How often do I miss the deeper joys of life because I'm too busy being distracted by inconsequential entertainers? One of the more personally thought-provoking messages of this stake conference stated, "Reverence begets revelation." I remember a conversation with Venetian about how difficult it is to find silence in the modern world. Everywhere we are surrounded by background noise ... the rush of cars, the hum of electronics, the ringing of alarms and phones; to say nothing of impersonal voices talking and squawking at us from televisions, radios and through the walls of my apartment. Random noise can be so maddening.
There is something intensely spiritual about being able to be quiet and still. Standing in an open field and tuning into the chirp of a bird. Experiencing the play of wind in a bamboo forest. Feeling my heartbeat as I lay on my mat after a session of yoga. The incredible softness of holding a sleeping infant. That tense moment between the end of a concerto and the start of thundering applause. The comfort of an enveloping embrace.
All these thoughts rolled over me as the stake choir sang an arrangement of "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" by Crawford Gates. I must explain that I have long been rather adverse to this hymn. It comes from months of being the accompanist at early Saturday morning baptisms while my father was Stake Mission Leader. At age twelve, there were many other things that I would rather have been doing, and the hymn has since reeked of obligation. However, as the choir sang the hymn in the beautiful chapel of the Los Angeles Stake Center, I was surprised at the beauty of the music. I felt that tremulous moment when a singular melody expands into a cascade of harmonic voices, and felt THE CHILL run up my arms. It became an auditory, emotional and spiritual experience ... a feast for the senses and sensibilities. It also brought to mind some of my favorite hymns ... Be Still My Soul; Abide With Me (#166); For the beauty of the Earth; All Creatures of Our God and King; O Savior Thou Who Wearest; A Mighty Fortress; There is a Green Hill; High on a Mountain Top; and many others.
Aldous Huxley said it so succinctly, "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music."
On a more informational note, Presidents Fairclough, Turley and Millard have been released. The new Stake Presidency consists of Presidents Bragg, White and Vargas.
After conference, I napped and thought deep thoughts of all I'd encountered this weekend. BFF stopped over for a bit and we chatted a bit about the conferences as he examined my books.
Wonder Woman cooked an amazing dinner as well! Perky, Precious, Superman, Ballerina, The Dot, Improv-er and BiggieD were all on hand to partake of the delicious victuals. Balsamic tomato soup with homemade foccacia, fennel and red onion salad, chile lime sweet potatoes, beet salad and pork-loin with quince marmelade. AND butterscotch pudding to top it off with! No one beats WW's cooking!
Excused myself for a bit to dash over to Vivacious' to catch up for a bit. I always love to talk with her. I almost nicknamed her Favorite Visiting Teacher Ever, but decided that Vivacious suits her much better. I've known her for longer than most of my friends in LA, and she's one of the few people who I can talk to for long periods of time without having to cast about for topics.
Made my way back to the apartment for the last game of Catan. Did not-too-badly ... the cloth monopoly. However, wouldn't you know it that Improv-er won. It happens all too frequently, and we haven't been playing frequently at all!
Ended the night with some quiet time before bed. Just me and my thoughts. A little bit of silence to add fullness to the dish.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment