Voices Found for Pentecost VF 62, A Litany

 

Voices Found #62

O fiery Spirit

A litany for Pentecost

1. O fiery Spirit, come burn in us.

2. O sacred breath, come breathe in us.

3. O blazing love, come flame in us.

4. O balm of heart, come heal in us.

5. O fount of courage, come spring in us.

6. O mirror of God, come shine in us.

7. O current of power, come flow in us.

8. O teacher of all, come teach us.

9. O sweet song of praise, come sing in us.

10. O delight of life, come live in us.

Words: Jody L. Caldwell, after Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179)

Music: Kimberly A. Williams

Hildegard of Bingen knew God as "Living Light."  From a young age she had startling  visions of the Light which, as a child,  she was afraid to share.  As she grew older, as a nun, she found that she could not heal from illness until she  shared her vision.  Eventually, as  Abbess of the Rupertsburg Abbey,  set high upon the banks of the Rhine, she produced  a manuscript that included her visions, songs, and treatises. Pope Eugenius III, at the Council of Trier, decreed that Hildegard's visions  were of God, and declared her a prophet.  Today she is commemorated as a Saint in the Anglican Communion and as a Doctor of the Church in the Roman Communion.  

                                          Living Light,  aurora borealis over the Rhine River

The Women's Lectionary for The Whole Church  includes  Pentecost readings Joel 2:27-32 and Acts 2:1-18.  In Acts, Peter quotes Joel translated thus:

In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your daughters and your sons shall prophesy,

and your young men will see visions,

and your elders shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both women and men,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

 In addition to  Hildegard's soaring chants, Voices Found offers Debbie Friedman's lively songs of two Biblical women prophets: Miriam and Deborah. (Voices Found # 15 and #17).   Friedman, was an early pioneer for gender-sensitive language, unafraid to use feminine forms of the Divine or alter masculine-only text references years before the liberal streams deemed it acceptable. She took Miriam as her prophetess, raising her voice to the unknown Jewish women throughout time, whose wisdom and patience she felt formed the bedrock of Jewish community. (The Jewish Standard, January  14, 2011) Recordings of these songs are available on the composer's website. Her words and music still  inspire and affirm women's leadership in the whole Judeo-Christian family.

Meditation:

O fiery Spirit, come burn in me.  O Fount of courage, come spring in me, O Teacher of all, enlighten me;  let me share the joy and sparkle of your blazing Love.

Liturgical suggestions for the use of this Pentecost Litany are offered in The Leader's Guide to Voices Found

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