I remember the first time I was introduced to Vaughan Williams’ O How Amiable, today’s offertory anthem. It was while I was living and teaching in Oklahoma. I had met my now, longtime friend Kevin, who at the time, was studying at the University of Oklahoma. He needed some musical assistance at Canterbury House, the Episcopal student center on the campus. At the time, we were meeting on Sunday evenings, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Norman.

There were just about 8 of us in the student choir at the time, but we all were trained musicians, most of them studying at the OU School of Music. I remember thinking just how wonderful it was to be able to make music with other, able-bodied musicians! We sang all of this glorious music in those days. This is one of those anthems that feels like “home” to me. Not only does the text refer to our spiritual home, but the piece concludes with a most familiar hymn, “O God Our Help in Ages Past.”  This hymn brings me back to my childhood. Perhaps it’s one of those hymns that does this for you too?

In a rapidly changing world, there is something so comforting about the traditions of the church. Our liturgy, our music, our historic architecture all feel like home to me – the agelessness of it all compares to nothing else in my life. But isn’t that true of God, the ultimate, ageless one? Although we all occupy totally different physical bodies than we did when we were younger, somehow there is a changeless nature to who we are. Human cells totally regenerate themselves every 7 years, so 21 years ago, you were a different structure of cells, three times over. Yet you are still the same person, inside. In a way, we are all ageless.

I love how the Psalms, the history, this anthem, and the traditions of our church bring us “home” to this eternal presence of ourselves and of our creator. It’s comforting, it’s real, and it’s our sanctuary. It’s also perhaps a bit of the eternal, when we notice this changeless nature about ourselves. Music like this gives us the feeling of being home. So sit back and relax. Kick off your “shoes,” so to speak, and enjoy being here, in your spiritual home sweet home. Soli deo Gloria!