I've been lyric writing again....
This is a magnificat which I've written with the hymn tune Lucis Creator in mind but with a tiny bit of tweaking I'm sure it would fit other Long metre tunes. (eg when I survey, tallis canon etc)
If you're not sure how Lucis Creator goes here it is....
The usual rules apply by the way. Feel free to tweak, project, print, remix, recycle etc within a worship situation.
The Lord is great my soul proclaims
My heart delights in his saving name.
He looked upon my loneliness
And generations call me blest.
Our mighty God has done great things
And holy is the name we sing
His mercy lasts from age to age
Through family trees on history's page
His powerful arm has shown great might
In scattering the proud from sight
The mighty kings will lose their crowns
The lowly raised, the proud cast down.
The hungry have been banqueted
The rich and powerful are not fed
He sends the rich ones from his door
the hungry ones are given more
He has recalled his promises
To Abraham and his children's heirs
His promise of mercy shall endure
To help his people evermore.
All glory to the Father, Son
And Holy Spirit , the Three-inOone,
Who was and is and ever shall be
Beyond the end of history.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
A Meditation on the Orthodox icon of the Nativity (the birth of Jesus).
Here is the meditation that I used at the cafe church in St Mary's during the Epiphany weekend. We placed a large print of the nativity icon on a stand and printed copies of this meditation onto pieces of paper so that people could do the meditation in their own time.
Nativity Icon Meditation.
--------------------
Find a spot where you can see the icon clearly, then relax and allow God to speak to you through the picture. Gaze at the picture as a whole for a while. What do you like most about it? What do you dislike? Ask God to speak to you as you look at the icon more closely and use it as a basis for your prayer.
The background to this icon is a rocky and inhospitable world. Life can be hard sometimes. What part of your life is hardest at the moment? Tell God about this and ask him to help you with it.
In the centre of the icon is Mary, a larger figure than the others, in a cave. The town of Bethlehem has many caves used as stables and it is most likely that the stable where Jesus was born was one of them. Mary looks very tired after having given birth. What in life is making you weary at the moment? Tell God about this thing.
Yet this birth cuts into our rocky landscape, making our lives different. What difference has knowing about Jesus made to your life? Turn these thoughts into a prayer of thanks.
The baby Jesus is so tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes that he is helpless. He has given up his power and allowed himself to be made human and fragile. Yet as well as being ordinary, he is extraordinary too. The star beams joyfully down from Heaven pointing to the fact that Jesus is the light of the world. What part of your life is confusing at the moment and needs some light shedding upon it? Ask for guidance with this.
The ox and the ass are from a prophesy by Isaiah, "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib" (Isaiah 1:3). The animals are also thought to symbolize the Jews and the Gentiles. (The ox is a "clean" animal in Jewish thought and the ass is "unclean"). This good news is for everyone. Think and pray for those who feel "unclean", outcast or excluded at the moment. Pray that they will experience the good news of this invitation from God.
The women on the bottom right are midwives. They remind us that Jesus was born in the same way as a normal human baby. The newborn Jesus would have needed washing, just as an ordinary human baby would. Remember that Jesus experienced all the everyday aches and pains of being human. He shivered when it was cold, sneezed in a dusty room, and he muscles ached sometimes too. Pray for someone who is in pain today.
To the left are the magi on their journey, on horseback, finding the territory tough. Pray for those you know who are finding their journey through life really difficult at the moment.
The tree at the base of the picture is the "Jesse Tree". It is taken from the prophecy calling Jesus the "root of Jesse" (the father of King David): "A shoot shall sprout from the stump (of the tree) of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him" (Isaiah 11:1-2). The Jewish lineage of kings were cut off many years beforehand and ruled no more, but in Jesus the line of kings was restored. What things spring to mind that need restoration or renewal at the moment? Pray for those things.
The figure in the bottom corner is Joseph. He is pictured away from Jesus and Mary, almost out of the picture. This is because he was not directly involved in the miracle of Jesus’ incarnation and he looks very sad, as if he is doubting the miracle. The old man speaking to him represents the devil bringing new doubts to Joseph. Mary in the centre, from her reclining position, looks at Joseph as if trying to overcome his doubts and temptations. Pray for those who are tempted at the moment. and those with doubts. Is there anything that you find difficult or that you doubt about? Give your doubts to God and ask him to speak into them, giving you peace.
The angels are glorifying God and announcing the Good News to the shepherds, or singing. To the right, a young shepherd sits, playing his flute to express his joy at the Good News of Jesus’ birth. Pray for those who work to spread good news, and for those who really need to hear some good news today.
Who do you relate to most in the icon at the moment. What does this tell you about your life at the moment?
Finally give thanks for everything that God has shown you as you have prayed.
Nativity Icon Meditation.
--------------------
Find a spot where you can see the icon clearly, then relax and allow God to speak to you through the picture. Gaze at the picture as a whole for a while. What do you like most about it? What do you dislike? Ask God to speak to you as you look at the icon more closely and use it as a basis for your prayer.
The background to this icon is a rocky and inhospitable world. Life can be hard sometimes. What part of your life is hardest at the moment? Tell God about this and ask him to help you with it.
In the centre of the icon is Mary, a larger figure than the others, in a cave. The town of Bethlehem has many caves used as stables and it is most likely that the stable where Jesus was born was one of them. Mary looks very tired after having given birth. What in life is making you weary at the moment? Tell God about this thing.
Yet this birth cuts into our rocky landscape, making our lives different. What difference has knowing about Jesus made to your life? Turn these thoughts into a prayer of thanks.
The baby Jesus is so tightly wrapped in swaddling clothes that he is helpless. He has given up his power and allowed himself to be made human and fragile. Yet as well as being ordinary, he is extraordinary too. The star beams joyfully down from Heaven pointing to the fact that Jesus is the light of the world. What part of your life is confusing at the moment and needs some light shedding upon it? Ask for guidance with this.
The ox and the ass are from a prophesy by Isaiah, "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib" (Isaiah 1:3). The animals are also thought to symbolize the Jews and the Gentiles. (The ox is a "clean" animal in Jewish thought and the ass is "unclean"). This good news is for everyone. Think and pray for those who feel "unclean", outcast or excluded at the moment. Pray that they will experience the good news of this invitation from God.
The women on the bottom right are midwives. They remind us that Jesus was born in the same way as a normal human baby. The newborn Jesus would have needed washing, just as an ordinary human baby would. Remember that Jesus experienced all the everyday aches and pains of being human. He shivered when it was cold, sneezed in a dusty room, and he muscles ached sometimes too. Pray for someone who is in pain today.
To the left are the magi on their journey, on horseback, finding the territory tough. Pray for those you know who are finding their journey through life really difficult at the moment.
The tree at the base of the picture is the "Jesse Tree". It is taken from the prophecy calling Jesus the "root of Jesse" (the father of King David): "A shoot shall sprout from the stump (of the tree) of Jesse and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him" (Isaiah 11:1-2). The Jewish lineage of kings were cut off many years beforehand and ruled no more, but in Jesus the line of kings was restored. What things spring to mind that need restoration or renewal at the moment? Pray for those things.
The figure in the bottom corner is Joseph. He is pictured away from Jesus and Mary, almost out of the picture. This is because he was not directly involved in the miracle of Jesus’ incarnation and he looks very sad, as if he is doubting the miracle. The old man speaking to him represents the devil bringing new doubts to Joseph. Mary in the centre, from her reclining position, looks at Joseph as if trying to overcome his doubts and temptations. Pray for those who are tempted at the moment. and those with doubts. Is there anything that you find difficult or that you doubt about? Give your doubts to God and ask him to speak into them, giving you peace.
The angels are glorifying God and announcing the Good News to the shepherds, or singing. To the right, a young shepherd sits, playing his flute to express his joy at the Good News of Jesus’ birth. Pray for those who work to spread good news, and for those who really need to hear some good news today.
Who do you relate to most in the icon at the moment. What does this tell you about your life at the moment?
Finally give thanks for everything that God has shown you as you have prayed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)