Mood: Meditative
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STLT#218, Who Can Say
As with any art form, the more you engage it, the more familiar you become with those who practice it – sometimes it’s easy, like discerning Picassos in the Modern Museum of Art. Sometimes it’s less so, requiring some familiarity – signature dance moves mark the difference between Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse, signature word… Continue reading
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STLT#217, O Sing Hallelujah
I’m glad my voice is back, so I could sing this hymn. I love it, and just as there are those who long for Christmas carols throughout the year, I sometimes wish this hymn could be used outside of the Days of Awe. I also wish it was less… draggy. It’s meant to be sung… Continue reading
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STLT#199, Precious Lord, Take My Hand
I’ve been to church this mornin’. Not literally, of course, and yet… When I was in seminary, I joined the gospel choir – I was tentative at first, not only because I am white but because I am not a Christian. But I was assured that this gospel choir was indeed open to all, and… Continue reading
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STLT#196, Singer of Life
Of the many metaphors we use for the Divine, I think Singer of Life is my favorite. This metaphor taps into something we know about the earth, that it has its own vibrational hum…and when you add all of the living things that have their own hums (and voices and chirps and growls and sighs),… Continue reading
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STLT#192, Nay, Do Not Grieve
I’m of several minds with this hymn today. My first thought: I wish I knew the tune, commissioned for STLT and written by Libby Larsen. It might make a more meaningful connection to the lyrics possible. As it was, I was plunking out notes on my phone’s keyboard for all three verses. My second thought:… Continue reading
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STLT#184, Be Ye Lamps unto Yourselves
Gentle readers, I’m in an odd place with this one. I am certain (and am glad) there are people who draw strength and inspiration from this text, a beloved (anonymously translated) passage from “Buddha’s Farewell Address” – a passage from the Mahaparinibbana Suttana. I don’t. I mean, I get what it’s about – it’s all over… Continue reading
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STLT#179, Words That We Hold Tight
I have little to say this morning. In fact, most of what I have to say in this hurried morning will be below the lyrics. But I will say WOW, these this song is timely. I appreciate it when this spiritual practice meets the times, even I grumble going through it – because it always… Continue reading
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STLT#177, Sakura
I had the opportunity to sing this once, as a solo, to commemorate Hiroshima Day. While set on a pentatonic scale, it is in what musicologists call Phrygian Dominant Minor Mode – which is another term for “very unfamiliar but striking intervals that are at once difficult and haunting.” It was not easy for me to… Continue reading
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STLT#165, When Windows That Are Black and Cold
1:52pm: Cool update at the end of this post. One of my regular readers, Kaye, regularly points out in comments the titles that don’t make sense because they aren’t titles at all but rather first lines. I know from experience that if the first line doesn’t grab me, I don’t look further, and sometimes I… Continue reading
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STLT#164, The Peace Not Past Our Understanding
This tune is apparently a magnet for messed up rhymes. Now to John Holmes’ credit, his lyrics generally rhyme in a comfortable ABAB structure, but goodness, we got off to a rocky start, as ‘tablecloth’ does not rhyme with ‘truth’ … and while we’re at it, the tune does not support the correct pronunciation of the… Continue reading
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links
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