O Great Mystery (Audio Sample - 903 KB) Proclamation for a Rising Smoke/Creator Spirit Lucernarium O Great Mystery! Source of light, unvanquished as night-fall returns! O Holy Wonder! O Bright star of the evening as day turns to night! O Great Spirit! Fire in the night sky! O Voice from cloud, in darkness!   We gather now before you, to honor you and thank you,   for light, and life and goodness, for all that sustains us.   O Great Mystery! Source of life and wisdom as darkness returns! O Holy Wonder! O Timeless, agelong beauty as daylight is fading! O Great Spirit! Hand-print in the heavens, the spinning of galaxies!   O Great Mystery! Source of all that comforts as day takes its rest! O Holy Wonder! O Spark of expectation, of dreams coming true! O Great Spirit! Love for our reflection as evening approaches!   A Reflection on Lakota, Psalm 8, Colossians 1:15-20   O Great Mystery!   Source of light, unvanquished, as night-fall returns!   Source of life and wisdom, as darkness returns!   Source of all that comforts, as day takes its rest!     O Holy Wonder!   O Bright star of the evening, as day turns to night!   O Timeless, agelong beauty, as daylight is fading!   O Spark of expectation, of dreams coming true!     O Great Spirit!   Fire in the night sky! O Voice from cloud, in darkness!   Hand-print in the heavens, the spinning of galaxies!   Love for our reflection, as evening approaches!     We honor you and praise you and thank you   for life and light and goodness   for all that sustains us.     Composer's Reflection This song was written for a lucernarium, designed to embody the song Rising Smoke On The Four Winds or Creator Spirit. Accompanied by Psalm 8, the event was an extended reflection on creation, inspired by the majesty of the night sky. This liturgy is especially suitable for celebrating the changing times of the year, such as the equinox or solstice. A lucernarium is an ancient form of evening worship, based on historical records from the 3rd Century Church of East Syria. It is an elaborate celebration of the kindling of the evening lights, to honor Christ as the light of the world. It falls into three sections: a gathering liturgy of light around the kindling of the evening candle (or lamps); a liturgy of psalm praise perhaps to include reflective readings; and a liturgy of intercessionary prayer. O Great Mystery is a hymn honoring the twilight hours of the day. Teilhard de Chardin took the occasion of dusk to offer to God the rising heat of the energies of the day's travail, as the planet cooled with the coming of the night. St. Paul, in Colossians, honors the cosmic Christ in whom all Creation is presented as an offering to the Father. The Lakota Indian, ever conscious of the Great Spirit, honors the moment of twilight as an occasion of thanksgiving for all that has happened that day. The celebration should be held in a darkened space, perhaps beginning with the instrumental meditation Rising Smoke On The Four Winds Suite (JM 599). As the room settles into silence, the evening lamps or candles placed around the room are kindled, or perhaps carried into the room to weave their way through the assembly, filling the space with light. To greet the first appearance of light this Proclamation is sung. A song then welcomes the newly-kindled light, and thanksgiving offered, preferably in song. This brings closure to the first section, the liturgy of light. The second part of the event is a reflective liturgy of readings and psalms. One or more psalms may be used (for example Psalm 8), perhaps on creation/restoration themes. The song Rising Smoke or Creator Spirit may be sung as the evening canticle. In the third and final section, intercessions are offered, perhaps in the form of a sung biddings litany. The Lord's Prayer is said to honor God as Creator and Restorer, and a simple exchange of peace may bring the event to a close. JM 615 provides a setting for this. This setting provides:   An optional prelude for midi keyboard, with drums fading in and our as indicated   An optional cedar flute prelude (based on the solemn tone of Salve Regina, to honor the Queen of Heaven while celebrating Mother Earth; an optional synthesizer drone may be played throughout this.   The song O Great Mystery, perhaps with an instrumental intermezzo between verses 2 and 3.   The cedar flute in B is a minor pentatonic instrument (B, D, E, F#, A and B). Cedar is the choice wood of the Lakota because of its warmth and the rich vocal timbre. The flute takes its voice from the winds which freely rustle over the grasslands, giving life to all creatures. The player enters into dialogue with that same wind, source of all breath. The player creates a reflective silence into which the energies of the day are allowed to revert, while earth settles into the silence of nightfall.   Notes on a Great Spirit Lucernarium or Evening Prayer The first section is a proclamation of the evening light. The celebration should be held in a darkened or dimly-lit space. The instrumental meditation Rising Smoke On The Four Winds Suite [JM 599] may be played to help set the ambience As the room settles into silence, evening lamps or candles placed around the room are kindled, or perhaps carried into the room to weave their way through the assembly, gradually filling the space with light. To greet the first appearance of light this proclamation O Great Mystery may be sung. Then follows an evening hymn or song to welcome the newly-kindled light, and a song or prayer of thanksgiving is offered. This brings closure to the first section, the liturgy of light. The second part of the event is a reflective liturgy of readings and psalms. One or more psalms may be used (for example Psalm 8), perhaps on creation/restoration themes. The song Rising Smoke On The Four Winds [JM 505] or its adaptation Creator Spirit [JM 574] may be sung as the evening canticle. In the third and final section, intercessions are offered, perhaps in the form of a sung biddings litany, such as Great Spirit Intercessions [JM 615]. This leads into the Lord's Prayer, to honor God as Creator and Restorer. A blessing prayer is recited, such as O Bless This House [JM 616] and a simple exchange of peace brings the event to a close. While the song O Great Mystery may be sung in its simplest keyboard form with cantor and choir, the full setting provides for:   an optional prelude for midi keyboard, with drums fading in and our as indicated   an optional cedar flute prelude (based on the solemn tone of Salve Regina, to honor the Queenof Heaven while celebrating our Mother Earth; an optional midiboard drone may be played throughout this.   the song O Great Mystery, with an optional instrumental intermezzo between verses 2 and 3. The cedar flute in B is a minor pentatonic instrument (B, D, E, F#, A and B). Cedar is the choice wood of the Lakota becuase of its warmth and the rich vocal timbre. The flute takes its voice from the winds which freely rustle over the grasslands, giving life to all creatures. The player enters into dialogue with that same wind, source of all breath. The player creates a reflective silence into which the energies of the day are allowed to revert, while earth settles into the silence of nightfall. Back