Richard the Lionhearted

The Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins
Rector

            The favorite crèche in our family collection is a set of wooden figures carved by a man who took up his art form after being paralyzed in an accident.  For several decades he carved one figure per day.  Years ago we placed our crèche in a central spot in our home and let it grow, adding various carved animals collected in our travels.

            One day we noticed yet another addition to the scene.  Our young daughter had added a stuffed animal—a lion in the midst of the farm animals—Richard the Lionhearted no less.  We laughed at this strange addition, yet she was only taking Isaiah at his word.  Only a little child would carry this scene to its logical conclusion.  Only a little child would truly dream that the impossible might happen.

This improbable scene depicts the peaceable kingdom promised in scripture. 

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,

and the calf and the lion and the fatling together,

and a little child shall lead them. 

This  peaceable kingdom embraces humankind and the whole of creation.  Perhaps the greatest transformation is the end of human violence when swords are turned into ploughshares.

            As we observe the first anniversary of the slaughter of twenty young children and six adults in Newtown, Connecticut, we are acutely aware of the violence that besets us.  We have seen all too many stuffed animals offered up in remembrance of the lives of innocent children snuffed out in a season of joy and peace.  In this year, the killings have continued in other mass murders as well as in the less publicized deaths in our streets and in the epidemic of suicide that plagues us.

            Families of Newtown have already committed themselves to the work of social change that would stop this madness.  As they have begun foundations and programs, they testify to the power of their fallen children urging them on.  They feel the power of their children pushing them to make a difference so that other children will not have to die.  As we Christians look toward the Feast of the Incarnation, we show forth the power of a newborn child drawing us toward a kingdom of peace and good will.

            For several years, I have been powerfully moved by an anthem by Glenn Rudolph as sung by The Washington Chorus in this season.  It is “The Dream Isaiah Saw” underwritten as “A prayer for our children and a forthcoming season of peace.”  The refrain is haunting:

           

            Little child whose bed is straw,

            take new lodgings in my heart.

            Bring the dream Isaiah saw:

            life redeemed from fang and claw.

The kettle drums drive home the power of this little child to transform the whole world in a revolution of the human spirit.  May we in this season allow ourselves to be led by that little child into a world redeemed from the violence that reigns among us.  May we prepare to give this child new lodgings in our hearts.

Holy Innocents

There is an old English carol (16^th century, or older) that I think is worth mentioning.  Often called “Coventry Carol,” it is listed in our hymnal as song number 247, or “Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child.”  This is not strictly speaking a song for advent, but for the days immediately following Christmas, and more especially December 28, for the remembrance of the Holy Innocents. 

This carol is sung from a first person point of view, that of someone singing a lullabye to his or her child and lamenting the actions taken by King Herod upon the children of Bethlehem.[i] 

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
bye-bye, lully lullay.[ii]

When Jesus was born, three wise men travelled from the east to Jerusalem and sought King Herod’s help.  These wise men, bearing gifts for the son of God, the new King of the Jews, saw his star in the night sky and followed it.  When Herod heard the news that there might have been born a new King in his land, he was obviously troubled.  This baby, worshipped by his citizens, would almost certainly undermine his authority.  He consulted with his advisors and decided to use the wise men as a tool to help find this potential usurper.  He directed the wise men to the town of Bethlehem and asked them to report back with the young child’s location so that he too might “worship” him. 

Thankfully, the wise men had been warned that they should not return to Herod.  After presenting their gifts to baby Jesus, they left and avoided King Herod entirely.  Joseph had received his own warning from an angel saying, “Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.[iii]”

Once Herod realized that the wise men were not coming back he had his men descend upon Bethlehem like a plague to kill all the boys under the age of two.  These boys, killed by a King jealous to preserve his title as King of the Jews, are the Innocents. 

Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child,
bye-bye, lully lullay.[iv]

I first read that this song was expressing the sorrow Mary had for her child, seeing that he had barely opened his eyes and was already being hunted by ruthless men.  In writing this post I went back to the lyrics and the source scripture and thought about the words a little more.  I now wonder if perhaps the song is not more about the other mothers in Bethlehem and their children. 

Whenever I have had a chance to sing it, we let the higher voices (tenors and altos) take the lead on the first verse which really highlights that the women of Bethlehem are expressing their sorrow.  That, as foretold in Jeremiah 31:15, “[Rachel] weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children because they were not.[v]”

O sisters, too, how may we do
for to preserve this day
this poor youngling for whom we sing,
bye-bye lully lullay?[vi]

On the second verse, we ask the basses and baritones to step up their game and project, really highlighting the rage of King Herod.  I also think the lower voices make the verse and melody that much darker and dramatic. 

Herod the King, in his raging
charged he hath this day
his men of might, in his own sight,
all young children to slay.[vii]

Here is a version of the carol sung by the Westminster Cathedral Choir, recorded in 2009.

- Jeff Schaefer

Member, St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, Annandale, VA

Note:  This Sunday, December 8, the Adult Forum will feature Stephen Ackert, Director of Music at the National Gallery of Art, on the Music of Yearning and Longing through the Ages.  

If you feel like there is a lot of darkness that needs dispelling this time of year, please consider attending the Adult Forum on December 15 at 9:15 a.m., or the Blue Christmas service on December 19 at 7:30 p.m. 

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[i] Matthew chapter 2

[ii] Verse from the Hymnal 1982, song 247, found online via Hymnary.org, last accessed on Dec 7, 2013.

[iii] Matthew 2:13

[iv] Verse from the Hymnal 1982, song 247, found online via Hymnary.org, last accessed on Dec 7, 2013.

[v] The full text of the verse from Jeremiah 31:15 reads, “Thus saith the LORD; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”  Matthew 2:17-18 restates this verse as proof that the prophecy was fulfilled, and calls the weeping  mother Rachel. 

[vi] Verse from the Hymnal 1982, song 247, found online via Hymnary.org, last accessed on Dec 7, 2013.

[vii] Ibid.

Nelson Mandela and Advent

In preparation for playing the movie role of Nelson Mandela, Idris Elba spent a night in the prison on Robben Island where Mandela spent eighteen of his twenty-seven years of imprisonment for his fight against apartheid in South Africa.  As luck would have it, I began this day reading of this actor’s terror on the first day of filming as he felt the daunting challenge of portraying this living saint.  As this day ends, I join people all over the globe both mourning and celebrating the life of this liberator and reconciler who allowed that prison to become the crucible for his transformation and thus the transformation of his nation. 

In this season of Advent, prison is both a powerful reality and symbol.  Some of the most profound Advent meditations I know were written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Alfred Delp, both imprisoned in Nazi Germany but still looking in hope toward the coming of Christ.  As we seek redemption for a broken world, we are confined in prison waiting for release.  The prison door can only be opened from the outside.  So we wait for the day of peace for which we yearn, knowing that only the power of God can change this world that holds us captive.  Yet we also know that God does this work through human beings who allow themselves to be used at times of crisis. 

Rarely are we blessed to see such a revolution—both spiritual and political—as that led by Nelson Mandela.  The transformation of a society began when one man turned his prison cell into a monastery where he wrestled with the bitterness of oppression and found a way to forgive and thus lead his nation to peace and reconciliation.  This night a grateful world gives thanks for a glimpse of what we await—the reign of peace and justice where people of all tribes and nations can live in harmony with God and one another. 

The Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins 

Rector 
December 5, 2013

More about the Blue Christmas Service

As we in the church observe Advent and the larger community bustles with festivities as Christmas approaches, we all receive a message that we are to be full of the “Christmas spirit.”  That expectation can become a burden to anyone.  There is an unreality in the assumption that everyone is full of joy.  Actually this can be one of the most stressful times of the year.  It can bring financial pressure as the result of shopping.  The frenzy of traffic and crowded shopping malls are at a peak.  The emphasis on family and friends may cause pain to erupt when relationships are broken or loved ones have died.    

Thus we may feel estranged from those about us who at least appear to be filled with the Christmas spirit.  We may feel the pain of darkness more than ever in this season of celebrating light.  Yet rarely do we have permission to express those feelings lest we spoil the party for everyone else. 

To address this dilemma in this season, we are offering a new service of worship—Tidings of Comfort: A Blue Christmas Service.  The service will give an opportunity to name the pain we may feel in this season.  The bidding prayer begins, “As darkness deepens in the world around us, we gather to watch for the light.  Each of us comes with some darkness—some pain, grief, regret, or sorrow—that makes the light more difficult to see.  As the world around us twinkles with festivity, we turn aside.  We seek one single flame: a pure and living light, which alone can illumine our darkness.” 

We will offer prayers of lament, of comfort, and of hope.  We will hear words of comfort from scripture.  The music will seek to focus our longing and God’s presence with us in all things.  Finally we will lift the names of those who are heavy on our hearts.  The service will be simple and accessible to all—one that we can share with others.  Come as you are.  It is Thursday, December 19 at 7:30 p.m.  

Come to acknowledge the burdens you are bearing.  Come to grieve over the painful Christmases of the past.  Come to name the emptiness of this season without a loved one who has died or is now far away.  Come on behalf of others who live in pain in this season.  Come to find peace and healing. 

The Rev. Linda Wofford Hawkins 

Rector  

Tidings of Comfort - A Blue Christmas Service

Tidings of Comfort:
A Blue Christmas Service for Those Who Struggle in this Season

Thursday, December  19
7:30 p.m.

As darkness deepens in the world around us, we gather to watch for the light.  Each of us comes with some darkness--some pain, grief, regret, or sorrow--that makes the light more difficult to see.  As the world around us twinkles with festivity, we turn aside.  We seek one single flame:  a pure and living light, which alone can illumine our darkness.

St. Barnabas' Episcopal Church
4801 Ravensworth Road
Annandale, VA  22003

For more information, call 703-941-2922.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it

I would like to draw your attention for a second to the very first line of the first lesson for this second Sunday of Advent[i], Isaiah 11:1:

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

               - Isaiah 11:1[ii]

The same motif is followed up again at the at end of this section:

“And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse,

Who shall stand as a banner to the people;

For the Gentiles shall seek Him,

And His resting place shall be glorious.”

                                                                           -Isaiah 11:10[iii]

The second verse of a favorite Christmas Carol of mine, “Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming,”[iv] starts off with the title of this blog post, “Isaiah ‘twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind.”  I’ve heard this song both slow and fast, with male voices or mixed, and it almost always sounds hauntingly beautiful. 

Besides the beautiful melody, I am struck by the visuals painted in this piece of music from the 15^th century.  The idea of a young plant growing, bright green, stretching forth from its parent; the rose, blood red and beautiful; the thorns; and lastly, the repeated reference to darkness and the night.  Every verse of this song references the cold darkness that surrounded Jesus’ birth, and pairs it with a reference to the light, to Jesus. 

Verse 1:

It came, a blossom bright,

amid the cold of winter,

when half spent was the night.

                                                                          

Verse 2:                           

To show God's love aright, 
she bore to us a Savior,
when half spent was the night.

And this, from the third and final verse:

Dispel in glorious splendor

The darkness everywhere

Please enjoy this version as sung by the Salt Lake Children’s Choir found on Youtube.              

- Jeff Schaefer

Member, St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, Annandale, VA

Note:  This Sunday, December 8, the Adult Forum will feature Stephen Ackert, Director of Music at the National Gallery of Art, on the Music of Yearning and Longing through the Ages.   

If you feel like there is a lot of darkness that needs dispelling this time of year, please consider attending the Adult Forum on December 15 at 9:15 a.m., or the Blue Christmas service on December 19 at 7:30 p.m.  

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[i] From the “Revised Common Lectionary: Year A,” Book of Common Prayer, page 889.

[ii] Isaiah 11:1-10 (New King James Version) accessed online via Biblegateway.com (last accessed 12/3/2013). 

[iii] Ibid.           

[iv] “Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming,” Song 81, Hymnal 1982. Available online at Hymnary.org (last accessed 12/3/2013).   

In the bleak midwinter

1. In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
in the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Source:  The Hymnal 1982, song 112 (via Hymnary.org)

It should be no surprise that so much of the symbolism this season is focused, naturally, on the coming light of the Lord.  We see it in candles, lights on the trees and our houses, in scripture, and in our songs.  The first carol I would like to share with you this season sounds a lot older than it really is.  “In the bleak midwinter” has a sound reminiscent of some of the earliest carols but was first published in the early 20^th century (thank you, Wikipedia).  The tune is slower than most modern Christmas carols and harkens back to such carols as “Lo, how A Rose e’er blooming” from the late 16^th century and really sounds like it is stressing the bleakness, and the coldness of winter. 

With all of the colors, lights, and the anticipation of children ready to open gifts on Christmas morning it is easy to forget that this time of year is not always pleasant for everyone.  There are many people struggling this time of year and from a variety of causes.  If you are hurt and need support, please reach out for help. 

4. What can I give him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
if I were a wise man, I would do my part;
yet what I can I give him--give my heart.

Source:  The Hymnal 1982, song 112 (via Hymnary.org)

This carol reminds us that God sent his only son to earth to be a light in the darkness that surrounds us.  He is a beacon of hope in the bleak midwinter, when the frosty wind howls, the earth is cold and hard like iron, and even the water becomes like stone.  Sometimes the weather can get us down.  For some the frosty winds may represent financial misfortunes, the loss of a loved one, ill health, or depression.  Let the light of Christ and his living church in to dispel the gloom.  All that Jesus asks is that we love God and love each other.  What can we give him, as poor as we are?  We can give what we can – we can give our hearts. 

Enjoy this rendition of “In the bleak midwinter” by the Gloucester Cathedral Choir.

 

- Jeff Schaefer

Member, St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church

p.s. – If this speaks to you, please consider attending the Adult Forum on December 15 at 9:15 a.m., or the Blue Christmas service on December 19 at 7:30 p.m.