Maundy Thursday - If Ye Love Me

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.  John 13:34, 35

If Ye Love Me

A new commandment - mandatum, in Latin - that Jesus’ little band of followers would love each other the way he loved them. The Latin word is where we get the term Maundy and why we call this day Maundy Thursday, the time we remember Jesus’ last supper with his disciples.

The text of If ye love me is taken from words Jesus spoke later the same evening as he continued impressing on his disciples the meaning of love:

If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever, that is, the spirit of truth. John 14:15-17a

Composer Thomas Tallis had an amazing life. He remained Catholic at a time in England when it was dangerous not to convert to the Church of England. Not only did he not convert, he was employed by the royal court for over 50 years! While he found favor with monarchs from Henry VII to Elizabeth I, Tallis lived at a time when many Christians were not following the command to love each other. He set these words from the gospel of John in 1565.

This song is beloved not just for the text but for the beautiful musical setting of the words. I first heard it performed at a wedding when my daughter Melinda and Ryan were married. Most of you heard it just a couple of years ago at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle.

The Cambridge Singers perform with the text and music on the screen. Here
Note the rich major chord on the word “forever.” This song is designed to give us hope!

Holy Week Wednesday - Were You There?

Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?

This moving favorite is a true spiritual - a biblically-inspired song created and passed on by enslaved people in the American south. It was the first spiritual to be included in a major hymnal, the Anglican hymnal of 1940, and has been recorded many times in a variety of styles. Two versions are linked below - the first by Victor Trent Cook and the Three Mo’ Tenors Gospel Ensemble, the second by a trio of young women called Pegasis.

Victor Trent Cook

Pegasis



For a change of pace from the heavy, meditative tone of Holy Week, enjoy this video of the Getty family singalong. There is a lovely solo by the mom about midway, and the family has suggestions for ways to enjoy uplifting music throughout the day.

Getty Family Singalong March 31

Holy Week Tuesday - Lamb of God

Lamb of God

Twila Paris was a young songwriter, on the rise in the contemporary Christian recording scene, when she composed “Lamb of God” in 1985. The song can now be found in a variety of hymnals including The Faith We Sing, the UMC supplemental hymnal published in 2000.

I’ve linked to Twila Parish singing the song as it was performed in the 80s and 90s, and I’ve also included a version of a fellow playing the piano and singing the song in what appears to be an empty sanctuary. Twila Parish is wonderful, but I like the simplicity of the second version - something about him sitting alone in a sanctuary is very fitting in this odd Lenten season we are experiencing together.

Original Twila Parish version

Anonymous singer/pianist


And for those of you learning to play guitar, this version by a young woman named Lindsay clearly shows the guitar chords. Sing and play along! If you need a chord chart, check Here.

Lamb of God

Your only Son, no sin to hide, but you sent him from your side
To walk upon this guilty sod
And to become the Lamb of God.

Your gift of love they crucified, they laughed and scorned him as he died,
The humble king they named a fraud
And sacrificed the Lamb of God

O Lamb of God! Sweet Lamb of God!
I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in his precious blood,
My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

I was so lost, I should have died, but you have brought me to your side,
To be led by your staff and rod,
And to be called a lamb of God.

O Lamb of God! Sweet Lamb of God!
I love the holy Lamb of God!
O wash me in his precious blood,
My Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Holy Week Monday - What Wondrous Love is This

What Wondrous Love is This

     This song is an American folk hymn that was first published in hymnals in the early 19th century. The tune is of English origins and was likely over a century old when it was used with this text.
   
Fernando Ortega version is Here

St. Olaf Choir version is Here



Here is an 1811 version of the text.

What wondrous love is this,
O my soul! O my soul!
What wondrous love is this!
O my soul! 
What wondrous love is this!
That caused the Lord of bliss!
To send this precious peace,
To my soul, to my soul!
To send this precious peace
To my soul!
(Most hymnals use the text “To bear the dreadful curse for my soul” instead of “To send this precious peace for my soul”)

When I was sinking down,
Sinking down, sinking down;
When I was sinking down
Sinking down
When I was sinking down,
Beneath God's righteous frown,
Christ laid aside his crown
For my soul, for my soul!
Christ laid aside his crown
For my soul!

To God and to the Lamb,
I will sing, I will sing;
To God and to the Lamb,
I will sing--
To God and to the Lamb,
who is the great I AM,
while millions join the theme,
I will sing, I will sing!
while millions join the theme,
I will sing!


And while from death I'm free,
I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
And while from death I'm free,
I'll sing on.
and while from death I'm free, 
I'll sing and joyful be,
and through eternity
I'll sing on, I'll sing on,
and through eternity
I'll sing on.

Why “Let There Be Peace On Earth” does not sit well with my soul

I first encountered “Let There Be Peace On Earth” years ago when I was student-teaching with the Cartersville Middle School band. The high school chorus met in the same wing of the building as the band, and I should have recognized then that I was destined for choral, not band, conducting. When the choral director saw me hanging around the door, listening to their rehearsal, she invited me to come in and sing along. “Let There Be Peace on Earth” was one of the songs they were rehearsing for their spring concert.

It was a nice arrangement that was, as I recall, the culmination of the program. The tune was pretty, and it had a line about God - “With God as our Father, brothers all are we, let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.” 

Working in a secular environment, I appreciated it because I knew that any reference to God could move mysteriously in someone’s heart. In the months before I became a Christian, I listened to “Jesus Christ, Superstar” over and over, drawn to the person of Christ that shone through the imperfect medium of a rock opera intended for a Broadway audience. The wind of God’s Spirit blows where it will. I enjoyed “Let There Be Peace on Earth” in the context of that school concert, though years later I was very surprised to see it in the Methodist hymnal and even more surprised when I read the change in text.

Like generations before me, I was taught that the word “brothers,” in many contexts, meant brothers and sisters. Male terminology could be gender-neutral. Later generations have not been taught the same way, and in a well-intentioned attempt to be inclusive, the line that mentioned God was changed to “With God our Creator, children all are we.” But the original sentiment of the song, written by a woman, is that we are united as siblings because God is our Father, not reduced to children because we share a Creator. This is not a small point. The song is already very “me” centered, not God-centered. I don’t think the original wording should be included in the hymnal for reasons I’ll state below, but the change in wording removes significant connection to God at all. 

In Romans 12:18 we are instructed “If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” This may be the verse that some may have used to connect the song with Christian theology. But note the wording in the Bible verse. There is no illusion that this is going to be easy. Other versions use similar wording - “do all that you can to live at peace with everyone,” “try your best to live at peace with everyone.” There is no idealized hand-holding as we skip into the sunrise of a new day. Our Lord came as the prince of peace, but he also calls us to take up his cross and follow him. By nature of his call, a Christian is never going to be in “perfect harmony” with anyone on this earth. We may be able to live at peace as far as it depends on us, but there should be no illusions that this is going to be the work of children. (And anyone who has spent much time with children is under no illusion that they are examples of perfect harmony.) We are to come to Jesus with the faith of little children (Matt. 19:14), but as we grow in Christ we are to partake of “meat, not milk” (I Cor. 3:2) -  solid food - and move on to become teachers ourselves (Heb. 5:12-14). 

We have been “delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God’s beloved son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13) Christians literally belong to the supernatural, eternal kingdom of God while living on this earth. Being at peace on this earth takes work, prayer, discernment, and, at times, a degree of detachment from sentimentalism. 

There is a reference to “perfect peace” in the Bible. Isaiah 26:3 tells us that God will keep in “perfect peace’ those whose minds are faithful, those who trust him. Trusting God means giving our lives to him. This is not peace that is brought about as a result of our vows to be at peace or our intentions to stay peaceful “each moment.” The suggestion that we can, with good intentions, bring about peace on earth or even in our own lives, without relying on God, is a serious error.

Much of the song is idealized and exaggerated - are we really taking a “solemn vow” to take “each moment” and live “each moment” in peace “eternally?” What in scripture, world history, or our own lives gives us any idea that we have the power to do such things? Why, in a worship service for Christians, are we singing about making vows that we know we cannot keep apart from a moment to moment dependence on God?

Please hear this is the spirit in which it is intended - I’m referring to songs that Christians sing together as part of our worship. “Jesus Christ, Superstar” can still move me to tears, but I’m not advocating for the inclusion of “What’s the buzz, tell me what’s-a happenin’” in upcoming hymnals. I read recently that while Anglicans have the Book of Common Prayer and Presbyterians have the Westminster Confession, Methodists have their hymnal. Let’s guard what we are saying when we sing together in worship. 

Contrast the text of “Let There Be Peace On Earth” with a few other songs from our hymnal- 

Sweet Hour of Prayer

“In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found release, and thus escaped the tempter’s snare by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.” This hymn writer has learned that the solution for anxiety, depression, and temptation is prayer. A good solid hour of prayer. What problems in our lives and world would be solved, what peace would be achieved, if we really spent an hour in prayer on any kind of regular basis?

It is Well with My Soul

“Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say, it is well, it is well, with my soul.” Most of you know the story behind this song. Notice the act of will involved; the grieving father who wrote these words is affirming a deep, mysterious truth that he has been taught, not affirming a sentiment.

Blessed Assurance 

“Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long…” Fanny Crosby was blind, but she could see and express great spiritual truths in an economy of words.

And Can It Be

“He left his father’s throne above (so free, so infinite his grace!), emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adam’s helpless race. ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God, it found out me!” You can’t beat Charles Wesley for theology! The only problem with this great hymn “And Can It Be,” is that the tune is very hard to sing. But it is worth the effort and should be included more often.

“Terri, you are overthinking this. Why can’t we just sing the song?”

We can, with one request on my part. Let’s not end congregational favorites with it. If someone requests it, I’ll be professional and get it going, but we will need to follow it with something that affirms what we as Christians believe. 

The BBC and me.

   If you check out this Podcast, you will hear me - me! - giving a greeting on "Over to You," a weekly program on the BBC World Service. You will also hear clips of a phone interview of me commenting on the reporting of Tulip Mazumdar, the author of a story about a young girl who escaped from Boko Haram.

What you will not hear is the question that I asked repeatedly, "Is Miriam safe?"

I saw this article,   The girl who escaped from Boko Haram,  on the BBC website. Only 17, Miriam was kidnapped by members of Boko Haram and forced, on pain of death, to marry one of her captors. She was able to escape, and her story was told by reporter Tulip Mazumdar.  

As I read the article, I found myself increasingly nervous about Miriam.

How many pregnant kidnapped wives manage to steal their husband's SIM card and escape back home? How far could home be if a pregnant girl could run there? It would be easy to recognize Miriam from the partial photos on the website. Was her husband coming after her? Boko Haram have already killed the men in Miriam's family, so it seems that she is extremely vulnerable.

Did the producers simply assume that Miriam's captors would lack the internet savvy to use the story to help track her down?

Along with these worries, I had the positive thought that Miriam could likely qualify for asylum from the US government, particularly if there was a support system already in place for her. Between my contacts in several different communities - churches, refugee support, and other philanthropically- minded individuals - I could offer support if I could get more details about Miriam.

I left several messages on various places on the BBC website, asking if Miriam was safe and if it would be possible to communicate with Tulip Mazumdar about getting help to Miriam or even getting her out of the country and into America.

To my surprise, I received a very nice email from the BBC World Service. I received a follow-up email a few days later.

Would I agree to post questions to be read on the show, "Over to You?" I listened to a podcast of the show but had trouble connecting with it as the callers and hosts were discussing previous shows I hadn't heard. But I went ahead and listed some questions, all centered around the focal point, "Can I find out if Miriam is safe?"

I received another nice email from a producer of the show, asking me if she could call and record my answers. Being quite an Anglophile, I was excited about having input on the show and hearing my voice go around the world with the BBC World Service! Within minutes of sending her my phone number, she called.

I talked with two different people and expressed concern to both that the story may have made Miriam's life even more dangerous that it was already. I answered questions about my involvement with refugees in this country and the possibility of getting Miriam out of the area where Boko Haram can reach her.  At least four times the interviewer focused on the reporter, Tulip Mazumdar. It became apparent that I was being pressed to state how important this type of reporting was - on location, really getting involved with the story. Several times I answered that I thought it could possibly be too dangerous, not for the reporter, but for people like Miriam. In the interest of being polite, I did make some appreciative comments about the method of gathering the story. If you listen to the podcast you will get none of my concerns about Miriam. You will only hear the comments that praise the reporter and the interview process.

News reporting is distorted when the interviewers become the topic. If reporters gain rock star status, how can we listen to them critically? After tasting fame and popularity, how can they remain objective? I hung up after the phone interview with the vaguely uncomfortable feeling that I had been used.

The fall of the Soviet Union was a fascinating time - I know because Diane Sawyer was there to document it. I have a clearer mental picture of her than I do of Boris Yeltsin. Diane, leading a camera crew through the offices of the Kremlin to record history! The cameras spent a good deal of time on her.

Tulip, like Diane Sawyer, is easy on the eyes as well as an aggressive reporter. She must be doing a wonderful job; she got so many positive comments about her reporting that one of her stories was included on "Over to You!"

Unexpected Beauty

If you aren't too meticulous about weeding, wonderful things pop up.  Here is a bunch of petunias (I think) bravely scraggling through a crack in the driveway.  If I had weeded too quickly, I would have missed these pretty girls.  The nasty clump of grass needs to go, I know.

Last year I planted one squash and one zucchini in a sunny space in the front yard, and they both fell victim to poor drainage, squirrel attacks, or both.  This year I let a interesting sprout grow in a planter by the front door, and I have a sneaking suspicion that this is a wayward offspring of one of those squash/zucchinis.  Rather odd, but I love accidental plants.  Here is another suspected squash:

And here is my favorite "volunteer" of them all - cilantro!!!!

I've planted cilantro in a backyard garden and found it one of the more temperamental herbs to grow. Nothing like hardy basil, oregano and dill which withstand drought, soggy soil and bird/squirrel attacks. But for the second year in a row, several clumps of cilantro have popped up in the front yard.  I've snipped enough to freeze a small bag for later use, assuming I remember that I have it and can find the bag in the freezer. How did those seeds get there, I wonder?

For the second year in a row I'm letting this guy run wild for a little while, but I suspect it is a true weed.  Doesn't it show promise, though?  I don't have the heart to pull it up by the roots just yet. Maybe it has some blossom or fruit inside, waiting to come out.

This is a tiny front yard, mind you, just a block from a major thoroughfare that you can use to reach the heart of downtown Atlanta in about ten minutes by car, slightly longer by bike.  The Marta tracks run parallel to the road and can get you downtown even faster.  There is constant demolition and construction going on somewhere nearby, but if the machines pause you can hear the sweep of the Marta trains whipping downtown and back.  But here we sit on the porch and listen to birds, squirrels, various bugs, and occasional frogs.  There are huge brown hares spotted scampering in underbrush, and cats sometimes bring the bodies of cute bunnies to the porch (bad cat!) along with dead rats (good cat!).

There is a metaphor in not over-weeding, isn't there? When we try to correct everything, make everything perfect, we may miss something wonderful.  There is a different balance for every garden - if we had neglected weeding entirely, we would have missed the herbs, fruit and flowers.  If we hadn't had to cut down to massive oaks due to a fungus, the incredibly rich soil made up of  a century's worth of fallen leaves wouldn't have been surprised by the sudden flood of sunlight that has made it magically fertile, at least for a few seasons.  The obvious analogy is the parable of the wheat and the tares (weeds) found in Matthew 13:24.  A man sowed good seed in his field, but during the night his enemy came and sowed weeds in among the wheat. When the servants asked if they should dig up the entire lot, the man said no, don't sacrifice the entire wheat crop for the sake of the weeds.  Wait until they are grown, then the desired plants can be separated from the undesirable ones. My garden experience adds another parable - I am reaping where I did not sow.  These are wonderful things worth pondering on a cool morning, sitting on the porch, listening to birds and bulldozers.