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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781622773602 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | G I A Publications, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 12/03/2018 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 470 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
About the Author
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CHAPTER 1
MUSIC & STORIES
CD Living Spirit, Holy Fire; Do Not Be Afraid, I Am with You
MP3 X-7164a
Music G-7164
A FUTURE WITH HOPE
Music: David Haas
Text: Based on Jeremiah 29:11-14 (alt. DH)
I know the plans I have for you,
not for harm, but for your good,
to give you a future, a future with hope.
Then when you come and call upon me,
when you pray, I will hear you;
when you search for me, you will find me there.
If you will seek me with all your heart,
I will be there, you will find me.
I will gather you, and bring you home.
When you feel lost, I will guide you,
I am with you, true to my promise;
when you call to me, I will bring you back.
Copyright © 2007 GIA Publications, Inc.
Most Christians have their favorite passages from the Bible, and I am no different in that regard. One of the greatest seismic changes that rose out of the Second Vatican Council was the opening up of the scriptures for Catholics. Many of my Protestant friends are baffled by this, but Catholics of my age and older were often discouraged from reading the Bible. I remember one time hearing a Catholic say in referencing Protestants, "they may have the Bible, but we got the Mass." We have come a long way from those days and those attitudes, with the explosion of biblical scholarship among Catholic theologians, and with the ongoing popularity of Bible study groups, scripture courses, and published resources that bring the word of God closer to the average Catholic. I love studying scripture, and I give thanks to God for people like Fr. Bill Taylor back home in Michigan, and my dear friend and colleague Art Zannoni (he was my Hebrew Scriptures professor in college), and of course Michael Joncas, for opening up to me the richness in biblical studies. Now I devour every book I can come across by scholars such as Marcus Borg; Sandra Schneiders; N.T. Wright; Dominic Crossan; Fr. Raymond Brown, SS; Sr. Barbara Reid, OP; Fr. Eugene LaVerdiere, SSS; and Walter Brueggemann. The more I study scripture, the more I hunger for more. If it were up to me, every liturgical composer would be required to take a core curriculum of scripture classes alongside music theory and the study of liturgy and the sacraments.
I have many favorite passages from scripture. A number of these come from the Psalter and the Gospels. But one of the most treasured scripture passages for me is Jeremiah 29:11-14, which is the source text for "A Future with Hope." In addition to being a cornerstone text for my own spiritual life, I have found that these verses, which so strongly profess God's fidelity and promise in the midst of the journey of life, speak on a deep pastoral level for young people, especially those of high school and college age.
But the same is true for all of us, regardless of our age — our lives are often inflicted with deep anxiety and worry filled with issues of discernment and concerns about the future. In 1996 I composed a poetic hymn based on this section of Jeremiah, titled "You Will Find Me in Your Heart," where I intentionally paraphrased these verses to be yoked together with the tune of an old English lullaby, "Golden Slumbers" (no, not the version by the Beatles on "Abbey Road," but they are the same words). At the time I felt as though these words contained a message where we could be "rocked to sleep," so to speak, with the hope that is announced.
That version never really took hold for many people, so in 2007 (over ten years later), I wanted to give it another try with this setting. Here I chose to encase this message musically as an anthem of faith and confidence — a song of hope that would proclaim more than mere comfort in difficult times, but also provide a vehicle of prayer and praise, proclaiming the fidelity and promise that God holds for all of us. As is the case with several other compositions of mine that I have written over the years, the quarter note "heart beat" pulse in the piano accompaniment that appears in this song is influenced by some of the pop-rock songs of my youth, especially "Hey Jude" and "Let it Be" by the Beatles, "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Salty Dog" by Gary Brooker, and "Rocket Man" and "Tiny Dancer" by Elton John. I can't help it. I used to play these songs endlessly, late into the night at home when I was a teenager (often to the consternation of my parents), and the "feel" of these songs of that era (and others) seeped into my DNA. There is something about the steady and relentless pulse of these songs that provides a landscape and intensity for the wonderful melodies that accompany them. So "A Future with Hope" became a beneficiary — or a victim — of my love of that genre.
It is sad to me that these verses from Jeremiah do not appear anywhere in the Lectionary for Mass, or for any of our official sacraments and other rituals. There are so many occasions that this reading would serve well, especially for funerals (it was the first reading for my Father's funeral), celebrations of Confirmation, and for liturgies of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.
This reading and song has been a common theme for retreats that I have led, especially for young people, and I often use this song to punctuate the message. It is one thing to proclaim scripture from the ambo. But as powerful as that can be (especially when the lector proclaims it well), it is something even more provocative when the word of God is sung. "A Future with Hope" served as a favorite choice at the various Music Ministry Alive! institutes during its 19-year run, and so as I write this reflection I am holding close to my heart the 2000-plus young people who attended that program. I think of them and pray for all of them every time I lead this song at concerts alone, and especially when I sing it with Lori True. I hope these young ones — O my God, I forget that most of them are young adults now — are OK. I hope that they have come to experience this God who has great plans for us all, and who, when we seek God with all our heart, will seek us out, find us, and bring us home. (11.22.17)
CD God Is Here
MP3 X-6551a
Music G-6551
ALL IS READY
Music and Text: David Haas
Come, all you weary ones, who walk the journey;
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, bring your burdens here,
find love and mercy.
With Christ before us, we gather as his friends!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome here!
Come, all who struggle hard, all who are hopeful;
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, with your tired hearts, come,
find new passion.
With Christ within us, we find new life again!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome here!
Come, all you rich and poor,
all who are challenged;
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, all who live in shame, we are your family.
With Christ beside us, we no longer are alone!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome here!
Come, all you single ones, all who are married;
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, you who've lost your spouse,
all who are lonely.
With Christ our brother,
we are loved and made whole!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome here!
Come, all you young and old, all male and female,
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, love of every kind, it does not matter.
With Christ all people are one in God's name!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome here!
Come, all you anxious ones, who fear the future;
Know you are welcome at the table of the Lord.
Come, all from east and west, we stand together.
With Christ we rise now, to sing the reign of God!
All is ready, here and now; all are welcome!
Copyright © 1990 GIA Publications, Inc.
"All Is Ready" is the second part of a "ritual-unit" piece, a musical way of being intentional about not only gathering at the liturgy, but being equally intentional about hospitality and inclusion. This song was certainly influenced by Marty Haugen's hymn "All are Welcome" (which may prove to be one of the most important pieces of his great legacy), but it was also informed greatly by the writings of my good friend Bill Huebsch in his insights about "Whole Community Catechesis," in particular about honoring all of the different groupings of people that make up the Church: all should be welcomed, because Christ "welcomes all."
As is the case with Marty and his iconic hymn, many people have thanked me specifically for this piece of mine, because they appreciate that I am articulating — and singing — a welcome to those who often feel invisible in the Church, or not even considered — such as those who are single, those challenged both physically and psychologically, those who have experienced the loss of a spouse or someone dear to them, the young ones, those of diverse sexual orientations ... The only downside of trying to be intentional about including these varied groups of people is that the hymn has six stanzas! Of course, there could have been more stanzas to include so many different groupings, but I had to stop!
In crafting the text, I chose not to utilize metaphorical images — I wanted it to be direct, concrete, and plain spoken. I wanted to name and, on behalf of Christ and the Church, make a direct invitation to people who so often feel locked out, or not seen. I wanted it to be an expression not only for those being invited, but for all of us "doing the inviting" in a clear and honest way.
In light of the nature of the text, other issues come to mind when reflecting on a piece such as this, with a text that is, to put it gently I guess — a bit outside the mainstream. First off, with this being a "gathering" hymn for celebrations of the Eucharist, some might wonder if such a text is problematic because it is not addressed to God, but rather, to the community, to each other. This is a discussion that liturgists often go back and forth with, and it is an important discussion. I would agree with some who caution us to remember that the liturgy is about worship. It is to be prayer and it is God who is to be praised. But the documents and guidelines that guide our liturgical celebration, such as Sacrosanctam Concilium (The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), the General Instruction on the Roman Missal and other documents, place before us the vision and intention of liturgy as advancing "the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful." So it seems to me (and it has to others) that such a text can serve as a vehicle for expressing the "sanctification" of the gathered assembly, with all of its diversity — naming each as holy — and thus, a most blessed reason to give glory to God.
Some people might ask why we have to sing texts that sound "political" — and of course I agree that we have to be careful about using the liturgy to advance narrow and specific causes. But the liturgy is political — it is about what Jim Wallis would call "God's politics": the politics of inclusion, of mercy and acceptance; the politics of equality and holiness as reflected in the Gospel; the politics, theology, and spirituality that affirms and celebrates that God walks with us — all of us — in both the joy and the terror of life.
Finally, the question for some worshippers is this: is what we are singing true? I have had certain people say to me that they simply cannot sing a hymn like this one, or Marty's "All Are Welcome," or the great Huijbers/Oosterhuis hymn "What is this Place," because we are part of a church where many are not "welcome" at all; certain forces in the church, sometime from those in leadership, have gone so far as to say quite deliberately that certain people are not worthy. In addition, for those who are not allowed to come to the table and share in communion — because they are not Catholic — a hymn like this would be painful and not honest for them to sing. I certainly honor and reverence the pain and difficulty that people experience and how a piece like this might trigger some of that pain even more deeply. But alongside of that, is the reality that most of the music we sing and pray with on Sunday — are we always (or ever) living our lives in consonance with the message not only contained in our song-prayers, but in the scriptures proclaimed and message preached? If we only sang songs at church that resonated with how we live our lives — we would not have many songs to sing at all.
As my friend and hymn text author Sr. Delores Dufner, OSB, states courageously in what is arguably her most well-known and prophetic text, we "sing a new Church into being." We sing not of what we have achieved, but for what are longing for. What is true, without question, is that we all belong to Christ, and this Christ welcomes us all. Without exception. No matter what. (11.16.17)
CD To Be Your Bread; Singing Assembly; You Are Mine: The Best of David Haas, Vol. 2
MP3 X-17208
Music G-3583
ALLELUIA, SING!
Music and Text: David Haas
Blessed be our God! Blessed be our God!
Joy of our hearts, source of all life and love!
God of heaven and earth!
God of heaven and earth!
Dwelling within, calling us all by name!
Alleluia, Sing! Alleluia, Sing!
Gift of love and peace! Gift of love and peace!
Jesus the Christ, Jesus, our hope and light!
A flame of faith in our hearts!
A flame of faith in our hearts!
Proclaiming the day, shining throughout the night!
Alleluia, Sing! Alleluia, Sing!
Come, O Spirit of Truth! Come, O Spirit of Truth!
Promise of hope, kindness and mercy!
Come and dwell in our hearts!
Come and dwell in our hearts!
Justice and peace, the kingdom of God in us!
Alleluia, Sing! Alleluia, Sing!
Copyright © 1985 GIA Publications, Inc
I have composed several songs about the Trinity over the years. This was the first one. I remember the attempts that my early catechism teachers made in attempting to explain to us this grand and divine "mystery." It always seemed to be expressed and explained in these kind of terms: "well, you know, the Trinity is a mystery." While it most certainly is, I know that over the years I keep trying to expand my understanding of what "mystery" is, and thus, deepen my understanding of the Trinity. Mystery is not, in my thinking, about delving in things that are deep, beyond our understanding, and as a result, matters that we should restrain ourselves from exploring. Throughout my life, I am called to prod and explore who these "three persons" are, and what they represent and make manifest in our lives.
So "Alleluia Sing!" was intended to be a celebration of this mystery, a celebration that delights and finds joy in that journey of exploration. This is why the 5/4 time signature and the dance-type rhythmic playfulness is the grounding musical motif for this song. This also is one my earliest attempts to be more poetic in examining this mystery. I remember a homilist preaching on Trinity Sunday, saying to us: "how do you celebrate and pray a doctrine?" That has stayed with me over the years, and this is my attempt to truly "celebrate and pray" this doctrine of our faith, especially in Catholicism.
I do not remember if at the time it was conscious for me or not, but somewhere in composing this text, I chose to sing about the "verbs" of this doctrine, rather than the "nouns," meaning that the reality of the Father (Creator), Son and Spirit in our lives are not just finite truths. The layers of the Trinity are active, engaging, and constantly moving about and doing their "work" in and on us. The first person of the Trinity is the "source of all life and love," always "dwelling within, calling us all by name" (remember, when we were baptized, the priest, our parents and Godparents claimed us for Christ and did so by signing us with the cross, using the Trinitarian formula).
Jesus, the Son of God, is the supreme "gift of love and peace," our "hope and light," and most vividly expressed in this verse, "a flame of faith." I have always seen as one the stirrings of the Holy Spirit as the energy and activity in us to be God made manifest in a world aching for the reign of God. The Spirit dwelling within you and me, is the active and seen "promise of hope, kindness and mercy," and claiming that God's "justice and peace" the kingdom of God — is to be seen in "us."
So, "Alleluia, Sing!" is a celebration of the "verb-ness" of God moving in our lives. Now that is a doctrine that I can not only believe in and own as central to my faith, but one that I — and hopefully, we — can celebrate, and sing and dance to! (11.10.17)
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "I Will Bring You Home"
by .
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