Some of My Favorites
Brig O'Doon
Look Well To This Day
Memorized from the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune
About 1956 when I was sixteen - Source unknown
Look well to this day; for in it lie the verities of existence,
The glory of action, the bliss of growth, and the beauty of memories....
For all our yesterdays are but a dream
And all our tomorrows are but a vision.
But today well lived will make all our yesterdays
A dream of happiness and all our tomorrows a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Together
They were young and glad together
In the dawn of life's first May,
When in bright and sunny weather
Sang the birds from every spray.
Clear the heaven shone out above them,
Blue and radiant were the skies,
All things living seemed to love them,
And the spring gleamed in her eyes.
Through life's summer still together,
Hand in hand and heart to heart,
They have borne the sultry weather
And have watched the days depart.
Still she is to him the maiden
Who stepped daintily of old
Through the grass, her apron laden
With bright buttercups of gold.
Still together, still together,
They will face autumn hours,
In the grim November weather
Love will strew their path with flowers.
For their love has ever brightened
Since the first long loving day,
And their happiness has heightened,
Though their hair is growing gray!
George Barlow
Reprinted from the collection,
Because I Love You.
Edited by Anna E. Mack.
Lee and Shepard, Publishers. Boston 1894
FROM Enoch Arden
Woman, disturb me not now at the last,
But let me hold my purpose till I die,
Sit down again; mark me and understand,
While I have power to speak. I charge you now
When you shall see her tell her that I died
Blessing her, praying for her, loving her
Save for the bar between us, loving her
As when she laid her head beside my own.
Alfred Tennyson
Life’s Gifts
When I grow gray and men shall say to me,
"What was the worth of living, truly told?
Lo! thou hast lived thy life out; thou art old;
Thou hast gathered fruit from many a green-leafed tree,
And kissed love's lips by many a summer sea,
And twined soft hands in locks of shining gold,
But all thy days are dead days now, behold!
Life passes onward,- what is life to thee?"
Then I will answer, - as thy gracious eyes,
Love, gleam upon me from dim far off skies,
"Life had its endless deathless charm, - and still
That charm weaves rapture round me at my will,
Life has its glory,- for I have seen thee;
And roses, and June sunsets, - and the sea."
George Barlow
Reprinted from the collection
Because I Love You
Edited by Anna E. Mack
Lee and Shepard, Publishers. Boston 1894
My Father’s Gift
[The world] also should know that he passed along to his daughter a deep,
Resilient faith that God's love never wavers and that, no matter how hard life seems
Or how cruel the world is, that love is constant, unconditional and eternal.
"God always listens, and He's always watching,"
My father told me often throughout the years, letting me know that this is one
Of the cornerstones of his life.
The private man, beneath the public one, has always felt a hand on his shoulders,
Keeping him safe, and he has never doubted that they belonged to God.
From her book, "My Father's Gift," by Patty Davis, 1995.
The daughter of former President Ronald Regan reveals in this excerpt from
her new book the deep nature of her father, which - - despite years of dissention
between them - - she has grown to cherish.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"As I reflect on the life of Mother Teresa, I am drawn to the simplicity of her faith
and her work. She reached out with compassion and unconditional love to others in
need. She saw Christ in all people, be they rich or poor, and was concerned about
every one of them.
The basis of all this was her tremendous love of God and her way of serving God by
passing on His love to those in need. If we are truly to honor her life, we must
accept the legacy of unconditional love that she so humbly gave to those in need.
We must give our love and compassion to all we meet on our journey and save the
judgment of others to God. If we are to find true peace and joy, it will come in giving
of ourselves in service to others.”
Mary Jo Copeland, Caring and Sharing Hands Mission,Minneapolis, MN
Reprinted from the St Paul Pioneer Press Sept. 12, 1997
My Creed
From a plaque in a medical clinic patient waiting room
In some way, however small and secret, each of us is a little mad....
Everyone is lonely at bottom and cries to be understood; but we can
never entirely understand someone else, and each of us remains part
stranger even to those who love us....
It is the weak who are cruel; gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.
Those who do not know fear are not really brave,
for courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined....
You can understand people better if you look at them - no matter how old or impressive
they may be - as if they are children.
For most of us never mature; we simply grow taller....
·
Happiness comes only when we push our brains and heart to the farthest reach to
which we are capable....
We leave no legacy other than to have made a difference - whether for good or ill.
It is the difference we have made in the lives of others and in our children who carry on
- this is our treasure. This may be the only gold we take from this earth....
The purpose of life is to matter - to count, to stand for something, to have it make a
difference that we have lived at all.
The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love
Sister Helen Prejean
My wife, Nancy and I were exposed to this piece May 9, 2005 at the St. Paul Chamber
Orchestra. The group performed the world premiere of Jake Heggie's "The Deepest
Desire," an orchestral work based on the Poetry of Sister Helen Prejean, author
of the award winning book, "Dead Man Walking." The text of the mezzo-soprano
aria moved me profoundly and calls to mind the woman and men of ISAIAH following
their hearts and the Biblical call for justice. I find this useful for meditation.
Larry Cowan
1. PRELUDE: THE CALL
More is required
More is required than being swept along –
All the currents pulling me
Easy and wide in a long, slow drift -
Without rudder, floating backwards, now to the side.
What can one person do against a sucking tide?
I coil like a bow;
I gather like a fist;
I forge like a rudder
And I lean into the wide, slow drift.
I tack and veer by God's pure will.
I raise my voice against the silence.
My voice alone.
Until a chorus joins.
Love
Love is the pure energy of God: pray for it ardently.
Be grateful when it comes into your life:
give of it generously.
Lavish it on others: even the undeserving ones.
Cultivate friendship with care: it is the best love of all.
2. I CATCH ON FIRE
Long black dress to my toes -
Flowing black sleeves and veil.
A walking bolt of black material.
Fourth grade religion class –
Teaching full force: The Gospel according to . . .
Lit candle.
Fifty little eyes wide. Twenty-five voices shout:
"Sister! Sister! You're on fire!"
Flames shooting. Hands beating.
Silence. Breathing.
Children, this teaches us always to be careful with fire.
Now, years later, when I catch on fire. Amen.
3. THE DEEPEST DESIRE
I thought I knew my heart's desire:
To love God. To be with God in heaven.
A bud unfolding; a dutiful and prayerful nun,
I pleased God, I thought, by being obedient.
It made me feel holy.
But getting to heaven takes a long time,
And dwelling far below was a Voice,
calling: "Lose yourself!"
"Lose yourself upon the deeper currents!"
Then I heard cries from the heart or the city
"Is there life before death?"
I saw. I heard. I followed.
I made my way to prison cells.
I made my way to death chambers.
I saw. I heard. I followed. I witnessed.
A desire for justice woke in me.
A fierce desire that will not let go.
The deepest desire.
The deepest desire of my heart.
"Come home!" "Come home!"
"Come home!”
4. PRIMARY COLORS
I live my life in primary colors.
I l let praise or blame fall where they may
I hold my soul in equanimity
And leave the fruits of my labors to God.
At night, when I pray, I catch on fire;
And when I put my head on the pillow,
I fall instantly to sleep.
Before Sleep
The toil of day is ebbing,
The quiet comes again,
In slumber deep relaxing
The tired limbs of men.
And minds with anguish shaken,
And spirits racked with grief,
The cup of all forgetting
Have drunk and found relief.
The still Lethean waters
Now steal through ev'ry vein,
And men no more remember
The meaning of their pain.
Let, let the weary body
Lie sunk in slumber deep.
The heart shall still remember
Christ in its very sleep.
from the Latin of Prudentius
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
A Christian poet, born in the Tarraconensis, Northern Spain, 348; died
probably in Spain, after 405. He must have been born a Christian, for
he nowhere speaks of his conversion. The place of his birth is uncertain;
it may have been Saragossa,Tarragona, or Calahorra. He practiced law
with some success, and in later life deplored the zeal he had devoted to
his profession. He was twice provincial governor, perhaps in his native
country, before the emperor summoned him to court.
Towards the end of his life Prudentius renounced the vanities of the world
to practice a rigorous asceticism, fasting until evening (Cath., iii, 88) and
abstaining entirely from animal food (ibid., 56). The Christian poems were
written during this period; he later collected them and wrote a preface,
which he himself dated 405. A little before (perhaps in 403) he had to go to
Rome, doubtless to make some appeal to the emperor. A number of his
poems (Peristephanon, vii, ix, xi, xii, xiv) were written subsequently to this
journey, of which he took advantage to visit the sanctuaries and tombs of
the martyrs. "Contra Symmachum" must have been written at Rome; the
second book belongs to the period between 29 March and December, 403.
All other works antedate the journey to Rome.
About Growing Up
Advice From A Single Mom
Let me tell you my parenting philosophy:
Give your kids respect and they'll respect you in return.
hare your life with your kids and they'll share theirs with you.
Listen to your kids and they'll listen to you.
Provide clear guidelines and values and they'll live up to your expectations.
On the other hand, If you:
Smoke, drink and do drugs, your kids will do the same.
If you get angry and scream, they will imitate you.
If you kick the dog, they will kick the cat.
If you hit your kids, they'll hit the smaller children.
If you disobey the law, your kids will do the same -
And possibly land in jail.
Dear Abby, Los Angeles, CA
By Alecsandra Bihlmaier, Fort Collins, CO
St Paul Pioneer Press, Oct. 18, 1997
The Servant Song
Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you,
Pray that I may have the Grace to
Let me be your servant, too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are travelers on the road,
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ-Light for you
In the night time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony.
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
by Richard Gillard © Scripture in Commentary:
Coalitions such as Promise Keepers, The Million Man March, NOW, Right To
Life, The 700 Club, and many others stake their roles in our society and in the
social structures in which we interact and I make no judgment of their
sincerity or service. I comment, however, that we must each recognize our
pride in the face of that service. In scripture, the Gospel of Mark 10: 35 - 45
suggests that we ask ourselves, "What is this all about?" In this text,
for example, two of His disciples suggest to Jesus that they may sit one at His
right hand and the other at His left in His kingdom.
Likewise each of us seeks to define and hold positions of honor among those
persons with whom we interact and perhaps on behalf of God's kingdom
as well. Well, Jesus told the disciples that's not how it works.
Here's the deal, He told them, "whoever would be great among you must
be your servant, and whoever would be first must be slave of all."
However we would assert our roles toward our spouse, the opposite gender
in general, toward any who are unlike ourselves, such a role must be blended
with the humility of a servant. Can we speak words of care and love directly
to our spouse? - Or with the humility of a servant to a homeless person?
Or with compassion to one whose skin is the darkest shade of black? - Or
white? - Or disfigured? - Or extremely fat? - Or gay?
Or perhaps even to persons who don't make as much money?
Or who don't know even how to keep a regular job?
Or perhaps to those who have hurt you or perhaps more difficult, to those
whom you've hurt? These are uncomfortable words. Who can you
say these words to? Jesus doesn't ask for our service or our commitment or
that we be good stewards; no, He calls for our undivided love and devotion
offered in pure humility. The sacrifice he calls for is our very life. The message
of the text of this song is very similar to "Passages,"Poem #5 above.
Laudate Dominum Psalm 117
From Vesperae solonnes de confessore K. 339
W. A. Motzart (1756-1791)
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, laudate eum omnes populi.
Quoniam confirmate est supernos misericordia ejus,
et veritas, veritas Domini manet, manet in aecternum.
Sing praise to God all ye nations, praise Him all ye people, all ye souls on earth.
For He hath shown His kindness toward us, His love and merciful kindness,
and the truth of God lasteth forever, lasteth, lasteth for all eternity.
Gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto,
secut erat in principio et nunc et semperet in saecula saeculorum.
Amen, amen, amen, amen.
Praise to the Father and to the Son also, and the Holy Spirit,
as it was then and will ever be, both now and always through the centuries everlasting.
Amen, amen, amen, amen.
The Ballad of Fair Helen - Kirkconnell Kirkyard
Sir Walter Scott
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
For nicht and day on me she cries
For nicht and day on me she cries
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Oh Helen fair, oh Helen chaste
Were I with thee I would be blessed
Were I with thee I would be blessed
Where though liest low and at thy rest
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Oh Helen Fair beyond compare
I’ll mak a garland o’ thy hair
I’ll mak a garland o’ thy hair
Wrapped roon’ ma hairt forever mair
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
But curse the heart that hatched the thoucht
And curse the hand that fired the shot
Aye curse the hand that fired the shot
When in my arms my Helen dropped
And died for sake o’ me
But think na ye ma hairt was sair
My love droppit doon an’ spak nae mair
I laid her doon wi’ muckle care
Oh think na ye ma hairt was sair
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
For I found ma foe behin’ a wa’
I lichtit doon my sword tae draw
Stern was oor strife on Kirtleshaw
As I hacked him intae pieces sma’
Wha’d taen ma love frae me
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
For nicht and day on me she cries
Oh I wish I was whaur Helen lies
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Kirkconnel Churchyard is shrouded in mystery and myth with gravestones dating back to the 1700's.
The Ballad of Fair Helen, immortalised by Sir Walter Scott tells of Helen's jealous fiance shooting her
lover Adam Fleming. Helen, throwing herself between them was mortally wounded and Fleming
having killed the assassin, Bell of Blacket House, fled abroad. He returned to die and lies at the side
of his Fair Helen
Kirkconnell is the ancestral home of our McMichael ancestors and may as well be where the our Cowan
family has its roots.
Memorized from the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune
About 1956 when I was sixteen - Source unknown
Look well to this day; for in it lie the verities of existence,
The glory of action, the bliss of growth, and the beauty of memories....
For all our yesterdays are but a dream
And all our tomorrows are but a vision.
But today well lived will make all our yesterdays
A dream of happiness and all our tomorrows a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Together
They were young and glad together
In the dawn of life's first May,
When in bright and sunny weather
Sang the birds from every spray.
Clear the heaven shone out above them,
Blue and radiant were the skies,
All things living seemed to love them,
And the spring gleamed in her eyes.
Through life's summer still together,
Hand in hand and heart to heart,
They have borne the sultry weather
And have watched the days depart.
Still she is to him the maiden
Who stepped daintily of old
Through the grass, her apron laden
With bright buttercups of gold.
Still together, still together,
They will face autumn hours,
In the grim November weather
Love will strew their path with flowers.
For their love has ever brightened
Since the first long loving day,
And their happiness has heightened,
Though their hair is growing gray!
George Barlow
Reprinted from the collection,
Because I Love You.
Edited by Anna E. Mack.
Lee and Shepard, Publishers. Boston 1894
FROM Enoch Arden
Woman, disturb me not now at the last,
But let me hold my purpose till I die,
Sit down again; mark me and understand,
While I have power to speak. I charge you now
When you shall see her tell her that I died
Blessing her, praying for her, loving her
Save for the bar between us, loving her
As when she laid her head beside my own.
Alfred Tennyson
Life’s Gifts
When I grow gray and men shall say to me,
"What was the worth of living, truly told?
Lo! thou hast lived thy life out; thou art old;
Thou hast gathered fruit from many a green-leafed tree,
And kissed love's lips by many a summer sea,
And twined soft hands in locks of shining gold,
But all thy days are dead days now, behold!
Life passes onward,- what is life to thee?"
Then I will answer, - as thy gracious eyes,
Love, gleam upon me from dim far off skies,
"Life had its endless deathless charm, - and still
That charm weaves rapture round me at my will,
Life has its glory,- for I have seen thee;
And roses, and June sunsets, - and the sea."
George Barlow
Reprinted from the collection
Because I Love You
Edited by Anna E. Mack
Lee and Shepard, Publishers. Boston 1894
My Father’s Gift
[The world] also should know that he passed along to his daughter a deep,
Resilient faith that God's love never wavers and that, no matter how hard life seems
Or how cruel the world is, that love is constant, unconditional and eternal.
"God always listens, and He's always watching,"
My father told me often throughout the years, letting me know that this is one
Of the cornerstones of his life.
The private man, beneath the public one, has always felt a hand on his shoulders,
Keeping him safe, and he has never doubted that they belonged to God.
From her book, "My Father's Gift," by Patty Davis, 1995.
The daughter of former President Ronald Regan reveals in this excerpt from
her new book the deep nature of her father, which - - despite years of dissention
between them - - she has grown to cherish.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"As I reflect on the life of Mother Teresa, I am drawn to the simplicity of her faith
and her work. She reached out with compassion and unconditional love to others in
need. She saw Christ in all people, be they rich or poor, and was concerned about
every one of them.
The basis of all this was her tremendous love of God and her way of serving God by
passing on His love to those in need. If we are truly to honor her life, we must
accept the legacy of unconditional love that she so humbly gave to those in need.
We must give our love and compassion to all we meet on our journey and save the
judgment of others to God. If we are to find true peace and joy, it will come in giving
of ourselves in service to others.”
Mary Jo Copeland, Caring and Sharing Hands Mission,Minneapolis, MN
Reprinted from the St Paul Pioneer Press Sept. 12, 1997
My Creed
From a plaque in a medical clinic patient waiting room
In some way, however small and secret, each of us is a little mad....
Everyone is lonely at bottom and cries to be understood; but we can
never entirely understand someone else, and each of us remains part
stranger even to those who love us....
It is the weak who are cruel; gentleness is to be expected only from the strong.
Those who do not know fear are not really brave,
for courage is the capacity to confront what can be imagined....
You can understand people better if you look at them - no matter how old or impressive
they may be - as if they are children.
For most of us never mature; we simply grow taller....
·
Happiness comes only when we push our brains and heart to the farthest reach to
which we are capable....
We leave no legacy other than to have made a difference - whether for good or ill.
It is the difference we have made in the lives of others and in our children who carry on
- this is our treasure. This may be the only gold we take from this earth....
The purpose of life is to matter - to count, to stand for something, to have it make a
difference that we have lived at all.
The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love
Sister Helen Prejean
My wife, Nancy and I were exposed to this piece May 9, 2005 at the St. Paul Chamber
Orchestra. The group performed the world premiere of Jake Heggie's "The Deepest
Desire," an orchestral work based on the Poetry of Sister Helen Prejean, author
of the award winning book, "Dead Man Walking." The text of the mezzo-soprano
aria moved me profoundly and calls to mind the woman and men of ISAIAH following
their hearts and the Biblical call for justice. I find this useful for meditation.
Larry Cowan
1. PRELUDE: THE CALL
More is required
More is required than being swept along –
All the currents pulling me
Easy and wide in a long, slow drift -
Without rudder, floating backwards, now to the side.
What can one person do against a sucking tide?
I coil like a bow;
I gather like a fist;
I forge like a rudder
And I lean into the wide, slow drift.
I tack and veer by God's pure will.
I raise my voice against the silence.
My voice alone.
Until a chorus joins.
Love
Love is the pure energy of God: pray for it ardently.
Be grateful when it comes into your life:
give of it generously.
Lavish it on others: even the undeserving ones.
Cultivate friendship with care: it is the best love of all.
2. I CATCH ON FIRE
Long black dress to my toes -
Flowing black sleeves and veil.
A walking bolt of black material.
Fourth grade religion class –
Teaching full force: The Gospel according to . . .
Lit candle.
Fifty little eyes wide. Twenty-five voices shout:
"Sister! Sister! You're on fire!"
Flames shooting. Hands beating.
Silence. Breathing.
Children, this teaches us always to be careful with fire.
Now, years later, when I catch on fire. Amen.
3. THE DEEPEST DESIRE
I thought I knew my heart's desire:
To love God. To be with God in heaven.
A bud unfolding; a dutiful and prayerful nun,
I pleased God, I thought, by being obedient.
It made me feel holy.
But getting to heaven takes a long time,
And dwelling far below was a Voice,
calling: "Lose yourself!"
"Lose yourself upon the deeper currents!"
Then I heard cries from the heart or the city
"Is there life before death?"
I saw. I heard. I followed.
I made my way to prison cells.
I made my way to death chambers.
I saw. I heard. I followed. I witnessed.
A desire for justice woke in me.
A fierce desire that will not let go.
The deepest desire.
The deepest desire of my heart.
"Come home!" "Come home!"
"Come home!”
4. PRIMARY COLORS
I live my life in primary colors.
I l let praise or blame fall where they may
I hold my soul in equanimity
And leave the fruits of my labors to God.
At night, when I pray, I catch on fire;
And when I put my head on the pillow,
I fall instantly to sleep.
Before Sleep
The toil of day is ebbing,
The quiet comes again,
In slumber deep relaxing
The tired limbs of men.
And minds with anguish shaken,
And spirits racked with grief,
The cup of all forgetting
Have drunk and found relief.
The still Lethean waters
Now steal through ev'ry vein,
And men no more remember
The meaning of their pain.
Let, let the weary body
Lie sunk in slumber deep.
The heart shall still remember
Christ in its very sleep.
from the Latin of Prudentius
Aurelius Clemens Prudentius
A Christian poet, born in the Tarraconensis, Northern Spain, 348; died
probably in Spain, after 405. He must have been born a Christian, for
he nowhere speaks of his conversion. The place of his birth is uncertain;
it may have been Saragossa,Tarragona, or Calahorra. He practiced law
with some success, and in later life deplored the zeal he had devoted to
his profession. He was twice provincial governor, perhaps in his native
country, before the emperor summoned him to court.
Towards the end of his life Prudentius renounced the vanities of the world
to practice a rigorous asceticism, fasting until evening (Cath., iii, 88) and
abstaining entirely from animal food (ibid., 56). The Christian poems were
written during this period; he later collected them and wrote a preface,
which he himself dated 405. A little before (perhaps in 403) he had to go to
Rome, doubtless to make some appeal to the emperor. A number of his
poems (Peristephanon, vii, ix, xi, xii, xiv) were written subsequently to this
journey, of which he took advantage to visit the sanctuaries and tombs of
the martyrs. "Contra Symmachum" must have been written at Rome; the
second book belongs to the period between 29 March and December, 403.
All other works antedate the journey to Rome.
About Growing Up
Advice From A Single Mom
Let me tell you my parenting philosophy:
Give your kids respect and they'll respect you in return.
hare your life with your kids and they'll share theirs with you.
Listen to your kids and they'll listen to you.
Provide clear guidelines and values and they'll live up to your expectations.
On the other hand, If you:
Smoke, drink and do drugs, your kids will do the same.
If you get angry and scream, they will imitate you.
If you kick the dog, they will kick the cat.
If you hit your kids, they'll hit the smaller children.
If you disobey the law, your kids will do the same -
And possibly land in jail.
Dear Abby, Los Angeles, CA
By Alecsandra Bihlmaier, Fort Collins, CO
St Paul Pioneer Press, Oct. 18, 1997
The Servant Song
Will you let me be your servant?
Let me be as Christ to you,
Pray that I may have the Grace to
Let me be your servant, too.
We are pilgrims on a journey,
We are travelers on the road,
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load
I will hold the Christ-Light for you
In the night time of your fear;
I will hold my hand out to you,
Speak the peace you long to hear.
I will weep when you are weeping,
When you laugh I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.
When we sing to God in heaven
We shall find such harmony.
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.
by Richard Gillard © Scripture in Commentary:
Coalitions such as Promise Keepers, The Million Man March, NOW, Right To
Life, The 700 Club, and many others stake their roles in our society and in the
social structures in which we interact and I make no judgment of their
sincerity or service. I comment, however, that we must each recognize our
pride in the face of that service. In scripture, the Gospel of Mark 10: 35 - 45
suggests that we ask ourselves, "What is this all about?" In this text,
for example, two of His disciples suggest to Jesus that they may sit one at His
right hand and the other at His left in His kingdom.
Likewise each of us seeks to define and hold positions of honor among those
persons with whom we interact and perhaps on behalf of God's kingdom
as well. Well, Jesus told the disciples that's not how it works.
Here's the deal, He told them, "whoever would be great among you must
be your servant, and whoever would be first must be slave of all."
However we would assert our roles toward our spouse, the opposite gender
in general, toward any who are unlike ourselves, such a role must be blended
with the humility of a servant. Can we speak words of care and love directly
to our spouse? - Or with the humility of a servant to a homeless person?
Or with compassion to one whose skin is the darkest shade of black? - Or
white? - Or disfigured? - Or extremely fat? - Or gay?
Or perhaps even to persons who don't make as much money?
Or who don't know even how to keep a regular job?
Or perhaps to those who have hurt you or perhaps more difficult, to those
whom you've hurt? These are uncomfortable words. Who can you
say these words to? Jesus doesn't ask for our service or our commitment or
that we be good stewards; no, He calls for our undivided love and devotion
offered in pure humility. The sacrifice he calls for is our very life. The message
of the text of this song is very similar to "Passages,"Poem #5 above.
Laudate Dominum Psalm 117
From Vesperae solonnes de confessore K. 339
W. A. Motzart (1756-1791)
Laudate Dominum omnes gentes, laudate eum omnes populi.
Quoniam confirmate est supernos misericordia ejus,
et veritas, veritas Domini manet, manet in aecternum.
Sing praise to God all ye nations, praise Him all ye people, all ye souls on earth.
For He hath shown His kindness toward us, His love and merciful kindness,
and the truth of God lasteth forever, lasteth, lasteth for all eternity.
Gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto,
secut erat in principio et nunc et semperet in saecula saeculorum.
Amen, amen, amen, amen.
Praise to the Father and to the Son also, and the Holy Spirit,
as it was then and will ever be, both now and always through the centuries everlasting.
Amen, amen, amen, amen.
The Ballad of Fair Helen - Kirkconnell Kirkyard
Sir Walter Scott
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
For nicht and day on me she cries
For nicht and day on me she cries
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Oh Helen fair, oh Helen chaste
Were I with thee I would be blessed
Were I with thee I would be blessed
Where though liest low and at thy rest
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Oh Helen Fair beyond compare
I’ll mak a garland o’ thy hair
I’ll mak a garland o’ thy hair
Wrapped roon’ ma hairt forever mair
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
But curse the heart that hatched the thoucht
And curse the hand that fired the shot
Aye curse the hand that fired the shot
When in my arms my Helen dropped
And died for sake o’ me
But think na ye ma hairt was sair
My love droppit doon an’ spak nae mair
I laid her doon wi’ muckle care
Oh think na ye ma hairt was sair
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
For I found ma foe behin’ a wa’
I lichtit doon my sword tae draw
Stern was oor strife on Kirtleshaw
As I hacked him intae pieces sma’
Wha’d taen ma love frae me
I wish I was whaur Helen lies
For nicht and day on me she cries
Oh I wish I was whaur Helen lies
On fair Kirkconnel Lea
Kirkconnel Churchyard is shrouded in mystery and myth with gravestones dating back to the 1700's.
The Ballad of Fair Helen, immortalised by Sir Walter Scott tells of Helen's jealous fiance shooting her
lover Adam Fleming. Helen, throwing herself between them was mortally wounded and Fleming
having killed the assassin, Bell of Blacket House, fled abroad. He returned to die and lies at the side
of his Fair Helen
Kirkconnell is the ancestral home of our McMichael ancestors and may as well be where the our Cowan
family has its roots.