Grandma Reynen and the Genealogy of Jesus

Last night at the weekly Bible Study, while I was reading, of all things, the genealogy of Jesus, as it is found in the third chapter of the Gospel of Luke, I was reminded of my grandmother, Pearl Reynen. Now, why would I be thinking of my grandmother when the names of obscure men of Israel like Addi, Nashon, and Arphaxad were being mentioned, you ask?

To answer that question we must travel back into the “ancient” past of my youth to warm summer days spent in the small town of Hollandale, Minnesota. The city kids from New York would come for a week or two to visit family in the Midwest. These were happy, carefree times when the most pressing questions were what adventures we were going to explore in the sandbox or cornfield and what time the daily Scrabble game would begin.

There was one daily ritual that occurred at each lunch. Following the shared meal, Grandma Reynen would pull her Bible off the shelf, worn from years of daily use and filled with bits of paper, as I recall, from notes taken at church or at home from personal study. Along with the Bible was a denominational publication indicating the daily readings assigned for the day. No one was able to get up from the kitchen table until we had read from the assigned texts and reflected on the guided meditation.

I could actually hear my grandmother’s voice last night as I read the names of Amminadab and Eliakim, Jorim and Eliezer. These were just not names on a piece of sacred text but real individuals and heroes of the Bible who my grandmother knew and could tell you stories about them. She had a passion for the Scriptures that was rich, genuine, and these days, very rare. But, that daily example instilled in me a love for the 'Old Old Story' that today still quickens my heart and stirs my passions.

There is a tendency in the times in which we live to look back on such examples of families sharing meals and reading from the Scriptures as quaint or perhaps antiquated. But, I would suggest that the daily discipline of opening the Scriptures and reading portions of it, even the genealogies, can still have a profound effect on our lives as the stories become our own. I will always be grateful for my grandmother’s love, her passion for the Word of God, and for the biblical stories she shared of Adam, Seth and Noah, Jesse, David and Nathan, and let’s not forget, Zerubbabel.

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, teach us to pray..." Prayer and Technology

The quote and prayer below were recently found on the Voice & Verse site of Sojourners Magazine. In the new technological world where everything has to go faster and faster, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the many "machines" that are in my possession. I am struck by that last line of the prayer: "May technology serve us, Lord, so that we may better serve one another, and you." Let the congregation say, "AMEN!"

Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.                            

Mahatma Gandhi

Lord, I am so often overtaken by machines, trapped by technology. Help me to find my life again, enhanced and not eroded by these technical aids. Help me to take control, at least in my heart, and put them in their place. Help me, Lord, to rejoice at the machines, and to be hopeful about the future benefits they can bring. May technology serve us Lord, so that we may better serve one another, and you. Amen 
                                         

Adapted from a prayer on aftersunday.org.uk

Love One Another - Brian 

Sabbath Rest

Today is the weekly Sabbath for the John 13:34 Blog. Back at it again tomorrow. Please check back and join me on the journey.

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Cleveland Rocks! 10th Annual Northeast Ohio Band Invitational

Dr. Gary Ciepluch
The Hudson High School Combined Concert Band
(c) Luann Burnham

Yesterday afternoon, Severance Hall in Cleveland was filled with the sounds of hundreds of young musicians offering their talents in the 10th Annual Northeast Ohio Band Invitational. This annual musical event is the visionary inspiration of Dr. Gary Ciepluch, Director of Bands and Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University, conductor for the University Circle Wind Ensemble, and the founder/director of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphonies Dr. Ciepluch's desire and passion has been to see that young musicians have an opportunity to perform in a world class concert hall; to experience and learn from other great amateur musicians in our area; and encourage students to lead lives enriched by music. If the response of those in attendance on Sunday afternoon was any indication of the success of that vision, this series of concerts should have a long and prosperous run bearing much fruit.

The Hudson High School Concert Bands were invited to attend this year's Invitational. It should be noted that invitations to this prestigious event are extended to preforming groups only every six or seven years. So, this is not an annual event for any school's ensemble but a highly regarded and esteemed invitation that brings recognition to a local school's musical accomplishments. Hudson's program began with the Combined Concert Band performing William Latham's Brighton Beach Concert March. John Burrington was the conductor. Written in 1954, this composition was written in the style of a British march, in the tradition of Elgar, Holst, Walton and Vaughan Williams.

Conductor John Burrington leading the Hudson High School
Combined Concert Bands at Severance Hall
(c) Luann Burnham

Following the Latham march, the Combined Concert Band offered Robert Smith's stirring rendition of Greensleeves: A Fantasia for Band. Here, the ensemble showed off its many and various timbrel colors and the results were most excellent. Special recognition should be made of Eun Cho's splendid flute solo which opened and closed the work.

Bev O'Connor, Director of Bands in the Hudson City Schools, then came to the stage to conduct the Wind Symphony in four unique and diverse pieces. Our Yesterdays Lengthen Like Shadows was written by Samuel Hazo in 2008 for the South Carolina High School All State Band. Although this composition appears simple at first sight, it is a very complex series of textured melodies that surround one ever-present note. This one note (E-flat) is sustained through the entire piece without any break and is undetectable until the end when the ensemble sings the note in unison. The melodies and harmonies that occur around this one note symbolize the events and experiences in our lives. As the program note stated: “The one ever-present note symbolizes you, just one part in a complex movement of auditory shapes.”  

The final movement, Hobbits, of Johan de Meij's First Symphony The Lord of the Rings followed which depicted the characters Frodo and Gandalf sailing away in a white ship disappearing slowly beyond the horizon. Next, O'Connor led her musicians in a thrilling performance of Michael Sweeney's Passages, a composition intended as a celebration of life. O'Connor was aided by a beautiful and lyrical solo played by Will Ennis on alto saxophone; surely one of the most memorable moments of the entire afternoon.

Bev O'Connor receiving the audience applause
at Severance Hall
(c) Luann Burnham

The Wind Symphony concluded their hour of music making with a lively rendition of Percy Grainger's Molly on the Shore which contrasted two Irish reels offering each section of the band long stretches of thematic and counter melodic material. Again, mention should be made of the fine soloists in this ensemble, especially Christopher Johnstone on clarinet.

Other groups performing at the Invitational included the Chardon High School Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands, the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony and Symphonic Winds, the Case Western University Symphonic Winds, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School Wind Ensemble, and the Shaker Heights High School Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.

While most of the music was memorable and energizing, the true "Kodak" moment came early in the afternoon high above the stage at Severance Hall. A young family with grandparents in tow had come to hear one of their children perform with the Chardon High School Band. A young sibling was also present and clearly this could have been a first time ever in a concert hall for the little boy. When the music began this child was completely enthralled and at times waving his hands enthusiastically mimicking the conductor on stage. That moment reminded me once again of the power of music and the important lesson of offering to our children the beauty and experience of live music making. Who knows what that encounter might have had on that child. Hopefully, in a number of years, he too will follow in his sibling's footsteps and have the opportunity to perform at legendary Severance Hall and experience the joy of making great music.

Love One Another - Brian

The Sunday Musical Offering: Giuseppe Verdi's "Stiffelio"

Stiffelio was an opera written by Giuseppe Verdi in 1850 on a libretto by Francisco Maria Piave. The opera had a rough start due mostly impart to the story line of a protestant minister whose wife has an affair while he is away on a mission. The opera was based on the play Le pasteur, ou L'évangile et le foyer by Émile Souvestre and Eugène Bourgeois. All ends well with forgiveness and compassion ruling the day.

In the third act, Stankar, who is the father of the pastor’s wife, reads a letter which tells him that Raffaele (the lover) has fled and that he seeks to have Lina join him. Stankar is in despair over his daughter's behavior (Lina pensai che un angelo in te mi desse il cielo - "Lina, I thought that in you an angel brought me heavenly bliss"). For a moment, he resolves to commit suicide and begins to write a letter to Stiffelio. But Jorg enters to give him the news that he has tracked down Raffaele who will be returning to the castle. Stankar rejoices (O gioia inesprimibile, che questo core inondi! - "Oh, the inexpressible joy that floods this heart of mine!"), as he sees revenge being within reach.  

This clip from a 1993 production at The MET is a marvelous musical example of Verdi’s growing mastery of aria and cabaletta. It is sung by the Russian baritone Vladimir Chernov.

Love One Another - Brian

The Weekly Round-Up for January 26, 2013

Snow, flu, and slippery roads set against great students in new classes, time with friends, and folks starting to talk about baseball and spring! The Weekly Round-Up has a bit of everything to stimulate your thinking and creativity. Enjoy.

Dartmouth Stops Credits for Excelling on the AP Test (NY Times)

Look Inward, Not Outward in Auditions (Backstage.com)

Spiritual But Not Religious? Not So Fast: Disney, I-clouds and New Religion( Huffington Post)

Seven Things That Might Surprise You About the Prophet Mohammad (Huffington Post)

Unpublished Poem By Carl Sandburg About the Power of Guns (Chicago Tribune)

Our Rhetorical Civil War (The GodArticle)

17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes You Never Hear (BuzzFeed)

Really Stupid Religious Stuff We Say To Each Other Far Too Often (The Bluevine Collective)

This Is Why I Love The Opera (The Wall Street Journal)

The American Case Against A Black Middle Class (The Atlantic)

Divided Country Divided Church (MinistryMatters)

Roman Theater Discovered in Kent, England (The Guardian, UK)

Wayne Lapierre of NRA Has Angry Response to Obama (NY TImes)

Is Atheism A Religion? (NY Times)

Disgusted Young People: How Martin Luther King, Jr. Predicted the Decline of the Mainline Church (D-Mergent)

Christianity Without Arrogance (Huffington Post)

Defining the Middle: The Rhetoric and Reality of Class (The Christian Century)

Story-Telling and Social Change (sojo.net)

The World's 100 Richest Earned Enough in 2012 to End Global poverty Four Times Over (RT Question More)

Love One Another - Brian

10 Major Trends for 2013?

The following list was taken from Brad Lomenick's blog, On The Journey. Lomenick works for a leadership development company in Atlanta and directs a group of young leaders called Catalyst. His blog came to my attention this week at the suggestion of an old friend Thom Rainer. I wonder what you think of this list? Does it compare favorably with what you are experiencing at work, in social settings, or even at church? As Brad suggests: "I am not proposing that all of these are positive trends, but simply stating them as a picture of reality as we move into 2013 and beyond."

1. Content on demand - everywhere, often and most of the time free.

2. Tech in everything - cars, kitchen, refrigerators, watches, wallets, and other devices.

3. Smart Phone as the center of your world - it is where you consume content, get info, make calls, update my status, and remote control my TV and appliances, along with basically running your life.

4. Integrated social media - social media is no longer a phenomenon. It’s here to stay. And now integrated into everything we do.

5. We are all leaders - because of social media, technology, and the digital space, anyone can create a platform and gain influence quickly. Everyone has access. Small competes with large, and there is an equal playing field for most involved.

6. Authenticity matters - more than ever, we have to be real and genuine and honest.

7. Comfortable Multi-tasking is in - Cars are now being created that drive themselves. For real. We are more than ever creatures of comfort. Comfort so I can do multiple things at once.

8. Touchscreens - experience is now about everything being a touchscreen and swipe technology.

9. Collaboration - working together is more and more becoming the norm. Shared office spaces between companies, shared staff, partnerships, etc.

10. Mergers and streamlining within industries - similar to #9, but specifically as it relates to a formal merger between companies, organizations and churches. This continues to happen with more regularity, and is now happening consistently with churches and non-profit organizations.

What do you think? Make a comment and share it with others.

Love One Another - Brian

The National Anthem and Beyonce's "Lip-Gate"

Are you as amazed, and perhaps bewildered, as I am, with all of the talk and time that has been given this week to whether Beyonce actaully sang the National Anthem at Monday's Inauguartion or whether she was lip-syncing? Yesterday on my way to Kent, the hosts of an NPR show where trying to tie this "scandal" to the blood doping controversy of Lance Armstrong. You have to be kidding me! With budget deficits, concerns over guns and mass killings, high unemployment, immigration and border concerns, you would think as a society we could raise the bar in focuing on what is truly important.

At least Stephen Colbert put the right persective on all of "Lip-Gate". See his commentary here.

Anderson Cooper also weighed in and actually, in my opinion, as did Colbert, raised a larger question: If Beyonce was lip-syncing, what were all those Marines in the President's Band doing? It sure looked to me that the conductor of the Marine Band was going full out. Was he faking it too? And if so, what does that mean?

In reality, who cares about "Lip-Gate"? If I had a set of pipes like Beyonce and I had to sing outside in cold weather, I certainly would have considered all of my options. It's her instrument and she has to decide what is best for her voice. So, perhaps the next Congregressional Inauguration Committee, when they get ready for the festivities in 2017, might consider no vocalists. Play a video - we live in a digital age.

In the meantime, I am going to marvel in Beyonce's rendtion of Francis Scott Key's magnificent and demanding anthem. She is that awesome combination of pure musical talent and natural beauty. What a gift she gave to the Nation on Monday. I agree with Anderson Cooper, we should simply say, "Thank you."

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, teach us to pray..." Our Journey Is Not Complete

The God Article is a blog that I follow on Facebook. On Monday, the site shared a prayer in honor of the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Too good not to share with others, the prayer seemed to compliment the themes of President Obama's Inaugural Address and the upcoming Gospel lesson for Sunday.

Good and Gracious God;

It is easy to get so caught up

in the business and troubles

of our own lives,

that we forget we are called

to usher in justice

in this world.

There is so much pain,

so much loneliness,

so much sickness,

so much loss,

so much injustice

in this world

that it can sometimes seem to be

"just the way things are."

Let us never forget

that you desire better for this world

and you created within it

the possibility of

heaven on earth,

a fellowship of humanity.

Let us never forget

that the teachings of Jesus

can lead us to that world

as you have envisioned it.

Until that time,

teach us not only to

confront injustices

but to comfort those who suffer.

And we ask for your presence

with them as well,

not just through us,

your people,

but through the presence

of your Spirit.

May it and we

bring them comfort

and justice

in their time of need.

Amen

Love One Another - Brian

Sabbath Rest

Today is the weekly Sabbath Day at the John 13:34 Blog. Back at it again tomorrow. I hope you will return and continue to the journey with me.

Inauguration Day Prayer Controversy - What Should We As A Nation Be Praying For?

The following story came to my attention through Rachel Maddow’s email blast entitled “This Week in God.” It involves an interesting controversy with the chaplains who serve the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. It should be noted that these two religious leaders receive salaries paid by U.S. taxpayers. I hardly ever give the Congressional chaplains the time of day unless I catch them by chance on C-Span at the opening of a session. But this week, the chaplains raised questions about how they intend to spend today, Inauguration Day, in a story that first ran on a website entitled Faithful America.

Just before President Obama takes the ceremonial oath of office at noon today, a group of religious conservatives will hold a prayer breakfast featuring a number of anti-Obama supporters. The Presidential Inaugural Prayer Breakfast -- billed as offering "prayer, worship, and reconciliation of the nation" -- will feature the editor of the birther site WorldNetDaily and minister and media mogul Pat Robertson, according its website. The organizers of the prayer breakfast also claim the House and Senate chaplains will speak at their event -- appearances that may conflict with the non-partisan nature of the chaplain job. By the way, did any of you receive an invitation to attend the breakfast? I checked by mailbox again this morning in the hopes that perhaps my invite had come late – but to no avail.

House Chaplain Rev. Patrick Conroy and Senate Chaplain Barry Black are listed under the "Prayer for the Nation" portion of today’s event, just ahead of Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.). But featured speaker Joseph Farah, the WorldNetDaily editor, has drawn the most attention, given his website's regular assertions that President Obama was actually born in Kenya and allegations that he is "the first Muslim president." The event also features "messianic rabbi-pastor and author" Jonathan Cahn, who believes that there are signs of the apocalypse encrypted in Obama's communications. Are you kidding me? Really? Does this stuff really exist? Sadly so.

Now look, I am not against folks gathering to pray, even if their theological, spiritual or political stance is in complete opposite to mine. But, when taxpayer-financed chaplains, who are not supposed to take sides in political fights, participate in events like these, it's far more problematic. Why does prayer have to be politicized for personal gain? Why can’t the leaders of the Church simply gather for prayer and ask the Lord to bless all the leaders of our Nation?

Here are two prayers taken from The Book of Common Prayer that I suggest should be offered for our Nation and President on this Inauguration Day.

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy 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 hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy 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 thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Love One Another - Brian

The Sunday Musical Offering - The Beethoven Violin Concerto

Beethoven's immense and astoundingly beautiful Violin Concerto is considered today among the greatest works that the composer ever wrote. But, that was not always the case especially after its rather ho-hum premiere in December of 1806. One of the difficulties was the concerto's length of 43 minutes which did not fit with nineteenth century expectations. Even the composition's beguiling melodies and cadenzas did not ensure its immediate success. The concerto came into prominence gradually thanks impart to the many violinists who, through the centuries, have found its extraordinary beauty and brought it to the attention of the listening public.

Kathy and I had the great fortune of hearing this grand work again over the weekend with Joshua Bell and the Cleveland Orchestra. It was an amazing performance which I will write about in tomorrow's Blog. For now, listen again as Joshua Bell performs in a video clip recorded somewhere in the Pacific Rim.

Love One Another - Brian

The Weekly Round-Up for January 19, 2013

These first few weeks in January have been challenging in regards to the blog. I resigned from my position at Christ Church, renounced my orders in the Episcopal Church, and am now learning how to balance three very different but highly rewarding jobs. In the midst of all the chaos, I am reminded that God is good, friends are awesome, family is loving, and new chapters await. Keep me in your prayers. The Weekly Round-Up begins now....

The Quasar Cluster: That's One Big "Thing"!

Religion and Downton Abbey (PBS Religion & Ethics)

Republicans accuse the President of using position as President to lead the Country (The New Yorker)

Religion May Not Survive The Internet (Salon.com)

More Young People Are Moving Away From Religion, But Why? (NPR)

Australia Banned Assault Weapons, America Can Too! (New York Times)

Who Needs Drugs When You Have Music? (NPR)

A Journalist in Church Hiding in Plain Sight (rd.org)

If Downton Abbey Were on Facebook... (What a hoot!)

Realism and Religion (Bulletin for the Study of Religion)

If I were Manti Te'o's Pastor... (sojo.net)

Downton Abbey: Top 10 Maggie Moments (youtube)

Love One Another - Brian

"Lord, Teach Us To Pray...." Good Conversations

In the early 1990’s, Rosemary Broughton wrote a very thoughtful book entitled, Praying with Teresa of Avila. The exercises offered were a practical way to engage the great spiritual themes of Teresa’s writings in our own day and time. Saint Teresa was fond of saying that prayer is the door to our inner castle and Broughton’s book assists the reader to go through that door. In a meditation entitled Good Conversations, Broughton wrote these words….

“Teresa believed that in the early stages of prayer, God often speaks to people in and through good conversations with their friends. In her own life, Teresa had ongoing conversations with many men and women – spiritual directors, religious superiors, friends, relations, and sundry others.

“In The Book of Her Foundations, Teresa wrote about her early acquaintance with a man who later became one of the first reformed Carmelite friars. During a visit to Medina, Teresa sought the advice of the prior of the Carmelite monastery there. She wanted to found reformed monasteries for men but did not know how to begin.

“The prior was happy to know of it and promised me he would be the first. I took it that he was joking with me and told him so. For although he was always a good friar, recollected, very studious, and found of his cell – in fact, he was a learned man – it did not seem to me that he was the one for beginning like this. Neither would he have the courage or promote the austerity that was necessary, since he was fragile, and not given to austerity.

“The prior confided in Teresa that he strongly desired to lead a more regular monastic life. In fact, he planned to join the Carthusians. Teresa continued:

“Despite all this, I was not completely satisfied. Although I was happy to hear what he said, I asked that we put it off for a while and that he prepare by putting into practice the things that he would be promising. And this he did….. (Foundation, page 112).

“In various situations, Teresa spontaneously sensed that conversations were an appropriate way to discover the will of God. They were a source of consolation and discernment. Often they carried love in them. She regularly took her conversations to prayer, and her prayer to conversations.”

Reflection for the Day: Think for a moment on conversations you have had that were sources for discerning the presence of God. Offer these conversations to God in thanksgiving.

Love One Another - Brian

Sabbath Rest

Tuesday is the weekly Sabbath Day at the John 13:34 Blog. Thanks for checking in. Back at it again tomorrow. I hope to have the pleasure of your company.

The Sunday Musical Offering - Tchaikovsky "Letter Scene"

I am preparing some lectures about the life and music of Tchaikovsky for later in the spring and have been listening to his opera Eugene Onegin. The opera came to life in May of 1877, when the opera singer Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya spoke to Tchaikovsky about creating an opera based on the plot of Pushkin's verse novel Eugene Onegin. At first this idea seemed wild to the composer, according to his memoirs. Tchaikovsky felt that the novel wasn't properly strong in plot which was rather banal - a wordly man rejects a young country girl, she successfully grows into a worldly woman, he tries to seduce her but it is too late. The strength of the novel resided in its character development and social commentary, as well as in the beauty of its literary delivery. Soon enough however and after a sleepless night, Tchaikovsky came to embrace the idea. He was soon growing excited about the suggestion and created the scenarios in one night before starting the composition of the music.

Tchaikovsky, with the assistance of Konstantin Shilovsky, used original verses from Pushkin's novel and chose scenes that involved the emotional world and fortunes of his heroes, calling the opera "lyrical scenes." The opera is episodic; there is no continuous story, just selected highlights of Onegin's life. Since the original story was so well known, Tchaikovsky knew his audience could easily fill in any details that he omitted. The composer finished the opera by January 1878.

Here is a portion of the famous "Letter Scene" sung by Renee Fleming.

Love One Another - Brian

The Weekly Round-Up for January 12, 2012

After a holiday hiatus, it is back to work for the Weekly Round-Up at the John 13:34 Blog. While we are not yet in top form due to many new activities and events taking place in my life, I will try my best to bring my readers what I consider to be the best in essays, editorials, music, spirituality and religion. Away we go for 2013...

A New Year by Jim Wallis

Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice (NY Times)

Rob Bell's Search for a More Forgiving Church (The New Yorker)

Grace Amid Suffering (Faith & Leadership)

The Spiritual But Not Religious Most Likely To Face Mental Issues, Drug Use, Study Finds (CNN)

Does Listening to Mozart Boost Your Brain Power? (BBC)

Losing My Religion for Equality (President Jimmy Carter)

Thirteen Issues for Churches in 2013, Issues 1-6 (Thom Rainer)

Three Habits of Great Creative Teams (Keith Yamashita)

"Nones" More or Less (Sharon Ely Pearson)

Meet Gorgeous George, The Holy Pontiff's Live In Partner (Counter Punch)

New Churches Focus on Building A Community Life (NY Times)

What All Teachers Should Learn from Jazz-Band Teachers (Psychology Today)

That should keep you, my dear reader, busy for a few hours! Have a blessed day.

Love One Another - Brian

The Dove - A Symbol of God's Salvation

This weekend, many congregations in the Christian tradition will remember our Lord’s baptism in the river Jordan. In this story, we are given a small insight into the nature of a God who is otherwise, up to this point in the story, rather mysterious. As a dripping wet Jesus comes up out of the water, an amazing discovery is made if we look closely at the text. The God whom we worship is suddenly made manifest in a Trinitarian mode or nature. God is Father we discover, who has a Son whom he claims as the beloved, and these two beings are related to one another through the action of a Spirit. I wonder how often readers of this first portion of the Gospel of Luke pause and take in the momentous innovation that is being described about the Hebrew Deity.  

In addition, the baptism passage found in the third chapter of Luke is rich with a symbolism. When we read that the Spirit descended upon the baptized Jesus in the form of a dove, the author of the third Gospel wants us to recall a favorite story from the Hebrew Bible. In the story of Noah, God decides to destroy the earth with a flood because human beings had become wicked beyond belief. So God places Noah, the only righteous one to be found, with his family and many animals in a huge boat which is able to ride out the deluge. When the sun comes out, Noah sends out a dove. When it returns to him with an olive branch, he knows that the waters are beginning to subside and they are saved.

In Jewish tradition, then, the dove became a symbol of God’s salvation from disaster and calamity. The appearing of a dove meant that the difficult times were nearly at an end, and that the new day would soon appear. I wonder if Luke is trying to reassure his readers, right at the beginning of his narrative, that the Spirit has come to Jesus as a sign and promise that all will be well. This does not mean that, as we well know, Jesus’ life will be a “gentle walk in the park.” But even though there will be tumult, pain and suffering: in the end, all will be well.

Love One Another - Brian

A Love That Flows....

I receive a daily meditation from Richard Rohr who runs the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Yesterday’s post was too good not to share with my readers. The reflection was entitled: To Love Is To Allow Something To Flow Through Us. Rohr writes:

“Jesus commanded us to love; so we know love is not just a feeling, since we cannot command feelings. Love is mostly a decision.

“Jesus did not say:

“When you get healed, love;

When you grow up, love;

When you feel loving, love;

When you get it together and have dealt with all your mother/father/husband/children wounds, then you must love.

“No, the commandment for all of us is to LOVE now, and thus fill the tragic gaps of every moment.

“I think we know the love of God when we ourselves can “do love” much more than when people tell us we are loveable (that just feels good!). We can always disbelieve the second, but the first is an unexplainable power from Beyond ourselves. We know we are being used, and the “Living Water” is flowing through us (John 7:38).” (Adapted from Letting Go: A Spirituality of Subtraction)

Love One Another - Brian

God and Downton Abbey

There was a lot of hype over the weekend about the season premiere of Downton Abbey, the hit PBS series involving the Crawley family and their servants. To be honest, I did not know a thing about Lady Mary or Mr. Carson, Daisey or Mr. Bates, or any of characters until my wife began watching the series over the holiday break. We both became addicted fans!

So, it was with fascination and a bit of odd curiosity that I stumbled upon an article entitled, “Why Is God Still Absent from Downton Abbey” in Christianity Today by Todd Dorman.  Really? Is somebody going to criticize one of the few worthwhile television programs because God seems to be absent?

Here is a portion of what Dorman had to say….

“The record-breaking Downton Abbey spans a deliciously long stretch of time. The show includes the wreck of the Titanic, in which the Crawley family loses its heir, the lead-up to World War I, the War itself, its aftermath, and now, in Season 3 the advent of the roaring 20's. The show's writer and primary creative force, Julian Fellowes, is a practicing Catholic.

“The show is set in an old abbey. The family who own Downton, especially the older generations who have the most to lose by losing the house, are obsessed not only with the house itself, but also with its history.

“Also they employ a vicar.

“So how is it that God is a peripheral presence at best?

“To be fair, there have been a few mentions of God. During Season One there was a perfunctory scene set in a church, but it was basically about architecture. At the beginning of Season Two, the evil footman Thomas asked God's forgiveness for sticking his hand out of the trenches to be properly shot so he could return home with a medical discharge.

“To be fairer still, Season Two included two moments of devout prayer: Lady Mary praying at her bedside when her beloved Matthew goes missing at the front, and two servants interceding for Matthew and another missing footman during the same period.

“By some measures, this would be a watershed on a hit show—two scenes in which people sincerely pray! But in Downton, these events were so late in coming that they did more to point out a missed opportunity than to fill it. During his brief appearance, we learned that the vicar lives on the family's land, and is beholden to Lord Grantham for both his livelihood and the flowers on his altar.

“It's been well reported that Downton Abbey is the most successful British period piece since Brideshead Revisited, the series based on the Evelyn Waugh novel. Both are set in roughly the same geographic and economic regions—and as of Season 3, with some time overlap as well. Both stories mark long and descending trajectories for once-great English families. But the plot of Brideshead is driven by and steeped in its characters' passionate and complex relationships with God. Waugh's story turns on a crisis of faith that both sums up the sea changes of aristocratic life at the end of the nineteenth century and transcends earthly questions with spiritual ones.

“Of course Fellowes has no obligation to repeat this accomplishment, and presumably has little interest trying. Yet it remains striking how much divine trapping there is in Downton Abbey, for what little role explicit faith plays in its characters' lives. There are numerous fascinating blog posts, including this one, that search for implicit Catholic and Christian themes in the show—good and evil, suffering for cause, various types and grades of love and devotion. At some point, though, especially with a vicar in the family's employ, it seems odd for such connections to remain unnamed, unspoken, and, for all we can see, unperceived.”

My initial reaction was to suggest that Christianity Today spend more of its time on addressing the truly major social issues of our time: hunger, war, mass killings, gun control, and the moral bankruptcy found in most reality TV shows. I do not find anywhere in the Scriptures where it states that God needs to be mentioned in a television series. But the Scriptures sure do have plenty to say about justice, mercy, and caring for our neighbors.

An interest in the lack of God’s presence on Downton Abbey caused me to seek out further information about how God was faring in the United Kingdom these days. The statistics were alarming.  In the past when life had fewer distractions people measured Church attendance on a weekly basis, but today regular Churchgoing is often measured as those that go at least once a month. A report on "Churchgoing in the UK" published by Tearfund in April 2007 shows that only 15% of the English population attends Church at least once a month. If the Church in England was the national soccer team, they should have sacked the manager long ago. A European social study (published in 2002) put the UK at the 4th lowest rate of Church attendance in Europe. See the chart below and remember that 1920 wasn’t that long ago.

So, if Mr. Dorman is so concerned about the absence of God in this story of the Crawley dynasty perhaps he should suggest to the creators that the series be relocated to Poland or Ireland where God seems to have a much more favorable reception. Meanwhile, I will say my prayers on Sunday morning and come 9 pm focus more of my attention on Mr. Bates’ freedom, the looming financial crisis for Lord Grantham, and the hilarious one liners from the witty Dowager Countess and Lady Isobel.

Love One Another - Brian

Sabbath Rest

Tuesday is the weekly Sabbath time for the John 13:34 Blog. Thanks for checking in. Back at it again tomorrow. I hope you will return to this site and journey with me.

The Sunday Musical Offering - Happy Birthday to John Suntken

My son, John, turned 21 today. I am feeling kind of old!! It seems like yesterday when the pager went off during a Sunday service indicating that it was time to go to the hospital. Many hours later, the joy of Kathy and my life arrived into the world. Little did we know then what was in store for us. John has turned into a terrific young man and he is becoming a fine musician in his own right. The Sunday Musical Offering celebrates John's 21st birthday with three selections of his favorite drummers.

The first clip is of Greg Hutchinson performing live in Montreal in 1995. The second video is an older recording of Philly Joe Jones who passed in 1985. He was the drummer for the Miles Davis Quintet. The final selection is of Questlove (sometimes written as '?uestlove'), you read it correctly. He is best known as the drummer and joint frontman (with Black Thought) for the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, which is now the in-house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

My learning curve is high for these gentlemen - but these are three awesome musicians.

Happy Birthday, John!

Love One Another - Brian

The Twelfth Day of Christmas - The Music of Handel

 “The Harmonious Blacksmith” is the popular name of the final movement, Air and Variations, of George Frederic Handel's Suite No. 5 in E major, HWV 430. The story is that Handel, when working for James Brydges the future Duke of Chandos at Cannons between 1717 and 1718, once took shelter from the rain in a smithy, and was inspired to write his tune upon hearing the hammer on the anvil; the regularly repeated pedal note (B in the right hand) in the first variation, can give the impression of a blacksmith hammering. A variation on the story is that he heard the blacksmith singing the tune which would later become the Air; this explanation fits in nicely with Handel's general technique of borrowing tunes. Neither story is true. The legend began three-quarters of a century after Handel's death with Richard Clark in his Reminiscences of Handel (1836).

Regardless of the legends, I heard the piece yesterday while preparing for Sunday service and I thought what a delightful way to end the 12 Days of Christmas. Here is Benjamin Smith at the piano recorded live in August of 2008.

A  reminder about the true work of Christmas....

The Work of Christmas by Howard Thurman

When the song of the angels is stilled,

When the star in the sky is gone,

When the kings and princes are home,

When the shepherds are back with their flock,

The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,

To heal the broken,

To feed the hungry,

To release the prisoner,

To rebuild the nations,

To bring peace among people,

To make music in the heart.

Love One Another - Brian

The Eleventh Day of Christmas - The Music of Scotland

“Eleven pipers piping….”

It is the only day of the year that I actually desire to play music featuring bagpipes. This is BBC coverage of the opening parade of the massed pipe bands at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2012. Bringing together the very best pipe bands from across the globe -- 12 pipe bands in all -- featuring the award-winning Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, The Royal Corps of Signals, The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland and Queen Victoria School, Dunblane. While from overseas, Melbourne's Rats of Tobruk, the Australian Federal Police, the Manly Warringah and Scots College from Sydney, South Africa's Cape Town Highlanders along with the Canadian Army complete the ranks of this prodigious massed pipe band.

A prayer for the Christmas season:

God of light & darkness, there's a sudden emptiness when the songs of Christmas are over. We miss the lights that kept away at least some of the despair. The scents of the season all too quickly float away and become memories. Too easily we feel life's grit and we groan or growl. Sometimes we parrot pat answers that leave others wanting. And, we forget that the touch of service can awaken our best, happy self. Forgive us & shine your light anew. Amen.

Love One Another - Brian

The Tenth Day of Christmas - The Music Of Broadway

While I have a great passion for classical music, I was born and raised on the songs and scores of Broadway. Blessed with friends in the theater, I was lucky to experience The Great White Way in all of its grandeur - Fiddler on the Roof, 42nd Street, On the Twentieth Century, Oklahoma, CATS, My Fair Lady, Man of La Mancha, Anything Goes, and Hello Dolly! to name but a few. A great blessing to be sure.

What a delight on New Year's Day to find the movie version of "Hello Dolly!" with a stellar cast under the direction of Gene Kelly. There was no "flipping" to see what else was on at the time or check the "Bowl" score for Barbara Streisand commanded my attention and brought great delight singing some of the awesome songs from Jerry Herman's classic score. Michael Crawford, of Phantom of the Opera fame, and Tommy Tune were just beginning their careers and gave youthful performances. And let's not forget that there was a special cameo by the one and only Louis Armstrong.

The show was based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1955. Dolly was first produced on Broadway by David Merrick in 1964, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical and nine other Tonys. The show album Hello, Dolly! An Original Cast Recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The musical has become one of the most enduring theatre hits, enjoying three Broadway revivals and international success. The movie version which was produced in 1969 was nominated for seven Academy Awards – winning three – but losing Best Picture to Midnight Cowboy.

Unfortunately, clips of the movie are hard to come by. So, on this Tenth Day of Christmas were we celebrate "Lords a Leaping", we will have to satisfy ourselves with this short theater trailer which will highlight most of the amazing score.

Here is a favorite Carol of the season to be used as prayer for the day:

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

I saw three ships come sailing in

On Christmas Day in the morning.

 And what was in those ships all three,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?

And what was in those ships all three,

On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,

On Christmas Day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

O they sailed into Bethlehem,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

And all the bells on earth shall ring,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

And all the souls on earth shall sing,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice again,

On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;

Then let us all rejoice again,

On Christmas Day in the morning.

Love One Another - Brian