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Greetings from the land of hybrid seminary! I am sitting here at my desk in SW Portland at the beginning of the quarter, staring ahead at what looks like a mountain of readings and writing assignments on Systematic Theology. It feels scary. There is a lot to learn.
So imagine my joy when I see that throughout this course, as part of a weekly writing assignment, I’m asked to use a hymn to illustrate a core theological concept (big ideas like Trinity, creation, the Fall, salvation, resurrection…). Now I feel the stable ground of our music under my feet. Singing with you, it turns out, hasn’t just been an unspeakable joy: it is also sound education. I am grateful for the way Emma joins our music selections both to what will be joyful for us to sing and for what offers support to the week’s lessons and themes. I’m grateful that we do this together, as a community, that singing is an integral part of how we love one another. I can’t write about music at this moment without saying that I am reminded everywhere of our friend Suzi O’Hollaren. As I get out and about in the diocese I meet many people whose lives she touched, both with her musical gifts and her love of God and neighbor. And I’m grateful for the way in which our Hymnal fuses musical elegance with nuanced, careful, beautiful language about God.
One of the first things we learn (as I write this, I have been studying Systematic Theology for one day) is that “praying shapes believing.” As Anglicans we focus on our Common Prayer practice. We are distinct from many other Christian churches which issue statements on doctrine. Our central statement on “church teaching” is the Nicene Creed which celebrates its 1700th birthday this summer and which we say every Sunday. We put our energy into making sure that our shared prayer life supports, nurtures, and grows Christian belief. One of the primary ways we pray together, and Ascension does this as well as anyone, is by singing together.
A dive into our Hymnal yields abundant theological riches. Some are more clearly labeled: if you are curious about resurrection, the “Easter” section is a good bet. In this first week of learning about theology in class we ask, how do we, finite creatures, undertake the project of thinking about God, our infinite creator? The hymnal is full of approaches to this question over many centuries. If you’re curious, I chose to write about #314, Adoro te Devote and #370, Saint Patrick’s Breastplate, well known and ancient hymns which give, in very different language, the same answer: we begin by loving and placing our trust in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I’m deeply grateful for all our time singing His love together.
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