Thursday, November 21, 2013
Day Twenty-One
Why six different versions of Amazing Grace?
Because fifteen or twenty seemed excessive. ;-)
Seriously, picking a single version of the most famous hymn of all time felt totally arbitrary, so here are a bunch of different tastes of this beloved song. And if your preferred version isn't above, please find it, listen to it, and maybe share the link below.
But offering multiple versions of Amazing Grace is more than just an aesthetic choice. This song has been covered and covered and covered again because it speaks to a near universal human experience. Sometimes in the midst of great pain, sorrow or difficulty, we may experience a profound experience of love, comfort or healing. I knew Amazing Grace the morning I woke up and suddenly it was finally time to get sober.
Whatever its other meanings or associations, the word grace means gift. And the primary purpose of this blog is to help us become conscious of the gifts in our lives. If we're aware of and connected to our gifts, then we know what gratitude is. The kind of gratitude that can be real, especially real, when life is challenging. The final ten days of our practice are dedicated to exploring Amazing Grace together. And so to begin this final stretch, today's practice is to name the experiences of Amazing Grace that you've known in your life.
--Ken
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Just like it's hard to pick one version, it's hard to pick one experience... but when I had to move recently (and wasn't excited about it to say the least), I put out a call to my friends for help, and like 16 people showed up to help me load and unload boxes and carry it all up 3 flights of stairs. People from out of town were there. That was a blessing of true wealth for me.
ReplyDeleteSufjan Stevens' version: :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_xNHPmOxdc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZILOCLwBIM
ReplyDeleteHere are the gifts that have been "given" to me... and who make me who I am:
- Parents who love me and have always done the best they can with me
- My love of sports as a child and of play as an adult
-My heath and the health of my family...
- My husband and son
- My broken open heart that enabled me to find physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional redemption
- My friends and support system
- My empathy... it's all encompassing, but a gift nonetheless
I really enjoyed the chance to explore so many different versions of "Amazing Grace," so thank you! I can think of many experiences in my life that have given me a sense of amazing grace, and I decided to choose a theme that has emerged a lot for me throughout this gratitude practice. The gift of forgiveness is one that has touched my life in profound ways and is the amazing grace that I am reflecting upon most today. To forgive, and to be forgiven....both incredibly powerful experiences that transform....and open the path to healing and gratitude.
ReplyDeleteAmazing Grace is one of the songs that makes me cry. Craig (my late husband) loved this song, and we sang it at his memorial service. I Can't listen to any of the selections. Sorry.
ReplyDelete