|
Epiphany
Themes of light run throughout this liturgical season of Epiphany that we’re in, beginning with the Magi following the light of a star, and ending with Jesus’ Transfiguration (celebrated on the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday), when the “Light of the World”, gave his followers a glimpse of his divine nature, becoming a radiant, light-filled sign of God’s presence while conversing with Moses and Elijah on a mountain. Today, February 2, is a day which commemorates an equally beautiful moment in our faith story, the Feast of the Presentation. Mary and Joseph had taken Jesus to the Temple, where an old man named Simeon recognized the child as the world’s redeemer who had been promised by the prophets. Simeon himself had been told that he would not die before seeing his Savior, and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer has him uttering these words:
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
For anyone steeped in Anglican traditions, you recognize the text of the canticle Nunc dimittis which is sung as a companion to the Magnificat at the daily service of Evensong. I realize this is not a tradition at The Falls Church, but it is a beautiful part of our heritage nonetheless.
Great painters are able to capture light in their works – dramatically so in Vermeer’s paintings, subtly so by Monet. It is more difficult to capture light in sound. Composers rely on shimmering string sounds, or the clarity of straight-toned high voices to convey a sense of light. More often a text has to do that work, as in the hymns we’ve been singing during this Epiphany season: Thy strong word did cleave the darkness…for created light we thank thee (#381), as with joy they hailed its light, leading onward, beaming bright (#119), How bright appears the Morning Star, with mercy beaming from afar (#497).
The final line of Simeon’s prayer is the text used by 17th century Mexican composer Francisco López Capillas in his Lumen ad revelationem, which is one of several anthems with texts that dwell on the light which reveals God’s glory sung by the choir. Because listening is one form of participation, I truly hope the choirs’ offerings become a form of prayer for listeners as well as the singers.
There is beauty in all the artistic expressions– paintings, poems, music – of Simeon’s grateful cry upon seeing the infant Jesus, whom he called a light to lighten the Gentiles. Ultimately, however, the greatest beauty is found in our own ability to be light-filled, radiant expressions of God’s love in the world. If there is even one moment on a Sunday morning when the music inspires in you a God-filled radiance that you take back into the world, the choirs and organs and congregational singing at The Falls Church will have done the true work of worship.
Let there be light!
Sonya Subbayya Sutton
Interim Director of Music
| 
