Entertaining Angels | Christina Nordstrom

“Entertaining Angels”

“Entertaining Angels” was the theme of a worship service at my church, the United Church of Christ, Congregational, in Norwell, Massachusetts on Labor Day of September of 2022. The minister of music had a last-minute opportunity to be away with family who unexpectedly planned a visit to New England for the holiday weekend. She had invited me weeks before to do an anthem and an offertory for the service that day. Now, since she was going to be away, she arranged for another musician from the choir to play piano for the congregational tunes during the service. There was a guest speaker lined up as well as the senior pastor was to be away for the holiday also.

During the week before the service, I had prepared my two pieces with Ted, my bandmate. Then I got a call mid-week from the church to say that the proposed speaker had Covid and would therefore not be able to participate, and would I, perhaps, be willing to share a little about my songwriting as an informal message for the service. Over the years our church would often invite lay leaders to share their life experiences or perspectives from the pulpit.

I saw this as an opportunity to share my story about befriending and, with other friends, helping to find housing for a formerly homeless, disabled senior in Boston. I had self-published the story in my book, “Park Street Angels – a chronicle of hope.” I had also written a couple of songs about this experience, so I planned the presentation to include a brief talk with the songs.

Then another phone call. At the end of the week, I learned that the musician scheduled to play the congregational hymns had also become ill, and could we choose and play two “guitar friendly” songs for the congregation to sing, and the offertory and the communion music. So, we added those (with not just a little divine intervention).

A technical note … the Vimeo recording of the service here picks up the speaking parts from the pulpit microphone well for the online broadcast. But the mics we use for our music isn’t picked up well by the house mics, and is mostly just adequate for the room. So, the sound quality is limited. The lyrics to the original songs that I wrote and provided for my presentation, offertory and communion are included here.

Angel with an Attitude

By Christina Nordstrom

He sat outside the church at Park Street right near the Park Street “T.”

He’d set up shop like he does most days, but, of concern to see,

another sign placed next to him said, “Homeless by Fire.”

I handed him the quarters, he said, “Thank you, Ma’am,” and smiled

So I smiled and muttered something and then walked on my way,

and, as I went about my work, I thought of him all day.

What’s it like to be out there, and soberly I’d muse:

Could I really walk in his shoes?

He could be a character from Steinbeck living in some hard-luck tale,

but he also looked like “St. Nick” with his white beard and long hair.

But how dare I romanticize his grim reality?

I pay a price when I discount his full humanity.

The next day that I saw him, with two dollars more to spare,

I said, “I’m sorry for your trouble,” and, as I lingered there,

it occurred to me to ask him ‘bout his work in former times.

Said he was a coppersmith way back in his prime.

Said he worked on roofs and steeples. [I’m sure a master of his trade.]

He said that, of his people, he was the only one remained.

But illness now had taken hold, he had the “sugar blues.”

Then he relented, “Now, this is all that I can do.”

I asked him where he stayed at night, [I didn’t mean to pry].

He didn’t mind my asking, said he stayed in the subway.

“Do they give you any trouble?” He said, “Oh, no not me!

It’s all about my attitude; they let me be.”

Then I asked him where’d he get his care? [Thought that I could helpful be.]

Said he’d found some friendly doctors over at Mass “G.”

They gave him drugs and insulin – shot up four times a day.

Living on his attitude, he didn’t have to pay.

Told me that he could stay healthy when he can get some food,

and living in the streets like this, it was hard to test his blood.

But “table scraps” from garbage cans sustained him every day.

I wondered if he had the faith to pray.

For what it was worth I told him, said I could somehow empathize.

I’d been out of work for half a year, but, (lest I trivialize

his present situation –it might have been mine),

when there was doubt my hard times would ever end,

with the help of some gracious friends,

there, but for the grace of God, was I...

You might ask, “What’s in it for you?” or you might ask me how I know

that he isn’t trying to con me to buy smokes and alcohol.

The answer’s very simple, but, a paradox you see:

it’s kind of like forgiveness – I’m doing this for me.

Maybe I’ll see him tomorrow. I wonder what he’ll have to say.

Will he smile and tell the same old joke, or will he find another way to live

and keep on seeking his winter heart’s desire?

Perhaps, that’s as an angel there beneath the Park Street spire.

____________________________________________

Meditation on Micah 6-8

(Offertory)

By Christina Nordstrom

Once I overheard an angel, she was sitting by the road.

But the people there weren’t listening to the message that she told: