My Blog

Category: Music

  • Give Thanks to God

    Our Thanksgiving Day service at Saint John's Cathedral will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 24. If you are in the vicinity, please join us. Come as you are, bring family, friends, or neighbors to this beautiful, inspiring place dedicated to the glory of our bountiful Creator.

    Also, I want to encourage you to make your meal a true feast of Thanksgiving for those who gather with you around the table. The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in giving thanks on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,

    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,

    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;

    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

     

    Hymn 397

     

     

    John Rutter's setting of Now Thank We All Our God performed by the Cambridge Singers

    Words: Martin Rinckart (1586-1649); tr. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878)

    Music: Nun danket alle Gott, melody Johann Cruger (1589-1662); arr. John Rutter (1945-)

     

  • The Good Shepherd

     

    The Fourth Sunday of Easter is Good Shepherd Sunday every year. Our collect and readings remind us that in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament, the Middle Eastern shepherd is a metaphor for the divine nature.

    Like the flocks they tended, the shepherds of the Bible were often dirty and woolly, enduring sun and rain for days or weeks on end. But unlike their flocks, they were vigilant and uncomplaining, watching for danger and trouble, providing pasture, and allaying thirst. The shepherd knew his flock as no one else. And the sheep followed him “because they know his voice.” Jesus Good Shepherd Icon

    Jesus speaks of himself as “the gate for the sheep.” Some scholars contend that shepherds of the period would often place their own bodies across the small opening of the sheep enclosure at night and during times of danger, risking their lives for the sake of their flock. Perhaps it is this image of the shepherd as human gate that Jesus has in mind with this metaphor, his own presence stretched out and bridging our  insecurities. “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me,” he assures us, “will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

    Sometimes we are like lost sheep. We live in a world where it is easy to lose direction, to lose our bearings, and to lose a sense of who we are and where we are going. It is easy to go astray. It is then that we are most vulnerable to the “thieves and bandits” of the world. We are also most vulnerable to the more destructive animal instincts that lurk in every human heart, such as hatred, anger, and violence.

    Week by week, we come to the Paschal Banquet ready to keep the feast, eager to partake of the Lord’s abundance, and to be nourished for the journey ahead. But the world is still a dangerous place. The human heart listens for the voice of the Shepherd who brings peace and God’s reconciling love. He is the Gate through whom we pass as we come to be fed and as we go back out to feed others in his Name.

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    P.S.  I want to share with you one of my favorite musical settings of the twenty-third psalm. It is by composer Howard Goodall and some of you will recognize it as the theme song from a BBC television production about a flock that was tended by a very interesting shepherd. The choir is that of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.

     

  • Now the Green Blade Rises

     

    Three weeks ago, the Lawn of St. John’s Church was covered with snow. A few days after Easter the snow is gone and the grass is amazingly green. I'm Image1reminded one of my favorite Easter hymns, Now the Green Blade Rises. Take a moment to read these wonderful words of new life, hope, and springtime:

    Now the green blade rises from the buried grain,
    Wheat that in the dark earth many years has lain;
    Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
    Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

    In the grave they laid Him, Love Whom we had slain,
    Thinking that He’d never wake to life again,
    Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
    Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

    Up He sprang at Easter, like the risen grain,
    He that for three days in the grave had lain;
    Up from the dead my risen Lord is seen:
    Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green. Image2

    When our hearts are saddened, grieving or in pain,
    By Your touch You call us back to life again;
    Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
    Love is come again, like wheat that springs up green.

    We all know those seasons of life when things seem frozen, lifeless, hopeless, or entirely unfair. Easter is God's word of hope that life and love will triumph over all that. In the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, we find that news most perfectly expressed.

    May the Great Fifty Days of Easter be filled with reminders of that good news. And, beyond that, may we all be Easter People throughout the year, bringing that message of hope to others.

    Enjoy this rendition of the hymn by the Choir of Ely Cathedral.

     

    I’ll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

  • Who is the greatest prodigal?

    This year's Fourth Sunday in Lent readings from Joshua 5 and Luke 15 echo the words of Psalm 32: "Happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven" (Ps. 32:1).

    Both Joshua 5 and Luke 15 deal with wandering. The nation wanders in the wilderness due to disobedience. The youngest son wanders in a different kind of wilderness, lost in disgrace. In both stories, the wanderers make their way back home out of the wilderness, but neither the nation nor the youngest son finds relief from the disgrace that has resulted from disobedience and wandering. It is only the absolution by the "other" (God in Joshua 5; the father in Luke 15) that redeems their past. "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!" Each absolution is followed by a feast. In both cases, the feast symbolizes that the shame of wandering has been replaced with the promise of a new life.

    This is the story of God's love affair with us, isn't it?  God gives us the world / we'd rather have another one / it turns out to be a pathetic substitute / we find ourselves lost, alone, ashamed / we try to find our way back into God's embrace / God finds us groping around in the darkness, welcomes us home, and throws a banquet.

    Notice that the story of our redemption is not simply that we are saved, forgiven, absolved from something. We are saved, forgiven, absolved for something. Our liturgy conveys that message in many ways, but none so well as in the words of Absolution, "Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life."

    After we receive the assurance of God's pardon, we are promised that God will also strengthen us in goodness and keep us in eternal life. Our life has a purpose and that purpose is clarified for us when we are in communion with God. That's because, as the collect for last Sunday puts it, "we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves."

    To be "kept in eternal life" is to live in the kingdom of God, the realm where God is in charge and where a life-giving feast is always waiting.

    Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
    Prone to leave the God I love;
    Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
    Seal it for Thy courts above.

    The word "prodigal" means "spendthrift." In both stories of wandering from Joshua and from Luke, it is God who is the true prodigal.

     

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Blue Small 2

  • The Wondrous Gift

    While visiting the Holy Land in 1865, The Rev. Phillips Brooks rode on horseback from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to assist in the midnight service. That Virgin of Vladimir GPblessed moment in his life inspired him to write one of the most cherished of all Christmas carols, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

     

    How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
        So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
    No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
        Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

     

    God in the flesh IS the “wondrous gift” that is given to those whose hearts are meek enough and trusting enough for the gift to make a difference. So, come. Together, in our hearts, let us go to Bethlehem to receive this wondrous gift so the world of need at our doorstep will become a better place when we step into it.

    Have a Merry Christmas!

    Ron Blue Small

     

     

     

     

    P.S. The icon is The Virgin of Vladimir by the hand of Gay Pogue. 

     

  • Let us give thanks to God!

    The Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church provides many resources to help us join together in giving thanks on our national day of thanksgiving. Our Hymnal also is filled with words and music to express our gratitude. I commend these worship resources to you and pray that you and those you love will enjoy a truly Happy Thanksgiving!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Collect for Thanksgiving Day

    Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

    Prayers for Our Country

    Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    A Litany of Thanksgiving

    Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

    For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
    We thank you, Lord.

    For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
    We thank you, Lord.

    For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
    We thank you, Lord.

    Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
    To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

    Hymn 433

     

    We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
    he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
    the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
    sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

    Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
    ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
    so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
    thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

    We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
    and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
    Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
    thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

    Words: Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, 1626; trans. Theodore Baker (1851-1934), 1894.
    Music: Kremser (Nederlandtsche Gedenckclank, 1626)

     

     

    Hymn 397

      

    Now thank we all our God,
    with heart and hands and voices,
    who wondrous things hath done,
    in whom his world rejoices;
    who from our mother's arms
    hath blessed us on our way
    with countless gifts of love,
    and still is ours today.

    O may this bounteous God
    through all our life be near us,
    with ever-joyful hearts
    and blessed peace to cheer us;
    and keep us in his grace,
    and guide us when perplexed,
    and free us from all ills
    in this world and the next.

    All praise and thanks to God
    the Father now be given,
    the Son, and Holy Ghost,
    supreme in highest heaven,
    the one eternal God,
    whom earth and heaven adore;
    for thus it was, is now,
    and shall be evermore.

    Words: Martin Rinkart (1586-1649), 1636 trans. Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878), 1858.
    Music: Nun danket alle Gott (later form of melody by Johann Crüger, 1598-1662) arr. John Rutter.

     

     

     

  • “Christ Hath a Garden”

    I concluded my last Sunday sermon at Christ Church Cranbrook today with the text of a hymn by eighteenth century hymn writer Isaac Watts. In the hymn Christ Hath a Garden, Watts compares the Church to a fruitful garden. I had shared this text with our Vestry during the service in which they elected the new rector, The Rev'd Dr. William Danaher.

    Later in the service, our soloist Brian Leduc sang the hymn.

    Christ hath a garden walled around,
    A Paradise of fruitful ground,
    Chosen by love and fenced by grace
    From out the world's wide wilderness.

    Like trees of spice his servants stand,
    There planted by his mighty hand;
    By Eden's gracious streams, that flow
    To feed their beauty where they grow.

    Awake, O wind of heav'n and bear
    Their sweetest perfume through the air:
    Stir up, O south, the boughs that bloom,
    Till the beloved Master come:

    That he may come, and linger yet
    Among the trees that he hath set;
    That he may evermore be seen
    To walk amid the springing green.

    Words: Isaac Watts
    Music: O Waly, Waly (arr. Gerald Near and interpreted by Brian Leduc)

    Christ Hath a Garden – Brian Leduc

     

  • “Where will you go from here?”

    This week, I conclude my service as Interim Rector at Christ Church Cranbrook. Many friends and colleagues have asked, "Where will you go from here?" At the end of my last Sunday service today, I gave the best answer I can give at this point and our Interim Director of Music, Jeffrey Smith, echoed the answer in his organ voluntary, which he titled "Improvisation on Nescio quo vado, ego sum via."

    Where am I goin'?
    I don't know
    Where am I headin'?
    I ain't certain
    All I know
    Is I am on my way

    When will I be there?
    I don't know
    When will I get there?
    I ain't certain
    All that I know
    Is I am on my way

    (from the musical Paint Your Wagon)

    Listen to Jeffrey Smith's Improvization on theme from Paint Your Wagon  

    Wherever it is, God will be there with us. We'll let you know when we know!

    Blessings,

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

  • On Memorial Day

    Today we remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country. Their sacrifice contributed to the preservation of our national life and, in many cases, the peace and security of other nations. Whether they enlisted or were compelled to serve does not matter. When human beings failed to resolve conflicts by other means, their lives were set apart and sacrificed in the service of their contemporaries and future generations of Americans. That is why we consider their memories sacred.

    We denigrate their sacrifice when we take our liberties for granted or use them in self-serving ways. We cheapen their sacrifice when we tolerate people seeking and holding public office using freedom to propagate misinformation and disrespectful behavior to advance any interest. We disrespect their sacrifice when we allow oppression, marginalization, and persecution of members of our society. Every time a member of the American military dies in the line of duty, the value of those freedoms increases and the more determined our generation must be to find more effective ways to wage peace. The government we elected sent them into harm's way. We ignore their sacrifice when we do not insist that our government provide adequate services for the families they leave behind as well as for their comrades who return from the field and their families. That is costly, but it is part of the cost of making war. Hard-won liberties must be exercised responsibly and protected daily by each one of us. That is costly too, yet it is the price of making peace.

    When we even glance at human history, it is pretty clear that warfare is the result of somebody wanting something that is not theirs, somebody else defending what is, and utter failure to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict. Memorial Day is not a time to glorify warfare. It is a time to mourn those whose lives were cut short by the failure of humanity to fulfill our God-given potential for living in ways that make wars unnecessary. Christians, Jews, and Muslims, in particular, have yet to set an enduring example for peacemaking for the rest of humanity. While we have been given the vocation and the teachings to bring peace and lasting freedom to the rest of the world, we have listened to other voices and followed other precepts.

    Central to the message of the Bible is the belief that Almighty God created human beings to live in freedom. Just as central to the message of the Bible are examples of how people acting in the Name of God thought combat was the way God wanted to accomplish the liberation of humanity. Jesus repeatedly confronted whatever interfered with freedom and he paid the ultimate sacrifice to secure that freedom for all people in all times. His own disciples had difficulty understanding that he was instituting a kind of liberty that could not be won by warfare but, if embraced, could make wars to cease forever. St. Paul summed it up for those early Christians in the Roman province of Galatia. He wrote to them in their own unique context, but his words are universally applicable: “For freedom Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1).

    The Episcopal Church has for many years given a special service medal to its members who are P-07_lg-01deployed in military service. I have personally presented them to members of my parishes and will continue to do so as long as necessary. The Episcopal Church Service Cross was the first cross to be approved by the U.S. for wear by military personnel. Its circular shape prevents injuries from the ends of the arms of the cross during strenuous physical military activity. It weighs less than a quarter of an ounce. Written on the bars of the cross is the inscription, “Christ Died For You.” If I were facing armed combat, that message would comfort me. But there is a sad irony in it, isn’t there? The same Christ who died for me also died for my enemy. The same Christ who died for me died to keep us from having to kill one another. The same Christ who died for me is revered as “The Prince of Peace.”

    Peace and freedom for humanity are God’s desire. Christ came to secure the reign of peace and freedom. You and I are called to live our lives in harmony with God’s reign and God’s desire. We have to learn to so effectively wage peace, with God's help, that warfare will become obsolete. "It is God who makes war to cease in all the world; God breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, and burns the shields with fire" (Psalm 46:10). Can we trust God enough to join God in making war to cease?

    I submit to you on this Memorial Day that whenever we are faced with opportunities to wage peace instead of war – in our homes, our families, our communities, our nation, or across international boundaries – we stand upon the shoulders of all those who have died in military operations and under the protection of the Savior of the Nations, Jesus Christ, who died and rose again so that all people in all times might live in peace and freedom. So, I commend two prayers from The Book of Common Prayer for your use today as we remember those brave women and men and as we renew our commitment to the One who calls each of us to participate in the divine peacemaking initiative.

    For Heroic Service

    O Judge of the nations, we remember before you with grateful hearts the men and women of our country who in the day of decision ventured much for the liberties we now enjoy. Grant that we may not rest until all the people of this land share the benefits of true freedom and gladly accept its disciplines. This we ask in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    For Peace

    O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

  • Prayers Following Explosions at Boston Marathon

    This afternoon, Patriots' Day in Massachusetts, officials reported that at least two bombs exploded at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.  We live in a world where animosity, terrorism, and violence threaten the
    fabric of human community. The fear this incident raises in us is becoming all too familiar. In the midst of the chaos and as reports
    continue to come in concerning those who were injured, discovery of
    additional explosive devices, and the potential for further threats, let
    us remember our vocation as Christians, let us be still, and let us
    pray.

    • Prayer for Victims of Terrorism

    Loving God, Welcome into your arms the victims of violence and terrorism. Comfort their families and all who grieve for them. Help us in our fear and uncertainty, And bless us with the knowledge that we are secure in your love. Strengthen all those who work for peace, And may the peace the world cannot give reign in our hearts. Amen.

     - Beliefnet

    • A Prayer for First Responders

    Blessed are you, Lord, God of mercy, who through your Son gave us a marvelous example of charity and the great commandment of love for one another. Send down your blessings on these your servants, who so generously devote themselves to helping others. Grant them courage when they are afraid, wisdom when they must make quick decisions, strength when they are weary, and compassion in all their work. When the alarm sounds and they are called to aid both friend and stranger, let them faithfully serve you in their neighbor. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

     - adapted from the Book of Blessings, #587, by Diana Macalintal

    • For the President of the United States and all in Civil Authority

    O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend this nation to your merciful care, that, being guided by your Providence, we may dwell secure in your peace. Grant to the President of the United States, the Governor of Massachusetts, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in your fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

    – Book of Common Prayer

    • For Peace

    Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

    – Book of Common Prayer

    • A Collect for Peace

    O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    – Book of Common Prayer

    • A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

    Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

    – Book of Common Prayer

    • A Hymn

    The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, singing O God, Our Help in Ages Past

     

    Ron Short Sig Blue