God gives gifts to His Church. We say that all the time but we often fail to put a face to those gifts. Henry was such a face. Although his music will live on for a very long time, he has passed to the nearer presence of God. I first met him through another gift -- Allen Lunneberg. They are both gifts of God to His Church but very different. Henry plodded along, often, it would seem, waiting for the thought to finish in his mind before the sentence had a period at the end of it. He was deliberate when the world around him was and remains rushed. He was patient in his pursuit of what he wanted when you were not biting on the idea. It is, perhaps, one of his most endearing qualities.
He will surely be lauded into time and perhaps eternity for the musical reflection of the text of the hymn "Up through Endless Ranks of Angels" and rightfully so. The genius of a good tune to a text is that they merge into one grand reality. That is surely true of this magnificent Ascension text and tune. Though this is his most popular gift, it is by far not his only treasure. God bless him for that. Like another Lutheran, Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry lived to the praise of God and worked to the praise of God. His legacy in choral work and organ composition, in teaching and training pastors in the art of music, in the work of the cantor in congregation, and in leading us as a church lives on as testament to the vitality and relevance of Lutheran music to Lutheran theology.
Though I know that there are new folks to join the ranks of those whom I would call gifts of God to His Church, I hope and pray that we will not forget the likes of Henry and those who have loved and served the Lord among us for many years. The older I get, the sadness of losing such friends and co-workers in the vineyard becomes larger even as the gratitude for knowing them and working with them increases. I may be looking more narrowly than I should or could, but it occurs to me that we have been so very blessed with such a high caliber of talents and such dedicated musicians -- well beyond what we deserve. Henry remains in my own mind a testament to the generosity of God and the richness of our lives for His gift of people like him. I will sing his musical settings of Psalms, choral works, and hymn tunes with even greater relish and thanksgiving knowing his journey is complete and he rests with the Lord.
1 comment:
It is indeed a work of grace that God raises up people in the church and gives them specific gifts to share. So many humble servants mentor and teach, leading others to a stronger faith by the example of their lives. We should understand that no gift the Lord gives us is of lesser value than another. It is a collaborative effort, and the people of God through the ages have used their gifts unselfishly to serve the church. If you praised these folks they would prefer no recognition. They do what they do simply because they love the Lord and His people. It is a calling, not just a talent, and it gives much satisfaction to remember these folks when they pass away. They know their good works did not save them, but it was their way to show faith by practicing it. Such people have a heart for Christ, and that was what motivated them. I pray that we all use our gifts with this in mind. Soli Deo Gloria
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