by mortar fire, and the explosion blew their musical scores all over the place. They picked up the sheet music and continued the concert because they believed that the spirituality of the arts was the only thing that would keep them alive through the siege.

Albinioni's Adagio in G minor was mentioned as a very important piece of music for the people of Sarajevo because of its melancholy -- and its power. Hearing it, along with the sounds of gunfire and explosion, imagining citizens of Sarajevo, eyes closed, enjoying this music in defiance of the enemy and death, nearly brought me to tears. It's a gorgeous piece. See and hear for yourself.

Nella Fantasia for a Sunday

A number of years ago, I enrolled in a series of Art and Spirituality workshops taught by a friend -- who is now the woman I work for... Pat, our Community Leader at L'Arche. I hadn't seen her in several years, and was delighted to explore different art forms and meditative practices with her on those evenings at Star of the North Retreat House. Besides recalling the opportunity to reconnect with a special person who had dropped off my radar for a few years, one other thing sticks with me from that time... this song. Pat played Sarah Brightman's version of it, and it so haunted me that I searched it out and purchased a copy of Ms. Brightman's1999 Eden cd so that I can listen to Nella Fantasia now and again.

In looking on the internet for a version for you, I learned a few things about Nella Fantasia... I knew that it was composed by Ennio Morricone for the movie The Mission, but what I didn't know was that it had no words until Sarah Brightman repeatedly bothered Maestro Morricone to make it into something she could sing. Chiara Ferrau wrote the lyrics, and if you've been with me for a while, you know I'm a definite sucker for Italian... If you're curious what it all means, there's an English translation here on Wikipedia. I didn't know its meaning until today because its beauty is meaning enough. The video below is of Chloe Agnew from Celtic Woman -- she has a gorgeous voice that moves my soul like it's the first time I ever heard it. Enjoy!