Yr. D, Wk. 27: Hymns and Trophies

All present.  The Lovelaces provided dinner.  Erica brought prayers from St. Patrick, including words for our hymn tune St. Patrick's Breast Plate. For an ice-breaker, Erica asked about luck in our lives this past week.

All of the readings related to hymns.  Erika told of the wide range of emotions in Psalms, and spoke of the joy in reading Song of Solomon.  Scharme pointed to ancient hymns incorporated into James, and related James's warnings about "the tongue" to a hymn we listed as a favorite, "O for a thousand tongues to sing."  She also went into the theme of faith v. works.  Our third year students Bill and Lynne also found a lot to relate to the hymn card.  We were all interested in the Moravians' "cheerful" Christianity and the Methodists' "methodic" way of stoking "enthusiasm."  Discussing Wesley's 9000 hymns and his "fuguing tunes," we got a quick lesson in musical counterpoint.

Scharme brought out a plastic gold trophy for the TR.  Though she'd thought of it as a "vessel," we all had a range of emotions and positions when we thought of trophies given, received, denied, envied,

treasured, despised.  In the end, "trophy's" origin in the Greek word for "nourishment" was what we explored.

We attempted to capture elements of all our exploration in a collect.

Collect for the Trophy:
Father, the prize of Your upward call inspired the Apostle Paul to press on: may we, too, take nourishment from Your word as we run the courses of our lives, that we may be vessels of Your spirit to raise up others we encounter along our ways, through Jesus, the pioneer of our faith. Amen.

Next Week: Susan brings the food, Scharme the worship, and Scott the TR.  We read what's assigned for week 28, 100 pages in the book by Delio.  We may decide next week to double up.  Noted: Bill and Lynne will miss on May 16.