noticing God moments...

So, in following up with the remembrance of the Holy Innocents, two wonderful moments this past week.

In the Divine Hours, there is usually a hymn for the vespers service.  Sometimes I make up my own melodies, sometimes they fit to other hymns I know.  So far, in the season of Christmas they have all been carols/hymns that I have known....well, until December 28th.  As I peeked ahead the day before, I thought, oh I don't know that one. 
This is what it was:

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Lullay, thou little tiny Child,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor youngling for whom we do sing

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

Herod, the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All children young to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever mourn and sigh,

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

It's also known as the Coventry Carol.  On the 28th my friends Jen & Eric loaned me The Christmas Cornucopia by Annie Lenox.  To hear about how Annie put together this collection, "full of love" as she says, check out her her official website. 
She sings the Coventry Carol on this album and it is a beautiful rendition.  My favorite part is that the even through the sorrowful words and remembrance of the innocents, the final chord resolves from a minor chord to a major one. (I think I got the language correct there...) It's that sense of hope and promise that even in the midst of a horrible tragedy, God is still here. 

The second great God moment happened this morning as I was talking with the church secretary.  She was telling me about the two kid cut-outs she took home with her from church on Sunday.  One was her grandson (a student at IU) and the other, her granddaughter (a high school student). 
She called her grandson and told him to swing by the house today and she gave him his cut out.  She told him that we surrounded them in prayer, and she thought about putting it in her Bible and then had second thoughts.  She gave it to him and said, "I could keep this in my Bible, but I want you to know that even when you seem all alone, there is a congregation who loves you and prays for you.  Please take this and put it on your fridge or someplace you can see it and remember us and God in your life."
She plans on giving the other to her granddaughter the next time she sees her.   

Just one more beautiful example of God at work, empowering God's people to share their faith and their love for one another. 

Until next time . . .