After our spontaneous performance in the apheresis unit
Our new singing motto seems to be: “Anywhere and anytime” — including the apheresis unit of UC Davis Cancer Center!
When you’re sitting around for five hours hooked up to a blood separating machine, there’s lots and lots of time for chatting with the nurses who are watching over the process. By the end of two days they knew that we were musicians and that we direct the music ministry at our church.
As we were preparing to go, we thanked them all for being so kind and upbeat, while they assured us that we had been the perfect patients — all in all, it was quite the mutual appreciation society.
So, when — in the midst of all the thanks and laughter — they asked us to sing something before leaving, we didn’t hesitate. Of course I wasn’t in full voice, but it felt like a perfect opportunity to share some of the blessings we were feeling.
One of the nurses grabbed her phone and took the video; unfortunately it ended up sort of blurry and sidewise, but you can still hear the song — “Make Us Channels of Thy Peace” by Swami Kriyananda.
Because no one knows exactly when St. Francis of Assisi was born, his feast day is celebrated on October 4, the anniversary of his death in 1226.
We hadn’t thought about any of this when the music was planned for today’s Sunday service. But through a series of serendipities (in hindsight, at least) we ended up singing two of Swami Kriyananda’s St. Francis songs: Make Us Channels of Thy Peace (which we even “randomly” decided to do in both English and Italian!) and Peace.
I love it when Divine Mother organizes things without our conscious participation!
This afternoon was the annual Christmas party for Ananda Sangha Worldwide, headquarters of all the various outreach ministries of Ananda. It’s a time for eating and laughter and visiting with divine friends in the beautiful and uplifting environment of Crystal Hermitage.
But this year something happened which I hope to be able to convey in writing, though words feel rather inadequate…
One of the most well-known and beloved songs in the Ananda Music repertory is Make Us Channels of Thy Peace, Swami Kriyananda’s a cappella setting of the Prayer of St Francis. Arranged in simple two-part harmony, it so beautifully expresses the spirit of selfless service that is the foundation of our path that it is frequently sung at Ananda gatherings and even during Sangha meetings.
So it wasn’t surprising that Make Us Channels was the song chosen to bring the party to a close. But as we sang it — after an hour and a half of eating and chatting and enjoying each others’ company — the room instantly went still and the energy went deep. And despite the fact that many members of the Sangha outreach ministries do not sing (not at all!) the sound, the pitch, the phrasing, everything was perfection.
Why? I believe it’s because we don’t just sing the words, “Lord most high our heav’nly father, All our lives we dedicate to Thee”, we live those words. And as we sing together with deep attunement and self-offering, it’s like our individual voices are transformed into something, well…angelic!
Of course, this is what we aspire to achieve with our actual choir. Yes, we develop our voices and improve our listening and learn the notes and the rhythms…but only in hopes of becoming such pure channels that — with deep attunement and self-offering — we will find ourselves transformed!
Make Us Channels of Thy Peace Lord most high our heav’nly father, All our lives we dedicate to Thee: All our labors, all our joys and woes, All our pleasure, all our melody. Make us each a channel of Thy peace: When in darkness, guide us from above; Where there’s sorrow may we sow Thy joy; Where there’s hatred may we share Thy love.
