song of simeon

Rather than the usual reading for the Sunday after Christmas,

I am drawn to Luke 2:21-40 and the song of Simeon.

Read the whole text HERE

We don't hear this story often

and yet the simple "song" of Simeon

is as lovely as the song of Mary.

God, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,
  

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles

and for glory to your people Israel.

I vaguely remembered hearing a musical setting of the song

and was amazed with the huge number and variety of song settings I found.

Let me share a few with you.

Simeon’s Song by Michael Card

Song of Simeon by Chesnokov

Simeon’s Canticle by Manoling Francisco, sj, sung by Hangad

Song of Simeon by 
Alexander Gretchaninov (1864-1956)

Song of Simeon also goes by the title Nunc Dimittis from the Latin

meaning now let go.

Nunc Dimittis by Orbán György

For a more modern version listen to

Song of Simeon by Slavomír Hořínka (1980) 

for baritone, cembalo and strings 
(2012)

 with Tomáš Král, baritone

For a more meditative version listen to a Taize version

with words in Latin and then in English if you want to sing along.

Nunc Dimittis Taizé Song

nunc dimittis

servum tuum Domine,

secundum verbum tuum

in pace

Let your Servant Go Taizé Song 

Let your servant 
now go in peace, O God

now go in peace 
according to your word

And now this "servant" will go . . . to bed.

secular saint

Listening to a reviewer of the new film "Long Walk to Freedom," 

I heard Nelson Mandela referred to as a secular saint.

Not one to separate sacred and secular I pondered this in my heart

to quote a woman I know.

Pondering made my head ache . . . as it always does.

Yet this time, I felt something more,

like when the "Enterprise" crew enters the time warp continuum

and they mustn't change events

but events have already been changed 

simply by entering the continuum

but they haven't really changed events

otherwise all history is rewritten

If I'm understanding correctly

in the secular dimension

there is no language to describe someone who is very good.

So secularites borrow language from the sacred dimension

when in need.

Saints then, belong exclusively to the sacred realm.

Is a "secular saint" a very good person who doesn't go to church?

Or is this someone not sanctioned as saintly by the church?

As I understand the word saint
it is not limited by papal sanctification.
We can admire, respect, or venerate anyone
and call them a saint.

In addition, the apostle Paul
called all of us "saints"
we humble sinners.

Perhaps we could have one world that is fully sacred

rather than two dimensions
and claim the saintliness of Mandela

if for no other reason than to save my head from aching.

resurrection

After a lovely longest night service, I headed home ready to do two services on Sunday morning. 

Life intervened--as it does.

A massive ice storm shut off power to 250,000 people in Toronto and many more in Ontario. 

With a tree branch down at one end of my block and a wire down at the other, I was trapped. Sensibly, I consulted with others and got the communication links happening to cancel church. Safety first for those who might try to get out.

Seventeen hardy folk made it to church and led a service--great spiritual leaders in this community.

Then life intervened--as it does.

Just as I hung up the phone from consulting with others, I was hit with stomach flu or a bug or something. Over the next 12 hours I was completely cleared out from both ends. I didn't really notice the power off. I didn't really notice I had no heat because I was huddled under my blankets waiting for the next onslaught.

Again, life intervened--as it does.

Late Sunday evening my system settled down. 
Early Monday morning the power went on.
By noon I was warmly wrapped in a blanket in my chair with two little dogs curled up on my lap, sipping hot water and keeping it down. 
A few grains of white rice tasted like dark chocolate with stem ginger.
I was thawing. I was gnawing.
I was resurrected.

longest night

longest night

shortest day

longest day and night

with no sighting of the sun at all

on this slate grey day

I can understand sun worship

when all the earth seems dead

will the sun ever return?

bring sun into the house

light candles and lanterns

bring life into the house

drape pine branches on tables

bring joy into the house

mull wine, eat lemon zested cake

make a long night into a celebration

of light, of life

on a node of turning

on a cusp of returning

on an axis of rebirthing

we welcome the light

millisecond by millisecond

so slowly that the sun almost seems to stand still

I hold my breath and count the extra minute of light

creeping toward longer days

shorter nights

and hope

god and me

I've always known god
as far back as I can remember

My conversations with god were open and affirming
I knew I was accepted
In fact I didn't really know
NOT being accepted until I started going to church

Church--there's the kicker
I looked for god in church
a few different churches

I listened for god in church
but the voice of the preacher got in the way

I looked for god in church
but the narrowness of the rules confused me

Fortunately I was so anchored in god
that church did not set my boat adrift

In time, I did find a church
to rent
not to call home
just room and board
a place to perch

And so I'm a minister
in a church
in a congregation

I love the luxury of talking with god
thinking about god
writing about god
creating with god
being with god-seeking people
and finding god in expected
and unexpected places.

Now, I've started another voyage
on internet seas
to listen for god

Let's see where we end up