Music Notes 5-10

Music this morning, May 10th, features special guest multi-instrumentalist Oscar Rios Pohirieth, as well as vocalists Tyler Gruttemeyer and Julia Olynyk.

Oscar Rios Pohirieth specializes in Andean Folk Music, which has been passed down over centuries from the Incan Empire to the present day. This morning features two selections – a piece called Pachamama (Mother Earth) for an Andean flute called the Quena, and an improvisation on a type of miniature guitar called Charango.

Indigenous culture often emphasizes fidelity to place, nature, and to the earth – a characteristic that wasn’t present in settler state cultures whose conquest had little regard for such fidelity. Indigenous music, art, and ritual all reflect this fidelity, and Andean music is no different. Today, descendants of the Incas – the Quechua and Aymara peoples in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile – have deep cultural traditions that celebrate Pachamama – Mother Earth.

In Incan times, Pachamama was considered to be a cruel and demanding deity, but with the influence of the Catholic Church after the arrival of the Spanish, she became somewhat hybridized with the Virgin Mary. In modern times, Pachamama is a cultural representation for Mother Earth, but still retains some of those characteristics – benevolence and intercessory prayer. Many South Americans believe that problems arise when humans do not respect Pachamama, necessitating fidelity to the earth – something we could all learn from.

Mothering God You Gave Me Birth

This hymn is an adaptation by Jean Janzen (1933-present) of musings by Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), whose life fell entirely during the “Hundred Years War.” According to Janzen’s study of Julian of Norwich, ‘Julian saw Christ as our “true mother,” saying, “The human mother will suckle her child with her own milk, but our beloved Mother, Jesus, feeds us with himself.”’

Mothering God, you gave me birth in the bright morning of this world.
Creator, source of every breath, you are my rain, my wind, my sun.

Mothering Christ, you took my form, offering me your food of light,
grain…of life, and grape of love, your very body for my peace.

Mothering Spirit, nurturing one, in arms of patience hold me close,
so that in faith I root and grow until I flower, until I know.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Hymnologist Greg Scheer writes: ‘”Great Is Thy Faithfulness” is inspired by the simple realization that God is at work in our lives on a daily basis. [Hymn writer Thomas Chisolm] wrote, “My income has not been large at any time due to impaired health in the earlier years which has followed me on until now. Although I must not fail to record here the unfailing faithfulness of a covenant-keeping God and that He has given me many wonderful displays of His providing care, for which I am filled with astonishing gratefulness.” The hymn reminds us that God doesn’t only work in dramatic or miraculous ways, but also in simple, everyday ways. It also reminds us that Jesus has never failed us in the past, so we have no reason to doubt his faithfulness in the future.’

Great is thy faithfulness, O God Creator, there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see; all I have needed thy hand hath provided.
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness to thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! (Refrain)