Memento Mori

One of the most poetically beautiful passages of Scripture is about death. Death and the process of aging. Look carefully at the images and you will see that they are describing the inevitable slowing-down process of the body.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-8

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; while the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:

or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; all is vanity.

The sadness that we experience with aging and the thought of death is an opportunity. First, it gives us the idea of reflecting on our lives. As Gandalf said in the Lord of the Rings: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." Secondly, it provides an opening for the theological virtue of hope to become ever more real in the human heart. Here's a hymn that expresses what I mean:

Day is done, but love unfailing,
Dwells ever here.
Shadows fall, but hope, prevailing,
Calms every fear.
Loving Father, none forsaking,
Take our hearts, of Love's own making,
Watch our sleeping, guard our waking,
Be always near.

Dark descends, but Light Unending
Shines through our night.
You are with us, ever lending,
New strength to sight;
One in love, Your Truth confessing,
One in hope, of Heaven's Blessing,
May we see, in Love's possessing,
Love's endless Light!

Eyes will close, but You unsleeping,
Watch by our side.
Death may come: in Love's safe keeping
Still we abide.
God of love, all evil quelling,
Sin forgiving, fear dispelling
Stay with us, our hearts indwelling,
This eventide.

As the bridegroom to His chosen

1. As the bridegroom to His chosen,

As the king unto the realm,

As the keep unto the castle,

As the pilot to the helm,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

2. As the fountain in the garden,

As the candle in the dark,

As the treasure in the coffer,

As the manna in the ark.

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

3. As the music at the banquet

As the stamp unto the seal,

As the med’cine to the fainting,

As the wine-cup at the meal,
So, Lord, art Thou to me.

4. As the ruby in the setting,

As the honey in the comb,

As the light within the lantern,

As the father in the home,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

5. As the sunshine in the heavens,

As the image in the glass,

As the fruit unto the fig tree,

As the dew unto the grass,

So, Lord, art Thou to me.

Johannes Tauler

Trans/adapt. Emma Frances Shuttleworth Bevan

My Favorite Christian Radio Song

Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to steep so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much you'd already done

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise you
And I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Rich Mullins, Step by Step

Notice the way the first verse is speaking of a particular experience within the life of faith, but how a certain transparency and purity of the prayer of the refrain makes it general. And note the subtle but clear--and PERSONALIZED--allusion to Hebrews chapter 11 in the second verse, and the way the figure of Abraham makes the mind reflect back into the night watch of the first verse: "Look up at the stars and count them, if you can," said God to our Father Abraham.

Abraham trusted in his day, and it is a privilege for me to trust now, and I am not alone, but a member of a cloud of witnesses, testifying to the goodness of the Lord.

THAT'S hymnwriting.

A Daughter's Recollections

Another beautiful piece on the role of hymns in living and dying:
http://sistersnoopy.blogspot.com/2007/07/daughters-recollections.html

Beautiful Post

Roger Thomassen blogs on his father's singing during his living, and his dying.

Kleenex recommended--this is a beautiful tribute.