The Selah Journey – Interview with Jeff Johnson

A common thread in many of Jeff Johnson’s numerous projects is “the journey.” I have often found myself mesmerized by the rich tapestries of keyboards, flute and violin woven together with the elegance of Celtic filigree, sometimes blended with moving vocals characterizing the thoughts of the sojourner. Many times I’ve been carried to a place of prayer and the presence of God through the music of Jeff Johnson, together with fellow musicians Brian Dunning, John Fitzpatrick and others. The journey has always been a good one, with many expressions, much like life itself.

In his own life-journeys, Jeff has been moving musically in more of a contemplative stream of expression in worship which often seems to transcend age barriers and religious walls. Certainly amid the hectic pace of living in this century, our hearts cry out for a quiet place to rest in God. The writers of the Psalms knew this even thousands of years ago as they included in their text; “selah” – pause and calmly think of that.

Aimee Herd: For at least the last 10 years you have collaborated with Brian Dunning and other respected musicians in producing well-loved music with a contemporary Celtic flavor, many times following themes of historical characters. Most recently you have delved into more of a journey of “original devotion” with “Benediction” and “Vespers,” even taking part in Selah and Taizé services. What is it that began to draw you in this direction? What are some of the things you appreciate most about a Selah type of service?

Jeff Johnson: My music has always been born from a kind of “contemplative” perspective and process. My creative work has always attempted to integrate the subjects and ideas that I’ve been contemplating at the time with my Christian faith and worldview. Whether those projects were distributed by Sparrow or Windham Hill, the work has always originated from a passion to be true as an artist and a Christian. “Benediction” and “Vespers” came out of my involvement with a contemplative worship service that I helped begin about six years ago with friends, Kathy & David Hastings. We had a desire to integrate music, prayer and silence with our various artistic disciplines having been inspired by the model of the Taizé worship service. We called this service “Selah” after the Psalms reference to pause or rest.

The Selah service puts a great trust in the power of silence and communal prayer and singing. A typical service will include singing choruses and hymns, instrumental passages often combined with readings from the Psalms or Christian Celtic traditions (ie: St. Patrick, etc.) along with an extended period of silent prayer. I personally prefer this kind of worship since it tends to be less centered on those who are leading and requires a very tangible response from within our minds and hearts. My observation is that much of our contemporary forms of worship today, while very celebratory and inspirational, treats the congregation more as observers rather than participants. The Selah service is just one of many expressions of worship that is emerging particularly in the Protestant church that represents a return to the church’s rich heritage of liturgy and community based prayer and singing.

AH: You’ve become very involved with the youth, leading worship and Selah for “Youth Specialties” events…with a movement among young people towards a more contemplative worship at times, does this surprise you?

JJ: Well, I’m not really sure if we can say whether there is a great move towards contemplative type worship among the youth yet. I’ve had people who study this tell me that it’s not a strong movement amongst youth in the North American church. My observation is that there is indeed a tremendous groundswell of this form of worship going on in the church but it’s not an age-driven thing. That is its strength really. At a moment when you have many churches struggling with what style of worship service to be offering their congregations, this format seems to cut across the age boundaries and offer something for everyone. There’s no question that many young people are expressing themselves together using contemplative based forms, but I think that’s more representative of a desire to return to some of the basic roots of the Christian church as they were established for hundreds of years.

Having grown up in a Baptist tradition that actually incorporated a fair bit of liturgical form in their worship, I had no appreciation for any of this when I was younger. Ironically, that same Baptist church’s service looks nothing like it did when I was a kid. It’s all very contemporary and casual now reflecting the “seeker friendly” model that many churches have adapted. And, much good has come from this approach. Yet, we lost something very important in the switch and we’re now discovering that we may just want some of that back!

Further more, Protestants have such a great tradition in Biblical study. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox congregations in North America are only recently catching up to us on this. Yet, what the Catholics and Orthodox have in spades is this rich heritage of liturgy and symbol – expressions, when married with a deep Biblical understanding, lead to a rich form of worship together. Particularly when it’s in the context of real community and congregational participation. One thing is certain amongst the youth movement and that is a desire for a greater experience of community. Contemplative worship thrives within that context.

AH: Recently some of the Selah services you’ve led for Youth Specialties events have been followed by the worship leading of the David Crowder Band . . . what kind of a mix has that been?

JJ: It was a real treat for me to get to know David and his band these past couple of years performing at the YS National Youthworkers conventions. They’re wonderful folks and I love their music. Both the modern worship and the contemplative worship have a great energy and spirit at their core. The two compliment and contrast with one another. This is the way music in the Church should be. As a believer, I would never want to only experience a singular diet of contemplative based worship. Fellowship thrives on the variety of the Body of Christ. And, I believe at the core of our experience of Christian faith there needs to be a deepening theology that reflects an understanding of what it is we believe. Any kind of worship without that will soon drift off into an emphasis on experience and practice that may have nothing to do with the Gospel. This is the great challenge for anyone who sets out to lead worship. We need to always be asking ourselves just who we are leading people to worship?

AH: Describe a night of Selah worship, or a Vespers concert . . . what could someone who attends expect?

JJ: The space and the way things have been set up can greatly inspire and put people in a frame of mind that is conducive to silence and prayer. Candlelit always helps and I prefer a chair set up that is somewhat circular when possible. I like to lead from within the congregational circle and the readers sit wherever they sit and read from those places. A simple cross or some other appropriate Christian symbol is often set in the center as the focal point. I don’t like projected lyrics but rather will hand out a sheet which contains all of the lyrics of the songs that we’ll be singing.

The music sets the tone of course, as does the pauses between the songs and the readings. As I’ve mentioned earlier, we’ll sing choruses from the Taizé tradition as well as the Iona community and of course a hymn or two. I may play an instrumental passage that then leads into a reading, then more choruses. Everything leads up to the time of silent prayer which normally lasts for about 10 minutes. Then, another instrumental passage and some ending choruses, a benediction and it’s over. It’s so simple, really. And, I’ve taken the same approach with small groups of folks in a large living room and 8,000 people in the Gaylord Entertainment Center in downtown Nashville! And in both circumstances, it’s that silent prayer together that is the most profound.

AH: Let’s face it, often people are frightened by what they don’t understand. Some have voiced a bit of fear over the meditative and contemplative type of prayer and worship which sometimes accompany a Selah worship service. Can you speak to those questions that some may have?

JJ: I completely understand some people’s hesitation about this issue. As a musician that has had much of his music labeled “new age” throughout the years, I’m quite aware of the importance of defining terms! Yet, the bottom line is that there is a rich heritage of contemplation, meditation and the practice of silence in church history originating in the Psalms and the early forms of monasticism. And I would argue that one needn’t become a monk or a nun to benefit from the practices of prayer and quiet with one another before our Lord. Prayer is about remembering who God is and who we are. It’s about listening to our hearts and to the voice of God as He speaks to us through His word. What better way to do that than with one another in song and silence?

Of course, if you’re going to say that unless you practice worship this way you won’t experience true spirituality, then you’ve taken a perspective that is as dangerous as that taken by the Pharisees of Christ’s day. The fact that we can even claim to be spiritual at all is completely dependent on God’s grace in our lives. True worship takes place in the heart and has nothing to do with the practice of worship. Yet, when we come together in prayer and song inspired by the reality of God working in our hearts, that can be exciting and wonderful indeed.

This interview is derived from an article that originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of Worship Musician magazine. We appreciate WM letting us reproduce it.

 

Some Selah service nuts & bolts

Creating and presenting your own Selah service needn’t be a complicated process and affair. Keeping your offering of music and readings simple with an emphasis on silent prayer should be your priority. In this article, I’d like to write about some of the ‘nuts and bolts’ in setting up and leading a Selah service.

To project or to print
Once a program sequence is determined, I suggest that you create a program sheet similar to what we’ve included in this book. There are three ways in which you can approach creating this:

1) Create a sheet that contains all of the lyrics and responsive readings that will be included in multiple services. It’s fairly easy for a congregation to find the reference once the song or reading has begun. Choosing songs and readings that are often done in your Selah service allows you to reuse the same sheet.

2) This is the option that I use the most. Put together the music, readings and other prompts such as when silent prayer will be into a two column, double-sided 8.5 x 11” sheet. We’ve used this format in the samples of Selah services included with this book. This allows people to easily follow along and gives them something to take with them after the service.

3) If you have someone in your congregation who is particularly adept at graphics and printing techniques, a Selah program booklet can be created that also includes appropriate artwork. Kathy Hastings used to do this in our original Selah services. People loved having them, but it was a significant amount of work and was costly.

Many churches have elaborate projection systems in their sanctuaries. This obviously allows a Selah service’s contents to be projected in lieu of a printed program. Yet, I’ve found the printed piece to be the more effective course. It will often make more sense to present your Selah in a smaller venue where seating can be set up in a circular configuration (more on this later). Also, having to focus one’s attention on a screen all of the time takes away from other important aspects of Selah worship. I’ve been in several “projected Selahs” where people came up to me afterwards saying that they were afraid to keep their eyes closed and heads bowed because they were afraid of missing something on the screen.

Yet, a projected system does afford the chance to help create an ambience in a Selah service. One church that I have led several Selahs at has two screens that they use to project appropriate images and art that relate to the theme of the particular service. Sometimes, even just one strong image shown during the entire service can add much to a room’s ambience.

Setup & ambience
And, having said that, let’s talk about the ‘room’s ambience’ some more. I mentioned earlier about circular seating. Since Selah’s emphasis is on prayer and contemplation, one’s focus should not be on the people leading music and readings, if at all possible. I recommend a circular seating set up where the musicians and readers are all part of the circle and therefore participants rather than performers. I suggest that the people leading the service think of themselves as worship “prompters” rather than “leaders.” Yes, people do need to know what’s going on, but in this kind of service, a simple prompt is all that necessary. If their attention is constantly on the leader, then material selected is probably not appropriate for a Selah service.

A circle-like seating arrangement also contributes to the idea that we are offering our prayer and worship as a community of believers.

It’s appropriate to create a “focal point” in the inside space created by the circle where a simple alter containing a cross or other appropriate symbol is displayed. Those groups who include religious icons in their form of worship might this to be an opportunity to display a single image of Christ, the Pantocrator (Lord of Creation). Yet, in most cases a simple candle will do.

A side note about chairs, make sure they don’t squeak too much! Also, circular rows can be employed for larger groups. Just make sure that there are not so many chairs set up that no one decides to sit in the first row!

This brings up another logistical suggestion. It’s often appropriate to have a couple of people serve as ushers to hand out programs and encourage people to sit on the inside rows. These ushers can really set an important tone of respecting the silence as people gather for the service. But there is an art in effectively doing this. I remember one Pastor friend of mine asked me to help him establish a Selah service at his church during Lent. He and his wife had done a wonderful job of setting up the space. He felt that he should welcome folks as they came in since this was to be the first time they had ever done anything like this. At that point, his pastor persona took over and there was so much banter at the entry point that the beautiful ambience that he had originally established with the room was undermined by the talking at the doorway.

Paying attention
We are so used to coming into church unprepared for meeting and listening to God. The goal of Selah is to afford people an opportunity to be still with one another before God. Whatever you can do to protect that stillness will be critical to nurturing people’s readiness for prayer and quiet. And, did we mention cell phones? Either in the program or on a sign, ask people to turn these off.

While a Selah service should be a simple affair, the attitude and preparation that the leader (prompter!) brings to it is critical. Let’s talk now about some of the issues involved with musicians and readers.

Music & reading
When I lead the music for Selah, I try to go with the congregation’s strengths. I look for other musicians to include that are not only motivated and competent, but who are willing and able to adapt to the necessary ebb and flow of a Selah service. Many of the choruses we use in Selah are designed to be sung multiple times. What happens in this process is that the simple words of the song begin to penetrate our minds and interact with our silent prayer. Take for example, the phrase spoken by the thief on the cross to Christ, “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” As we sing this phrase over and over, these words can have profound meaning to us in our own confession and inner cry for God’s mercy. As a musician playing the accompaniment for this, I must make sure that I don’t get in the way of this process. I have a good friend who is a world-renowned jazz musician. We have often discussed how, for a jazz musician improvising, it is more about what one chooses not to play that is important. He also tells me that the older he gets, the less notes he plays in his solos since it’s more about bringing his life experience (he is a Christian) to the notes that he does play.

I often describe the process of playing a song to other musicians that I’m working with as discovering the shape of the song together. In Selah, the shape is often one of an elongated bump as we begin with simple accompaniment with more development in the middle and then coming back to simple accompaniment or a capella singing at the end. In Selah, musicians must learn to serve the song rather than let the song serve them as it might in a more performance-oriented setting. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can’t bring a high level of musicianship to playing this music. But, like my jazz musician friend, we must express our skill in a more subtle and deeper form.

Readers, too, must bring this kind of approach to reading the scriptures and prayers. Since readings are usually done from wherever the person is seated, it’s important to read clearly, loudly and slowly.

At this point, let me back up a bit on this subject and state clearly that, while we always want to strive for quality in our music and readings, we do perform these tasks to the best of our ability. When I’m leading a Selah service for several thousand people at a Youth Specialties convention, I’m grateful to be doing so with other world-class musicians. But Selah is not dependent on this. For most congregations or small groups, a simple set up of a keyboard, piano or guitar with a few people within the congregation who have been asked to read will be just the thing. Most of time, none of these people are professional musicians or actors. So be it. Yet, the same principles relate to these as they do to professionals – serve the song or reading by playing or speaking in a way that communicates and enhances the words and spirit of the moment.

One more word about choosing readers. When I’m with a group that I’ve never been with before and I haven’t had a chance to meet many of it’s members, I will often stand at the entrance to the Selah room and just ask quietly if a person would like to read one of the prayers or passages of scripture. A person usually has just enough time to read through the passage for themselves once or twice before the service begins and, because they haven’t practiced it to death, will often read with a very natural and spontaneous affect.

With music, it’s different. Be prepared. Don’t be practicing the songs right before the service begins. The more you know the song, the better chance you have of entering into the contemplative nature of Selah as a participant.

Leading by participating
This brings up an observation that I’ve had in my experiences of performing at various churches. I often observe that the “worship group” leading worship in the service is completely disconnected from the congregation itself. They come on stage and “lead worship” and then go back to the green room and wait for the next section or service for their cue often never sitting through an entire service.

One of the reasons that I suggest we musicians be part of the circular seating in a Selah service is that it keeps us participants rather than performers. Yes, we’re indeed performing, but in that respect, everyone is to be “performing” when it comes to worshiping God. The difference is subtle, but there’s a fine line that seems to be quite easy to cross when it comes to leading worship in a church.

Now that I’ve made you completely paranoid about leading, let’s talk about leading. It’s really a fine art, isn’t it? We’ve all been part of services that for one reason or the other, we found ourselves distracted by the person leading.

I’ve already suggested that the Selah leader think of themselves as a prompter. Over time, what you will find is that people will need less and less of this, if you’ve done your job well. We’ve stressed in this book that any speaking during the service should be limited to the readings. Yet, it is not unreasonable to ask people to join you in the singing so that they know to do so. In time, you’ll find that they join you as soon as they think they recognize the song or chorus.

With the nature of utilizing repeating choruses in Selah, the leader has the challenge of discerning when to end. Again, if you think of the shape of the song as an elongated hill, most groups will understand that things are coming to an end by the way the accompaniment is winding down. Yet, if you’re part of a group that loves to sing, don’t be afraid to let a few more verses go by without the instruments. The effect can be quite moving.

Everybody, now!
I was once asked to say the blessing over a dinner we were sharing with about a dozen other folks. I decided to sing the doxology (Praise God from whom all blessings flow…). Little did I know before I began that I many of these folks came from a church background that only sang songs a cappela. These people not only sang the doxology with heart, but also sang it with parts! This little story brings up something that can really enhance a Selah service. If your church has any kind of choral group and, even better, you or someone else is the choral director, working with singers to sing parts and descants with the choruses can really add to the music. Many of the Taizé songs have corresponding descants with the simple, repeating choruses. In the church where we initially developed the Selah service, there was a small group that participated in each rehearsal and learned many of these parts. Of course, singers have to be as flexible as the instrumentalists and they must take the same attitude as being participants as well as performers if you’re going to maintain the communal nature of Selah. But because Selah is so communal, the more people who participate in the various elements of the service, the better.

In fact, there are so many ways for people to participate in the creation of a service like this at your church. One church that I work with here in the Seattle area has a Selah once a month on a Friday evening. Traffic in the Seattle area on Friday is horrendous and for those who work, driving home, eating dinner and then getting over to the church by 7 PM is simply not possible. So, this group provides a simple soup and salad meal prior to the service that is supported by donation. This allows people to drive directly from work and then eat, visit and then prepare to sing and pray together. Of course, this involves a number of willing people to take care of the food and cleanup. Yet, for many of these folks, it’s my observation that they see it as their way to help allow the Selah service to thrive.

Every church and group is different, though, and the rule of thumb with a Selah service is to keep things as simple as possible. As the person or group responsible for presenting the Selah at your church, come prepared, be creative, include as many folks as you can, but never let the service become such a burden to present that you no longer can enter in as a true participant.

 

Canticles from the Scriptures

Strictly defined, a canticle is a hymn or song derived from the Biblical text outside of the Psalms. The best known canticle is probably The Canticle of Mary in Luke 1 which I’ve reworked below as a responsive reading. Following that, is a selection of canticles derived from Brendan O’Malley’s helpful resource book, A Celtic Primer.

The Canticle of Mary
(Luke 1:46 – 55)
Leader:
Our souls glorify Thee, O Lord,
and our spirits rejoice in you, our Savior.

People:
You are ever mindful of the humble state of our lives.
Yet, you have blessed us richly.
Holy is your name.

Leader:
We praise you for your mercy ,
and your wondrous deeds in our lives.

People:
You notice the humble and hungry,
and bring down those who are proud and selfish.

Leader:
For your grace is everpresent in those you have chosen to be your own.

All:
Therefore, we glorify thee, O Lord,
and our spirits rejoice in you, our Savior.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Examples of other Canticles from Scripture
Exodus 15.1–18
The Canticle of Moses and Miriam

Deuteronomy 32.1–12
The Canticle of Moses

1 Samuel 2.1–10
The Canticle of Hannah

2 Samuel 22
The Canticle of David

From Isaiah -
9:1-6
40:10-17
42:10-16
49:7-13

Luke 1.68–79
The Canticle of Zechariah

Luke 2.29–32
The Canticle of Simeon

From the Epistles -
Ephesians 1.3–10
Philippians 2.6–11
Colossians 1.12–20

From Revelation -
11:17–18
15:3–4
19:1–7

 

Remembering – notes on using the Christian calendar.

In all church traditions, weekly worship is determined by following some form of the Christian calendar. Yet, many of us are unaware of the rich tapestry of story and hope that the Christian calendar truly offers us. Aside from celebrating Christmas and Easter, many us miss out on many of the other significant remembrances that give meaning and form to our faith in Christ.

Many of the Selah services that I lead follow the themes and observances of the Christian calendar. When we observe some of these ‘feasts’ and celebrations together, we are remembering with all our brothers and sisters in Christ not just in present times, but also those who make up the “great cloud of witnesses” (Heb. 12).

The following notes I’ve compiled for my own use in designing Selah services and are offered as a resource. I utilized many sources, yet they are not exhaustive and several of the feasts and observances I have left out, with respect to my brothers and sisters in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Feel free to post your own ideas and suggestions in the “Christian Calendar” section of the Selahservice blog.

Ash Wednesday
This is one of the most important observances in church traditions since it marks the beginning of the Lenten season (see more on Lent below). It is a day of repentance and confession before God culminating with worshippers being marked on the forehead with a cross made from the ashes symbolizing death and the sorrow for our sin. The tradition draws from the Old Testament practice of covering one’s head with ashes and wearing sackcloth such as Daniel when he prays before God in the midst of Jerusalem’s great suffering (Daniel 9).

The ashes are traditionally made from the remains of the pervious year’s burned palm crosses used for Palm Sunday (note the powerful symbolism of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem is followed by his crucifixion). The ashes are usually mixed with a small amount of anointing oil. Both of these are readily available at a church supply store (or online: www.cokesbury.com).

The symbolism in the Ash Wednesday observance is powerful. The ashes remind us that death will come to each one of us and is the direct result of our great sin and unrighteousness. Yet, the mark of the cross made with these same ashes counters this great sorrow with the hope that Christ’s sacrifice will atone for all that we lack resulting in true righteousness and eternal life.

For many believers who have not grown up in a Roman Catholic or Episcopalian tradition, Ash Wednesday may be something completely new. Therefore it’s important that the symbolism is properly explained. There are a couple of simple ways to present this service using few words. A short homily can begin the service explaining the background of its observance. Also, a brief paragraph or two could also suffice in the printed service bulletin or projected on the screen as people enter. Finally, the Minister or worship leader could integrate brief comments during the part of the service when participants are marked on the forehead.

We wholeheartedly encourage you to try to observe this meaningful service to help prepare your church for Holy Week and Easter.

Language to use in the service…

God our Father, you create us from the dust of the earth.Grant that these ashes may be for us a sign of our penitence, and a symbol of our mortality.

The minister or priest marks each worshipper on the forehead, and says, “remember you are dust and unto dust you shall return,” or a similar phrase based on God’s sentence on Adam in Genesis 3:19.

The Season of Lent
Lent, (from the old English word “to lengthen” corresponding with Spring days becoming longer), is the period of forty days leading up to the culmination of the Easter. For many in the Christian tradition, Lent is a significant time of personal reflection, repentance and fasting. The most important days of observance during this season happen during the final week leading up to the great celebration of Christ’s resurrection. They are Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Historically, both the Western and Eastern traditions observe Lent but they count the forty days differently (the West excludes Sundays while the Eastern tradition includes them). Western churches start Lent on the 7th (Ash) Wednesday before Easter Day while the Easter churches mark what they call “Great Lent’ beginning on the Monday of the 7th week prior to Easter and end it on the Friday 9 days before Easter.

No matter how your own church chooses to observe the Lenten season, it’s a wonderful time to offer more contemplative based services to prepare ourselves for Easter. One idea for a unique service that occurs during Lent is to create a service based on the ministry of St. Patrick (March 17).

While Palm Sunday begins Holy Week on a celebratory note, the rest of the week leading up to the joy of Easter day is quite solemn. A Selah-type service is most conducive for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We’ve noted that both of these days are gaining ever-growing attention from Christian traditions that in the past rarely emphasized their observance.

Maundy Thursday
A Selah service observing Maundy Thursday (also known as “Holy Thursday”) is another rich opportunity for your church to ‘remember’ the significant details of Christ’s great sacrifice for our sin. The word “maundy” comes from Jesus’ command to love one another on the evening of the last Passover supper that he would celebrate with his disciples. It was also that night in which Christ was to be betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Often a Maundy service culminates with a symbolic washing of the feet imitating the act of humility Christ made in washing the disciples feet. We have seen this ceremony done with great symbolic effect as ministers and other Christians who are leaders wash the feet of others signifying that we are all equal and of value in God’s kingdom.

Good Friday
The day when true “goodness” was given to mankind was the day when God suffered great pain and humility. And while there has always been much discussion and dissension in the church’s long history on displaying an image of our Lord hanging on the cross, on this afternoon (typically between Noon and 3pm) if not literally displayed, it must be so at least in our mind’s eye.

Again, a simple service without many words, lends itself wonderfully to this observance of the Creator’s great sacrifice for his created. The seven last “words” of Jesus usually provide the form of this somber, yet terribly “good” observance. They are as follows:

“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
(Luke 23:34)

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:43)

“Woman, here is your son…. Here is your mother”
(John 19:26)

“Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”
(My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?) (Mark 15:34)

“I am thirsty”
(John 19:28)

“It is finished”
(John 19:30)

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”
(Luke 23:46)

We have observed Good Friday services where too much was attempted. However you arrange this, keep it simple, quiet and let the power of the ultimate good in Christ’s sacrifice carry the day.

The Feast of the Annunciation
Many of us who have grown up in the American Protestant tradition don’t know what to do with Mary, the mother of Jesus. Obviously, there are great differences on this subject in the theological traditions of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Be that as it may, there is no excuse for any believer to disregard the significance of the story of the annunciation for it marks the actual incarnation – nine months before His birth – of Christ.

This festival, it’s origins dating back to the 5th century AD, also retells one of the most extraordinary exchanges between heaven and earth represented in the exchange between the angel, Gabriel and the virgin Mary. Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message that she will bear the “Son of the Most High” (Lu. 1:32) is one of the great proclamations of faith in the Scriptures:

“Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Lu. 1:38)

Later in the narrative, upon being prophetically greeted by her relative Elizabeth (herself pregnant with John the Baptist), Mary responds with what is often referred to as “the magnificat (the exalting)”:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name.
And His mercy is for those who fear Him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as He spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to His offspring forever. (Lu. 1:46b-55)

This story should inspire all believers as they grapple with the daily experience of life with the personal calling that Christ has given each one of us. Integrating the text from the first chapter of the gospel of Luke with other contemplative elements, particularly silent prayer signifying our need to wait for the Lord, can offer a rich opportunity for a congregation to experience God’s design and purpose in each of our lives.

Pentecost
Celebrated on the Sunday fifty days after Easter, Pentecost marks the birth of the Christian church. There is a rich tradition of music and symbols that has been handed down to all believers that hearken the coming of the Holy Spirit. The occasion is one for celebration but humility as well, as we gratefully acknowledge God’s true presence in our lives through His Spirit.

A Sunday evening Selah-type Pentecost service is an effective way to remember this significant event in our history with the Lord.

All Souls’ Day
Our Western contemporary culture has a tragically confused understanding of death. Our many movies and newscasts attest to the fact that we’re obviously fascinated by it. But when the reality of death touches our lives, most of us are simply unprepared to deal with it.

Yet, the message of the Gospel is that death is the doorway to true life. Add to this great reality the rich Christian tradition of those “cloud of witnesses” that have lived and believed before us and you begin to understand and appreciate the feast day of All Souls.

All Saints Day (also known as All Hallows’ Day) celebrated on November 1st, traditionally was when many church traditions remembered the saints and martyrs. All Souls Day, which was celebrated on the day after All Saints, commemorated the faithful departed. The two days were combined with the traditional pagan New Year celebration of Samhain (more popularly known as Halloween, October 31st) into Hallowmass.

The word hallow means “to bless” and for the past several years, I have been blessed to be part of a Selah that combines the All Souls and All Saints celebrations into a single service. Scriptural passages and familiar texts attesting to God’s testimony of faith in those believers who have lived before us are combined with music, prayer and the chance to light a candle representing the life of someone we have known that God used to hearten us in our own belief and faith.

An All Souls’ Selah service will give your group or congregation an opportunity to not only remember God’s faithfulness but the faithfulness of others as they lived out their lives. It also allows us to properly acknowledge death but to see it in it’s redemptive and hopeful context as people of faith.

The Season of Advent & Christmas
For most of human history, darkness and the contrasting light of the sun have held great significance for people who spent most of their time outdoors and thus greatly affected by the seasons. Thus, for many who revered and even worshipped the sun, the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21st) marking the beginning of days growing longer in the dead of winter, was truly something to celebrate. For the Norsemen of Northern Europe, the sun was a great wheel that changed the seasons. Their word for it was “houl” which is probably where the word “yule” comes from. The Romans marked this “yuletime” by celebrating for seven days in honor of their god Saturnalia (from the sun god, Saturn). Many of the decorations and customs that we associate with Christmas originated from these early cultures’ midwinter celebrations.

Because of the association with pagan celebrations, the church as always had mixed feelings about this time of year. Indeed, it was not until Pope Julius 1 in the 4th century AD even set the date for Christ’s birth at December 25th largely as an attempt to Christianize the many pagan celebrations during this time of year. Just over 200 years later, December 25th became a civil holiday along with the 12 days following leading up to Epiphany (see below). It was also around this time that the tradition of the nativity scene began when Pope Sixtus III had a crib built in Rome.

How Christians have observed Christmas over the centuries has greatly ebbed and flowed. Much of our modern day celebration with it’s materialistic emphasis is devoid of even an understanding of the original pre-Christian symbols that we decorate our homes, stores and churches with. Yet the fact remains that Christmas represents the great fulfillment of the promise of the Messiah. The representation of a great light dawning into our world of darkness is a powerful metaphor for Christ’s birth into human history. It is this story – with all of its richness, significance, wonder and joy – that we must proclaim and represent in our churches during this time.

The Advent season (“coming” in Latin) is not unlike the Lenten season leading up to Easter with it’s emphasis on preparation and personal reflection leading up to Christmas. The Selah format lends itself well to the observance of Advent which begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30th and continues with each Sunday leading up to December 25th. Songs, carols, readings and silent prayer all focusing on the Christmas story and symbolized each week with the lighting of the Advent candle make for a simple, yet profound and meaningful opportunity to prepare ourselves for Christmas day.

Epiphany
The ‘twelfth night’ of the twelve days of Christmas, Epiphany (from the Greek word “to show”), celebrates the revealing of Jesus to the world. The Eastern church tradition celebrates Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan by John the Baptist as well as His birth while the Western tradition associates it with the visit of the Magi (wise men) to Christ when He was two years old. For some, Epiphany completes the Christmas cycle, but several Protestant traditions use Epiphany (January 6th) as a transition to Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.

Candlemas
Traditionally the highly ritualistic observance of Candlemas (February 2nd) has connections with pre-Christian observances marking the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. In some church traditions, this ‘festival of light’ commemorates the ritual presentation of Jesus to God in the temple of Bethlehem where He was met with his parents by the prophetic voices of Anna and Simeon who would call him “a light of revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:21-40). A Candlemas Selah service offers your congregation or small group an opportunity to remember the light of Christ in the physical darkness of the late winter and to revel in His offer of salvation to all people.