Encounter: No Eye Has Seen

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what You have prepared for those who love You, Lord, but You have revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Music: Gabrielli’s Canzone primi toni The end of the 16th century found Giovanni Gabrieli combining the roles of organist and principal composer at St Mark’s Cathedral, where he was able to take full advantage of the superb acoustics in that majestic building. One commentator described his dialogues between different instruments as being the 16th-century equivalent to ‘surround sound.’ This simple canzona perfectly offsets the theme of this short piece. Musicians: Julia Herzog, Jo Foote (recorders), Lizzie Attwood, Elizabeth Long (flutes), Francis Cummings, Claire Lewis Lim, Chian Lewis Lim and Suzanne Herzog, Jo Garcia, Matthew Deakin (strings) No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what You have prepared for those who love You, Lord, but You have revealed it to us by his Spirit. Lord, I’m eager to do Your will. Lead me to such people, places and sources of information that will increase my stock of wisdom and my store of learning. Help me to know what to say when people come to me in need. Grant me knowledge without pride and insight without suspicion. Keep me from spending too much time with people I can never really help, or be helped by. Help me to realise that when You say “No” or “Wait” You mean it, and that You have good reason for saying it. Help us to listen to You, Lord. May we hear You through the pages of Your Word, now wild and disturbing, now calm and reassuring, Let Your word enter the secret places of the heart, dispersing fear and condemnation, bringing light and love. Help us to perceive the links and connections amongst the turbulent affairs of mankind: between cause and effect, sin and consequence, mercy and the avoidance of disaster. For You are the stillness that comes after the turmoil; the peace at the end of the day, and the One who renews our hope.