Romans 7:14-24

Nancy Cowchok, who sings in The Bloom Consort, and the Calvin 500 Ensemble, the University of Delaware's Schola Cantorum, here at a relaxed moment. Nancy sang Karen Green's alternatingly lilting and terrifying and limping waltz "A Lovely Day." You have to hear it to get the sliding and twisting effect of the soul's struggle with remaining sin, but here is Karen's (copyright) text:

A lovely day, sun was bright. I smiled to myself, things were all right.

Life was at peace, but soon there would be war, for sin was crouching at my door.

And its desire was for me. I turned quickly, horrible to see.

As I took a startled breath, his goal for me was death.

But one more look, makes good sense, just a touch experience.

Know I should run away, but only one time, will I really have to pay?

And then he held out his hands. He crouched no more, wanted just one dance.

"Let's do a waltz." Should have known, so tall, so strong . . . How could it be so wrong?

As long as I'm in control nothing from him can infect my soul.

I'll take the lead. He's so calm, so tame, so staid. Why should I be afraid?

"Thank you sir, I've had enough. We'll rest awhile, your waltz is tough."

Catch my breath, then we can try to dance again. Until that time I'll say, "Good-bye," so . . . Please, please let me go. Your arms seem to grow.

Imprisoned by my sin, torn by war within, who will rescue me? How will I be saved?

Sometimes I try to fight. I have the wish to do what is right.

But I give up. It is just a losing war; he's got me all the more.

Body fights with my mind, there's no peace that I can find.

In my weak and dying heart the law of sin is slowly tearing me apart so . . .

Please, please let me go.
Your arms seems to grow.

Imprisoned by my sin, torn by war within, who will rescue me?

How will I be saved?

Of course, Karen follows this with the brass declaring the freedom we have in our justification and our process of being sanctified with "Thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. There is no condemnation no for those who are in Jesus Christ! Because through Him the law of the spirit of life has set me free. Jesus Christ our Lord has set me free from the law of sin and death. Jesus Christ, our Lord!" (Romans 7:25; 8:1-2)

As someone has written (not Karen, this time), "Sin always takes us further than we want to go, it keeps us longer than we want to stay, and it always costs much more than we want to pay."

Another shot of the Emmanuel Presbyterian rehearsal. I am, as in all of the photos, a blur.