And now we are at the last of the five senses. Arguably the most important for our purpose of exploring the senses in the church setting. You hear the music, you listen to the sermon. Many churches provide a printed version of the sermon for those who are hearing-impaired because, as with the other senses, a church that welcomes all must accommodate all.
I have been led to think about Helen Keller, an amazing woman who managed to become an author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer despite being both deaf and blind. We all know - or imagine that we know - her life story. Maybe we saw the movie The Miracle Worker with Patty Duke playing the young Helen Keller and Anne Bancroft as her teacher, Annie Sullivan. But when I read the book Helen Keller : rebellious spirit by Laurie Lawlor, I learned so much more. Did you know that she became secretly engaged and defied her teacher and family by attempting (unsuccessfully) to elope with the man she loved?
Helen Keller was deeply religious. "I always knew He was there, but I didn't know His name!", she wrote. She was a Swedenborgian, a member of the New Church as it is also called. I discovered this when I visited Wayfarers Chapel while I was living in Palos Verdes, California. I took my grandmother there because she was interested in learning more about the religion since her mother-in-law's grandfather (my 3x great-grandfather) was the minister of the New Church in Bath, England. Wayfarers Chapel is a National Monument to Emanuel Swedenborg. It has an information center where we noticed a display on famous Swedenborgians: Helen Keller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Andrew Carnegie, and more. The Swedenborgian Church's website describes the Church as "an open-minded, forward looking Christian church drawing its faith from the Bible as illuminated by the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). If you have serious questions about traditional Christian theology, yet wish to explore the deeper aspects of the Bible and the Christian faith, we may be what you are looking for. We worship a God of unconditional love, whose warmth and light can deepen your inner life and give direction to your spiritual journey."
Helen Keller wrote a number of books on her faith. Plymouth Library has this title:
Let us have faith / Keller, Helen, 234.2 KEL
And here are two biographies:
Helen Keller : courage in the dark / Hurwitz, Johanna. J B KEL
Helen Keller : rebellious spirit / Lawlor, Laurie. JB KEL
More books to read -
Hearing, Speaking, Singing:
Imperfect harmony : finding happiness singing with others / Horn, Stacy. 782.5 HOR
The 6 marks of progressive Christian worship music/ Sirchio, Bryan J. 264.03 SIR
The spirituality of music / Bird, John, 781.1 BIR
Stories behind the best-loved songs of Christmas / Collins, Ace. 264.23 COL
To hear the music DVD 786.5 TOH
A treasury of Christmas Songs: twenty-five favorites to sing and play Fox, Dan 782.28 FOX
Carols for Christmas /Willcocks, David, ed. 782.28 WIL
Matthaus - Passion: St Matthew Passion BWV 244/ Bach, Johann Sebastian 782.23168 BAC
O clap your hands : a musical tour of sacred choral works / Giles, Gordon, 264.23 GIL
O holy night: Christmas with the Boy Choir of Harlem/ Ringgold, Faith J 782.28 RIN
Praying twice : the music and words of congregational song / Wren, Brian A., 782 WRE
Turn! turn! turn! : words from Ecclesiastes in 262 B.C., translated into English in London in 1607 / Seeger, Pete, J 782 SEE
You can't sing it for them: continuity, change, and a church musician DVD 782 YOU
Finding words for worship : a guide for leaders / Duck, Ruth C., 264 DUC
Redesigning worship : creating powerful God experiences / Miller, Kim, 264 MIL
Birthing the sermon : women preachers on the creative process / 251 CHI
Preaching that speaks to women / Mathews, Alice, 251 MAT
Creative styles of preaching / Elliott, Mark Barger. 251 ELL
The heart of Black preaching / LaRue, Cleophus James, 251 LAR
The jazz of preaching : how to preach with great freedom and joy / Jones, Kirk Byron. 251 JON
Preaching justice : ethnic and cultural perspectives / 251.008 SMI
The preaching life / Taylor, Barbara Brown. 283 TAY
Tell it like it is : reclaiming the practice of testimony / Daniel, Lillian. 248.5 DAN
The witness of preaching / Long, Thomas G., 251 LON
Listening:
Ascension /Evenson, Dean. CD EVE
Authentic Organs of Saxony Brown/David Burton CD BRO
Blessings, peace and harmony Monks of the Desert (Musical group) CD BLE
Brother sun, sister moon CD JF BRO
Christmas worship /Tesh, John. CD TES
Cleveland in Columbus /Cleveland, Douglas CD 786 CLE
Douglas Cleveland Plays Rockefeller Chapel /Cleveland, Douglas CD CLE
Everyday Jesus/ Brown, Anthony & group therAPy CD BRO
Feel the Spirit /West Los Angeles Spiritual Chorus CD FEE
Gift of love : music to the words and prayers of Mother Teresa/ James, Bradley. CD GIF
Hymns in the key of jazz/ Gutierrez, Ron CD GUT
Songs of the Old Regular Baptists CD SON
Spirituals /Brown, Anthony CD BRO
Trust /The Plymouth Trio CD PLY
Ways to Listen:
Choosing to love the world : on contemplation / Merton, Thomas, 242 MER
Listening hearts : discerning call in community / 253 FAR
Listening to God : spiritual formation in congregations / Ackerman, John 253.5 ACK
Listening to the parables of Jesus / 226.806 BEU
Listening to your life : daily meditations with Frederick Buechner / Buechner, Frederick, 242.2 BUE
Talking across the divide : how to communicate with people you disagree with and maybe even change the world / Lee, Justin, 302 LEE