Personal Reflections on the Changing of the Years

My 2012 is hard to describe. It had its share of disappointing, frustrating, and heartbreaking moments, both in my own life and in the lives of my family and friends and community. But I choose to not focus on those right now. Through all those times, God was quietly at work in ways I can see as I consider the whole scope of the year. There are still unanswered questions about how God was working in one situation or another, but I expect those answers to come when I need to know them.

With that as my preamble, a few highlights from the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twelve...

I have one best memory and one best experience (yes, the two terms are a bit synonymous, but read on and I think a slight distinction will make sense). The best memory was easily my mid-August road trip for my freshman roommate's wedding, a trip which involved visits with a number of other close college friends. It was an exciting, fulfilling weekend. The best experience was my appointment as orchestra director at Calvary Memorial Church. After having performed with the group while in high school, it was a privilege to be tasked with leading it into a new era of ministry. My subconscious thought, even a year ago, was that I would be involved in church music "here and there" as an adult, but it has become one of my primary engagements.

Given that I am a professional musician, I must briefly enumerate the concerts I attended this year, or at least a few highlights...

• The first concert I saw this year was the Wheaton College Artist Series presentation of the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Jeffrey Tate, in January.
• In February, I saw Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra present Schubert and the world premiere of a work by Anna Clyne.
• March's highlight was the Wheaton College Concert Choir's presentation of Bach's B Minor Mass, under the baton of retiring director (and one of my former professors), Paul Wiens.
• In April, on Palm Sunday, my small group and I went to hear the College Church musicians present Parts II and III of Messiah.
• In May, I went to the high-energy and absolutely thrilling Wheaton College Festival of Faith, which finished with the Symphonic Band and choirs performing David Holsinger's magnificent arrangement of "I Sing the Mighty Power of God."
• June's highlight, on the very last day of the month, was the Fiftieth Anniversary Concert of the Grant Park Chorus, part of the Grant Park Music Festival - a rare professional choral concert for me.
• July, August, and September were light on concerts as summer wore on and then the school year got underway, but in October, I went to an excellent concert by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
• November's highlight was easily the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's presentation of Mahler's Third Symphony.
• And December, not surprisingly, was highlighted by the Wheaton College Christmas Festival. This year's Festival, "Journey to the Light," was another thrilling concert, including one of my favorites, Morten Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium," as well as a new piece for me, Christopher Teichler's arrangement of "The First Noel." (All of the Wheaton concerts, by the way, are available for streaming.)

And now, two hopes for the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Thirteen...

I really want to get better at chopping raw fruits and vegetables. I mutilated way too many bell peppers, oranges, and tomatoes this past year in my various kitchen experiments (though I did learn how to make a good potato soup and visually appealing omelets). I think a few YouTube instructional videos may be in my near future.

More significantly, I would also like to spend more time memorizing Scripture. I am sufficient in the discipline of reading Scripture daily (I use the daily office in the Book of Common Prayer to guide my personal devotions), but I really want to memorize more of God's Word. And I would like to move a step beyond AWANA-style memorization (just one or two verses at a time) and attempt to commit to memory whole passages, to better understand the ideas presented by Paul, for example.

So those are my thoughts on this New Year's Eve, 2012. And now a New Year's blessing, a verse I memorized earlier this month:

May the God of hope grant you all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

(Romans 15:13 ESV).

Happy New Year!

This is Rubio, over and out.

P.S. Please look at my collection of other bloggers' thoughts on the changing years, as well as thoughts on Bible reading resolutions.

Articles of Note - New Year's and Bible Reading

Happy New Year's Eve, readers! It was an extra day coming this year, because 2012 was a leap year. But here we are, on December 31. My blog and editorial reading the past few days have found many articles on that theme, and I share my highlights here:

Matt Smethurst of The Gospel Coalition provides a synopsis of (and links to) TGC's most popular articles of 2012, which cover a wide variety of important topics. Joe Carter of TGC compiled an interesting list, "The Year in Numbers: 2012."

Christianity Today also looked back at top stories from 2012 with respect to "evangelical life, [thought], and mission," as well as the most-read news stories from their site.

The Heritage Foundation was in retrospect mode as well. Julia Shaw reviews the year in terms of conservative policy, Erika Andersen collects the most popular images from Heritage, and (looking forward to 2013), Jennifer Marshall looks at where conservative policymakers should move with regard to helping the poor.

In the Chicago Tribune, Katie Parker (of the Washington Post) suggests a few words and phrases we all drop from our vocabularies and Barbara Brotman reexamines the idea of a resolution.

Josh Moody of College Church has some end-of-year thoughts from First Peter. Also, some re-published thoughts on resolutions from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

I also came across a number of items about Bible reading, as improvement in that area is a popular New Year's resolution.

For TGC, Trent Hunter suggests a balanced Bible diet of both the Old and New Testaments and Matt Smethurst provides some tips for avoiding failure in keeping Bible reading discipline. Also, Ray Pritchard describes his preferred Bible reading method - note the different word!

Have you read any good end-of-year articles or blogs lately? Share a link in the comments section below!

Also, look for my reflections on 2012 and thoughts for 2013 later today!

Articles of Note - Christmas

Merry Christmas, dear readers! I hope your holiday was joyous and restful.

To keep that Christmas spirit alive, a few articles I have read in the past week about Christmas...

From Christianity Today

• The magazine offers an excerpt from Doug Wilson's book God Rest Ye Merry
• The best Christmas article I read this year is this excerpt from Frederick Buechner's Whistling in the Dark, which speaks to the "wild grace of Christmas"
• David Neff writes about the kingship of Christ with American readers who do not really understand royalty in mind

From the Chicago Tribune

• John Kass writes about hope and love at Christmas
• The editorial board reflects on the children's perspective as Christmas dawns

And finally, Pastor Tullian Tchividjian proclaims the freedom that came on Christmas Day.

Did you read any worthwhile articles or blogs about Christmas this past week? Share them in the comments section below!

Merry Christmas!!!

Musical Advent Calendar - Day 25

Each day, from December 1 to December 25, I will post the text (and translation, if necessary) of an Advent- or Christmas-themed song, along with the URL for a YouTube video containing that song. (Select "Musical Advent Calendar" from the list of labels in the right sidebar to sort all of them out from the other posts on the blog.) You will note that each selection has a text, collectively representing the last 2000 years, and this is intentional. For the more familiar texts (such as popular Christmas carols), I have chosen a variety of interpretations and performers, from professional choirs to contemporary Christian worship leaders. I suggest that you follow the text as the music plays, and reflect on the words that proclaim the First Advent of our Savior, the Lord Jesus.

May our King, who promises to come again, reveal himself to you in a new way this Advent.

 

I hope this Musical Advent Calendar has enhanced your preparations for today's celebration of the Birth of Christ. May you and your loved ones have a blessed Christmas! - Eric

DECEMBER 25
Christmas Day

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
 

Text by Charles Wesley (1739)
Hymn Tune: "Mendelssohn" by Felix Mendelssohn (1840), adapted by William H. Cummings (1856)
Performed by the choir, orchestra, and congregation of St. Paul's Cathedral, London.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDPwNPAV6tA

Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"
Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and sinners reconciled.
Joyful all ye nations rise with the triumph of the skies
With th'angelic hosts proclaim: "Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by hightest heaven adored, Christ the everlasting Lord.
Late in time behold him come, offspring of the virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail th'incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"

Hail the heavenly Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness!
Life and light to all he brings, risen with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing: "Glory to the newborn King!"