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Micah Sommersmith - Ordinary Time [SHADOW]

from SpinTunes 19 Round 3 by Spintunes

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about

As a church musician, many of my musical activities are dictated by the cycle of the liturgical year, which commemorates events in the life of Jesus and the early church. The same story gets told year after year.

In 2020, in what we now consider the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some churches were dead-set on worshiping in person for Easter Sunday, while many others canceled services. One year and then two years later, some churches still haven’t resumed in-person services, while others have carried on the whole time as if the pandemic were imaginary.

Through various iterations of pre-recorded, live-streamed, hybrid and in-person services at my church, the rhythm of the liturgical year has continued, but I’ve found little comfort in the familiar forms. In fact, the first very sketchy genesis of this song came around Easter 2021 and SpinTunes 17’s palindromic challenge. The song didn’t come together then, but little has changed in the past year, so here we are.

In this song, I’ve tried to weave together references to various liturgical days, the weather, the American political and social climate and my own emotional state through the year. “Ordinary time” refers to the period outside the seasons of Lent into Easter and Advent into Christmas, but here it also refers to the fact that death, dysfunction and despair appear to have become commonplace and unremarkable. Apologies to Star Bear for stepping into the thematic territory of your Round 2 entry.

lyrics

It's coming up on Easter, the sky is full of rain
Important folks are saying life will soon begin again
I've heard the Bible story, I’ve heard the preacher say
That the tomb was standing empty and the stone was rolled away
And I'm still waiting
I’m still waiting
I’m still waiting
For that resurrection day

It's coming up on Pentecost, the sun is shining strong
I'm talking to my neighbor, but the words all come out wrong
I've heard the Bible story, and the songs that have been sung
How the Spirit-filled disciples could speak in every tongue
And I'm still waiting
I’m still waiting
I’m still waiting
For that breath to fill my lungs

And now it's All Souls Day, and the leaves have fallen down
And the leaves are on the ground
And we read all those names of those who've laid their burdens down
Those we've laid under the ground
And the list goes on and on, but no one asks what was this tragedy,
What was this awful crime?
Because this is just an ordinary moment
In ordinary time

It's coming up on Christmas, the sky is gray and cold
What little warmth I come across, my frozen hands can't hold
I've heard the Bible stories, and the prophecies of old
See the Virgin at the Manger, see the miracle unfold
And I'm still waiting
I’m still waiting
I’m still waiting
For the hope that was foretold

It's coming up on Easter, the sky is full of rain
Important folks are saying life will soon begin again

credits

from SpinTunes 19 Round 3, released April 18, 2022

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