Never in our lifetimes have any of us experienced anything quite like the situation we find ourselves in now. It reaches across six of our seven continents, across all age groups and ethnicities, and, so far has outstripped our best efforts to control it. People are reacting with worry, with fear, with confusion. Some are strong, thoughtful, generous, and patient. Some are angry, selfish, and apathetic. Maybe most of us are all of those things at one time or another. As a musician, in times of crisis I often turn to the hymns of our faith, possibly the most diverse collection of poetry you could imagine. And the hymn that called out to me today was number 764 in our Glory to God hymnal, entitled For the Troubles and the Sufferings of the World. For the troubles and the sufferings of the world, God, we call upon your mercy: the whole creation’s laboring in pain! Lend an ear to the rising cry for help from oppressed and hopeless people: Come! Hasten your salvation, healing love! We pray for peace, the blessed peace that comes from making justice, to cover and embrace us. Have mercy, Lord! We pray for power, the power that will sustain your people’s witness: until your Kingdom come, Kyrie eleison This hymn is full of phrases that really speak to our present situation: For the troubles and the sufferings of the world – This coronavirus has certainly caused trouble and suffering to the whole world. God, we call upon your mercy – we certainly do. Healing love – we so need healing. The blessed peace that comes from making justice – to me this is one of the most powerful lines in the hymn. Kyrie eleison – Have mercy, Lord. The hymn also echoes the familiar pattern of a psalm of lament, with a cry for help followed by an affirmation of trust in God. You heard a paraphrase of the archetypal psalm of lament, Psalm 13, in this Sunday’s worship
Click here to listen to this hymn, offered by the choir of First-Plymouth Church in Lincoln, Nebraska, directed by Tom Trenney. Tom was forced to cancel a trip to Ann Arbor earlier this month because of restrictions on group gatherings. Soli Deo Gloria, Dave VanderMeer
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There is a song I sang at camp based on this week’s Psalm, Psalm 130. I found the lyrics (see below) particularly poignant during this indefinite pandemic period.
Many of us could sing this right now, as we raise our voices together from the depths of woe. Alas, our works are all in vain, or so it seems against this spreading virus. We are going to need a little more mercy and a lot more grace if we are going to get through this intact. May we trust in the Lord as we wait for the dawn to appear, as we wait on the Lord to set us free from all sin and sorrow. Until then, let us pray. Let us create. Let us rest. Let us welcome in a new world, once the clouds have cleared. May we rise to find more than just rainbows but also rivers of justice and rains of grace. May we soak in the love that underpins the universe and weaves through the fabric of our society. May it be so. From the depths of woe I raise to Thee The voice of lamentation; Lord, turn a gracious ear to me And hear my supplication; If Thou iniquities dost mark, Our secret sins and misdeeds dark, O who shall stand before Thee? (2x) To wash away the crimson stain, Grace, grace alone availeth; Our works, alas! Are all in vain; In much the best life faileth; No man can glory in Thy sight, All must alike confess Thy might, And live alone by mercy (2x) Therefore my trust is in the Lord, And not in mine own merit; On Him my soul shall rest, His word Upholds my fainting spirit; His promised mercy is my fort, My comfort and my sweet support; I wait for it with patience (2x) What though I wait the live-long night, And til the dawn appeareth, My heart still trusteth in His might; It doubteth not nor feareth; Do thus, O ye of Israels seed, Ye of the Spirit born indeed; And wait til God appeareth (2x) Though great our sins and sore our woes His grace much more aboundeth; His helping love no limit knows, Our upmost need it soundeth. Our Shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free From all their sin and sorrow (2x) Here is the closest rendition of the song I remember that I can find on YouTube. You can also find my own rendition here, if your ears can stand it! Peace, Rev. Evans McGowan Welcome, dear friends. This blog, Viral Veritas, is one of our attempts here at First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor to speak a word of truth into this time of COVID-19 and social distancing. While it’s heartbreaking that we’re unable to worship and fellowship in the same physical space, thanks be to God that we have so many ways to remain connected to one another.
However, we must remember that each connection we make is a choice. In the midst of so much uncertainty, it’s natural for us to crave information. We want to understand what’s going on so we can attempt to regain some semblance of control over our lives. Cooped up in our homes, we keep the TV tuned to the news so we can hear the latest update on this worldwide pandemic. We read countless articles, we check social media for what other people are thinking and experiencing, and we turn on notifications so we get every new update the second it’s posted. That’s what any concerned citizen should do, isn’t it? The last thing we want is to be misinformed, but with so much input, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. My mother texted me the other night, overwhelmed after hearing on the PBS NewsHour how bad things will be in the US when COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the coming weeks and months. She wondered how she could feel any worse than she already does, describing it as “gut-wrenching.” With her permission, I share her words with you: “How can I feel any worse? Seeing dead people in the streets? It’s like hearing on a regular basis, ‘We’re all going to die horrible deaths!’ I don’t know how to deal with this except to turn it off, but I can’t.” How many of us have felt the same uncertainty and fear? How many of us have worried over the health of our loved ones, especially those not living under our roofs? How many of us have grappled with what this will mean for those who don’t have the ability to self-quarantine, for those who no longer have an income, for those who struggle with mental health issues, for those in retirement communities and care facilities who have been confined to their rooms and have no choice in the matter? Our current situation is terrifying, gut-wrenching, and utterly heart-breaking. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and feel like things are spiraling out of our control. To say any less would be irresponsible and untrue. But one thing we do have control over is choice. We can choose to turn off the TV, to turn off notifications, to log out of social media. We can choose to walk away from the vicious news cycle when we get overwhelmed and step outside. We can choose to listen to music instead of talking heads. We can choose to call those we care about so they know we love them. We can choose to text our loved ones and say, “I’m overwhelmed.” Now, more than ever, is a time when we need one another. This is a time when we need to choose to interrupt the narrative of fear and uncertainty and reach out to those who need our love and support. This is a time to do things that bring us peace and joy. Now, more than ever, this is a time to hold onto hope. Holding you in love, Rev. Andrew Frazier |
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