Midweek Musing- 9/18/24

One of those things that has happened with the advent of Artificial Intelligence is that your computers, devices and the software that runs on them are trying to learn about the individual who uses them.

For example, Microsoft Word now has personalized text prediction built into its design. It is almost scary how quickly it can learn someone. Now when I type in a document “If I und” – it will give me the opportunity to with the push of a button to complete my now familiar phase If I understand the text.

My Kindle app recommends me books – lots of church stuff and mysteries in the same spirit of John Grisham and Harlan Coben.

Audible likes to tell me what my next listen should be.

Waze will alert me if traffic means I need to leave early for an event like work though it is not perfect and has sent me notices to leave early even on my day off.

And sometimes on Sunday mornings my phone still thinks I must be heading a meeting at the Walker County Messenger or Subway and not LaFayette Presbyterian Church.

One interesting addition that has arrived on my and many other music listening platforms is a personalized DJ. This DJ looks at your listening history and selects music you have listened to often and also shares new artists and songs that seem to fit your style and current listening preferences.

My DJ plays lots of James Taylor, Indigo Girls, David LaMotte, Hymns, Disney tunes, Oldies, Country, 80s stuff, Billy Joel, Elton John, The Beatles, and lots more.

Once my DJ referred to my music tastes as eclectic. I decided to take that as a compliment.

Now last week I listened to a variety of versions of the song “The Summons” because I used it at the end of my sermon. Because of that my DJ decided to insert several of what it tagged as sacred music in my playlist. As I listened a song came up which I have sung with several different choral groups and heard at a variety of musical performances.

It is a great piece of music written by René Clausen entitled “Set Me as a Seal.” It takes its text and inspiration from the Old Testament book Song of Solomon Chapter 8 verse 6.

Set me as a seal upon your heart, 

as a seal upon your arm; 

for love is strong as death

This verse is often best understood as a beautiful poetic expression of deep, everlasting love. In essence, it is a declaration of a love that is intense, enduring, and as unbreakably strong as to even overcome death.

What is even more remarkable about the musical composition was the circumstances from which it was created.

As the story is documented Composer, Conductor, and Professor Dr. René Clausen and his wife were excitedly awaiting the birth of a child. Sadly, they had already experienced several miscarriages and the death of a young child from birth defects. However, they were joyfully expecting this child and the pregnancy was going well.

When the pregnancy was 6 ½ months along, the doctor decided – based on the mother being 39 years old – to administer an amniocentesis. Tragically, the doctor placed the needle in the wrong place, which resulted in the death of the child which was later discovered to be in perfect health.

To make matters even worse, Ms. Clausen with her husband by her side had to go through labor and delivery of their stillborn child.

After returning home from this sad, sad day Dr. Clausen took both comfort and inspiration from this sacred text and composed this entire masterpiece in less than an hour.

In numerous comments about this composition, it is clear Clausen viewed it as a foreshadowing of Christ (the Groom) and His bride (the church) as a love that will stand fast when the tides of sorrow overwhelm. Additionally, he is reminded that even on the hardest of days God’s love remains true.

And as one critic noted, “Musically, the (composition’s) softly clashing dissonances and gently unfolding melodies paint a serene and tender picture of love in Christ, strong and living, even in the midst of death.”

May this Biblical poetry, this piece of what my DJ calls sacred music, and the story behind it, help us all remember that nothing in life or in death is stronger that the love of God.