My Dancing Day: Reflections of the Incarnation in Art and Music

By Jennifer Rundlett

My Dancing Day leads you through a gallery of masterful art and music into the beauty and joy of the Incarnation.
8.5" x 8.5" (21.59 x 21.59 cm)
Full Color on White paper
192 pages
For centuries, artists and composers have captured the drama of history’s greatest turning point—
the wondrous events leading to the birth of Jesus Christ.
This beautiful, full-color volume combines a treasury of great works, chosen to enrich your
understanding of artistry surrounding the Nativity... with reflections that will make your spirit
leap for joy.
Within these delightfully decorated pages,
you can linger and muse upon such masterpieces as:
Annunciation (Fra Angelico);
Joseph’s Dream (LaTour);
Holy Family (Raphael);
Adoration of the Shepherds (Rembrandt);
Visitation of the Magi (Fra Filippo Lippi );
Rest on the Flight to Egypt (Caravaggio).
To enhance your experience, you will also find directions
to a listening guide that includes such inspiring compositions as:
Comfort Ye and For Unto Us a Child Is Born (Handel);
Ave Maria (Bruckner);
Magnificat and Shepherd’s Pipe Carol (Rutter);
Christmas Oratorio (Bach); Gloria (Vivaldi);
Misa Criolla (Ramirez);
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)... and Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.

Extras include: devotional prayers and meditational questions. All scripture text is included along with "Going Deeper" section that ties Jesus's birth story to the rest of the Bible. 40 day Journal questions provided with supplementary reading and listening guide.
Jennifer Rundlett, M.M. is founder of God thru the Arts. This book comes from over 10 years of college classroom experience, where she has crafted a lively, storytelling approach to the arts. Now, with great care, she has selected this lovely
arrangement of masterpieces and combined them with inspiring thoughts about the God who invites us to join in the greatest “dance” of all time ~ our encounter with Him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Rundlett
• Release date: Oct 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311045485

Jennifer Rundlett

Jennifer Rundlett, M.M. is creator and founder of God thru the Arts an ecumenical ministry. Her writing and speaking style comes from over 12 years of college classroom experience, where she has crafted a lively, storytelling approach to the arts. Now, with great care, she has selected this lovely arrangement of masterpieces and combined them with inspiring thoughts about the God who invites us to join in the greatest "dance" of all time ~ our encounter with Him.Jennifer has studied on both sides of "the pond" earning her Masters of Music from Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester England. She shares her varied life experience in her new book My Dancing Day: Reflections of the Incarnation in Art and Music. Her ministry of connecting with God thru the Arts, shares a message of how artists and composers have captured the drama of history’s greatest turning point – the wondrous events leading to the birth of Jesus Christ. This is a new kind of reflective experience that leads you through a gallery of masterful art and music into the beauty and joy of the Incarnation.Jennifer, is currently living in Frederick Maryland and has enjoyed many years as an adjunct professor at Frederick Community College and Mount Saint Mary’s University teaching and performing in a variety of arts related classes. She has been the pre-concert lecturer for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Frederick Choral Arts Society and a regular speaker at the annual Pepperdine University Lectures, Tulsa Workshop, and David Lipscomb University "Summer Celebration/Acafest

Book preview

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PREFACE

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

THIS BOOK IS MEANT TO BE A GUIDE through many different experiences of the arts with the intention of finding a deeper connection with God. And so, before we press on, some brief words about how to approach the arts—or, if you will, how to read this book for optimum benefit—are in order. In my years of teaching in the classroom, I have experienced several different kinds of students, but I can generalize here by saying that as they approach the arts, most people fall into one of two categories. There is the person who dives right into the deep interpretive end of the pool, missing all the subtle nuances that subconsciously brought them to their conclusions; and there is the person who is so overly impressed (or in some cases, intimidated) by technique that they miss the message of the work altogether. Both of these approaches can be a hindrance, when taken to the extreme. And so, I urge you to make a resolution to start fresh.

The best place to begin is set aside a special time each day for quiet reflection. For me, I have found that rising early before the alarm and being able to linger over my morning coffee with some rich spiritual nourishment is the best. However, you may choose a different time of day. The important thing is to create what some call a sacred space in your day.

Next, you need to open yourself up and allow your thoughts to empty themselves of all your daily stresses. Allowing yourself this precious time to center your thoughts on things of a spiritual nature will help you navigate the rest of your day more peacefully. Approach each chapter with open curiosity. Put away your well-developed need to judge or critique things. Give yourself permission to go on a voyage of discovery each day. The first thing I usually say to myself when preparing to approach any work of art is, I have nothing. Becoming comfortable with the emptiness is a very important step to the process. I love how Caryll Houselander advocates this method in her lovely little book The Reed of God, when she writes: It is emptiness like the hollow in the reed, the narrow riftless emptiness, which can have only one destiny: to receive the piper’s breath and to utter the song that is in his heart.¹ Plainly said, the more you can make time and become comfortable with the feeling of not knowing, the more you will begin to discover and grow in your spiritual life.

Once you have committed yourself to this, I recommend that you start each chapter by simply looking at the art and listening to the music. Allow yourself to wonder what the composer or artist might be trying to say through their work. Read over the opening verses of the time-honored carol chosen to introduce the chapter. Think about the full meaning of these words, and feel a connection to the poet or lyricist of so long ago. Read over the Bible passages that are featured in each chapter, and again allow yourself to feel an emptiness, or maybe even a dryness, towards these texts.

When you have allowed yourself this kind of preparation, I believe you will experience greater benefit from the reading of each chapter as you use these works of art as a medium for new insight and a deeper understanding of the story. Some chapters have a step-by-step meditation that corresponds to the work of art or music. In others, I will offer you only a few words of historical background or thoughtful advice. In every case, my thoughts are only one way of viewing a work, only a beginning for further reflection. Each of you may see or hear something quite different, but it is important to realize that every time you approach a work, you are learning about a technique that can be taken and applied to any work of art. You have my permission to explore further, and indeed, this is the intent of the artist: to reach out to you and encourage self-reflection. This is the beauty of the arts; there is not one answer. It is sometimes more important that you ask a question. Asking a question often reveals to you a place of interest or longing you are struggling with personally.

Finally, and I highly encourage this; take the time to journal your thoughts each day. Use the Thoughts for Meditation and the Going Deeper sections to begin this process, but do not limit yourself to these. You are welcome to use my Forty-Day Journal for ideas on how to keep a journal, and suggestions for more supplementary listening. Allow yourself time to jot down ideas or quotes you found surprising or interesting each day. Notice things that are calling to you or attracting you. Recently, I have been attracted to water passages in the Bible and in sacred songs. I really don’t know why I am drawn to the ideas and images of water, but I am fascinated with finding them. In the end, maybe I am thirsty for something . . . I wonder. Journaling may lead me to understand my new awareness of this imagery at some time in the future. The point here is that once you learn these techniques you will find new ways to apply them, and the art of discovery becomes addictive.

I hope you enjoy this song from my heart to yours.

HOW TO FIND THE MUSIC

I HAVE CREATED SEVERAL PATHS to finding the music for this book. It matters not which you choose. The important thing is that you find a way to the music that is comfortable for you to use and that you will be able to access several times. I have also included a list of recommended recordings at the end of the book, if you should decide you wish to purchase the complete works. Most of the pieces focused on in this book are just a taste of a much larger work, and so only a doorway into further listening pleasure.

Start by going to my website www.godthruthearts.com and clicking on The Music page. There you will find instructions outlining several ways to either purchase the music from iTunes, or access the music free of charge by using Spotify or YouTube.

I highly recommend the use of Spotify. This is a wonderful site that you can download safely onto your computer and have access to a wondrous library of music in all genres. The idea of this site is that you can share music with friends and family who use facebook. Once you have downloaded Spotify onto your computer, you will need to send me a friend request through facebook. This will give you free access to follow me on Spotify. At this point you will then be able to simply type My Dancing Day or Forty-Day Journal into the search engine to locate the playlist for this book. If you wish, you may also type my name into the search engine and choose to follow me for other recommendations of music.

Finally, you may also decide you would like to watch these pieces being performed, and for this reason I have provided a playlist on www.youtube.com.

Once you are on their site, type God Thru the Arts into the YouTube search engine to locate the playlist for the book or you can find a link to my YouTube playlist on my website.

However, please remember that we will be spending time reflecting together on each of these pieces and creating our own mental pictures to the music. Watching the videos tends to distract most people from deeply and actively listening, thinking instead about what they are seeing with their eyes instead of looking inside themselves for their own responses to the music. If you decide to use the videos on YouTube, commit to closing your eyes at some point to hear the music completely. This is the best method through which to access the voice of the composer. I have provided a devotional prayer in the text to cue you into this kind of reverent listening of the music. Notice also the little dancing angels placed within the text. These charming images have been placed there to give you a visual cue as to the best time to begin your listening.

Look for my Facebook page (God Thru the Arts) and follow me on Twitter (@JenniferRundlet). I look forward to our journey together of finding God Thru the Arts.

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THE TRUTH SENT FROM ABOVE

This is the truth sent from above,

The truth of God, the God of love;

Therefore don’t turn me from your door,

But hearken all, both rich and poor.

The first thing, which I do relate,

that God at first did man create.

The next thing, which to you I’ll tell,

Woman was made with him to dwell.

Thus we were heirs to endless woes,

Till God the Lord did interpose

For so a promise soon did run

That He’d redeem us by a Son

And at that season of the year

Our blest Redeemer did appear

He here did live, and here did preach

And many thousand He did teach.

Thus He in Love to us behaved,

To show us how we must be saved

And if you want to know the way

Be please to hear what He did say.²

(vs. 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7. Anonymous; English Traditional)

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AN INTRODUCTION

GIFTS OF THE INCARNATION

While it is my hope and prayer that many of you will find this book of meditations at any time of the year, we must begin by looking at the season in which we celebrate the Incarnation squarely in the face. I can tell you that as a musician, any program I develop begins many months ahead of the actual event, and there is no such thing as too much preparation. Likewise, we can only benefit by early reflections upon our Lord’s advent. So as we tune up our hearts, let us speak frankly about the holiday we all know as Christmas.

Christmas can be such a wondrous time for a child, and for the child at heart. The abundance of sights and sounds fill the spirit with delight. The tree covered with miniature treasures to gaze upon; the neighborhood brightly illuminated with festive lights; holiday music that charms us with perpetual gladness; rich treats; elaborately decorated cookies; all of these seasonal pleasures combine to create in us a froth of excitement that builds toward one climatic event—the opening of gifts on Christmas morning.

In this regard, my childhood was very much like everyone else’s. My family had the perfectly trimmed tree with a mountain of flawlessly wrapped packages of various shapes and sizes, enough to drive any child wild with anticipation for the big morning. Surprisingly, however, there was one thing missing. We did not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, despite the fact that we were a devoutly Christian family. Because we belonged to a fellowship that believed we should not observe special days, my parents never taught us to focus on the birth of Jesus during the Christmas season. Instead, we were taught to look for spiritual meaning in each day of the year. And so for us, Christmas was a family holiday much like Thanksgiving, just with gifts and a lot more decorations.

As I grew into adulthood and began to make my own holiday traditions, I did not stray too far from how I was brought up. Christmas was still just a family holiday, and I never imagined that there was anything missing from the celebrations of my youth. Each year, I tried to recreate the precious experience of gifts on Christmas morning in my own home. Over time, however, I began to realize that the most memorable gifts were things of a different nature. The treasures of Christmas became more about the things I learned from life along the way, the unexpected lessons that only time and experience can bring. The joy of family gathered around the same table; the blessing of good health; these were the things I began to treasure. My understanding of Christmas and its gifts was definitely evolving into something quite different from my childhood. I was no longer excited by the kind of things that could be purchased in a department store.

This is why when someone asks me to sit down and make out my Christmas list, I hesitate. While I still like gifts, my desire for material things has faded as I have matured, and what I truly crave are—gifts of the heart. These are the things that touch the deepest part of my soul, which I have come to know are rarely found in a box. Each of us has an unspoken list of such gifts that we hope to possess one day, if only someone could unexpectedly give us what we truly desire. This year, I have decided to make a list that clearly lays out my true hopes and dreams for the season. If I could have anything, my list would be as follows:

1. I would love it if someone would just pay off my mortgage, so that I don’t have to worry about making ends meet or losing my job. To be free of the fear of financial concerns would be my number one desire. — Security

2. Someone I could go to who would always be there, ready to listen. Someone who never tired of hearing about my day, and whom I could trust to always have my best interest at heart. Someone who sees me with all of my flaws and loves me anyway. —Unconditional love

3. I dream of getting a gift that is a total surprise. Something that meets my every need and opens an entire new world for me. To know there was someone in my life who was thinking of me, and knew me better than I knew myself.—Unexpected gift

4. Some success at a difficult task that I can celebrate. Maybe the completion of this book. The realization that I was chosen for a special purpose and the celebration with friends and family this would inspire.—Joy

5. Someone to mentor me, who can see the big picture and knows all my talents and hopes, who will point me toward new possibilities that I never dreamed of before.—Guidance

6. Someone whom I am inspired to follow and adore, because I can trust and respect them to always do what is right.—A leader

7. A group of like-minded people who I can turn to for strength and fellowship throughout good times and bad.—A family

8. A job I enjoy that fills my life with a reason to get out of bed in the morning.—Purpose

9. The ability to navigate through the problems that life invariably throws at us all, without getting overly upset.—Peace

These are the things we all want but never ask for, because we see them as impossible to attain. So we continue to write down our favorite fragrance or ask for a new pair of comfortable slippers, and hope that somehow we will stop wanting or expecting anything more, or anything greater.

If we change our focus, however, from gifts to the reason for the season—the birth of Jesus Christ, God’s ultimate gift to mankind—then our spirit can begin to turn in a new direction. We can begin to hope for greater things.

This is