Consider the Lilies

[Vort]

I spent last night in a freezing cold tent, fully clothed, lying on a cot in a tragically misnamed "sleeping" bag. It rained all night, a cold rain, just enough to keep things mighty frigid. I may have gotten two hours of sleep. I had been asked to accompany our Scout troop to an activity that they do almost every year. They did it a few years ago, when I was the Scoutmaster. We can't miss it. So they needed help, and I volunteered. As part of the deal, I took my 11-year-old son, who is a Scout but not a member of the deacons-aged Scouts. I woke up this morning to my son's excitement about going with the Scouts through Ape Cave, a lava tube near Mount Saint Helens -- our yearly Scout ritual. He helped fix breakfast for the troop, after which we broke camp and left for the cave.

I am 54 years old. How much I've aged the last three or four years!I was running for most of the first half of the year, and was in the best shape I've been in for probably a decade or more. But in August, I started a position at work that required a lot of time, and I have pretty much abandoned my exercise program for the last three months. The result is that I am old, fat, and weak. The cave was a real challenge for me -- very, very hard going, not honest-to-goodness spelunking (which I realistically could not have done), but definitely a hard hike scrambling over rocks and large boulders for well over a mile, after a fairly steep hike over snowy ground to reach the upper mouth of the cave. My son was jumping rock to rock and practically ran through the cave, while I tottered behind like an 80-year-old. My slowness held up the whole group to some extent, which was embarrassing -- but it's not like I asked to be 54. Or, wait, maybe I did. I'm not sure. In any case, the last thousand meters or so was pure determination, mind over matter (where "matter" is understood to mean sore hips and aching knees).

I don't think I'll be doing Ape Caves again, at least in this lifetime. If I do, I will only do it if I've been exercising enough not to be a detriment to the hike.

But with age comes some blessings. While driving the three-plus hours it took to get home, I was listening to General Conference. I finished the last two talks in the Priesthood Session and started on the Sunday Morning session. But this time, I was struck when I heard the Choir's rendition of Consider the Lilies. I have heard this performance probably two dozen times. It's very popular. It's pretty and melodic, and the words are sweet. But it was more than that this time. For some reason, it seemed to  penetrate into me. I kept relistening to it, probably a dozen or more times just in the drive, and found myself weeping as I drove.

Feeling emotion is not the same as feeling the Spirit. But deeply feeling honest emotion is not far removed from the Spirit; in fact, the Spirit will often elicit deep emotions, which I believe is why some people cry while bearing testimony and such. I believe this experience was not only emotion; I think it was some sort of witness of the Spirit. Perhaps "witness" is not quite the right word. It was a lesson, teaching me -- something. I don't have words for it, but I could feel it. It was as if the Spirit were opening my heart to understand more fully how the Lord sees his children.

I do not believe in magic; that's superstition. But there are a few things in this world that look to me like pure magic, something beyond explanation or even comprehension. One is the love between a man and his wife, and between a parent at his or her child. Another is music -- how can it even be? It's like a butterfly, unbelievable that such a creature can even exist. Or a rainbow. Music seems to bypass all of our language-based understanding and intelligence, and somehow appeals directly to our core. Even our hearing is hard-wired such that the nerves from our ears go, not to our higher centers of reasoning, but directly to the primitive core of our brain. Music has the power to blast past our defenses and preconceptions, which of course is why it's such a terrifying weapon when used for evil purposes. But used for Godly ends, it teaches us in a way that perhaps no other thing can.

Still, I want to understand how this song suddenly started affecting me so deeply. What is the arrangements of words, notes, and harmonies that produces such an effect? Sadly, I haven't developed my musical understanding as much as I might have. I'll have to repent of that. If Eowyn were still here, she could probably explain a lot of this. Maybe someone else can. Let me give my own take, and those who know more can chime in to provide more insight. Here's the Youtube version I'll be talking about:

The text for the hymn is based on Matthew 6:28-30 (also found in Luke 12):

Quote

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

This is a pastoral sermon, filled with love, encouragement, and gentle chiding. The hymn changes the context of the words, from instruction on how to faithfully serve God without worrying about matters of the flesh to an encouraging ballad of hope to overcome discouragement. I don't think the change does violence to the words, though; the changed context highlights other applications of these ideas. That seems fair game. The Lord leads his sheep across winding mountain paths, but does so to take them to the meadows where they feed -- the meadows he knows well. The text does not stay strictly faithful to scripture; but again, I think the additions don't diminish the message. (Though one can argue about overly sentimental "doctrine" that perhaps borders on false, or at least presumptuous, as "Consider the sweet, tender children who must suffer on this Earth / The pains of all of them he carried from the day of his birth." Mmmmm...I don't think so. But it's pretty, and it's touching, and it's a sweet sentiment.)

The words lead us down a path: In the first verse, we consider the lilies of the field, how God clothes them, and the birds of the sky, how God feeds them. In the second verse, we consider the lambs of his fold -- us -- and how the Good Shepherd keeps them safe and feeds those who trust him. Then, in the third verse, we're asked to consider "the sweet, tender children who must suffer on this Earth". A tug at the heartstrings, no doubt. But the masterful part comes more subtlely, when we are told that God "will heal those who trust him." Wow. What a deeply touching idea. And coming immediately after the emotional consideration of suffering children, it speaks to us (or to me). He feeds the lambs of his fold, and those who trust him, he heals.

Maybe even me.

Looking at the music, it's in 4/4 time and is fairly slow, around 65 beats per minute. This is about the same as a resting heart rate. I don't think that's coincidental; the hymn is paced similar to our heart so that we will sync with the melody and feel it in our bodies. The melody itself is quite conjunct and smooth; I believe the musical term is legato, an Italian word that literally means "tied"*. This term arises, I assume, because the notes are close to each other in pitch, each note flowing smoothly into the next, and thus they are "tied" to each other. (*Legato is the past participle of legare "to tie". This is just the regular verb for tying things, like shoelaces or tent cords, not some special or specialized term.)

The melody does have dramatic jumps in pitch, as at 48 seconds. The effect of this octave jump is pronounced; it emphasizes "clothes" (and "feeds", and later "heals"), and makes us sit up and take notice. Because it's consonant and still at the mild pace, it's also quite beautiful. But that isn't the best trick, not by a long shot. Remember the change in verse 3, how the wording gets more intimate and emotional? That is set up for us by the music. Look at what happens at 2:32. We have a key change, but it happens in a very clever way*: The phrase, sung in the key of E major (I think, if I remembered the note correctly when I went down to discover it on the piano), resolves on its fundamental pitch (which would be E, obviously). The soprano notes for "with his eye" are all E, but the last one, for "eye", is sung in a chord that is not in the key of E. That is, it's an E sung in a chord of a different key - I believe it's in the key of F major, because that's what the rest of the hymn is in. So you get this magical key change, when the singers sing their resolution on the fundamental, except -- surprise! -- it's not the fundamental any more! Something else is! Seriously, how is that even possible? We have the great Western musicians of the high Medieval period and through the Renaissance to thank for this stuff -- but still, how could they not have been inspired by divine light?

*Maybe it's not that clever. Maybe this is standard composer stuff. I wouldn't know. But to me, it's miraculous. It's magic. How would anyone ever even think that up?

So the point is, that key change trick happens right before the third verse. We were expecting resolution, but we didn't get it. Instead, we got a signal that things were changing, and we're going to get something more important, and in a new (higher, more heroic) key. And that's when we hear about the sweet, tender children who suffer, and then hear about how Jesus not only feeds, but heals the sheep of his fold.

These are things that are way over my head. I want to understand them, but I really just shake my head in wonder at the magic. And if I understood how these things worked, I guarantee you that wouldn't diminish their magical character one bit. It would just be all the more amazing to know how we can inspire feelings and perhaps even spiritual awakenings in the breast of our fellow beings by a clever arrangement of notes and words, like speech itself, only amplified in effect.

[anatess2]

My son says this:  The music is not what brings the Spirit.  It simply provides the ambiance.  You bring the Spirit.  So you probably should be analyzing what you were feeling, what was your mood, how did you feel about the trip, how did you feel about your son, etc. etc. and not the techniques of the choral rendition.

[JohnsonJones]

21 hours ago, Vort said:

I spent last night in a freezing cold tent, fully clothed, lying on a cot in a tragically misnamed "sleeping" bag. It rained all night, a cold rain, just enough to keep things mighty frigid. I may have gotten two hours of sleep. I had been asked to accompany our Scout troop to an activity that they do almost every year. They did it a few years ago, when I was the Scoutmaster. We can't miss it. So they needed help, and I volunteered. As part of the deal, I took my 11-year-old son, who is a Scout but not a member of the deacons-aged Scouts. I woke up this morning to my son's excitement about going with the Scouts through Ape Cave, a lava tube near Mount Saint Helens -- our yearly Scout ritual. He helped fix breakfast for the troop, after which we broke camp and left for the cave.

I am 54 years old. How much I've aged the last three or four years!I was running for most of the first half of the year, and was in the best shape I've been in for probably a decade or more. But in August, I started a position at work that required a lot of time, and I have pretty much abandoned my exercise program for the last three months. The result is that I am old, fat, and weak. The cave was a real challenge for me -- very, very hard going, not honest-to-goodness spelunking (which I realistically could not have done), but definitely a hard hike scrambling over rocks and large boulders for well over a mile, after a fairly steep hike over snowy ground to reach the upper mouth of the cave. My son was jumping rock to rock and practically ran through the cave, while I tottered behind like an 80-year-old. My slowness held up the whole group to some extent, which was embarrassing -- but it's not like I asked to be 54. Or, wait, maybe I did. I'm not sure. In any case, the last thousand meters or so was pure determination, mind over matter (where "matter" is understood to mean sore hips and aching knees).

Off the main topic, but related to what you first wrote.  I may be absolutely wrong on this, but it sounds like you were cold that night.  If that is true, what you need is to check what temperature your bag is rated to.  Take that temperature and add 20 degrees to it to find if it would be comfortable for you to sleep in.  It is very possible you are using a spring or summer sleeping bag during this time of the year.

Summer sleeping bags may be rated from around 45 degrees F (or around 10 C if not in the US) and above.  IF you are in weather at anything below 55, you may be uncomfortable at night.

Spring sleeping bags normally go to around -10 C or 20 F to around 45 F....so you may be uncomfortably hot if you are in summer weather, or if at 20 degrees or colder...rather cold.

A winter bag may go from around -10 F to around 32 F.  I will normally only take a winter bag with me when we go camping in the mountains, and even then I'll either get a really expensive sleeping bag for the dead of winter in the mountains (something that goes down to -40) which is excessively bulky, or use a double bag which has the added usage of insulation.

I may be totally off on this, but if you were cold that night I would highly suggest you look to see what temperatures your sleeping bag is rated for and if possible get one rated for the temperatures you are facing.  You should never be cold when in your sleeping bag when you are trying to sleep.

You can also use handwarmers to warm it up at first, but they won't last through the night, which is why having a good sleeping bag is important.

Now, I could be wrong, you could have just been cold, in which case I'd suggest getting something rated for even colder weather than that.   If you have already hit the maximum temperature rating for cold...you must really like it very warm at home.  I don't know if this will help or not (probably not), but if it does, hopefully it can make your nights more comfortable from now on.

Unfortunately as far as getting older, it only gets worse from where you are at.  At 54 you are still in the prime of life!  Believe it or not.  Wait another decade, and then see one of the Twelve (though it was more Monson when he was younger I suppose and in better health) doing the entire camping thing and realizing they are older then you are!!!

Or you can do as I do now days, let the young kids go camping, and you get the trailer on the back of your vehicle.  If I do any camping at all, I use a cot like you, but I have to bring a pillow, mattresses, and other things to make it more comfortable.  I suppose I got tired of roughing it like I did when I was younger.  I suppose that could be another suggestion, let the boys rough it, you bring the RV for you.

[classylady]

“Lilies of the Field”.  A beautiful hymn.

I believe music speaks to us in ways that words cannot.  For me, it seems to touch my spirit.  One of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had was in the LTM (precursor to the MTC).  The missionaries were singing “I Know that My Redeemer Lives”.  I experienced such a profound experience of love for my Savior as we sang that song. I have never forgotten that feeling.  I know the Holy Ghost was bearing witness to me of the divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Music touches our brains in ways that I don’t think we can understand. I know we can remember words to a song years later. Just think of all the Primary songs we can still sing to this day?

[mirkwood]

22 hours ago, Vort said:

I am 54 years old. How much I've aged the last three or four years!

 

I hear you.  I responded to shooting at the University Hospital a couple weeks ago.  I spent 4.5 hours with an additional 35-40 lbs. of equipment searching for the suspect on foot.  I have aged...

[anatess2]

1 hour ago, mirkwood said:

I hear you.  I responded to shooting at the University Hospital a couple weeks ago.  I spent 4.5 hours with an additional 35-40 lbs. of equipment searching for the suspect on foot.  I have aged...

Yet you can still spend 4.5 hours searching on foot!  That's actually pretty amazing.  I had to chase after my rooster who was trying to kill the other rooster.  I don't think I lasted 10 minutes before I collapsed on the ground gasping for air.