I am continuing to look at Willow’s new collection, Pilgrims of Hope, which you can, and should, purchase in various bundles and forms at Willow.
The talented people Willow have called on for this album are truly astonishing. This song for example is a fruitful collaboration between theologian songwriters, Toni Janke and Maeve Haeney.
It is an invocation of the Holy Spirit, an invitation to walk in “thin places”and a prayer for wisdom that would be a creative choice for Pentecost and liturgies with wisdom readings.
I love what they have done here with the modulation for “on this sacred ground”, suddenly arresting you out of Chronos into Kairos time.
Their recording below is sublime and the right key for a solo or duet perhaps, but for an assembly I would bring it from Ab down to F as a matter of charity.
Band in a Box did not have a didgeridoo option, oddly enough, so I chose to look for a David Bridie vibe in my backing.
Ancient ways, open paths,
Grounded firm, growing fast.
There’s no moving forward without looking back.
We acknowledge the future has a past:
On this sacred ground.Ancient ways, open paths,
Grounded firm, growing fast.
There’s no moving forward without looking back.
We acknowledge the future has a past:
On this sacred ground. On this sacred ground. On this sacred ground.Our Elders are dreaming dreams,
And our children speak words of truth.
And our young people have visions
Of all in living in a world that tastes of justice,
and fairness, and wholeness, and healing.A ground that is groaning in need of your Spirit.
Living Breath, we pray.
Breathe through us today.Ancient ways, open paths,
Grounded firm, growing fast.
There’s no moving forward without looking back.
We acknowledge the future has a past:
On this sacred ground. On this sacred ground.Lord, lead us and guide us,
Sustain us and teach us new ways to be.
We are one with creation,
The Dreaming, the Spirit, throughout history.Though we know we are just passing through this place,
Give us the courage, the wisdom and grace,
Living Breath, we pray.
Breathe through us today.On this sacred ground.
On this sacred ground.
On this sacred ground.
© 2022, Toni Janke, Maeve Louise Heaney.
If anyone doesn’t know the Australian composer, David Bridie, known for his soundtrack work and the bands My Friend the Chocolate Cake and Not Drowning Waving, here is a sample, giving a view of the land from the point of view of European explorers seeing the ground as anything but sacred: