49
50 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
Song of Azariah (addition to Daniel) 49-50 NRSV
I'm back in the warmth after 90 minutes or more of shovelling snow in the blowing wind. And guess what? I'm still thinking "snow day!" like a kid, even though I've been retired for several years. We went for a lovely walk in the woods yesterday and while we enjoyed it we wished that the frozen ground and beaver pond we crossed were covered in a blanket of snow.
As a Canadian well into his sixties I recall the Sixties as child when there was actual Winter in Southern Ontario, not the infernal freeze-thaw which turns these months into a dreary endurance test. Last year we experienced six weeks or so of consistent cold and some snow. It was God's gift to those who were housebound by COVID and in our area people were out in droves, skating, and snowshoeing and skiing. The nearby Bay of Quinte became a playground for the Winter-venturous.
This has got me thinking again about Winter hymns, which all seem to be rather bleak "Earth stood hard as iron,water like a stone" survival songs. Last year I asked if there are any alternatives to the more dreary hymns and two musicians, Shirley and Judy, offered some helpful thoughts but there certainly wasn't anything uplifting. Why can't we have a hymn version of the paintings by the late Canadian artist William Kurelek?
William Kurelek
Son Isaac is is doing a January sermon series on joy and fun and playfulness, all in short supply during the pandemic. I wish we had the seasonal hymns to support this theme.
I've been musing about the Natalie Sleeth hymn Praise the Lord with the Sound of Trumpet (Voices United 245) with its uplifting tune. The lyrics are a riff on Psalm 150 and is Earth-honouring. What about some new words for this tune which are a celebration of the gifts which Winter brings?
Any thoughts about what brings you joy and a sense of playfulness in deepest, darkest January?
William Kurelek
There was a hymn written in the early 70's, by David Stearman, called "He is the sparkle in the Snow".... but I cannot find any lyrics or a listening opportunity on line. It was delightful.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow I'll post some delightful lyrics for a Winter hymn written by Shirley, my church music director sister-in-law. So stay tuned Judy!
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