An Unexpected Sanctuary
Life in a House of God
This barn owl is not one of the ones in the church. I took the photo at an educational event put on by the local bird club. Photo Credit: Jill Hames
CEFR Level B1-B2
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“Oh, is that the church you go to?” I was catching up with a friend and she, like many, was surprised that the place I attend services is not the abandoned church building it appears to be.
She excitedly pulled out her phone and continued, “That’s the church that had a nest of barn owls!” She showed me a photo in a text thread, “Bird watchers were coming from all over the state this summer to see them because they are getting harder to find.”
Now, some may feel sad that a church is in such disrepair that a window in the tower is missing and birds have moved in. That’s one valid response. There is also another.
What better use for a building that is sometimes called a House of God than to be a sanctuary for new life? Even more, what better use of a place of sanctuary than to provide shelter when natural habitat is scarce? I can think of no better use for a church building than for it to foster new life.
Of course, I would prefer for all living things to have sufficient habitat that is best suited to their needs, including humans. I would prefer for a church building to be in good repair. But we live in an imperfect world where the ideal is rarely reality. In that imperfection, a place dedicated to the God of life provided shelter for new life. That is worth celebrating.
"A Gift to Us Was Given" is the Christmas story in four verses and a refrain. The verses are in D minor, offering peaceful joy as listeners contemplate the meaning of the words. The refrain, in F major, is a joyful response to the significance of what the verses tell. This new Christmas carol in a gentle 6/8 is arranged for be accessible to the average congregational choir, but sopranos have the option of celebrating with A5.
For SATB - Hymn-style arrangement
Key: D Minor, F Major
Soprano/Melody Range: D4-F/A5
Time: 1-2 minutes
Pages in Score: 1
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This title is also available at JW Pepper and SheetMusicPlus.