Whomsoever Dwells
April 22, 2016
-by Rachel Jones
Read
Sinead O’Connor: Whomsoever Dwells
Reflect
If you watched the video link in the Read/Watch section, you’ve just heard one of my favorite settings for Psalm 91. Even though this Psalm is one of our oldest hymns, coming from the Old Testament, it strikes me as a pretty great Easter song. Saint Augustine reminds us that we are Easter people, and we remind each other of that often. I think Psalm 91 is all about living into Easter even as we are struggling for purchase in the middle of Good Friday–crawling up into the safe hiding place of God’s goodness, nestling into right relationship, hugging tight the understanding that we are made whole and called to be holy in that place of transfiguration under God’s wings. Jesus pulls Psalm 91 around him tightly when he is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. God’s goodness is proven over and over again by the grace we are given to walk through the fire, to be protected from threats we’d rather not imagine, and even in our most extreme moments of doubt and torment, even death, God’s mercy makes a way to comfort and keep us.
We don’t need to go far from our front doors to be confronted with a world full of Good Friday hurt and anguish. Good Friday sits at our tables, sleeps in our beds, lurks in our in-boxes. It is no small wonder that we have to get together so often to remind ourselves that Good Friday is never a stand-alone event, whether it comes as a blown dead line, a blown relationship, a ripping of some veil we just weren’t quite ready to rend. We will need a safe place to hole up and nurse the hurt of those losses, those deaths. This particular song is one of those safe places for me. It’s been a balm to my heart on many hard days. If you’re having a hard day, maybe it can give you a little lift, too. We need to remind ourselves, and to be reminded by our people, that while our present ache may feel crushing, it will not be this way forever. Good Friday is not allowed to last forever. Not for Jesus, not for you. Easter is coming, always. Easter is here. Thanks be to God.
Respond
How does music play a part in the way you understand Easter? Does music play a part in your personal life of faith, apart from church singing? Tweet us your thoughts or share your favorite Easter or “Easter” songs at #50daysEaster or #singsomeeaster
Jill
On the day that I was preparing my parents bedroom to make room for my mother to come home from the hospital and be admitted to hospice, I began to feel anxious. I realized I hadn’t read my daily office and so I sat down and read. Psalm 91 was the psalm for that morning. The following verses especially gave me great comfort and peace:
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
I knew my mother believed in her Savior and I had hope for her resurrection into his loving arms of healing.
Thanks so much for sharing this rendition. Beautiful meditation as well!
Helen Miller
In the Polish church of my youth, we knew Easter had arrived when our choir started singing this Polish Hymn:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PL386AFB02F46CACD6&v=TaZMRtBS0Uw
I still long every year, to hear those strains. Sorry, I tried to find an English rendition on Google, but was not successful!
Louise
Thank you for this music and commentary. For the 28 years that we lived in Ithaca NY Easter morning at St John’s Episcopal Church was greeted with a loud and lusty “Welcome Happy Morning.” I don’t “do” Easter nearly as well as I “keep” Lent. But Sunday music during Eastertide helps me move out of sorrow and into Easter joy more than anything. This posting has me thinking that, since YouTube is such a great source of joyful music, why not start my morning prayer time with Easter music?