Most of the people I talk to these days are tired and anxious. They are tired of spending so much time in front of screens, tired of the social isolation and not being able to do many of the things they love to do, and anxious about the uptick in COVID-19 and the approaching election.
To address this fatigue and anxiety our spiritual practice for November is praying through music. Listening to sacred music, classical music, or jazz is a great way to center ourselves in the living God, calm down, and open ourselves to being reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit working through the gift of music. If you don’t have access to recordings on your phone or computer, you can find almost any piece of music on Youtube.
- Listen to, play, or sing a piece of music that will help you become still, moving into a period of silence.
Suggestions: Gregorian chants; Taizé music including “Veni Sancte Spiritus”; “Be Thou My Vision,” “I Shall Not Want” or “Lead, Kindly Light” by Audrey Assad. - Listen to, play, or sing a piece of music that expresses joy, adoration, or thanksgiving, moving into a period of silence.
Suggestions: “For the Beauty of the Earth” or “All Things Bright and Beautiful” by John Rutter; Symphony No. 6, ‘Pastoral’ by Beethoven; “Credo” from Bach’s B Minor Mass; “Exultate Deo” by Palestrina; “Christus Ressurexit” from the Music of Taizé; “Holy is the Lord” by Chris Tomlin; “A Love Supreme” by John Coltrane. - End by saying a short prayer and/or by saying the Grace from the Book of Common Prayer.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
If you are willing, email Blair Pogue the music you used for parts 1 and 2 at rector@stmatthewsmn.org and she will share them with the congregation. I know we are a faith community of music lovers!
