Saturday

It's an incredible Fall day. I've been able to hang out with some really great people and that is just amazing. I have about 3 hours until my next commitment... dinner with a friend. And I am just really happy about life right now. It's not perfect, and there are quite a few things to worry about, if I made that choice. But I'm not going to. I'm going to read and contemplate a theology of beauty for my upcoming paper and maybe I'll think about sex for that other paper. Anyway I'll leave you with this--it's a poem interspersed with pieces of the Orthodox Divine Liturgy I wrote for my Beauty and the Christian Life ecclesial aesthetic report. I get carried away sometimes and that's alright with me.



Darkness filled the air of the morning.
Cold morning mist clung to the earth,
just as the sins of the weekend clung to my skin.
Through the fog arose the edifice of St. Paul’s.
I walked alone despairing in the dark morning,
with unclean hands I opened the doors and entered sanctuary.


The service of matins resonated in the still air;
voices sang of our Lord and the hope of the gospel,

"Savior, I direct the eyes of my heart unto You in heaven. Save me, I pray, shining on me Your resplendence."

Reverence was invoked by the steady cadence of the choirs.
A female voice now rang out with exquisite clarity,

"We worship the Father and together His Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, one in essence, and we cry aloud together with the Seraphim: Holy, Holy, Holy are You, O Lord."

The word “holy” echoed in my heart,
my heart lifted itself up to God with the song of the choirs,

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy; and according to the magnitude of Your compassion blot out my transgression.

"Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

"Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me."

As the fragrance of incense and the steady current of intonations swelled
the space seemed to vibrate with magnitude of mystery and greatness of God.


The chanting voices slowly faded.
Suddenly a larger choir of voices rang out over our heads
and the lights in the room flickered to life.
The Divine Liturgy began with light chasing away shadows and haze
and the choir brightly singing a song of praise.
All I could do was close my eyes and stand in awe of God.


The priest began the liturgy in a rich baritone voice
the walls vibrated with the power of the gospel he chanted.
A God that is big, a God that is infinite was in our midst—
we were magnifying God who is “unto the ages of ages”.
The church with its high ceilings and interior filled with light
trembled with his overwhelming presence.


From that dark morning the sunlight began to shine brighter.
The fog in the air and the despair in my heart melted in that light;
through stained glass it streamed in with rays lighting up the faces of worshippers.
In those rays the incense swirled into the air
as our prayers and praise rose to the throne from our mouths and hearts.
The light will always triumph over the darkness.


Children made their way down the pew toward the center aisle
the priest tenderly held and blessed each head.
The children turned and made their way back to their parents’ sides
where bright eyes of affection shined down.
Love was written on the mosaics and in the hearts of the orthodox.
People who love each other are an aesthetic.


The people were called to read the creed of the church
to remind us of the beliefs and truths we hold.
I felt the gravity of the one about whom we read,

"I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

"And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made."

Not just one voice, but all voices spoke aloud.
It was a unanimous declaration of faith
that has been proclaimed by the orthodox through history.


The service transcended contemporary culture.
It appealed to the kingdom that we proclaim
that does not subject itself to the fashions of this age.
Every act and icon appealed to the mysteries of God,
fragrant incense and the chanted liturgy are meant to invoke awe.
Fear of the Lord is the silent reverence found in that awe.



Fear of the Lord allows us to enter into his presence.
In that infinitely great presence not much is expected in our response;
for ultimately God desires to love his people.
His longing for us is simply to accept his love and love him in return.
The incense and the beautiful songs of the liturgy move us to desire the Beautiful One.
Through beauty he romances the human heart.