Caedmon Past
Caedmon of Whitby
Once upon the late 7th century CE, in the land of Whitby, lived a herdsman named Caedmon. Caedmon knew God closely and when he heard Scripture read in Latin, expressed it beautifully in English. You might think of Caedmon as an early Eugene Peterson, paraphrasing and contexualizing the Message of God to those within hearing.
But Caedmon had a weakness. The Abbess of the Monastery had an occasional tradition: for after dinner entertainment, everyone would take a turn singing. Caedmon had words, but not song, so when his turn came, he left the gathering and retired to the stables, at which time a voice asked him to sing. Caedmon explained he did not have the ability – it is why he left the party – but the voice persisted, urging him to sing “The beginning of created things.” In response, Caedmon spontaneously sings the first known contemporary worship song.
Today, Caedmon of Whitby is recognized as the Father of English Poetry and the Patron Saint of poets and songwriters. His feast day is February 11th.
Caedmon Present
Twenty five years ago, bi-polar disorder, PTSD, and shame-inducing jokes muted a twelve year old musician. One day, he sang with passion, not caring which voice would show up; the next, he stopped singing and crawled deep into a hole. One night, twelve years later, at a college worship service, the young man prayed, “God, I would like to worship you with the others. Will you give me a voice for just tonight?” Without thought, he opened his mouth and sang. When the song was done, those around him were staring. One finally stated, “I thought you said you couldn’t sing; that was amazing.”
The young man’s healing took more than one night and came with many ups and downs. In 2005, there was a very large down, followed by an up that began in 2006 and culminated in July 2007 with the sacrament of Confirmation in the Roman Catholic Church. During the process, the young man was introduced to scores of the Church’s Saints, including Caedmon of Whitby. Despite time and distance, he felt a present connection. Stories resonated. Stories of shame and stories of redemption.
Caedmon Future
Caedmon of Oregon
Caedmon is not the name my parents gave me at birth. It is the name I took at Confirmation, the name God gave me to go along with new identity in divine love. I understand the effects of mental illness and toxic shame; I am learning to thrive in spite of them. I am a singer once again, a musician, a performer, and a worship leader. I am a writer. But mostly, I am a dearly beloved child of God. The voice who gave verse to Caedmon of Whitby continues to compose in Caedmon of Oregon.
I don’t know the future. I hope it includes more music, more friends, and maybe more travel. I look forward to seeing where God leads and to sharing the story as it unfolds. Some days that might mean sharing the struggles, both the significant and the mundane, and joys of daily life. Other days, I will be writing through my questions, observations, experiences and thoughts, on faith, recovery, or therapy. I enjoy photography, some of which you can see on the Pictures page. Some day, I hope to share music with you directly; first, I need to learn the mechanics of self-recording and some of the legalities in sharing music with others.
You are welcome here. Thank you for taking the time to read. Thank you for taking the time to interact, through comments or the contact form.
Picture of Caedmon of Whitby taken from http://orthodoxwiki.org/Caedmon