A song of Christmas
One of the most important musical groups to me in my teeenage/young adult years was Peter, Paul, and Mary. I learned about them in the period just before going to high school, and fell in love. Folk and country music make up my "soul music" in Tex Sample's phrase, and they tapped into that part of my makeup. I am always touched by their guitar work. I love the way their voices weave together. They were my first introduction to people like Bob Dylan and to melodies like Bach's harmonies in the hymn Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light. And the message! You wouldn't call them a Christian group in the usual sense of that term, but their songs are clearly grounded in Christian values and are sometimes overtly Christian. Running throughout their wrk, and very important to me, is a strong call to justice in the world. One of the ways I figured out that Julie might be the woman for me was learning that she, like me, had every record that Peter,Paul, and Mary ever made!
Several years ago Julie and I ran into a video of a Christmas concert that Peter, Paul, and Mary did in the late 80's with the New York Choral Society. It has been a staple of our Advent/Christmas celebrations ever since, often left on to run throughout much of the day as we go about seasonal activities. Allyson was an early convert. She has her own copy of the tape now and plays it regularly. There are fun chidren's songs and a variety of powerful Christmas pieces. It is a powerful part of the season for us.
One song that is included that at first glance may seem strange is a version of Bob Dylan's classic, made known to many of us by P,P, &M, "Blowin in the Wind". It is not a seasonal song and one might wonder how it made the concert. Maybe it's partly because it is so closely associated with the trio. Or maybe there is a deeper logic at work. One thing is certain: the performance is moving. There is in the video a shot of a black man, a member of the Choral Society, with tears running down his face as the song is sung, a testimony I think to the struggle of blacks in our society and to the fact that the answer to Dylan's questions is still being worked out. We also have a cassette tape of part of the concert, and I was listening to it last night as I came home from work. I found myself in tears as I listened to this song. Partly, perhaps, because it reminds me of a time in my life when I was younger, and all things seemed possible. Partlty because I was thinking of the gemtlemean in the video and of his pain. But partly because I believe this song does link up with the Christmas story. We will read this week Mary's Magnificate from Luke 1. That song by the mother of Christ is radical. It speaks of the reversal in the world that will come about as a result of the birth of this child. The mighty will be brought down. The poor and humble lifted up. The hungry filled. The rich sent away empty. Justice for all people established. All this because God, in Christ, is working to bring about the world that God has intended from the very beginning. A world envisioned at least in part by the questions in Bob Dylan's song. God is doing something amazing in Christ. The season and the song invite us to join God in this work.
Jimmy
Several years ago Julie and I ran into a video of a Christmas concert that Peter, Paul, and Mary did in the late 80's with the New York Choral Society. It has been a staple of our Advent/Christmas celebrations ever since, often left on to run throughout much of the day as we go about seasonal activities. Allyson was an early convert. She has her own copy of the tape now and plays it regularly. There are fun chidren's songs and a variety of powerful Christmas pieces. It is a powerful part of the season for us.
One song that is included that at first glance may seem strange is a version of Bob Dylan's classic, made known to many of us by P,P, &M, "Blowin in the Wind". It is not a seasonal song and one might wonder how it made the concert. Maybe it's partly because it is so closely associated with the trio. Or maybe there is a deeper logic at work. One thing is certain: the performance is moving. There is in the video a shot of a black man, a member of the Choral Society, with tears running down his face as the song is sung, a testimony I think to the struggle of blacks in our society and to the fact that the answer to Dylan's questions is still being worked out. We also have a cassette tape of part of the concert, and I was listening to it last night as I came home from work. I found myself in tears as I listened to this song. Partly, perhaps, because it reminds me of a time in my life when I was younger, and all things seemed possible. Partlty because I was thinking of the gemtlemean in the video and of his pain. But partly because I believe this song does link up with the Christmas story. We will read this week Mary's Magnificate from Luke 1. That song by the mother of Christ is radical. It speaks of the reversal in the world that will come about as a result of the birth of this child. The mighty will be brought down. The poor and humble lifted up. The hungry filled. The rich sent away empty. Justice for all people established. All this because God, in Christ, is working to bring about the world that God has intended from the very beginning. A world envisioned at least in part by the questions in Bob Dylan's song. God is doing something amazing in Christ. The season and the song invite us to join God in this work.
Jimmy
posted by Jimmy at 7:03 AM
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