Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis)
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- Dan_Ellsworth
- biogardener
- Pinky102
- H2O
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» Dan_Ellsworth - Thanks! I needed that!
In the later Christmas Eve service at my church, I have a brief part as Simeon, and thought I have my lines almost learned, I needed some depth to the character, so this is a help. There's something moving about Simeon's famous moment, and I hope to present it well, by God's grace and now with your assistance.-- posted by Dan_Ellsworth
» biogardener - Expectancy
The spirit of expectancy was high in the Jewish nation at that time. It is therefore not surprising that Simeon believed what he was told about the unusual circumstances of the birth of Jesus. Of, course, he had witnessed a similar miracle just before that when the aged Elizabeth had given birth to John, and if not sooner, he probably had heard of the miraculous conception of Jesus.The same recognition, of course, happened thirty years later when Jesus came to John to be baptized. John did not need anyone to tell him who Jesus was, and he knew all about his mission as well as about his own mission. I am sure that his parents had prepared him for it in those 30 years, and he and Jesus may have discussed it from time to time. They probably met whenever the Nazareth family made the annual trip to Jerusalem.
I love the parts of the liturgy which are passages of Scripture, because they remind me of the stories behind them. I am probably more aware of those passages than most people who say, chant, or sing the words. I grew up with just one book and that was the Bible. I knew it well before I ever heard a liturgy, and I recognized the Bible passages immediately. When I talk to other parishioners about that, Lutheran or Anglican, they invariable show surprise. Some of them have no idea that any part of the liturgy is quoted from the Bible, and others, by contrast, think that all of liturgy is quoted from the Bible.
You should try to find out some time, John, how many of your fellow parishioners can identify where the Bible quotations come from. You would probably be surprised by the answers.
-- posted by biogardener
» H2O - Re: John
In response to John posted by Pinky102:File this under "you can always learn something new."
I have known about Simeon and his counterpart that day, Anna. I was asked to read the readings in church for New Years Eve. Imagine my surprise when Anna is identified as "from the tribe of Asher." Asher is one of the ten lost tribes from the Northern Kingdom--yet here is a daughter of one of those tribes identified! I'll have to see if any other people in Scripture after the dissolution of the Northern Kingdom by the Assyrians appears and is identified by tribe other than Judah or Benjamin.
John
-- posted by H2O
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