Day 15
Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic
A series of daily reflections for the people of faith at Patuxent Presbyterian Church,
California, Maryland, by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor
WEEK THREE: SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2020
"Doxologies in a Time of a Pandemic"
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Thomas Ken, 1637-1710
Suddenly ill, in only a couple of days he found himself quickly slipping away in the hospital. His family was summoned and I met them there. There were about eight of us forming a semicircle around his bed. Parting words were said to a loving husband, father and grandfather. Then joining hands, prayers were prayed, concluding with a unison praying of The Lord’s Prayer. When we got to “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen,” his monitor flatlined and he was gone. Then, as if on some heavenly cue, we all began to quietly sing the doxology. The room was filled with tears and peace, and I cannot write of it even now without tears. Overwhelming, it will remain my most powerful experience of the Doxology.
Doxology comes to us from ancient Greek by way of Medieval Latin, a compound noun formed by “doxos” meaning glory, and “logia” meaning word, written or spoken. In other words, it is a ‘word of glory’ sung to the Triune God. The melody most familiar in our western Protestant culture comes from the Genevan Psalter of 1551.
When we say ‘doxology’ we all think of the one we sing as the offering is brought forward in the service. But there is another doxology we sing every Sunday immediately after our unison Affirmation of Faith: The Gloria Patri, the text of which goes back to the second century AD.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen, Amen.
What happened in that hospital can happen to us as well, in the serendipitous sovereignty of God, experiencing the Holy Spirit filling a Doxology with power, even during this pandemic.
Reflective question: On this Sunday morning when we are not able to worship together and sing our doxologies in unison, how would you ‘say’ your doxology to the Triune God in the midst of this pandemic? Write it out and make it your own personal ‘Pandemic Doxology.’
Reflective scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:20 – “You were bought with a price. So glorify God…”
Reflective hymn: Sing both of the Doxologies above: ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in them.
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