Phos Hilaron

Phos Hilaron

O gracious Light,
Pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
And our eyes behold the vesper light,
We sing your praises O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
And to be glorified through all the worlds.

Amen. BCP p.118

The Phos Hilaron is a New Testament greek title for the church’s earliest known complete hymn text not derived directly from scripture itself. It was sung at the lighting of the candles at the beginning of the worship assembly by the congregation. There is an adaptation of this song on the recent Hymn project by Passion.

To me, this is one of the many “gems” to be discovered in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer and has become a favorite non-scriptural meditation text. It just moves me to Jesus Christ, points me to Jesus Christ and declares to me Jesus Christ. It calls me to worship in proper perspective, from a heart of gratitude and thanksgiving. I especially like the daily repetition to which the hymn invites us:

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
And our eyes behold the vesper light,
We sing your praises O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

As one who ventured into an Anglican expression of worship from a more general evangelical stream, I have grown to appreciate some repetition in prayer and in some of the collects said daily. In a way it mirrors the routines and repetitions of life and seeps its way into one’s daily movements. We are creatures of incredible habit, routine and repetitions that help ground our sense of being. I find that this repetition aids my attempt to live worshipfully by filling my mind with Christocentrical meditation and declaration, which I need desperately. My son Trent and I are working toward memorizing this hymn text- he will probably get it all before me!

“He is worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O giver of life,
And to be glorified through all the worlds."

Fleet Foxes

I am listening to a new album from a young Seattle band called Fleet Foxes. The commitment to the voice as an instrument is evident throughout the disc. There are moments in the album where the vocal harmonies really step forward and become overwhelmingly powerful. So far forward on some tracks is the voice that you wonder if other instruments will appear at all. The vocal harmony and folk arrangements recall the brilliance of Simon & Garfunkel. Lyrically, appeals to the relationship of man to things and to nature take center stage. Oliver James is powerful song about a tragic death. The power of memory tied to people, places and emotions provide the fuel for these musings on life. In the liner notes, frontman Robin Pecknold reflects, "Any time i hear a song or a record that meant a lot to me at a certain moment or i was listening to at a distinct time, i am instantly taken back to that place in full detail." Who can't relate to this? It is very interesting to think about the songs you remember as a child and young person, coupled with the people, places and circumstances that connect them. This is certainly a worthwhile record. I am impressed.

An Economy of Words

Stone Would Be Water
by Samuel Menashe

Stone would be water
But it cannot undo
Its own hardness
Rocks might run
Wild as torrents
Plunged upon the sky
By cliffs none climb

Who makes fountains
Spring from flint
Who dares tell
One thirsting
There’s a well

One of the many appeals to poetry, for me, is in the economy of words. Saying a lot in just a few lines is certainly an art form of highest rank. Here poet Samuel Menashe plumbs the depths of humanity's plight and divinity's provision in twelve or so short lines.

There are certain lines from poems, or whole poems that, in their powerful brevity, become indelible imprints on the heart, the mind, the memory. These lines, a single strand of language, the turn of a phrase, can conjur the most profound reflection or evoke a new understanding. A line from Jame's Wright's A Blessing, blistered me the other day,

"Suddenly i realize
That if i stepped out of my body i would break
into blosssom"

The poetry of the Old Testament Psalter is, in this way, a most formidable shaper of the heart. God owns words and thus, poetry eminates from Him. And God's poetry is not exclusive to the Psalms, but is found throughout the New and Old Testaments. Somehow, in the hour of sweet contemplation, worship and prayer or in the valley of pain and sorrow, God knew we would need an economy of words, a blistering of his revelation, something, even, to sing. "The Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not be in want..." Ps. 23.1