Sound Theology by Colleen Butcher

Christmas is coming. You cannot avoid the sights and sounds of the season. And the white flakes of winter have already come to some of our homes!

But the Christian Calendar reminds us of another reality: the close of Ordinary Time links Pentecost with the Reign of Christ. We enter Advent through the remembrance of Christ the King! The baby, whose birth we long for and whose incarnation makes us sons and daughters, reigns now and forever. One God, the beginning and the end, held together here, as we tell the stories on this Christ the King Sunday.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (Rev 1:8) read more…

It was November 1963. In Texas, a great statesmen, a young vibrant idealist, and a harbinger of hope, was killed in a shocking act of violence. The world stood still as people tried to understand what had happened and how this single event would change . . . everything.

In New York, Leonard Bernstein was in a meeting with his assistants discussing the next day’s Young People’s Concert when they heard the dreadful news. The Philharmonic’s afternoon concert, conducted by George Szell, was already underway when the news of Kennedy’s death was announced. The concert was immediately halted and, following a minute of silence, the remainder of the program was cancelled.

Of course, many events were cancelled in the days that followed, as people mourned and processed the unfolding news. read more…

Everyone is talking about the Country Music Awards that took place this past week. Trust me. This is true.  Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton (who won both Male Artist and New Artist of the Year) sang a couple of duets. No big deal right? Well, musicians and journalists across the country thought it was a big deal, and so did a lot of people who were watching. (video below).

Timberlake is a great artist, and so is Stapleton. They obviously enjoy the opportunity to collaborate. That is not surprising. Nor is the music itself; it’s a four-chord, verse, chorus, verse standard. At 1:40’ in the song, they incorporate a pretty typical “trading fours” extended call and response section. They rock it up and stretch it out and then at 3:10’ Timberlake does something that made even Keith Urban smile! He gave us something totally unexpected. read more…

Halloween celebrations were a big thing at the place where I work. Teams huddled to discuss their “theme” and how they would capture the coveted prizes that are awarded for these events. Although there were suggestions such as “Disney Princesses” (yes, there are men on my team), “Where’s Waldo” (my personal favourite, since our team leader is a shoe-in for Waldo), and “A Crate of Apples” (??!!!??), the theme that won the vote was “The Walking Dead.”

Zombies are apparently a big thing. People trying to escape from zombies (real or imagined) is a serious preoccupation. read more…

And then Jesus began to pray:

Jesus: I praise You, Father—Lord of heaven and earth. You have revealed Your truths to the lowly and the ignorant, the children and the crippled, the lame and the mute. You have hidden wisdom from those who pride themselves on being so wise and learned. ²⁶ You did this, simply, because it pleased You. ²⁷ The Father has handed over everything to My care. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son—and those to whom the Son wishes to reveal the Father. ²⁸ Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Put My yoke upon your shoulders—it might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:25-28 (The VOICE Bible) read more…