Linda Mitchell suggested the word "turn" as our focus for this month. Funny thing -we both referenced with the Shaker hymn below. You probably know it, or have heard it:
'Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be;
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
(Chorus)
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed.
To turn, turn, will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come out right.
I remember singing this song but not being sure about the use of "turning, turning" in this instance, so I did a little digging.
This song was relatively unknown throughout our country until Aaron Copland used it in Appalachian Spring. The origin of the song, however, was in 1848 from Elder Joseph Brackett of a Shaker community. Some histories claim it was Elder Joseph Brackett's own song, and mention that Eldress Caroline Helfrich remembered seeing him sing it in a meeting room, turning about "with his coat tails a-flying." You can read more history HERE.
Shaker's believed in living a simple life, going so far as to embrace celibacy and communal living. You may have seen their beautiful but simple furniture, unadorned but graceful in line. Their beliefs stressed humility, so "to bow and bend" was their way.
"To turn, turn, will be our delight, Till by turning, turning we come out right"... the song accompanies a dance, but aside from the dance steps, does "to turn, turn" have a deeper meaning?
I remembered a lesson from long ago, and found this quote which confirmed my memory: from the Christianity.com website... MORE HERE:
You may be surprised to learn the word repent in the Greek New Testament simply means to turn around. It was a military term describing a soldier marching in one direction and doing an about-face, 180-degree turn. And when it’s used spiritually, it means to change your heart, mind, and habits.
Does this Shaker song speak of "turning" in the sense of repentance? Maybe. Isn't it by repentance that we "come out right?" Don't we all have times when we need to turn, to rethink a matter? To bend some... to practice humility?
"To turn, turn, will be our delight" brought another thought. The result of repentance is often a sense of easing our load, getting a weight off our chest. Yes, that is a delight.
I wish I could have seen Elder Brackett's dance and asked him about these words. The concept of turning has long been part of the Christian tradition, and I suspect he knew that. Still, it didn't come to my mind right away, I had to think on it. How about you?
"Turn" has many definitions. I look forward to your thoughts.
I wanted to try a Fibonacci poem, and the words of this simple song inspired me. As often happens, one poem begets another:
To Turn: A Fibonacci Poem
Mull
Humbly
Lift your heart
Turn as faith guides you
Delight in simplicity's grace
I turn to you, my friends, with these questions and comments, and I invite your response.
Many thanks to Linda Mitchell for this prompt and for hosting this month's Spiritual Journey. You can find her post and links to others HERE.
What a beautiful post, Karen! We really were on the same wavelength. How about that?! I love this take on turning...especially your fibronacci poem. It is a prayer in itself. I am grateful to read it today.
ReplyDeleteI can sing all the words to this song and still, like you, question them. I love how you "mull" the words around in your simple fib poem and come round to delight. We must delight in simple things every day to feel the gratitude and love that God wants for us. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKaren, thanks for the history lesson about the song. Although I am familiar with it I didn't know the backstory. Equating turning with repentance made me think about how true this is. When we repent we turn away from what we are doing that hurts ourselves or others and we head down a new path, one that leads to forgiveness.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of turning , I always think of turning to God’s light. Love this story and the poem. The light of we receive turns on my smile.
ReplyDeleteyes - we do all have times when we must turn, bend; sometimes whether we are ready or not...I love the wisdom of your poem: stop/mull/humbly - If I can make these life-turns with humility, I suppose that is the best I can do. Thank you for your thoughts, Karen.
ReplyDeleteKaren, thank you for not only adding your thoughts on the focus word but sharing some history and the video of the song. I heard the instrumental before but not the song. It is delightful especially the words, "Till by turning, turning we come out right." That message is a strong one. Your poem addresses the process of turning in faith-filled individuals like yourself. I am going to keep singing the song in my head because it is so uplifting, as is your post.
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