We are living in such strange and weird times as we deal with Covid 19 all around the world. There are the obvious international, national and local contexts that we face and hear about in the news or in reports from our government leaders; there are statistics that are updated regularly that we watch for and analyze. Closest to home there is the context of our own lives amidst our own families, friends and neighbors. There are so many emotions that affect us in the isolation we are experiencing at such a time as this. Those emotions are real and we shouldn't underestimate how the impact our whole being.
Our faith becomes all the more important in such a time as this. All that God offers us through His Son Jesus, and through the empowering of the Holy Spirit is a resource that gives us strength, peace and healing in our spirits which are overtaxed and heavily burdened. God is with us in the midst of this moment. That is a gift to be treasured and especially now not to take for granted.
How do we remain aware and conscious of God's gift and blessing during such a time as this? We need to be intentional every day about opening ourselves up to noticing what God is up to. And to be sure, despite the horrific nature of what we're going through, God is up to something. And we will never be the same as we were before all this started. Our prayer needs to be asking God to help us take what is good about this experience and bring it into our longer term experience post Covid 19. We will all be better for it, even as we have encountered the moment of now with struggle, stress and distress.
These two hymns I wrote this week speak to the gift of our faith in such a time as this. And in the case of the second one, the Spirit's gift of patience when things seem to be unending.
“We Live In This a Crisis”
Tune: Aurella ("The Church's One Foundation')
Meter: 7.6.7.6 D
We live in this a crisis
Our health is compromised
Unsure of the prognosis
The love of God disguised
We trust in God’s real presence
Around us and within
Our faith does make a difference
New life in us begin.
It seems like such a desert
So parched and lonely too
We long to stay alert
For God to see us through
The path seems long and rugged
We stumble on the way
With God we’re not discouraged
We gather still to pray.
We trust in God’s abundance
God’s grace and wisdom too
To keep us in the balance
To seek what might be new
Our faith is such a blessing
To see us through these days
From all that is distressing
New life in us to raise.
So thanks and praise and blessing
To God who keeps us whole
Our God is always standing
His hand out to console
May we receive God’s promise
Of faith that is renewed
An awe inspired calmness
A glimpse of kingdom viewed.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2020. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
“Patience is a Way of Being”
Tune: Stuttgart ("Come Thou Long Expected Jesus")
Meter: 8787
Patience is a way of being
As the days move slowly on
Open eyes that in the seeing
Each new moment of the dawn.
Time unfolding oh so slowly
Leads us into the unknown
Watching, waiting for the holy
Loving wisdom to be shown.
Passing moments so uncertain
Lead to our anxiety
Each new day can be a burden
Compromised vitality.
By God’s grace and certain wisdom
Through the Spirit in our midst
Faithful promise of God’s kingdom
Healing presence to assist.
As we search for consolation
May we feel the hand of God
Recognize the new creation
And our spirits will be awed.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2020. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Thursday, May 7, 2020
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Innkeeper's Song of Praise
I had decided I would preach this Christmas Eve reflecting on the Innkeeper. I wonder what he felt like as he opened the door, probably for the umpteenth time, and there were these two weary travelers who needed a place to stay. But he had no room; his inn was full; as were all the others in town. Imagine too how harried he must have been getting things all ready and those who had arrived checked in and settled.
There was something about this couple though that brought out compassion and care. He didn't know who they were or what was about to happen. But this young woman, so near to delivering her child, needed a place to stay. Even the stable out back would do. And in the end it was perfect given the one who would be born. For his life to begin in such humble surroundings is indicative of the life he would lead and the teachings he would offer later on in his life.
I wonder when the Innkeeper figured it out. Maybe it was after the shepherds left praising God for all they had heard and seen, the miracle they had witnessed. No doubt everyone around them heard their joy and were likewise drawn into this amazing thing that had happened this night.
I wanted a hymn about the Innkeeper for Christmas Eve, but couldn't find one. The one I've written is a song of praise in how the Innkeeper himself was moved spiritually as God touched him in a way that none of the other guests that night could have.
I wonder if there is room in our hearts, souls and busy, hectic lifestyles to find a place for Jesus to be born in us. I wonder if we can be transformed in a way that renews us in our spirits and reminds us of the awesome gift God blesses us with when we do make room for God.
I pray that each of us may recognize in the humility the Christ who comes to us and that we will welcome the peace, joy and promise He has to offer each us, especially in a world and time when so many are hurting, abused, broken and often lost. Maybe there's something we can do that can allow Jesus to be born in us and shine through us to bring healing, hope and comfort to a world in such desperate need.
The tune I chose to write this hymn to is "In Dulci Jubilo". There is a flow in the melody that invites us into the interaction between the Innkeeper and Joseph and the emotions the Innkeeper undoubtedly experienced.
There was something about this couple though that brought out compassion and care. He didn't know who they were or what was about to happen. But this young woman, so near to delivering her child, needed a place to stay. Even the stable out back would do. And in the end it was perfect given the one who would be born. For his life to begin in such humble surroundings is indicative of the life he would lead and the teachings he would offer later on in his life.
I wonder when the Innkeeper figured it out. Maybe it was after the shepherds left praising God for all they had heard and seen, the miracle they had witnessed. No doubt everyone around them heard their joy and were likewise drawn into this amazing thing that had happened this night.
I wanted a hymn about the Innkeeper for Christmas Eve, but couldn't find one. The one I've written is a song of praise in how the Innkeeper himself was moved spiritually as God touched him in a way that none of the other guests that night could have.
I wonder if there is room in our hearts, souls and busy, hectic lifestyles to find a place for Jesus to be born in us. I wonder if we can be transformed in a way that renews us in our spirits and reminds us of the awesome gift God blesses us with when we do make room for God.
I pray that each of us may recognize in the humility the Christ who comes to us and that we will welcome the peace, joy and promise He has to offer each us, especially in a world and time when so many are hurting, abused, broken and often lost. Maybe there's something we can do that can allow Jesus to be born in us and shine through us to bring healing, hope and comfort to a world in such desperate need.
The tune I chose to write this hymn to is "In Dulci Jubilo". There is a flow in the melody that invites us into the interaction between the Innkeeper and Joseph and the emotions the Innkeeper undoubtedly experienced.
The Innkeeper's Song of Praise
Tune: In Dulci Jubilo
The journey it was long for them
To Bethlehem they made their way
Mary was exhausted
And Joseph knocked without delay
But to no avail
No room in their travail.
The innkeeper, he was forlorn
The innkeeper, he was forlorn
There truly was no room for them
For this baby to be born
In all the town of Bethlehem
He desired to serve them
Before the coming morn.
His heart was touched with such delight
His heart was touched with such delight
As God did bless him in that night
In his stable lowly
The son of God most holy
Cradled in the manger
His spirit God did stir
From that day on he knew the gift
From that day on he knew the gift
Priorities had gone adrift
God did come to change his life
Amidst the darkness of his strife
Hallelujah! Praise to God!
Yes, praise be to God!!
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2018. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Ash Wednesday ... "Remember that you are but dust"
I have been reflecting in preparation of Ash Wednesday that there are relatively few hymns that are specific to the day. It is such an important day in the liturgical life of the church that we need to have multiple ways to express its significance and deep theological meaning for us.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a journey that takes us through the wilderness to the week of passion, the cross of Good Friday to the empty tomb of Easter morning. It is a time to grow in our faith and in our commitment to God through how we live our everyday lives as followers of Jesus Christ. The discipline of Ash Wednesday and the rhythm we establish for our Lenten pilgrimage has great potential to lead us into profound spiritual growth as we acknowledge where we are on the journey and accept the grace of God's guidance and direction in terms of where we are going into the future.
Lent, although often dreary and dry by its very nature, can be a very fertile time in which to nourish the seed of faith God has planted within us. That's why taking time for spiritual reflection, prayer, reading of scripture, alms giving and fasting are built in to these 40 days ahead of us.
I always pray at the beginning of Lent that it may be a poignant journey; that I will arrive at Good Friday and ultimately Easter morning ready to enter fully into all that becomes real for me in my life and faith. These days, I hope, will be about intentionally and sincerely being attentive and recognizing the essence of all that is holy.
The words to this hymn came very naturally for me. They speak to me of all that this holy season is meant to be about. And by the end, the final verse, is the reminder and proclamation that we will be renewed and find for ourselves that God's love is indeed previewed.
The tune is one that is familiar; it is the music that goes with "There is a Green Hill Far Away". Perhaps that is not coincidental since that hymn is very much part of the experience of Holy Week and the story of our Lord Jesus' death so that we might have life.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a journey that takes us through the wilderness to the week of passion, the cross of Good Friday to the empty tomb of Easter morning. It is a time to grow in our faith and in our commitment to God through how we live our everyday lives as followers of Jesus Christ. The discipline of Ash Wednesday and the rhythm we establish for our Lenten pilgrimage has great potential to lead us into profound spiritual growth as we acknowledge where we are on the journey and accept the grace of God's guidance and direction in terms of where we are going into the future.
Lent, although often dreary and dry by its very nature, can be a very fertile time in which to nourish the seed of faith God has planted within us. That's why taking time for spiritual reflection, prayer, reading of scripture, alms giving and fasting are built in to these 40 days ahead of us.
I always pray at the beginning of Lent that it may be a poignant journey; that I will arrive at Good Friday and ultimately Easter morning ready to enter fully into all that becomes real for me in my life and faith. These days, I hope, will be about intentionally and sincerely being attentive and recognizing the essence of all that is holy.
The words to this hymn came very naturally for me. They speak to me of all that this holy season is meant to be about. And by the end, the final verse, is the reminder and proclamation that we will be renewed and find for ourselves that God's love is indeed previewed.
The tune is one that is familiar; it is the music that goes with "There is a Green Hill Far Away". Perhaps that is not coincidental since that hymn is very much part of the experience of Holy Week and the story of our Lord Jesus' death so that we might have life.
“Remember that you are but dust”
Tune: Horsley Meter: CM
Remember that you are but dust
To dust you shall return;
A journey as we grow in trust
The peace of Christ we yearn.
We mark our foreheads with a smudge
The symbol of the cross
Reminded God holds not a grudge
Our sins are not a loss.
A journey we embark upon
From ashes to the tomb
The blessing of a holy dawn
New life to come in bloom.
And so with faith we enter in
These solemn days of lent
Aware of all that we have been
And all our faith has meant.
Guide us along the road ahead
That we may be renewed
There is no reason to feel dread
God’s love to be previewed.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2018. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Hymn Celebrating New Ministry
As I begin a new ministry in the community of Uxbridge, I am aware again that these are very holy and sacred moments of God's grace as we seek God's wisdom in discerning how we can be the church in this day and age. The only thing we can rely on is God's Spirit to guide us as we intentionally and sincerely seek out direction for the way forward.
Ministry involves how we relate to each other in the church and offer support, encouragement and opportunities to grow in our Christian faith. But the gospel calls us just as Jesus commissioned His disciples to go out into the world around us, our neighborhoods, and seek to proclaim the gospel by engaging with people and building relationships.
How we do that can be as varied as the many cities and communities where we find ourselves. Ministry, although there are some parts that apply in all places, is very contextual. What is it that would be most faithful in Uxbridge? What is God calling us as the church to do in our community? Where is God already active that we can join in what God is up to? Where is the mission field possibilities on our doorstep and along our main street?
These are questions we always need to be paying attention to. And especially at specific points along our vocational journey as the church, like the beginning of a shared ministry together.
Early in September we will have a liturgy to celebrate the covenant we are making to work together here at St. Paul's, Uxbridge. I felt moved to write a hymn that speaks of the new beginning that builds on the faithfulness of the past as we venture into the future. Our ministry together is a calling to be transformed ourselves as we seek transformation experiences of God's grace in the neighborhood where we serve. This is our mission; this is our mandate; this is the gospel lived out right here in our parish and in Uxbridge.
The words that I have written are set to one of my favorite hymn tunes, "Woodlands" with a meter 10 10 10 10.
I pray that as we sing it on the evening of September 7, that we may feel that joy which comes from a spirit filled commitment to following Jesus and living out the kingdom message in who we are and in all we do here at St. Paul's.
O God, You Call us Faithfully to Live
Tune: Woodlands
Menter: 10 10 10 10
O God, you call us faithfully to live
To be transformed by your abiding grace
We come with trust our ministry to thrive
To share the gospel hope within this place.
Abundantly, we’re blessed with gifts to serve
To minister and witness to the Word
To faithfully the hope of Christ preserve
A trusting spirit in us always stirred.
May this beginning build on faithfulness
The past foundations laid in time gone by
Accept our opportunity to bless
God’s Spirit is on whom we will rely.
The covenant we make with joy this day
To work together to discern God’s will
The future guided as we come to pray
And find delight in all that we fulfill.
Ministry involves how we relate to each other in the church and offer support, encouragement and opportunities to grow in our Christian faith. But the gospel calls us just as Jesus commissioned His disciples to go out into the world around us, our neighborhoods, and seek to proclaim the gospel by engaging with people and building relationships.
How we do that can be as varied as the many cities and communities where we find ourselves. Ministry, although there are some parts that apply in all places, is very contextual. What is it that would be most faithful in Uxbridge? What is God calling us as the church to do in our community? Where is God already active that we can join in what God is up to? Where is the mission field possibilities on our doorstep and along our main street?
These are questions we always need to be paying attention to. And especially at specific points along our vocational journey as the church, like the beginning of a shared ministry together.
Early in September we will have a liturgy to celebrate the covenant we are making to work together here at St. Paul's, Uxbridge. I felt moved to write a hymn that speaks of the new beginning that builds on the faithfulness of the past as we venture into the future. Our ministry together is a calling to be transformed ourselves as we seek transformation experiences of God's grace in the neighborhood where we serve. This is our mission; this is our mandate; this is the gospel lived out right here in our parish and in Uxbridge.
The words that I have written are set to one of my favorite hymn tunes, "Woodlands" with a meter 10 10 10 10.
I pray that as we sing it on the evening of September 7, that we may feel that joy which comes from a spirit filled commitment to following Jesus and living out the kingdom message in who we are and in all we do here at St. Paul's.
O God, You Call us Faithfully to Live
Tune: Woodlands
Menter: 10 10 10 10
To be transformed by your abiding grace
We come with trust our ministry to thrive
To share the gospel hope within this place.
Abundantly, we’re blessed with gifts to serve
To minister and witness to the Word
To faithfully the hope of Christ preserve
A trusting spirit in us always stirred.
May this beginning build on faithfulness
The past foundations laid in time gone by
Accept our opportunity to bless
God’s Spirit is on whom we will rely.
The covenant we make with joy this day
To work together to discern God’s will
The future guided as we come to pray
And find delight in all that we fulfill.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2017. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Last Word of Jesus
"The Words of Jesus from His Cross"
The world today echoes the last words of Jesus from His cross. There are so many relevant and current examples where people are crying the same thing in the world around us. The need for forgiveness and reconciliation; the desire for the peace of the New Jerusalem; the need for community support and encouragement; the feeling of being defeated and alone in the midst of stress and struggle; the lack of fresh water to drink; the desire to finish and accomplish what needs to be done; and the final surrender when there's nothing else left to do.
I felt moved to write a reflection for this year's Good Friday liturgy, based on the last words of Jesus from the cross, that reflected the contemporary injustices and experiences of pain, grief, hurt and distress. Injured voices need to be heard through the words from the cross; our hurting creation needs to be heard in a world where many are thirsty.
As I wrote the reflection, I wanted to have a hymn that spoke to each of the words from the cross, as well as the overarching theme that they are spoken today and in all time, from generation to generation. These words came to me as a renewed call to hear the voices of Jesus today crying and pleading for all of God's creation, including you and me. Through them, those cries aren't silenced or dismissed, but validated so we can hear them, and respond to them out our faithfulness as disciples of Jesus Christ.
It is set to the tune Melcombe with the meter LM.
If you would like to receive the reflections that go with it, please e-mail me at mark.kinghan@gmail.com
These Words of Jesus from His Cross
Tune: Melcombe
Meter: LM
Jesus the gospels each record
The world today echoes the last words of Jesus from His cross. There are so many relevant and current examples where people are crying the same thing in the world around us. The need for forgiveness and reconciliation; the desire for the peace of the New Jerusalem; the need for community support and encouragement; the feeling of being defeated and alone in the midst of stress and struggle; the lack of fresh water to drink; the desire to finish and accomplish what needs to be done; and the final surrender when there's nothing else left to do.
I felt moved to write a reflection for this year's Good Friday liturgy, based on the last words of Jesus from the cross, that reflected the contemporary injustices and experiences of pain, grief, hurt and distress. Injured voices need to be heard through the words from the cross; our hurting creation needs to be heard in a world where many are thirsty.
As I wrote the reflection, I wanted to have a hymn that spoke to each of the words from the cross, as well as the overarching theme that they are spoken today and in all time, from generation to generation. These words came to me as a renewed call to hear the voices of Jesus today crying and pleading for all of God's creation, including you and me. Through them, those cries aren't silenced or dismissed, but validated so we can hear them, and respond to them out our faithfulness as disciples of Jesus Christ.
It is set to the tune Melcombe with the meter LM.
If you would like to receive the reflections that go with it, please e-mail me at mark.kinghan@gmail.com
These Words of Jesus from His Cross
Tune: Melcombe
Meter: LM
Jesus the gospels each record
Profound
and holy every word
The
sayings of your final hour;
As
ages pass lose not their pow’r.
Father forgive what they have done
Impending death of your own Son
They do not know the part they play
Unjust and yet so true today.
In paradise you’ll be with me
A life I promise will be
free
Lose not your faith, your
trust and hope;
As with each death you
learn to cope.
Woman, to you I give a son
Who’ll care for you as I
have done.
Relationship of trust
and grace
I call you each to now
embrace.
My
God you have forsaken me
Hanging upon this ghastly tree
I’m all alone as death comes near
The crowds, they mock me as they
cheer.
I’m thirsty as my mouth feels dry
In these last moments as
I die
I’m parched as water is
denied
Throughout the ages I
have cried.
All is accomplished, it is done
Good news proclaimed for
everyone
My sacred calling is
complete
From age to age most
bittersweet.
There is no more for me to do
My spirit now I give to
you;
These words are spoken
ev’ry day
By people caught up in
the fray.
The words of Jesus from His cross
Are cried today with so
much loss
Reality lived age to age
All the injustice we
engage.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2017. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
A Retreat inspired Hymn ...
"Create a Time Away"
We live tremendously busy lives with hectic schedules that often result in our not taking much time to be renewed and restored. However, those very lives and schedules drain us and sometimes leave us with little reserves. And yet the demands of home, work and life in general keep making requests upon us.
It is a good thing to deliberately stop; to intentionally take time to think, reflect and yes, pray too. Our spirituality can easily be taxed when we don't pay it the attention that it needs and deserves. That very center of our faith which comes as a gift from God can be and is so inspiring when things are stressful and feeling out of control. However, if we don't nurture it through the gift of sabbath time apart, whatever that time may look like, and however long it may last, then we will find ourselves stretched spiritually as well as emotionally and physically by the demands and expectations placed upon us, and that we place upon ourselves.
I want to dedicate this hymn to the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross in West Park, New York. I have spent this week here and have received hospitality and generosity that has been overwhelming and very inspiring for me. This was the place I needed to be right now! And I am grateful for what God has given me through your ministry in this place. These words written here come out of my experience and will always remind me of the holiness I experienced during this time with you.
The tune is a familiar tune, "This is My Father's World". It's very movement from one note to another speaks to me of a spirit that is alive and engaging, especially when we take the time to be present through a sacred encounter with God through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Create a Time Away
Tune: St. Catherine
Metre: 8.8.8.8.8.8.
Create a time to pray,
Prepare a new way;
God’s hope for us, God’s greatest joy
Our senses each employ.
Simplicity is grace
To give ourselves the space;
To grow in God’s abundant hope
Expand our breadth of scope.
God wants us to be one
A mystery begun;
With opened eyes and ears and hearts,
Find joy in time apart.
The birds, they sing and praise
The sun’s bright, beaming rays.
God’s sacrament of light and peace
Are sure to bring release.
God’s wholeness and embrace
Come with a healthy pace.
The Spirit’s breath always guides us
to risks adventurous.
Cool breezes blow our way
And call us out to play
With childlike laughter we embrace
The beauty of this place.
Enlightened, souls aflame,
Sun rays call us to claim;
Accept the joy of ev’ry day,
escape our busy fray.
God grants us energy
Our life a liturgy.
Be blessed by God who is always near
the holy will appear.
We live tremendously busy lives with hectic schedules that often result in our not taking much time to be renewed and restored. However, those very lives and schedules drain us and sometimes leave us with little reserves. And yet the demands of home, work and life in general keep making requests upon us.
It is a good thing to deliberately stop; to intentionally take time to think, reflect and yes, pray too. Our spirituality can easily be taxed when we don't pay it the attention that it needs and deserves. That very center of our faith which comes as a gift from God can be and is so inspiring when things are stressful and feeling out of control. However, if we don't nurture it through the gift of sabbath time apart, whatever that time may look like, and however long it may last, then we will find ourselves stretched spiritually as well as emotionally and physically by the demands and expectations placed upon us, and that we place upon ourselves.
I want to dedicate this hymn to the brothers of the Order of the Holy Cross in West Park, New York. I have spent this week here and have received hospitality and generosity that has been overwhelming and very inspiring for me. This was the place I needed to be right now! And I am grateful for what God has given me through your ministry in this place. These words written here come out of my experience and will always remind me of the holiness I experienced during this time with you.
The tune is a familiar tune, "This is My Father's World". It's very movement from one note to another speaks to me of a spirit that is alive and engaging, especially when we take the time to be present through a sacred encounter with God through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Create a Time Away
Tune: St. Catherine
Metre: 8.8.8.8.8.8.
Create a time to pray,
Prepare a new way;
God’s hope for us, God’s greatest joy
Our senses each employ.
Simplicity is grace
To give ourselves the space;
To grow in God’s abundant hope
Expand our breadth of scope.
God wants us to be one
A mystery begun;
With opened eyes and ears and hearts,
Find joy in time apart.
The birds, they sing and praise
The sun’s bright, beaming rays.
God’s sacrament of light and peace
Are sure to bring release.
God’s wholeness and embrace
Come with a healthy pace.
The Spirit’s breath always guides us
to risks adventurous.
Cool breezes blow our way
And call us out to play
With childlike laughter we embrace
The beauty of this place.
Enlightened, souls aflame,
Sun rays call us to claim;
Accept the joy of ev’ry day,
escape our busy fray.
God grants us energy
Our life a liturgy.
Be blessed by God who is always near
the holy will appear.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2016. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Hymn for General Synod 2016
"We Listen for God's Truth"
Often as part of my own personal spiritual rhythm, God speaks to me through music and hymns. A piece of that for me is the opportunity to be creative in writing words that are set to traditional hymn tunes.
Last night, I was pondering the conversation within our Anglican Church of Canada around changing the marriage canon to allow for same gender couples to be included. This is a complex conversation influenced by different perspectives, beliefs and interpretations. However, if we are to be faithful to God, we must keep ourselves spiritually attuned and engaged with what the Holy Spirit is doing among us and through us.
The words to this hymn reflect my prayer that we as faithful followers of Christ and as children of God will walk the pilgrim road before us attentive and aware that God is walking it with us. God's truth inspires us; God's Spirit speaks to us; and we are called to join in building and promoting the reign of God that is both here now and yet to come.
I pray that this hymn may invite us to be intentional about making sure that our spirituality and following the leading of the Holy Spirit is at the center of all we do; the conversations we have; and the decisions we make.
It is set to a tune which is a personal favorite of mine, best known for it's use in Holy Week and on Good Friday.
Please pray it with me ... and may God's Spirit be what guides us as we faithfully discern and live out our call to "seek and serve Christ in all people loving our neighbors as ourselves" and to " work for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being."
Often as part of my own personal spiritual rhythm, God speaks to me through music and hymns. A piece of that for me is the opportunity to be creative in writing words that are set to traditional hymn tunes.
Last night, I was pondering the conversation within our Anglican Church of Canada around changing the marriage canon to allow for same gender couples to be included. This is a complex conversation influenced by different perspectives, beliefs and interpretations. However, if we are to be faithful to God, we must keep ourselves spiritually attuned and engaged with what the Holy Spirit is doing among us and through us.
The words to this hymn reflect my prayer that we as faithful followers of Christ and as children of God will walk the pilgrim road before us attentive and aware that God is walking it with us. God's truth inspires us; God's Spirit speaks to us; and we are called to join in building and promoting the reign of God that is both here now and yet to come.
I pray that this hymn may invite us to be intentional about making sure that our spirituality and following the leading of the Holy Spirit is at the center of all we do; the conversations we have; and the decisions we make.
It is set to a tune which is a personal favorite of mine, best known for it's use in Holy Week and on Good Friday.
Please pray it with me ... and may God's Spirit be what guides us as we faithfully discern and live out our call to "seek and serve Christ in all people loving our neighbors as ourselves" and to " work for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being."
We Listen for God’s Truth
Tune: Locw Unknown
Meter: 66 66 44 44
We listen
for God’s truth
O Spirit
speak your Word;
The gospel
calls each one,
our open
hearts to stir.
We long to
see the way ahead
A people God
has called and led.
We need your
guidance God
To live our
faith each day
Our human
lives are flawed,
we come to
you to pray.
Grant us
discernment by your grace
And see you
in this holy space.
We walk a
pilgrim road
Attentive and
aware
Your blessings
are bestowed
We’re called
to thank you and share.
A way of
life we walk each day
Assist us
not to go astray.
Speak
through each thought and prayer
Your will be
our desire
To love and
always care
A faithful
life inspire.
We’re called
to follow Jesus’ way
God’s reign rejoicing
to display.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2016. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Friday, January 22, 2016
2016 Good Friday Hymn
"A Holy Day!"
Good Friday is such a holy and sacred day in our church year. There are so many themes we are invited to enter into as we become part of the story and recount all that God accomplished.
For me, the image of anyone taking their last breath is such a poignant moment. Imagine Jesus taking his final breath; did anyone notice? I wonder. I suspect that his mother and some of the other women at the tomb did. What does Jesus last breath mean for us today?
Through the brokenness of Jesus on the cross, we are made 100% whole. What a healing gift through such a selfless act of sacrifice. Unjust to be sure; but necessary none the less. This was part of God's story of redemption for all God's people and all of creation.
At the heart of the Good Friday message is the promise of forgiveness, even and especially when it is not deserved. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they have done!" What a profound witness to God's love and mercy, that even those who executed Jesus would be forgiven through the unconditional gift of grace.
Through all that happened on that first Good Friday, and through all the subsequent Good Friday's that have happened and still happen today, we know God's faithfulness. Let us pray that we may always claim for ourselves, with boldness and conviction, with excitement and passion, the awesomeness of God who always loves us and redeems, even when it meant the death of his Son on a cross.
A Good Friday Hymn: "A Holy Day!"
Tune: O Waly
Waly
Meter: 8.8.8.8
A holy day through pain and death;
the sacrifice in your last breath;
You gave your all and in your loss
We are made whole upon your cross
They nailed you to the cross of shame
They cried insults and placed the blame.
A crown of thorns upon your brow
Unjust the crime they would allow!
Lord you forgave the wrongs they’d done
You understood the victry won;
This had to be in God’s great scheme
Your hands and feet nailed to the beam.
A sacred story so divine
God’s glory now will always shine
For us to know God’s faithfulness
And claim with faith God’s awesomeness!
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2016. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Monday, June 29, 2015
“Who Can Ascend the Hill of God?”
Immediately, the psalmist responds to his own question, "Those who have clean hands and pure hearts." Of course the psalmist is talking figuratively about a spiritual truth and approach to a faithful life as a child of God. As such, the psalmist is referring to an attitude of hope, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, compassion, faithfulness and any other discipline God would hope his children would embody in all of their lives and relationships with other people.
The truth is that we are invited today to ascend the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart. However, we know that we can't attain that spiritual depth on our own. Clean hands and a pure heart ultimately come out of a relationship with God who blesses us with the spiritual gifts to be hopeful, merciful, forgiving, loving, full of joy and compassion, and ultimately to live lives of faithfulness. These are the very gifts God offers to us as we grow in our relationships with Him.
This hymn speaks in such simplicity the truth of what it means to be invited into the sacred and holy of an encounter with God. And, that we need to rely on God's grace through Jesus Christ to make us pure and clean. And ultimately, this calling from God is to take our part in the building of God's kingdom as we are the hands, feet and heart of God.
Tune: Ye
Banks & Braes
Meter: LMD
Who can
ascend the hill of God
And stand on
holy, sacred ground
The loved by
God, as we are flawed
God’s grace
and mercy are profound
Those with
clean hands, whose hearts are pure
Have all we
need to make our way
With faith
restored, we will endure
As to our
God we come to pray.
Not on our
own are we made clean
we can’t be
pure just as we are
we need
God’s grace as we have seen
in Jesus
Christ, we’re made aware.
God grant us
courage on our way
To be your
hands, your feet, your heart
To climb the
hill we greet each day
And in your
kingdom take our part.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2015. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
"An Idle Tale" ... Easter Hymn
According to Luke, when the women went to the tomb and encountered the angel, they heard the message, and were sent on their way. They went to to find the disciples and to share what they had been told. The disciples' response, "these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them." Who can blame them for this response out of a human understanding, using their finite human minds?
I recently heard another translation of this passage which makes complete sense and magnifies what the disciples were saying. "It's bulls**t!!" Not a bad descriptive and makes the point pretty clearly what the disciples were thinking and saying in response to this story the women were telling them. What are other descriptive we could use ... rubbish, crap, gibberish, malarkey, hooey!! All equally through provoking. To them is could only be fabricated and nonsense!
How many today have the same response? As human beings, if we can't understand, explain or prove something like the resurrection of Jesus, then how can we possibly believe it.
Our resurrection faith, though, isn't about knowledge or scientific proof. It is about faith and trust. And, our Easter belief comes from experiencing the power of the risen Christ in our own experiences of life and death when we have nothing else to hold on to that will get us through.
Maybe it's an illness we've been diagnosed with; the death of a loved one; losing a job because of the economy; struggling with an addiction; living with mental health disease; a relationship that has dissolved whether with a spouse, a child, a sibling or a long time friend. Often, through the gift of time and people who support us along the way, we come face to face with the resurrected Christ who inspires, heals, upholds, strengthens and offers us peace.
What a profound gift. And when we've experienced it, we know it is no idle tale. It is the truth that sees us through which we rejoice in and give thanks for.
We are an Easter people; we are a resurrection people with a resurrection faith!
This hymn is written to express our faith in what many see and hear as an idle tale. It is sung to a favorite hymn tune, Woodlands, with the meter 10 10 10 10.
My prayer is that each of us may know and believe the promise of God, that our Easter faith is no idle tail, not rubbish, crap, gibberish, malarkey, hooey or bulls**t. It is the core of what we believe and who we are as a people of the resurrection. Thanks be to God!! Alleluia!!
"An Idle Tale"
tune: Woodlands
meter: 10 10 10 10
I recently heard another translation of this passage which makes complete sense and magnifies what the disciples were saying. "It's bulls**t!!" Not a bad descriptive and makes the point pretty clearly what the disciples were thinking and saying in response to this story the women were telling them. What are other descriptive we could use ... rubbish, crap, gibberish, malarkey, hooey!! All equally through provoking. To them is could only be fabricated and nonsense!
How many today have the same response? As human beings, if we can't understand, explain or prove something like the resurrection of Jesus, then how can we possibly believe it.
Our resurrection faith, though, isn't about knowledge or scientific proof. It is about faith and trust. And, our Easter belief comes from experiencing the power of the risen Christ in our own experiences of life and death when we have nothing else to hold on to that will get us through.
Maybe it's an illness we've been diagnosed with; the death of a loved one; losing a job because of the economy; struggling with an addiction; living with mental health disease; a relationship that has dissolved whether with a spouse, a child, a sibling or a long time friend. Often, through the gift of time and people who support us along the way, we come face to face with the resurrected Christ who inspires, heals, upholds, strengthens and offers us peace.
What a profound gift. And when we've experienced it, we know it is no idle tale. It is the truth that sees us through which we rejoice in and give thanks for.
We are an Easter people; we are a resurrection people with a resurrection faith!
This hymn is written to express our faith in what many see and hear as an idle tale. It is sung to a favorite hymn tune, Woodlands, with the meter 10 10 10 10.
My prayer is that each of us may know and believe the promise of God, that our Easter faith is no idle tail, not rubbish, crap, gibberish, malarkey, hooey or bulls**t. It is the core of what we believe and who we are as a people of the resurrection. Thanks be to God!! Alleluia!!
"An Idle Tale"
tune: Woodlands
meter: 10 10 10 10
An idle
tale, it never could be true
That Christ
was risen and was dead no more
The women
witness to a new world view
Good news of
hope, an answer to their prayer.
God’s message
clear, though challenged human thought
No explanation
could replace the doubt.
Death was
the end, no matter what he taught
This is what
life on earth is all about.
We live, we
die, and that’s what they believed
But God
would open up another way
All grief,
all death and sin would be relieved
Good news of
promise greet this glorious day.
Christ is
alive, he’s risen from the dead
No idle
tale! Alleluia!
New days of
promise wait the way ahead
The tomb is
empty, Alleluia!
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2015. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
"Nails So Sacred, So Divine" ... hymn for Good Friday
Nails are such a vivid part of the story of Good Friday ... the passion and death of Christ. And yet I had a difficult time finding a hymn with "Nails" as a theme.
Such a brutal death; being nailed to a cross. The nail piercing through Jesus' hands and feet are such a profound image of pain and suffering that he bore on our behalf. That's what makes the nail sacred and holy; that for me is also sacramental in the image of the nails, especially as I hold one in my hand as a means of meditation and reflection. The nails represent all the indifference, arrogance, pride, discrimination, hatred, hypocrisy and negligence that make up our corporate and individual sin. And by God's grace, those sins are defeated forever. What a gift!
Such a brutal death; being nailed to a cross. The nail piercing through Jesus' hands and feet are such a profound image of pain and suffering that he bore on our behalf. That's what makes the nail sacred and holy; that for me is also sacramental in the image of the nails, especially as I hold one in my hand as a means of meditation and reflection. The nails represent all the indifference, arrogance, pride, discrimination, hatred, hypocrisy and negligence that make up our corporate and individual sin. And by God's grace, those sins are defeated forever. What a gift!
The sadness of course, is that Jesus continues to be nailed to the cross throughout all time, including our own. And, if we are honest, we know we are at times complicit; we contribute to the wrongs and injustices of others.
And yet, God on Good Friday makes it all right; through the nails of cross, God gives hope and promise that we grasp on to with faith and hope. Our anxieties are calmed; and all by God's love and through God's mercy. What a gift; a profound gift!
The tune I chose is one that is used for a Lenten hymn, "Song 13". The tone and rhythm are somber enough to be appropriately Good Friday. And yet, the tune can be uplifting too by the last verse.
I hope you enter into a reflection on what the nails of Good Friday mean for you; your theology of the nails hammered and what they represent for you.
"Nails So Sacred, So Divine"
Tune: Song 13
Meter: 7777
Nails so sacred, so divine
Piercing flesh and heart and soul
Hammered as a holy sign
God’s intent to make us whole.
Nails profound with mystery
Piercing Jesus’ hands and feet
Death no more, God’s victory
Sins forever to defeat.
First the nail of arrogance
Then a spike for all our pride
Followed on by negligence
As the Saviour hung and cried.
Nails are fastened day by day
Though the years and ages pass
Victims still become the prey
Wrongs, injustice still amass.
Holy nails within our palm
Sacramental sign of grace
Our anxiety to calm
Love’s great story to embrace.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2015. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Piercing flesh and heart and soul
Hammered as a holy sign
God’s intent to make us whole.
Nails profound with mystery
Piercing Jesus’ hands and feet
Death no more, God’s victory
Sins forever to defeat.
First the nail of arrogance
Then a spike for all our pride
Followed on by negligence
As the Saviour hung and cried.
Nails are fastened day by day
Though the years and ages pass
Victims still become the prey
Wrongs, injustice still amass.
Holy nails within our palm
Sacramental sign of grace
Our anxiety to calm
Love’s great story to embrace.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Canon Mark Kinghan, 2015. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
"Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth"
This year it has struck me that there are few Christmas carols or songs that include the "Alleluia" acclamation of praise. For the most part, Alleluia's are saved for Easter and the glorious celebration of the resurrection. I thought, though, that in addition to "Glory to God in the Highest" that is the chorus of the angels, it's appropriate to also sing out our Alleluia's with great joy.
What does "Alleluia" mean? We are proclaiming "Praise the Lord!" The gift of the incarnation is definitely reason to praise God for the blessings we receive as we journey to the stable and receive the gift of Emmanuel, God here with us. God's presence in the form of a human being affirms us and our journey; it encourages us; inspires us; delights us and brings us great joy. And we need to proclaim that joy from the depths of our souls, with boldness and confidence. We need to sing our Alleluia's because our lives our changed in that moment when we meet God face to face and as we are touched by God's grace and mercy.
This hymn is meant to share those themes, and especially our Alleluia during the season of incarnation. It is set to a favorite English tune that is familiar, and yet not so familiar too. I pray that you will be blessed in reading it, and perhaps in singing it too. I know I have felt blessed in composing it and in sharing it with you.
“Alleluia, Alleluia, God Comes to Dwell on Earth”
Tune: Forest Green
Meter: 86867686
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
God chose our human life to live, in Jesus and his birth.
To inspire our bleak and changing world to brighten each dark place;
all joy and hope and peace to bring to all the human race.
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
The story of eternity, a tale that tells our worth.
God delights in every heart and soul, in every time and place;
God blesses us with faith and trust and all through abundant grace.
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
The gift God offers, we receive, new life through our re-birth.
Hearts embraced and filled with abundant joy, we sing our hymn of praise;
Alleluia, Alleluia, our voices together raise.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2012. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
What does "Alleluia" mean? We are proclaiming "Praise the Lord!" The gift of the incarnation is definitely reason to praise God for the blessings we receive as we journey to the stable and receive the gift of Emmanuel, God here with us. God's presence in the form of a human being affirms us and our journey; it encourages us; inspires us; delights us and brings us great joy. And we need to proclaim that joy from the depths of our souls, with boldness and confidence. We need to sing our Alleluia's because our lives our changed in that moment when we meet God face to face and as we are touched by God's grace and mercy.
This hymn is meant to share those themes, and especially our Alleluia during the season of incarnation. It is set to a favorite English tune that is familiar, and yet not so familiar too. I pray that you will be blessed in reading it, and perhaps in singing it too. I know I have felt blessed in composing it and in sharing it with you.
“Alleluia, Alleluia, God Comes to Dwell on Earth”
Tune: Forest Green
Meter: 86867686
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
God chose our human life to live, in Jesus and his birth.
To inspire our bleak and changing world to brighten each dark place;
all joy and hope and peace to bring to all the human race.
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
The story of eternity, a tale that tells our worth.
God delights in every heart and soul, in every time and place;
God blesses us with faith and trust and all through abundant grace.
Alleluia, Alleluia, God comes to dwell on earth.
The gift God offers, we receive, new life through our re-birth.
Hearts embraced and filled with abundant joy, we sing our hymn of praise;
Alleluia, Alleluia, our voices together raise.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2012. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
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