Harvard Divinity School

“Light of a Clear Blue Morning” by Dolly Parton Julia Reimann, MDiv II and Margaret Hamm, MDiv II, vocals; Carolyn Beard, MDiv II, vocals and bass; Mary Perez, MDiv II, guitar; Madeline Levy, MTS II, fiddle; and Kate Hoeting, MTS II, banjo Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: It’s been a long dark night And I’ve been a waitin’ for the morning It’s been a long hard fight But I can see a brand new day a dawning And I've been looking for the sunshine ’Cause I ain’t seen it in so long Everything’s gonna work out just fine Everything’s gonna be all right That's been all wrong 'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay It's been a long long time Since I've known the taste of freedom And those clinging vines That had me bound, well I don't need 'em I've been like a captured eagle You know an eagle's born to fly And now that I have won my freedom Like an eagle I'm eager for the sky 'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay 'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning I can see the light of a brand new day I can see the light of a clear blue morning Everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay Everything's gonna be all right It's gonna be okay

Closing Muisc | “Grateful” by Hezekiah Walker Performed by Aric Flemming, MDiv ’19 Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: I am Grateful for the things That you have done Yes, I’m grateful for the victories we’ve won I could go on and on and on About your works Because I’m grateful to praise you, Lord And flowing from my heart Are the issues of my heart It’s gratefulness

From the Pagan Tradition | A Winter Solstice Blessing Chanted by Natalia Schwien, MTS II Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: A fire is burning The long night draws near All who need comfort Are welcome by here We’ll dance ‘neath the stars And toast the past year For the spirit of solstice Is still living here We’ll count all our blessings While the Mother lays down With snow as her blanket Covering the ground Thanks to the Mother For the life that she brings She’ll waken to warm us Again in the spring The poor and the hungry The sick and the lost These are our children No matter the cost

Meditation | “Rainbow,” by Kacey Musgraves Taylor Donaldson, MTS II, soprano Christopher Hossfeld, piano Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: When it rains it pours But you didn't even notice It ain't rainin' anymore It's hard to breathe when all you know is The struggle of Staying above The rising water line Well, the sky has finally opened The rain and wind stopped blowin' But you're stuck out in the same old storm again You hold tight to your umbrella But, darling, I'm just tryin' to tell ya That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head If you could see what I see You'd be blinded by the colours Yellow, red and orange and green And at least a million others So tie up the boat Take off your coat And take a look around 'Cause the sky has finally opened The rain and wind stopped blowin' But you're stuck out in the same old storm again You hold tight to your umbrella Well, darling, I'm just tryin' to tell ya That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head Oh, tie up the boat Take off your coat And take a look around Everything is alright now 'Cause the sky has finally opened The rain and wind stopped blowin' But you're stuck out in the same old storm again Let go of your umbrella 'Cause, darling, I'm just tryin' to tell ya That there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head Yeah, there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head It'll all be alright

Meditation | MUSIC: Xavier I. Sayeed, MTS I and Eilaf Farajallah, MTS I Five Prayers: A Pageant of Formative Sounds and Souls Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587sLife.

From Those Who are Claimed by Multiple Belongings | “In Praise of Fire” by John O’Donohue Read by Jessica Young Chang, MDiv II Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: Let us praise the grace and risk of Fire. In the beginning, The Word was red, And the sound was thunder, And the wound in the unseen  Spilled forth the red weather of being.  In the name of the Fire, The Flame And the Light: Praise the pure presence of fire  That burns from within Without thought of time.  The hunger of Fire has no need For the reliquary of the future; It adores the eros of now,  Where the memory of the earth In flames that lick and drink the air  Is made to release Its long-enduring forms  In a powder of ashes Left for the wind to decipher. As air intensifies the hunger of fire, May the thought of death Breathe new urgency Into our love of life. As fire cleanses dross, May the flame of passion Burn away what is false. As short as the time From spark to flame, So brief may the distance be Between heart and being. May we discover Beneath our fear Embers of anger To kindle justice. May courage Cause our lives to flame, In the name of the Fire, And the Flame And the Light.

Meditation | Hine ma tov, a round from the Jewish tradition Sung by the HDS Choir Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: Hine ma tov uma na’im Shevet achim gam yachad Translation: Behold how good and how pleasing it is for us to sit together in unity.

Benediction Mark D. Jordan, Richard Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Divinity Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: God of ten thousand names and none, Author of words and songs and the silence from which they sound, Companion in all the changes of light, kindling or quenching: Tonight we need rest, healing, courage, clear-seeing, perhaps a little joy, hope—hope in abundance. Help us to believe again in the good we gather to do—even when we cannot gather. Show us how to keep pace with the mountains, which walk towards you no matter the winter. Bless us in each other’s faces. Bless us by living us.

Meditation | “Adoro te devote,” 13th-century Benedictine plainsong Tianyi Yuan, MTS I, bamboo flute Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s

From the Islamic Tradition | The Qur’an, Surah Nur, Chapter 24, Verse 34–35 Read by Reem Shaikh, MTS II Seasons of Light is hosted by Harvard Divinity School's Office of Religious and Spiritual Life under the direction of Christopher Hossfeld, Director of Music and Ritual, and Kerry A. Maloney, Chaplain and Director of Religious and Spiritual Life. The full video recording of Seasons of Light 2020 can be found on the HDS YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuYb9d7tCc&t=587s TRANSCRIPT: وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ وَمَثَلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمَوْعِظَةًۭ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشْكَوٰةٍۢ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ ٱلْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌۭ دُرِّىٌّۭ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍۢ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍۢ زَيْتُونَةٍۢ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍۢ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍۢ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌۭ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍۢ ۗ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ Indeed, We have sent down to you clear revelations, along with examples of those who had gone before you, and a lesson to the God-fearing. Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is like a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is in a crystal, the crystal is like a shining star, lit from ˹the oil of˺ a blessed olive tree, ˹located˺ neither to the east nor the west, whose oil would almost glow, even without being touched by fire. Light upon light! Allah guides whoever He wills to His light. And Allah sets forth parables for humanity. For Allah has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.