Cadence: a regular and repeated pattern of activity (i.e.—rhythm)
Canticle: SONG; specifically: one of several liturgical songs (such as the Magnificat) taken from the Bible
Mary’s Magnificat, Zechariah’s Benedictus, the angels’ Gloria, and Simeon’s Nunc Dimmitis (Now you let depart in Latin) are all canticles found in the New Testament—declarations of praise, truth, and promise that were shaped in the depths of hearts that were rooted in the sacred and messy rhythms of everyday life.
What does it look like for a life to be rooted in the sacred and messy? What does it look like for a life to find its sound? And if found, what is one to do with that sound? What if it’s out of tune—then what?
Martin Schleske, a German luthier (violin-maker), suggests in his remarkable book The Sound of Life’s Unspeakable Beauty that it isn’t merely about finding the sound in each of our lives (for we can all make noise) but instead about finding our unique resonance—the quality in a sound of being deep, full, and reverberating. Resonance in our life can only be found in our soul’s willingness to be called and crafted by the Spirit who sustains us—He is our resonance, the one who breathes a deep and bountiful sound that reverberates throughout eternity.
By whom or by what are we being sustained? Are we being crafted or corrupted? Are we producing a sound that embodies the incarnational resonance we were each born to live into? Finding this resonance is not an end in itself—the resonance our lives find in the Spirit of God is a gift that we are to steward well as we learn to sing with our lives, one note at a time—a call for justice, an act of mercy, a moment of compassion, a cry of repentance. These are the places where the light cracks in and our resonance is realized.
In his book, Schleske writes:
If we do not know that our lives have been entrusted to us, that we are called, that we are limited, then we will continually have to affirm, define, and enlarge ourselves through talent—otherwise we won’t feel anything. Woe to the slave who never learns to aim for something other than himself! Woe to a life that has made itself the goal; it starves to death on its own substance. It has never learned to receive, never learned to be a child of God, never learned to be loved by this holy will and allow itself to be called. In such a life talent cannibalizes its own existence. Be a servant, or otherwise your talent will make you a slave.
Only the beloved understands what is essential. He knows: “I haven’t reached the goal, but I am called in the whole of my preliminary state.” That is the life of the servant. A holy reminder covers such a life: “Do not let the tyranny of your talent ruin your calling. It is only if you stay a servant that you will not become a slave. A servant of one’s calling has authority; a slave of talent has only himself.” This is the resonance sounding in the complete and the preliminary: it is a beautiful sound.
Like the saints of old, whose canticles welled up out of a hopeful persistence amidst the messy circumstances of their lives (enter Zechariah—how much messier can it get then being struck mute by an angel for not believing or receiving the promise given to you), it is in our own brave tenacity to lean in and learn to live within the sacred and desperately messy callings entrusted to our own lives that we discover songs deep with the astonishing resonance of the Spirit. Like Mary, there will be times when we will answer these calls with unabashed hope, proclaiming “may it be done to me according to your word.” And other times, like Zechariah, we may be sent into a holy hush—not as a punishment, but as an invitation to listen intently—without the noise of our self. Zechariah was transformed by this silence—entering into the sacred language of God and coming out changed—a man whose life found deep resonance—a sacred song proclaiming salvation and freedom into the dark world:
“Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, To shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79
link to art in footnotes 1
His tender mercy—this is where our resonance is realized, this is where we learn to sing our song and to carry with us the Spirit’s eternal melody of light that has chosen to find its resonance in us—a mystery indeed. As Schleske wrote, “I haven’t reached the goal, but I am called in the whole of my preliminary state.”
And so we each are—called in the whole of our preliminary states. With our souls exposed to the bitter cold of these wastelands—yes, even here—we are called to find resonance and give resonance a home.
Dear reader—this space will not always fit neatly into a box. If you are an untidy and somewhat unconventional soul yourself —welcome aboard!
Perhaps you are someone who is uncomfortable with questions and shudder at a curiosity that crosses presuppositional lines—please do stick around! I hope you’ll learn to hold space for those wondrous gifts in your own soul while you are here—there is courage and safety waiting to be found.
May these untidy musings be simple (and sometimes not so simple) offerings for you to take hold of, for however long you may need them, on your own journey. These are my small tokens brought forth with open hands—reflections from a soul that is radically drawn to the light and also feels the weight of the darkness quite deeply. The “already-and-not-yet”—this is where we learn what it means for our lives to find resonance—to be formed by the sound of the Spirit of God who reflects truth, beauty, and goodness into our days and renders us capable of establishing holy rhythms that keep us singing out as the night grows darker.
This is Cadence & Canticle—may you find the courage to craft sacred rhythms in your life as you listen for the call that will awaken the resonance in the song you were always meant to sing.
I’m so glad you’re here!
LOOKING FORWARD:
At its beginning, Cadence & Canticle will be published as a free quarterly offering where I will share seasonal reflections on life and spirituality—inviting you into some of the rhythms and thoughts that are contouring my days throughout each particular season. In addition to seasonal reflections, each quarterly publication will conclude with 3 distinct features that I hope you will look forward to each season:
Cadence & Curiosity —here you will find a journal prompt in question form that corresponds to the reflection shared. In a fast paced world where we rarely take the time to sit with the content we are consuming, this prompt will encourage you to become curious about your own life and mull over what the reflection might mean for you throughout the season.
Cadence & Conversation—this will be a space where I present a question for reflection and response in the comment section. I’d love to hear from YOU!
Cadence & Cue—this section is all about truth, beauty, and goodness and making space for it in our lives. This will be the very last section you read and as your final stop, it will cue you to do one or both of the following:
Follow a link—to an article, song, piece of art, video, blog post, book, etc. that I hope will offer you a small token of truth, beauty, and goodness to take with you into your season.
Take a small step forward—this may look like trying out a spiritual discipline or practice that I may mention in my seasonal offering. It could look like encouraging you to get creative, organize a space, serve those around you, etc. The intention here is to start taking small steps forward that may just turn into sacred rhythms for your days.
COMING SOON—PAID SUBSCRIPTION:
In addition to a free quarterly publication, Cadence and Canticle will offer a paid subscription with bi-monthly and seasonal offerings:
Cadence & Quiet—this bi-monthly publication will offer reflections and resources on Christian contemplative practices—spiritual disciplines and rhythms that encourage quiet attachment and awareness of that which the Spirit of God is doing in the interior life. Every other month, I will invite you to learn about a new spiritual discipline/practice and/or a Christian contemplative from modern day or Christendom past.
Cadence & Calendar: Living the Liturgical Year—these seasonal publications will provide reflections and resources on the corresponding liturgical season on the church calendar. If you’re new to the church calendar, I hope you’ll stick around! My journey in living the liturgical year started a few years ago upon my introduction to the Sacred Ordinary Days Planner and has grown deeper and richer each year as I have sought to incorporate meaningful and practical rhythms into my heart, home, and family. Learning and living the liturgical year is a beautiful place to establish a holy cadence that will shape your year and help order your affections around the life and work of Christ in our “already-and-not-yet” world.
The paid subscription option is set to launch in the coming months and is not currently turned on. Readers will be notified when this option becomes available. In the meantime, enjoy the free seasonal offerings that Cadence & Canticle has to offer—your support means so much!
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Oh my goodness, friend!!!! 😭😭😭😭 This just all sounds SO good!!!! Ever since shortly before you wrote for my lent email series a few years ago, I have wanted to see you write more in the online space, because you have such a tremendous gift! To see it actually coming to fruition right here and right now is a joy and delight beyond what I can express. I am SO excited!!!! Each of these offerings sound absolutely amazing and just perfect for you to craft! You are the person for this work, and I am delighted to finally see your words sent out into the world and to have others benefit from your thoughts as I have for years now. I love you, sweet friend, and am SO proud of you!! Excited to see what God does with this!
I’m so excited for this!!