Deep “Peace of Christ to You- A Benediction to the World” July 28, 2924
Deep Peace of Christ to You- A Benediction to the World”
Psalm 145:10-18
2 Kings 4:42-44 /2 Samuel 11:1-15
Ephesians 3:14-21/ John 6:1-21
According to Wikipedia, “Sir John Milford Rutter is an English composer, conductor, editor, arranger, and record producer, mainly of choral music.” My first introduction to the music of John Rutter happened after choir practice one evening at our church in Montana when one of the choir members handed me a cassette tape and some sheet music and said to me, “This is going to knock your socks off. Have a look and tell me what you think because I really, really, really would love for our choir to sing this piece. It is fabulous.” I asked her what it was and she pointed to the title page of the score that read “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” I promised that I would give it a listen , but I was skeptical. I have heard many different arrangements of this well known anthem and found them to either be too sappy or composed to fit in with a drum and bugle corps. Either way, it wasn’t the kind of material that a church choir should pursue. So yes, I was skeptical.
I mean, it seemed odd that she would approach me instead of the choir director to introduce new music. After all, I was just another bullfrog in the bass section. The last thing I wanted was to get in the middle of some kind of a power struggle. All of my worrying was for naught, however, because when I finally got around to listening to this piece It was obvious that our little choir would not be singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic by John Rutter anytime soon.
It’s not that it was a bad arrangement. It wasn’t filled with screeching sopranos and a musical score that belongs in a Hallmark movie. No, on the contrary: this piece was a stroke of genius. From the very first note to the closing finale, I was mesmerized by the new life and the beauty that Mr. Rutter was able to breathe into this old melody we all know so well.
John Rutter’s arrangement was a masterpiece, which was too bad. It was too bad because our little choir would never be able to do it justice. The old saying of ‘know thy limitations” comes to mind here. You could say that this complex and difficult arrangement was “out of our league.”
So, we never did attempt to sing John Rutter’s arrangement of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” so I guess we will never know if we could have pulled it off. But that doesn’t mean that I have forgotten about it. In fact, I’ve made a point of researching more of Mr. Rutter’s arrangements over the years and it is impressive.
But here’s the thing: I’m not going on and on singing the praises of some choral arranger that you’ve never heard of and will probably never hear of again because of his music. Actually, it was Paul’s prayer of blessing to the Ephesians coupled with a blessing written by Mr. Rutter that caused me to explore the meaning and the value of blessings in our church communities and the greater community of this world where we live.
So consider this: at most any formal gathering where drinking is involved, the host usually feels obligated to call for a toast, and the most common toast you will hear, the one generic set of words that is always appropriate for any occasion is when we raise our glass and say, “To your health.”
“To your health.” See what we’re doing here?
We are wishing good things-we are wishing the best of things- for those who are with us. In a way we are offering up a blessing: a blessing of good health, to friends and strangers alike. It is a small act of compassion and concern that comes from a spirit of blessedness. My only problem with this whole ‘toasting to your health’ thing is that it might feel a bit more authentic if the drink was something like orange juice or V8 juice instead of a whiskey sour, but the sentiment is what counts here.
Likewise, as you well know, one of the most common greetings among faith communities has to be, “May the peace of Christ be with you” and this greeting is always answered with the words, “And also with you.” These words are a part of every worship service and we have said them so many times that we really don’t give them a whole lot of thought. I believe that this is why Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian church has always been an inspiration to me. I mean, just think about it: rather than simply offering up the peace of Christ. Paul offers up the greatest benediction of all time when he tells the congregation (vs 16): “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Now that is a mouthful, but the message is fairly simple: “May the peace of Christ be with you.”
It is a blessing that comes from one who has been able to grasp how
wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. It is a benediction from one who has been filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Also, I have to believe that Paul’s prayer to the church in Ephesus is a prayer for all houses where people gather to worship God. To “Know Christ and to make Christ known” will always be the primary mission of the church and church leadership will always strive to be a living example of a loving Christ . To do this, the church must not only offer up blessings; they should be a blessing as well. They should be a source of joy, a source of peace , and a source of assurance that comes from our faith in a loving and forgiving God. All is well when the church, the body of Christ , speaks blessings without end. All is well when the church becomes a benediction to the world.
That is why I was pleasantly surprised when I just chanced across an article a few weeks ago about written blessings and benedictions when one of them caught my attention. It was titled “A Gaelic Blessing” Written in 1978 by, (wouldn’t you know it), John Rutter.
In closing, I’d like to share it with you now. Mr. Rutter tells us:
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you
Deep peace of Christ, of Christ
Of Christ, the light of the world to you
Deep peace of Christ to you.
Amen & shalom
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