The Rite of Spring
Yesterday was the first day of spring. What better way to celebrate the equinox than to listen to Igor Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemp (The Rite of Spring), which premiered in Paris in 1913. With this work, Stravinsky declared that music must move in new directions and would never be the same again, and despite the uproar he created, he never relented. Stravinsky drew inspiration from a deep-rooted mythos around springtime which includes the Easter story and before that, the story of Persephone, who was drawn into the underworld for six months of the year. While we tend to equate the word “myth” with “not factual”, if we suspend our customary understanding, we find deeper truths embedded in these ancient stories.
The story of Persephone can be understood as a symbolic account of how we tend to undermine ourselves in order to comply with social expectations: e.g. women who unconsciously underperform in order to be “good” women. Nowadays, religious institutions such as ours tend to do the same thing. We are embarrassed about binding the values we would live by to our religious identity, preferring to remain closeted. But we can’t afford to keep silent. The world can’t afford it either. Like Stravinsky, we need to declare that religion is moving in new directions, and we can’t relent. We need to be evangelical.
(Note: the meditation refers to the murder of Stefanie Rengel who was known to members of the West Hill family.)
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Commandments for Living Well
Sometimes it can be fruitful to throw disparate things into the pot and see what kind of stew results. This morning it’s the ten commandments and an infant baptism. Some conservative Christian groups are campaigning to post the ten commandments in every public building in America, which seems odd given that the person who gave the religion its name was open to revising the ten commandments. Could it be that carving rules in stone is inimical to spiritual growth? In John’s gospel, the story of the adulteress provides an alternate image – Jesus writes in the dirt. Although scholars like to speculate about what he was writing, maybe the important part of the story is simply the image of writing in dirt. So what kind of commandments can we offer a child as she embarks upon life’s journey? The meditation segues into the ritual of baptism. As the parents carry their child toward the font, they encounter six members of the congregation, each standing by a dish of sand, each with a simple one-word message for the child.
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Women Rock The World
We mark International Women’s Day by remembering women who have rocked the world. While this could conjure an image of nurturing women seated beside the cradle, this morning’s meditation fixes on a more concrete meaning of the word ‘rock’. Gretta Vosper invites people to come forward and speak of women who have rocked their world and then, when they are done, to toss a stone onto the floor.
As you listen, think of women who have made a positive difference in your life. Are they historical figures? Famous people of wide influence? Or more modest individuals who touched you personally? How did they affect you? As teachers? Guides? Models? Mentors? Nurturers?
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The Cost of Being Nice
“Profits are like breathing. You have to have them. But who would stay alive just to breathe?” – Maurice Mascaranhas, Business Author
We are witness to what may prove to be the biggest economic downturn in history. Whether we like it or not, this means that we are all becoming familiar with the basic language of business with its emphasis on the bottom line. We all understand that the bottom line is a function of many factors, like the costs of inputs and transportation and marketing on one side, and the demand for the product and the purchasing power of the consumer on the other side. The difference is profit.
But what is the cost of being nice? Is there a similar balance sheet that we can view that will predict the profitability of a compassionate deed? Gretta Vosper reads from the pastoral letter on the economy by United Church moderator, David Giuliano, calling upon people across the country to take risks.
Gretta frames this in terms of hospitality. We offer hospitality, not as a people who have arrived, but as fellow travelers on a journey.
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