It started out innocently enough. Well, sort of.
Years and years ago I was staying at a certain Lutheran camp that shall remain nameless and found myself “lonely for the Bible,” as the thought formulated itself in my mind. A reflection, I suppose, of the reception the Bible got in the preaching at said camp.
My remedy was to start sketching out what would become the Exodus Matins, which was followed in due course by the II Corinthians Vespers. The former is probably the more usable of the two (and was even sung once at the Luther Seminary chapel), though I still like the latter quite a bit. I just don’t expect many people will get into a hymn entitled “The Aroma of Christ,” however scriptural it may be (II Corinthians 2:15).
These in turn led to the idea for a Matthew Mass, for which I composed a hymn text based on the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, set to a Tanzanian Easter tune I especially love.
Fast forward many years, and I’m planning worship for Epiphany season 2020 at Tokyo Lutheran. It’s Matthew year, so we get off to a good start with excerpts from the Sermon on the Mount—but then, as Epiphany peters out, so does the Sermon. In the end all the congregation was due to hear was about half of chapter five. Tough luck on the Lord’s Prayer, the birds of the air, the lilies of the field, the speck and the log, the house on the rock… you get the idea.
So, always gleeful at the opportunity to defy the lectionary, I decided to plow through the entire Sermon over the course of four Sundays. And for the first Sunday with its opening lection of Beatitudes, to dust off my old hymn and give it a go. Herewith the words (and the PDF with musical score):
Those poor in spirit, blessed are they:
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven someday.
Say that the mourning are blessed, too:
Comfort abundant will mend their hearts new.
Even the meek shall inherit the earth,
Righteousness quenching their hunger and thirst.
Blessed are those who hear Christ today.
Blessed, how blessed, so blessed are they!
Those who show mercy, blessed are they:
Even more mercy is coming their way.
Say the pure-hearted are blessed too:
They shall see God the Most High, yes, it’s true!
Children of God are the ones who peace-make,
And those who suffer for righteousness’ sake.
Blessed are those who hear Christ today.
Blessed, how blessed, so blessed are they!
This was obviously the point to leave well enough alone.
But… well, I started humming the very hummable tune, and sort of singing under my breath, until I realized that I wasn’t actually repeating the refrain “blessed are they,” but, in a rather disturbing Freudian slip, was singing, “wretched are they.”
Once this rose to consciousness, some dark muse reminded me that Jesus didn’t only deliver Beatitudes: he also delivered, for lack of a better term, Woe-itudes.
The Woes don’t actually appear in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew holds most of the Woes in reserve until ch. 23, nearing on the dire dénoument of his story. Luke has Woes of his own in the parallel Sermon on the Plain. And my oh my, between the two of them is the imagery ever vivid and compelling.
I couldn’t resist. I probably should have. (PDF, if you’re a glutton for punishment.)
Those who are wealthy, wretched are they:
All of their comfort was used up today.
Say that the sated are wretched, too:
Hunger unending shall be their fair due.
Woe to the laughers and scoffers who scorn;
Soon they’ll be weeping and soon they will mourn.
Wretched are those who shun Christ today.
Wretched, how wretched, so wretched are they!
All the admired, wretched are they,
Treading determined the false prophets’ way.
Say that the tithers are wretched, too:
Stinting on justice, a deed they shall rue!*
Woe to the lawless and all they have done,
Hypocrites, faithless, and murderers’ sons.
Wretched are those who shun Christ today.
Wretched, how wretched, so wretched are they!
Blind guides and vipers, wretched are they,
Closing the kingdom and blocking the way.
Say the oath-takers are wretched, too:
Slandering temple and stealing God’s due.
Gnat-strainers, swallowing camels unknown,
Greedy, indulgent, and full of dead bones.
Wretched are those who shun Christ today.
Wretched, how wretched, so wretched are they!
*(Humblebrag: this is my favorite line, because it’s based on Jesus’ criticism of those who tithe the herbs “mint and cumin and rue”… get it?)
Well, if hymns were set in red letters like the Bible, both of these would be as scarlet as sin. That’s all I can say in defense of the Woes.
Now doesn’t “The Aroma of Christ” sound so much better?