One of the most remarkable people within the history of the Christian church is a medieval woman, of whom most people never heard. Hildegard of Bingen is her name. Bingen is the place in Germany where she was a Benedictine nun. Hildegard lived through most of the 12th century. She was the abbess of her convent, among other things. She was a mystic, a visionary, a scientist and the list goes on.
I would like to share a few lines from her writings to demonstrate how this woman is so remarkable. I begin with one of my favorites. Hildegard tells us, “Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.” Perhaps you, like me, smile when I read these words.
In some ways the words sound so contemporary. They sound like something a younger person might say. The offer sound theology---a theology that resonates with my own. Let’s unpack it a bit and see what she is really affirming. Fittingly, Hildegard begins with a word of grace.
She tells us not to forget that God’s grace rewards the whole range of sinners alike. For me this is good news! In her words she recognizes that the grace of God is a good thing for those who slip. When I imagine someone slipping, I usually think the person slips, but regains her balance and does not fall. Sin can be like this. Sin in this vein is like temptations. Temptation invites us into a sin, but we may not go the whole way. We slip, but don’t fall. God’s grace is there for us.
And grace is always a gift. By definition grace is a gift. We don’t earn it and normally do not even deserve the gift. But it is ours nevertheless. We slip, we are graced and we can move on. But sometimes the slip turns into something more. We bend and occasionally fall. We succumb to the sin. We go all the way. Guilty! But there is God’s grace. Hildegard calls it a reward.
That says much about God. We sin, fall and God “rewards” us with grace! This is a theology about a God who is different than the God I often hear preached. Too frequently, God emerges as the punisher. Zap, goes the theological lightening. In this punishing theology, we may get to grace, but first God does a number on us. Not for Hildegard.
Does this make her a softy? I say no. If anyone is the softy in this picture, it is God. I understand some people don’t want God to lead with grace. But grace is the way God is known by Hildegard. God is a creator of magnificence and beneficence. And when there are problems wrought by sin, God re-encounters us as a God of grace to bring us back into relationship. God is indeed a God of grace and God of glory.
So what does Hildegard say to do when grace rewards us---even in our sinning and falling? Sing! So sing, she tells us. If I think God is going to punish, I will cower in the corner. I will try to hide, as Adam and Eve hid in the Garden. But the God who rewards with grace wants us to sing. I associate singing with celebration, happiness and satisfaction. Singing is appropriate to the idea of being “rewarded” with grace. In the Hebrew Bible singing is the hallelujah of praise.
Hildegard is in a real way a doctor of the soul. She tells us that the rejoicing of singing softens hard hearts. This is a good recipe for all of us trying to do soul work. Part of our soul work should be to sing. Sing indeed causes us to rejoice. It softens our hearts. People like to have soft hearts and like to be with others who hearts have been soften. Singing beats crying and yelling.
Singing summons the Holy Spirit. That is great to know. I don’t think Hildegard is telling us we can make the Spirit come. But we can sing and that invites the Spirit to soften our heart and to come into our hearts. Let’s sing! This leads naturally to praise and love, which bring harmony. Want to avoid discord? Sing. Invite the Spirit into your heart and the heart of those around you.
I value Hildegard’s final piece of advice: Don’t stop singing! Maybe we heed this advice as we awaken in the mornings: sing. And during the days, pause to sing a little. And before closing our eyes for the night, offer a song of gratitude for the reward of grace you have been given.
Tomorrow will be a new day. It will be time for a new song. Don’t stop singing!
I would like to share a few lines from her writings to demonstrate how this woman is so remarkable. I begin with one of my favorites. Hildegard tells us, “Don’t let yourself forget that God’s grace rewards not only those who slip, but also those who bend and fall. So sing! The song of rejoicing softens hard hearts. It makes tears of godly sorrow flow from them. Singing summons the Holy Spirit. Happy praises offered in simplicity and love lead the faithful to complete harmony, without discord. Don’t stop singing.” Perhaps you, like me, smile when I read these words.
In some ways the words sound so contemporary. They sound like something a younger person might say. The offer sound theology---a theology that resonates with my own. Let’s unpack it a bit and see what she is really affirming. Fittingly, Hildegard begins with a word of grace.
She tells us not to forget that God’s grace rewards the whole range of sinners alike. For me this is good news! In her words she recognizes that the grace of God is a good thing for those who slip. When I imagine someone slipping, I usually think the person slips, but regains her balance and does not fall. Sin can be like this. Sin in this vein is like temptations. Temptation invites us into a sin, but we may not go the whole way. We slip, but don’t fall. God’s grace is there for us.
And grace is always a gift. By definition grace is a gift. We don’t earn it and normally do not even deserve the gift. But it is ours nevertheless. We slip, we are graced and we can move on. But sometimes the slip turns into something more. We bend and occasionally fall. We succumb to the sin. We go all the way. Guilty! But there is God’s grace. Hildegard calls it a reward.
That says much about God. We sin, fall and God “rewards” us with grace! This is a theology about a God who is different than the God I often hear preached. Too frequently, God emerges as the punisher. Zap, goes the theological lightening. In this punishing theology, we may get to grace, but first God does a number on us. Not for Hildegard.
Does this make her a softy? I say no. If anyone is the softy in this picture, it is God. I understand some people don’t want God to lead with grace. But grace is the way God is known by Hildegard. God is a creator of magnificence and beneficence. And when there are problems wrought by sin, God re-encounters us as a God of grace to bring us back into relationship. God is indeed a God of grace and God of glory.
So what does Hildegard say to do when grace rewards us---even in our sinning and falling? Sing! So sing, she tells us. If I think God is going to punish, I will cower in the corner. I will try to hide, as Adam and Eve hid in the Garden. But the God who rewards with grace wants us to sing. I associate singing with celebration, happiness and satisfaction. Singing is appropriate to the idea of being “rewarded” with grace. In the Hebrew Bible singing is the hallelujah of praise.
Hildegard is in a real way a doctor of the soul. She tells us that the rejoicing of singing softens hard hearts. This is a good recipe for all of us trying to do soul work. Part of our soul work should be to sing. Sing indeed causes us to rejoice. It softens our hearts. People like to have soft hearts and like to be with others who hearts have been soften. Singing beats crying and yelling.
Singing summons the Holy Spirit. That is great to know. I don’t think Hildegard is telling us we can make the Spirit come. But we can sing and that invites the Spirit to soften our heart and to come into our hearts. Let’s sing! This leads naturally to praise and love, which bring harmony. Want to avoid discord? Sing. Invite the Spirit into your heart and the heart of those around you.
I value Hildegard’s final piece of advice: Don’t stop singing! Maybe we heed this advice as we awaken in the mornings: sing. And during the days, pause to sing a little. And before closing our eyes for the night, offer a song of gratitude for the reward of grace you have been given.
Tomorrow will be a new day. It will be time for a new song. Don’t stop singing!
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