A good number of years ago, back
in the 70’s, I served as organist and choir director in a Lutheran parish. I
remember fondly my days with the Lutherans, and know that they had a profound
effect on my spirituality. I know it was the first time I really heard a great
emphasis placed on the love and mercy and forgiveness of God. I’m sure it was
being preached about in my own Catholic parishes, but for some reason it had never
gotten through to me. We are ready to hear and to learn what we are ready to
hear and to learn, and God chooses the time and the place for our own
soul-opening as well as the people He will use as instruments of faith in our
life.
When I was with the Lutherans,
it was time. Another thing I especially liked about the liturgy was that
immediately after the sermon, we would sing the words to Psalm 51:
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew within me a steadfast spirit.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of your salvation
and with a spirit of fervor sustain me.
I could actually hear the music
in my mind as I was typing those words which are very close to the Grail translation, but in the version we
used to sing every week.
It meant a lot, that hymn, and
still does. My faith at that time was lukewarm, but by the time I had finished
my seven years service in two Lutheran parishes, I began working in a Catholic
parish and my faith was now reasonably solid, a faith which led me to the doors
of Saint Anselm Abbey a decade later.
I thank God for the journey I
was given, and still pray for Him to create in me a clean heart.
I’ll comment more on these
verses over the next couple of days.
God bless you.
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