My kingdom for an Episcopal/Anglican church in the near vicinity that hasn't been closed due to a lack of membership. And one with a decent organ player. St. Paul's Cathedral, transported to my home turf, would be lovely. But one can't have everything.
I'm listening to a movement from a Bach cantata right now. It's sending chills down my spine. I haven't able to stomach any CCM recently, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll ever reacquire my taste for it. God is so huge, and so much of the music being put out today...is so pale and colorless. It's on such a human level -- it's understandable. When I listen to it, I can fathom it. It is joyous, but not majestic. It is glorifying, but not glorious.
On the other hand, listening to a choral setting by Palestrina, a Bach mass, or Mozart's Requiem gives one a sense of the unfathomable. There is a mystery and beauty in the tiered chords, musical forms, and the sonority of the human voice. Something about these pieces is beyond my understanding.
And for me, it's the hint of the unknowable that makes the known life worth bearing.
1 comment:
That's awesome, Nellie. John and I have been going to an anglican church on sunday evenings and it's really nice. It seems to me like God is so much more accessible in such a beautiful environment, one that reflects his glory.
We should talk sometime, but you're never around.
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