Worship – A Writer's Daughter

Look Up

October was a stellar month for local sky watchers. There was a rare display of the Northern Lights this far south, a comet streaked across the sky, and October’s Hunter’s moon was a super moon! A super moon is when the moon orbits closer to the earth making it look bigger and brighter. The super moon’s proximity also affects ocean tides. The celestial shows delighted amateur astronomers and the general public alike, lighting up our screens with news clips and photos. Sky scenes look spectacular over ocean vistas!

The firmament draws us upward. It lifts us from the confines of earthly perspectives. The skies give evidence of God’s creation, power, and beauty. Its vastness and hint of infinity may be one of the closest approximations of God’s greatness and is unique in its access to mankind. Not every human will lay eyes on the ocean or the mountains, a desert or endless plain, but the glories of the sky are visible to the seeing from every vantage point on earth. Day and night, the heavens speak of the Divine, drawing our minds and hearts to God the Creator.

Here is the October super moon, as photographed by my friend Mark Gottlieb. While not an ocean view, this beautiful shot of our Nation’s Capital seemed perfect for today.

It is not surprising that Scripture contains many references to celestial objects and skyscapes. God promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars he could see, and there must have been thousands in Abraham’s ancient, unpolluted night vista. David, a shepherd who spent countless days and nights in open fields, wrote inspired praises in response to heavenly sights.
LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8 v 1, 3 and 4 (NIV)

Again, in the couplet style of Hebrew poetry, God gave David these lines:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world. Psalm 19 v 1-4 (NLT)

So, look up. Let the endless blue, the puffiest gray, or the deepest twinkling black, fill your heart and mind with God Himself. Jesus challenged his followers with these words, “When these things … come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21 v 28 (KJV) That’s Jesus’expansive, saving love ready for us.

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*The abbreviations following Scripture quotes indicate the Bible translation used: New International Version, New Living Translation, King James Version.

Music to my Ears

The familiar idiom ‘music to my ears’ suggests welcome news, something one is glad to hear, but in my case a theme played on repeat in my head. For the last few weeks, the topic of music circulated around me. First my mind recalled in-home concerts I experienced. Then I read about the benefits of singing in sync with others (Pink, Daniel. When. 2018). More music related hints came from a recent sermon text on singing (Ephesians 5 v 19), a link to register for the “Sing” conference, and a daily verse describing God singing over us. Finally, last week, CeCe Winan’s “(I will sing of) The Goodness of God” music video hit one of my text threads followed by it being one of the worship songs in Sunday’s service. So, on music at home and singing I will write! This composition will not win a Pulitzer, but it will stop the ringing in my ears.

Have you attended a concert in a home? Though rare these days, music in the home was common before TV, radios, stereos, and phonographs. Entertainment was homemade: music and games in the parlor. Whoever could play or sing, did so with family and for guests. There were mansion ballroom dances accompanied by chamber groups and barn dances with fiddles. Simpler days spawned simpler ways.

I experienced an extraordinary concert at my sister’s home. She, an accomplished pianist, and a musician friend on the vibraphone, gave a concert at a graduation party. They far surpassed the level of skill for most in-home recitals, but it retained the warmth of a home setting with an intimate audience. Pictured is her keyboard with music for the opening number.

Today music is piped in and turned on everywhere, like the surprisingly loud easy rock playing in pre-op before my last colonoscopy. We access any artist, any song with a flick on our phone. Our access to music is quite amazing, yet live music, even if amateur, feeds us in a different and unique way. Many years back, I recall a friend’s child played her piano recital piece for our visit. Another time a neighbor invited several of us to her home so she could play a dress rehearsal for an upcoming musical she was accompanying. On a New Year’s Day, a group of us sang “Auld Lang Syne” together as the host strummed it on his guitar. Maybe you recall a hearthside serenade, a parlor performance, or an impromptu campfire concert or sing-along – I hope so! We could all try singing a hymn at mealtime or hum the children a bedtime lullaby. I don’t discount streaming playlists at home which adds cheer or comfort too, especially when our voice joins the chorus.

Music is a gift from our Creator. We get joy from making music, music can praise Him, and God sings over us. Zephaniah 3 v 17 expresses, “The LORD thy God … will joy over thee with singing” (shared in the King James Version as it was shared with me.)

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My Summer Abroad?

I spent one summer of my college years at a science station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. My college required completion of a summer program, and while classmates headed off to Europe and Israel, I signed up for science in South Dakota! Cost was a factor, but I hoped checking off my academic science requirements would be easier at a camp than on campus. I also thought field science courses seemed practical for my future as an elementary teacher.

A good plan had unfolded for my Black Hills summer studies. My college best friend also enrolled in the program. It was reassuring to go with someone, since it was far away and I didn’t know anyone else going. Days before the spring semester ended, my friend met me for dinner and told me that she had decided not to go. Her change of mind stunned me and left me questioning my plans. I only vaguely recall considering my options, but I have a clear memory that confirming my Black Hills program plans was a step of faith that God wanted me to take. It seems trite now, but it was big for me then.

The summer of botany, zoology and geology studies proved rewarding in every way! I saw it then, and still do now, as confirmation that I had followed God’s plan for me. In academic subjects that had proved challenging for me in high school, I made my all-time highest college grades. I developed a growing appreciation for the beauty of nature and the wonder of creation ( All Creatures Great and Small). Hands-on classes were fun and engaging. We travelled throughout the remote and beautiful Black Hills region for field trips, and I camped for the first time with new friends. I experienced a spiritual awakening that summer too. As I spent regular time outdoors alone with God and His Word, a personal real walk developed with Him. Braving the program on my own turned into a time of maturing and happy expansion … yes, just west in South Dakota!

One of the reasons my Black Hills summer comes to mind occasionally is because of a song I hear on one of my regular playlists. It was not that summer’s hit tune, but a hymn sung by a student choir. One of the guys took it upon himself to form a volunteer choir for us. He picked a few hymns that we practiced and performed in Sunday services at one or two local churches. I especially remember singing “How Firm a Foundation” *. The hymn’s lyrics are vivid yet poetic, and the tune is robust, like a national anthem!

I close by sharing the first stanza of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation” because the words align perfectly with the theme of my blog: the foundational value of God’s Word for us.

How firm a foundation ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more could He say than to you He hath said,

To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

From John Rippon’s “Selection of Hymns,” 1787, Public Domain Based on 1 Peter 3 v 23 & v 25

* ”How Firm a Foundation” is one of several hymns Rev. Tim Keller chose for his memorial service. The worship service in his remembrance was held last week in St. Patrick’s Cathedral (NY). I have added the memorial link to my recent blog about him.

Photo credit of the Black Hills, SD – travelsouthdakota.com

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Thankful for November’s End

I am thankful for November 30. The date marks the end of the Atlantic Hurricane season. In setting up a new life and our home in coastal Carolina, we accomplished a lot. But hurricane preparation, or even having a “just in case” plan, missed our list of top priorities. We took a risk, and I am thankful that hurricane season is soon over. The year 2021 was an active hurricane season for the Atlantic, using all 21 storm names. None of them swiped our area although a deadly tornado struck south of here in early spring.

Talking to neighbors and new acquaintances, I observe a serious respect for storms. Many folks have stories of damage and devasting loss due to past hurricanes. In 2018, Hurricane Florence stalled over the area causing unprecedented flooding. We were looking at property and houses then and we witnessed the piles of debris and blue roof tarps everywhere! Among some lady friends recently there was disturbing recall of past hurricanes Florence, Floyd, and Fran. I guess I better beware of storms that begin with the letter F!

Storms pack power: the ocean has fury. This is God’s hand. He created the earth, nature, and weather. Its beauty awes us; its potency demands respect. Jeremiah 31:35 says, “This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and the stars to shine by night, who stirs the sea so that its waves roar – the LORD Almighty is His name.” Jesus’ followers also experienced amazement when He “calmed” a raging Sea of Galilee storm, saying, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey Him!” (Matthew 8:27)

Blessed with a calm Sea of Galilee sail three years ago.

Recently, I came across this poem that considers the ocean and our worshipful response, https://decisionmagazine.com/ruth-bell-graham-relentless-yearning/. It was written by Ruth Bell Graham, wife of the Rev. Billy Graham. Their home was in the mountains of North Carolina.

Now, let’s hope my husband and I work on a generator and flood prevention before June 1, 2022!

Bling, Part 2

In “Bling, Part 1,” I retold how wearing a special black and gold bracelet matched perfectly with the Bible passage about light and darkness that I read on the same day. God just has a way of speaking to us like that.

Bling is that eye-popping accent that tops off an outfit or adds glitz to a table setting. Women usually love a touch of bling but maybe men do also: a shiny silk handkerchief tucked in a suit pocket, an oversized wristwatch, designer athletic shoes or high-end boots. And then there’s cars – a silver hood ornament is certainly bling!

My husband and I have been traipsing through paint stores lately, searching for colors for the new house. Lots of interesting products fill paint store aisles, among them some BLING for garages. In more than one store, I saw floor confetti. Colorful flecks are sprinkled onto garage floor paint as it dries, adding pizazz to the man cave!

My friend Karen commented on “Bling, Part 1” that Scripture was her “spiritual nourishment – I would starve without it.” Food is exactly the analogy that came to my mind also. We must eat and God’s Word provides the nutritious food we need to thrive in this world. And if the Bible is the good food, the church is the good grocery store! Scripture nourishes us and the church, particularly a worship service, energizes us, ministering deeply to the spirit as nothing else can.

On the first Sunday of the New Year, we attended a local Sunday worship service. Though I knew no one in the congregation and most of the songs were new to me, the corporate worship with other believers fed my soul. Only an actual church service draws Christians together in prayer, music and praise, giving, encouragement and penetrating teaching. A Christian playlist or a pastor’s podcast do not serve the same purpose. We need The Church, The Body, to fully experience the blessings of the Christian life.

Though it is later in January than I would have liked, may I encourage you to make church attendance a priority in the new year? We all love high-end, specialty grocery stores, the myriad of Whole Foods, Fresh Markets, and the like. Find yourself a quality church and go there. We are commanded: ^“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25 NLT

Full credit to the Christian Science Monitor website and to photographer Efrem Lutkatsky/AP. The caption read: “A bird flies over the sky near the 1,000 year old Orthodox Monastery of the Caves covered with the first snow this winter in Kyiv, Ukraine, January 15.” I happen to be of Ukrainian descent and my birthday happens to be January 15 😊 Wouldn’t this be a great scene for a jigsaw puzzle?

Bling, Part 1

Crows are drawn to bright and shiny things and so am I! Recently I wore the frayed bracelet shown in the photo. As I put it on, I recalled how I acquired it. Years ago, Craig and I were in New York City over the holidays and we passed through Bryant Park. Vendors had set up small kiosks. I saw and liked the hand-crafted bracelet, so Craig bought it for me.

I have always liked jewelry with black accents. The class ring for my high school featured an oval black onyx stone with the school name “W & L” overlaid it in gold. Though I loved the unique and classic design, sadly I did not splurge by buying it. Over the years I have gotten a few inexpensive onyx pieces as well as other costume jewelry in black. Black jewelry is elegant but bright in its own way: a versatile accessory. Bling!

After dressing for the day, I turned to my Bible reading: 2 Peter 1:12-21. There I read, “pay attention … as to light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” While this is a complex passage, we know that light dispels darkness. Spiritually speaking, keeping close to Jesus, the Light of the world, protects us from shadowy evil. I marveled at the connection of the day’s Biblical theme to my morning’s musings over the gold and black bracelet. God’s Word is truly alive and is used by Him to speak into our lives.

Later that day after having breakfast with friends visiting from out of town, I realized I had lost a favorite dangly black and rhinestone earring that I had been wearing. Apparently in putting on and off my mask (see my post, “Mask-Wearing Woes,” Sept. 24, 2020), the earring fell out without my noticing. Thankfully, it was an inexpensive pair but still disappointing to lose.

I hope you read Scripture often. I believe it is God’s perfect writing. You may not agree but would you still consider regularly reading the Bible (or listening with apps)? It will shed light on dark things; you too will experience how the Word meets your world.

Lexicon Part 2 – Variations in Rhythm

In the second of this “Lexicon” series, I contemplate the word rhythm. Its plainest meaning refers to the beat of music or patterns in sound. In that use, rhythm denotes syncopation that is harmonious, repetitive and predictable, or at least pleasant in digression. In a wider scope, rhythm describes motion and patterns in life. The term Circadian rhythm refers to long cycles in life. I hadn’t heard it for a long time until the other day I read it in a newspaper article about adjusting to Daylight Savings time.

A newer use of the word rhythm in today’s lexicon aligns the concept with routine. Some young newlyweds I know felt that it took a few months for them to find the rhythm of living together. Another young married couple setting up house chose to run the dishwasher nightly and awaken to the cleaned load each morning, as a positive “rhythm.” A recent issue of Victoria magazine, in describing an upcoming winter feature, stated “Rhythms of Repose: Amid the cadence of a quiet pastime or treasured ritual of daily living, find a calming breath of serenity …” (Victoria, January/February 2020, p. 11). Rhythm is a predictability that gives life calm.

My Pastor mentioned rhythm in a podcast explaining the importance of personal and corporate worship (“Pray the Word” Podcast # 880, David Platt, January 6, 2020.) Platt’s explanation focused on both the idea that worship should be regularly scheduled into our lives, and furthermore that within worship itself, there is rhythm. Complete worship always pairs revelation (teaching and learning from God’s Word) with personal response (letting the Word soak into your heart for God to use it and grow you.) Today’s sermon further elaborated on the “rhythm of gratitude” in worship (Mike Kelsey, 4/19/2020, www.mcleanbible.org/sermons). Clearly, spiritual rhythm is a thing and without the frequent rhythm of a worship structure, you’re out of sync. The beat won’t go on.

I wrote most of text above on a return flight from a wonderful late winter visit to my parents in Florida. The Corona virus was just beginning to be newsworthy. I remember being encouraged by the bustling airport and many families still arriving for Florida vacations as I departed. Only days later my district, with no forewarning, shut down school for a month. Shortly thereafter, governors closed schools statewide, in Virginia’s case, for the rest of the academic year! Talk about losing all sense of daily and work rhythm in life! It has frankly been that upheaval that has kept me from finishing this blog post. I may have more time on my hands but our new normal feels anything but normal and I accomplish less in the offbeat fallout.

As I observe Americans responding to the COVID19 outbreak, I notice something that concerns me greatly. Few seem to approach the crisis spiritually. There’s our wonderful American spirit of hope and triumph. We have some of the world’s best scientists and healthcare professionals to guide us. We protect our entrepreneurs as they improvise business practices and creatively provide needed resources during the shutdown. It is all so positive and encouraging but our hearts, as a nation, don’t appear to be seeking God in response. Maybe most folks are out of a spiritual rhythm; acknowledging the God of the universe in crisis or calm isn’t firmly regulated in their lives. I pray that whether we’ve reached the apex of the outbreak or not, people turn to God. “Call to Me, and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save.” Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 46:1, Zephaniah 3:17