.Come Away to the Water.

When Scott and I found out there was a soundtrack for The Hunger Games called Songs from District 12 and Beyond, we checked it out on iTunes and really enjoyed it.  The title, like the album itself, suggests roots to Appalachia (and beyond).  We honestly haven't stopped listening to it since we bought a number of the songs last week before going to see the film.  My personal favorite on the album is Maroon 5's "Come Away to the Water," featuring Rozzi Crane.  When I listened to it, the song made me 'feel' what I had felt when I read the book.  I definitely think some of these songs would have really added to the film (only instrumental songs were included in the film other than the two songs during the credits - Arcade Fire's "Abraham's Daughter" and "Kingdom Come" by The Civil Wars' feat. Taylor Swift).

The language in "Come Away to the Water" reminds me of Jesus' journey to the cross (and maybe this is simply because it's Lent and only a week away from Easter).  But, to explain a little more what I'm talking about I've included the lyrics (in italics) paired with some of the Scriptures they remind me of.  Now I'm not at all suggesting that Katniss, Peeta, or anyone else in the film/books are sacrificial like Christ, (although others have) I'm merely sharing a personal connection to the song.

Source: civa-artists.ning.com

Come away little loss/ Come away to the water/ To the ones that are waiting only for you

(Luke 19:10) For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. (Mark 1:14-18) After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,”he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

Come away little loss/ Come away to the water/ Away from the life that you always knew/ We are calling to you

(Mark 1:9-10) At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

Come away little light/ Come away to the darkness/ In the shade of the night we’ll come looking for you/ Come away little light/ Come away to the darkness/ To the ones appointed to see it through/ We are calling for you/ We are coming for you

(John 8: 12-13) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

Come away little lamb/ Come away to the water/ Give yourself so we might live anew 

(John 1:29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  (Hebrews 10: 9-10) Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Come away little lamb/ Come away to the slaughter/ To the ones appointed to see this through/ We are calling for you/ We are coming for you 

(Matthew 27: 27-31) Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Come away little lamb/ Come away to the water /To the arms that are waiting only for you/ Come away little lamb come away to the slaughter/To the one appointed to see this through We are calling for you/ We are coming for you/ We are coming for you/ We are coming for you

(lyrics from Songlyrics.com; verses taken from NIV)

.with these, our sisters.

Today for Women's History Month I'm sharing this beautiful prayer I found by B. D’Arcy (I was actually searching for another prayer...I'll keep searching, but this one is beautiful nonetheless). 

Source: google.com via Jade on Pinterest

With Miriam, who with Moses and Aaron

led the people of Israel out of Egypt;

with Deborah, who judged the people of Israel

in truth and righteousness;

with Ruth, who was an example of faithfulness;

with Mary Magdalen, who first

brought the good news of the resurrection;

with Phoebe, deacon and leader of the early Church;

with Priscilla, who labored with Aquila

in the service of Christ;

with Dorcas, who spent herself doing good

and helping the poor;

with Mary the mother of Jesus,

who said “yes” with no holding back.

With these, our sisters,
We pray for women everywhere who see
their families divided,
their children sad;
we pray for women who against all odds
create a good place
for their families to live in;
we pray for women who,
when tempted to give up,
find new strength from their sisters
and go on. Amen.


(Excerpted from Living God’s Justice: Reflections and Prayers, compiled by The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors, National Pastoral Life Center Editorial Board, St. Anthony Messenger Press).

.sharing reflections during Lent.

Today I wanted to share a beautiful post written by my good friend and fellow blogger, Lindsey.  The post's title sums it up pretty well: Observing Lent When the Ashes Fade.  She likens the Lent season to New Years' because, similar to resolutions, our observations of Lent can often begin with good intentions but fade as the 40 days continue.  I certainly understand this and know full well when I set out to start a good habit or let go of a bad one that I'll probably fail miserably.

But, I don't think Lent is supposed to be a game to figure out whether our spiritual discipline wins over our flesh; instead, each moment we think about those habits we're forming or giving up, they're meant to remind us of Jesus in the wilderness, tempted by Satan and spiritually preparing for death.

Lindsey's post also reminded me that Christians who might have grown up with Easter their entire lives can often lose their enthusiasm for the season, or this time can seem 'stale.'  Sometimes we just need a renewed spirit to prepare.  Lindsey reminded me of my own renewal last year (I shared this story with her in the comments).

A few days before Easter my husband and I watched  The Passion (I’ve watched it a couple times now and I just can’t get past the rawness of it; the sight of blood in that way makes me nauseous, perhaps one reason I don’t watch it more). But as we watched it, and cried, and reacted to it, I gained a new excitement for Easter Sunday. I couldn’t wait to be in church singing hymns, sharing communion, and rejoicing that Christ lives! It was an amazing experience and I felt like after watching the film a few days before Easter I was better able to partake in the excitement, reminded what all the excitement was really for (something we can often forget as children caught up in the pastels of eggs, baskets, and new Sunday outfits).

As Christians, we sometimes need reminders of the amazing thing Jesus did for us. Even though the film has its flaws, it reminded me of his awesome act of LOVE (I quite literally feel like I’m in a ‘wilderness’ while watching it). This year, I’m sure things will be different because we don’t have a church we’re attending right now…instead, we’ve been getting up Sundays and reading from the Bible, from Take This Bread, or listening to sermons by Barbara Brown Taylor (I’m reading one of her books, Speaking of Sin, for Lent).  But even if this year is different I will always remember that sense of awe from last year, swaying in the Episcopal church, tearing up, and feeling genuinely excited and amazed.

Thanks to my friend, Lindsey for writing this post and for reminding me of that renewal we need and long for in this Lent/Easter season.  Lindsey has decided to write a post each Monday of Lent and I'll definitely be tuning in.  You can access her blog, Negotiating With Chaos, here. 

image from here.

.ashes and Lent.

"...For dust you are and to dust you will return." - - Genesis 3:19b

This is a repost of a revised poem I wrote two years ago after attending a Catholic funeral service with my husband held on Ash Wednesday.  Since that experience, Ash Wednesday and Lent have reminded me of the Jews during the Holocaust.  The image of the ashes drawn on foreheads reminds me of the ashes of those whose lives were cruelly taken from them. For me, ashes have always brought to mind the image of the Holocaust victims (partly, I think, because I was in a Holocaust play and though we used sand instead of ashes to represent the number of deaths, the visual image of salt being poured from a bowl represented their ashes, the dust to which they returned).

Another reason is because Ash Wednesday is the one day when Christians openly display an outward physical symbol of their faith for everyone to see. Just as the yellow star of David was worn by the Jews to show their faith (though under very different circumstances; they did not choose to wear them, but were instead forced to), we wear our crosses of ash to show to whom we belong and what we believe.

Like I said earlier I wrote this poem two years ago and I've since then changed a couple things about it.  For example I had a line that said they wore them "proudly and without shame," but after further reading on the subject, I don't think this would have been true.  They didn't choose to wear this outward symbol of faith and heritage.  Being a non-Jew (which means I can never understand this) I always thought they might proudly wear them or display them (now) as witness to their history.  I think it's much more complicated than that, and I think there are probably many differing opinions and personal connections to the yellow stars.  Either way, their stars - in my mind when I watch Holocaust films or read books - are powerful symbols of their faith and heritage, one that might have been forced on them by oppressors, but can never be forgotten.  The stars bear witness of their history, retelling their story each time one is displayed.

Source: js.emory.edu via Jade on Pinterest

ashes

made into crosses.

fingerprints

traveling across smooth,

and wrinkled

foreheads.

we stand like mirrors

wearing our small signs

out into the dark world -

small lights

traveling into cold court rooms,

office buildings,

and classrooms.

they wore theirs on battlefields,

on streets,

and in camps -

yellow canvas patches,

stars shining on their dark clothes.

they used needles and thread
to sew them -

their cross to bear.

they were piled next to their

suitcases,

their shoes,

and their

ashes.

This is a photo from the Holocaust play I performed in college - I Never Saw Another Butterfly; my character, Raja collects the stars of the Terezin children...

Pouring salt - a visual representation of the lives lost in the Holocaust

Contemplating Lent...a poem

ashes

made into crosses.

fingerprints

traveling across smooth,

and wrinkled

foreheads.

we stand like mirrors

wearing our small signs

out into the dark world -

small lights

traveling into cold court rooms,

office buildings,

and classrooms.

they wore theirs on battlefields,

on streets,

and in camps -

yellow canvas patches,

stars shining on their dark clothes.

they wore them proudly

and unashamed -

their cross to bear.

they were piled next to their

suitcases,

their shoes,

and their

ashes.

Ash Wednesday

Today I had the privilege of attending a catholic funeral. It was the funeral of the 89-year-old mother of the professor that my husband works for. I say the privilege because it was one of the most beautiful funeral services I have ever attended. It began with the singing of "Ave Maria" by a woman while her husband played on the classical guitar. It was also an Ash Wednesday service because, well...it landed on Ash Wednesday. When my husband and I went up to get the ashes painted on our foreheads in the shape of a cross, and as I could see all those around me with the painting on their faces, it reminded me of the Holocaust. For two reasons, Ash Wednesday and Lent reminds me of the Jewish people. First, the visual appearance of the ashes, reminds me of the ashes of those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. For some reason, ashes seem to always bring about the image of the Holocaust victims. Second, it is the one day where Christians openly display an outward sign of their faith for all the world to see. Just as the star of David was worn by the Jews to show their faith, we wear our crosses of ashes to show to whom we belong. Just as I'm sure the Jews wore their sign of faith proudly and unashamed, so do Christians wear their sign of faith on Ash Wednesday.

Because my husband attends a Catholic university, I figured that most people would know what the cross of ashes on his forehead would signify, I did not assume that the students at my public university would take notice of my cross; I thought perhaps they would comment that I had something on my forehead and motion to wipe it away. What I did not expect, and what I was very pleasantly surprised to find, was that as soon as I boarded the shuttle for campus, three people mentioned that they would also be taking the cross of ashes later in the day. The conversation then turned into a sharing of what each person was going to give up during the Lent season. I was very much blessed today by both the Ash Wednesday service and by the small, somewhat insignificant, conversation on the shuttle; they both brought me joy and a sense of fellowship with fellow Christians.

As Christians, we should wear our crosses each day for all to see. I am not saying that we should draw crosses in ash on our foreheads each morning in addition to brushing our teeth and applying make-up, rather as Christians, we should show others to whom we belong no matter what day of the year or Church calendar.