Recent Tragedy

Last Sunday I woke up to four missed calls and a text, all from my mom.  Naturally, I wondered which of my relatives was in the emergency room.  However, I was completely unprepared for what she said.  Tammy called this morning.  There was an accident.  Elijah didn't make it.

At 12:30 am, our dear friends' oldest son passed from this life into the arms of our Lord.  A recent high school graduate, Elijah was headed to boot camp in three weeks, scheduled to depart on his 18th birthday.  He was a leader in the church youth group, an excellent percussionist, and a gifted athlete.

There are so many things to say.

My broken heart is aching.  But this pales in comparison to the agony of my brothers...Elijah's five siblings...his parents...

This is not fair.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding."

The town's response to this event has been nothing short of miraculous.  What an incredible blessing to count this my home.

God's presence is so much more visible than ever before.  He has already worked wonders through this tragedy.

I wish I could describe the profound, grief-stricken, worshipful beauty of Elijah's memorial service, but I don't think it could be put into words.  Elijah's life meant so much to so many, and his faithful commitment to Christ has reached the entire community and far beyond.  Through his death and his parents' constant witness in the following days, hundreds - perhaps thousands - have heard the gospel.



Thanks be to God.

Elijah Todd Davis
September 2, 1995 - July 28, 2013

Omnivorous Antipescetarian: Confirmed

I hate fish. Whoa.

Like the kind you eat, not the kind you keep in a bowl or a tank or whatever.

I had thought that maybe if I tried some again, maybe my last fish experience would have been long enough in the past that my taste buds would have matured and I would magically think that the taste and texture were the grandest things in the world. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Last night, our choir had a very fancy end-of-the-year fête, including a gourmet meal with four courses: (hors d'oeuvres), soup, (palate cleanser), entrée, cheese, dessert. I took a lot of risks at this dinner. I ate both pea soup - the greenness of which has always perturbed me a bit - and foie gras. If you didn't know, that's made out of goose livers. Like I said...RISKS. (Good risks. As it turns out, pea soup is pretty tasty!)

But then came the salmon wrapped in bacon, covered with oyster sauce.

Dread came over me. What should I do? I resolved to try it. Be brave. Show the world that you are not intimidated by your food. It sat like a lump on my plate. Why is it so pink? I like red meat...but red fish? I cut off a large bite. No sample sizes here. Whole hog. I put the fish in my mouth and chewed. This texture is different then I imagined.

Then I tasted it.

Oh gosh. It's getting fishier...and fishier...and FISHIER! AHHHHH!!! IT'S LIKE EATING CAPE COD!!! QUICK! DRINK WATER! EAT BACON!! MUST. EVICT. FISH. FLAVOR. IMMEDIATELY.

At this point, I knew that I could not subject myself to eating another bite.

I know without a doubt that it was not the fish that was bad. Everyone around me was saying how splendid it was, how finely prepared, how flavorful, etc. I commend the cooks and servers for their top-notch cooking and serving. I wanted for nothing, and the evening was delightful. With the fish came green beans and mashed potatoes, which I ate with great appreciation and rapidity.

I did, however, discover that I really, really can't handle seafood. It seems to be anathema to me. Be forewarned, those of you who dine with me regularly.

We had some church this morning.

We sang some Mendelssohn:



But the best part was during a hymn that brought the entire church to its feet, most of us having difficulty remaining dry-eyed. I can't describe something like that, except to say, yet again, that I love this church.

DILEMMA

I have a major, major problem. It's such a large problem that I don't know how to solve it. Seriously...what happens when Christianity and identity are at odds with each other??? But I am getting ahead of myself. What is this serious problem, you ask? I will tell you.





Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day is DURING LENT.

Yesterday at church, a song was performed during the Offertory that was truly beautiful. These are the lyrics:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hear their songs,
Their words of beauty reaching deep
Within cathedrals of my heart.
Angelic choirs reverberate
The stained glass windows
Of saints and sinners in their place
Singing out "Amazing Grace"
While in the glory of their faith
I'm drawn to find my part
And sing with all my heart.

I know their words,
Their thoughts reflecting simple truth
Of testimonies rich in love.
Their eyes can see
The mystery of loving kindness,
Of chains and blindness torn away,
Power found in each new day,
The Lord's compassion on display.
His touch from Heaven above
Gave words to speak their love.

Composer of my soul,
Show me all You show them.
The hymnwriter, hymnsinger,
Let me know their eloquence;
Let me share their offering.
Put the notes in my heart,
The lyrics on my lips,
And let the essence of my life
Be a song that others will want to sing.

I see their lives
Like tears that fall upon a page -
A mark indelible in time.
What sacrifice!
Their hearts poured out like ragin water
For sons and daughters to believe
And generations to receive
The harvest white from all their seeds.
No greater love sublime
Could change this heart of mine.

Composer of my soul,
Show me all You show them.
The hymnwriter, hymnsinger,
Let me know their eloquence;
Let me share their offering.
Put the notes in my heart,
The lyrics on my lips,
And let the essence of my life
Be a song that others will want to sing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think that every musician in the choir, sitting in pews, and performing would agree that this is the prayer of our lives, which can really be boiled down to a musical version of the beginning of the Westminster Catechism:

What is the chief and highest end of man?

Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.

Music Philosophy

Evensong at Church of the Advent only happens once a month. I guess that means that I'll be making the trek to Boston one time more frequently every month than I have in the past. In case you were wondering, Evensong is the evening prayer in the Anglican tradition where the liturgy is sung rather than spoken or chanted. It's truly beautiful. I'm really beginning to love the Anglican church. I love the emphasis on engaging all the senses, the connection to the rich history of the Church that stretches beyond denominational boundaries, the reverence given to all things holy, and the emphasis on very high quality music and repertoire.

How do you explain your deepest joy and passion with a world that doesn't share your worldview? How do I describe to my younger brothers - pop music lovers - that listening to the Best Loved Hymns cd on my drive to school in the morning is like having the Choir of King's College sitting in my back seat? How can I teach an orchestra full of middle school intermediate instrumentalists to play music without explaining to them that for me, sitting in the middle of the wind section, being enveloped in the glorious harmonies of Brahms Symphony No. 1, is a worship experience that can in no way be replicated elsewhere? The way I see it, music is a gift from God. This definitely doesn't mean that I have impeccable musical instincts, nor does it mean that I am particularly good at playing an instrument or singing, but it does mean that music speaks to me in a way that other things don't. Therefore, my life calling is to become the best musician I can be by practicing, by seeking good instruction, and by being involved in music for the rest of my life. To do less than that would be compromising a God-given gift.

Bach once said, "The aim and final end of music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul." Bach was a very wise man, if you ask me.

Church?

Sometime this month, I want to go to Church of the Advent in Boston, just because I think it's great. Post church, I want to hang around Boston, because Boston is also great. Maybe I'll see a concert. Maybe I'll walk around and take pictures. Maybe I'll go eat good food. The possibilities are endless. Who wants to come with me?

This Christmastide...

This evening, we celebrated Christmas with what was undoubtably the most glorious Lessons and Carols service on the North Shore. With a 38 voice choir, a 38 member orchestra, and an exceptional music director, how could we expect anything less? For me, this service truly represents what Christmas is all about: it's not about festivities, it's not about presents, it's not about winter weather, it's not about seasonal music; it's about Christ being born, and it's holy.

Nathan, thank you for this. What a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is.

"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Church Music!

I bought this album on iTunes the other day:


...and I have been listening to it nearly nonstop ever since. I fear that I have become a more of a nerd than I was before...but I see nothing wrong with loving hymns. What does that make me? A hymnophile?

A dilemma...

I'm frustrated. Here's why: in my opinion (and yes, I realize it is strictly my opinion, nothing more), the music at our church is absolutely spectacular Sunday after Sunday, and yet the response from various people is negative over and over again. I have talked to several attendees who have no complaints about the music, and they have expressed that the general church population really loves it. However, another group of church goers is very vocal about the fact that we don't have a church band during the fall, winter, and spring. Now, I know without a doubt that our music director does the best job he possibly can to play high quality music for every service, often taking the time to painstakingly arrange hymns for ensembles that he assembles and choosing music that coincides with both sermons and the liturgical calendar. Moreover, he frequently tries to incorporate a "praise song" chorus as a musical response, and we have a praise band all summer long that does contemporary music (again arranged by the music director for our misfit instrumental group - piano, bass, drum set, guitar, French horn, violin(s), and oboe/EH).

Maybe I'm biased. I'm a music major and I am therefore familiar with more of the older church music than some, and my mom occasionally calls me a "music snob" if I am mildly critical of things. But the way I see it, singing hymns and having high quality music connects us to a long course of church history that will be neglected and eventually forgotten if we only sing contemporary music. Don't get me wrong - I think there is a time and a place that is entirely appropriate for contemporary worship. I love the praise band we have during the summer, and I'm all for stuff like Tenth Avenue North, Stephen Curtis Chapman, and David Crowder. But I also love the tradition of the liturgy, the simplicity and yet the depth of hymns and their ancient texts, the complexity of Bach's sacred music, and the concept of singing music that has been sung through countless generations and in multiple countries.

All of this brings me to the conclusion that it's sad to see a monumental effort given to the church for the best possible worship experience that encompasses music both new and old, meant not only to please but also to educate, and to know that it's under-appreciated and even complained about. I know that it stems from the common debate over the style of worship, and that the issue sometimes gets so heated that churches are divided over it. I also know that the problem with the music in our church goes beyond just deciding which style of music is better. Nevertheless, it would be nice to see Christians be able to respect a balance and to strive to understand the other point of view. Finally, I don't think that my little expostulation does any justice to the topic, nor does it fully explain my point of view....

So here's to you, Music Director Extraordinaire. We (the royal or otherwise) hereby recognize the amazing amount of time and energy you put into making the music at church the most phenomenal that it could be, and we are incredibly grateful for both your impressive giftedness and your hard work.

We're coming to the church meeting next Sunday.











And we're making t-shirts.

Church Experimentation

This Sunday, a good friend and I went to a to-remain-nameless Episcopal church in Boston, mainly because it was rumored that they performed a Bach Cantata every Sunday. This turned out to be true! But I have gotten ahead of myself. We were aware that the church's doctrine varied quite a bit from our own, but we were willing to check it out anyway. The service included glorious music during every aspect of worship. The hymns were all good, and it seemed like we had sung most of them recently in our own church. This could have been due to the fact that the music directors of both churches are very in tune with the liturgical calendar...but it could also be attributed to mere coincidence. Either way, they were familiar, they were some of the great hymns of the faith, the organ/organist was talented, and the congregation sang reasonably loudly considering the small congregation in such a large space. The choir was magnificent, singing works by Thomas Tallis among other composers, and after the sermon, the church orchestra had its own processional. This orchestra included a full string section, a bassoon, and two oboe d'amores, which was especially exciting for me. I've heard recordings of oboe d'amores before, but I'd never seen one or heard one played in person. And here there was not only one, but two!

This is a small part of the Bach Cantata they performed:



So all in all, the musical experience of the service was very meaningful and uplifting. Nevertheless, I don't think I would go to the church again, solely because of the theology. I have no right to judge what is correct or not correct, of course, but there are certain doctrinal elements that I do have opinions about. This particular church had very different viewpoints on those elements specifically, and since those are things upon which I cannot compromise, I suppose I will have to let the cons outweigh the pros in this situation. As another friend pointed out, it is not normal, but rather remarkable that this church holds such incredibly high standards for the musical worship, but I think that the teaching a church presents to its congregation should hold equivalent credibility.

After church, we went shopping on Newbury Street, ate some Chipotle-like amazing burritos and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and then headed for home. It was so much fun that we're hoping to try another Boston church in the near future...