Cantus Firmus

Great Heart was my theme of last year.  And it wasn’t until June that I was reminded of the fact that for all of my trying, God is the one who gives me a great heart.  Psalm 119:32 says, “I will run in the path of your commands when you enlarge my heart!”  What a freeing thought!

As I sat on my porch, drinking my tea and reading back through my journal this afternoon, I realized that God has expanded on this theme of “Great Heart” throughout this school year.  This year, He has repeatedly to told me to sing.

“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.”  Psalm 30:11-12

It started back in July, when I read about the cantus firmus.  I had just gotten through sharing with friends some of my favorite Latin phrases (carpe diem, carpe aeternitatem, coram deo…) and this appeared in my inbox as the daily Slice of Infinity from RZIM.  A new Latin phrase!  Woot! :)

Here a few direct quotes from what Jill Carattini said:

·       The cantus firmus, which means "fixed song," is a pre-existing melody that forms the basis of a polyphonic composition. Though the song introduces twists in pitch and style, counterpoint and refrain, the cantus firmus is the enduring melody not always in the forefront, but always playing somewhere within the composition. 

·       "God wants us to love him eternally with our whole hearts, not in such a way as to injure or weaken earthly life, but to provide a kind of cantus firmus to which the other melodies of life provide the counterpoint... Where the cantus firmus is clear and plain, the counterpoint can be developed to its limits." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters & Papers from Prison, p. 303)

·       For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, life was a great work of sounds and symphonic directions, and the cantus firmus was the essence, the soul of the concerto.

Ooh.  So good.  I love that musical analogy even thought I am not a trained musician by any stretch of the imagination. 

***Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote many books, but was able to use music as an analogy to the Christian life because he knew it well.  At one point it was thought that he would become a professional musician because of his skill at playing the piano.***

After reading Bonhoeffer’s words, in my journal I pondered: “In a great heart – what is the heart’s song?” 

Is my heart singing a cantus firmus on which to base my whole life around? 

And how do I get a good cantus firmus?

As I continued to read my journal, I saw God repeatedly reminding me that the way to a Great Heart and a beautiful cantus firmus is time in His Word, discovering more about His character. 

I recently read more about two women who allowed their knowledge of God to come out in beautiful expressions of worship:

1.     Fanny Crosby was born in 1820 with sight, but her eyes were blinded in infancy after a well-meaning doctor mistreated an eye infection.  She had limited physical vision but was blessed with incredible spiritual insight.  Part of that insight came from the work of her grandmother, Eunice, and Mrs. Hawley, the Crosby’s landlady.  Both women were committed to helping Fanny memorize the Bible as they read verses to her and reviewed chapters.  With their help Fanny memorized the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), the four Gospels, most of the Psalms, all of Proverbs and other portions of the Bible.  No wonder she could write more than 8,000 hymns in her 95 years!  What she filled up with flowed out of her heart.  For example:

I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long:
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song.

Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, redeemed,
His child and forever I am.

I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight;
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night.

2.     Catherine of Siena was born in Italy in 1347, and although she only lived for 33 years, she dictated 380 letters, 26 prayers and 4 treatises.  Yet again, a Slice of Infinity from Jill Carattini in October made my mind think on this more:

a.     “In Catherine’s prayers, the editor notes, ‘Her theology becomes her doxology.’  Namely, what Catherine professed to be true about God became in her prayers – and arguably in her life – an expression of praise to God.  It struck me as a beautiful notion – what we know of God being something that moves us to sing to God.  And then I was quieted by a thought:  Shouldn’t all theology naturally lead us to doxology?”

b.     “What do you know about God?  What have you seen of God’s character and known of God’s goodness?  Might this theology become a song worth singing.  In your knowledge of God and in your knowing of Christ, might you find in word and deed, in prayer and song, your life a doxology to the goodness of a Creator who wants to be known.” 

Both Fanny and Catherine allowed what they knew of God to be displayed in their lives.  Their theology became doxology…and an offering of praise to their great God.

Is my heart so filled with Christ that like Fanny Crosby I can say, “I sing for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song”?

He is The Cantus Firmus. 

He is the fixed song.

And only when He is the enduring melody of my heart can all of the other melodies find their proper place.

“Ever since you rescued me,

You gave my heart a song to sing

I’m living for the world to see

Nobody but Jesus.”

– Casting Crowns/Matthew West