“Now on land and sea descending,
brings the night its peace profound;
let our vesper hymn be blending
with the holy calm around.”
—“Now on Land and Sea Descending,” by Samuel Longfellow
I’m forever grateful for the quiet gifts of Rev. Samuel Longfellow, who introduced the practice of vespers to the Unitarian tradition in 1856. These short, evening services broaden—and deepen—the very meaning of “worship.” Reaching beyond Sunday morning, they explore the wisdom to be found in darkness and in silence.
I first became acquainted with Rev. Sam when I arrived as the newly settled minister at First Parish in Portland, Maine. He was raised in this congregation, along with his big brother Henry Wadsworth. One of their contemporaries remembered that “while Henry Longfellow was made a poet, Samuel was born one, and also it was said that he was good enough to be a saint and interesting enough to be a sinner. He was certainly a mystic.”
That dovetailing of poet and mystic runs through Rev. Sam’s nine hymns in Singing the Living Tradition—all of which also appear in Sing Out Love, the UUA’s new virtual hymnal—and the dozens more written for hymnals curated by Longfellow and his life partner, Rev. Samuel Johnson. “The Sams,” as they were known in Transcendentalist circles, revised time-worn lyrics to move beyond dogma and creed, providing a more universal understanding of the Divine.
My gratitude for Sam Longfellow runs even deeper as I consider the gifts he has to offer at this moment in our history. At a time when it seems impossible to escape the stimulation of light and sound, when silence is a rare commodity, Rev. Sam reminds me of the wonders—and the spiritual nourishment—to be found among the shadows.
As the darkness deepens o’er us, lo! Eternal stars arise.
Hope and faith and love rise glorious, shining in the Spirit’s skies.
One of my great joys is leading a First Friday Vespers service, welcoming a handful of regulars who settle in for a half-hour of music, readings, and silence. As we sing “Now on Sea and Land Descending,” I give a silent nod to Rev. Sam, honored to bring his legacy into the sacred space where he worshiped as a child.
Prayer
Spirit of Life and of Love. Spirit that moves among the shadows and sings in the dark. Give us the wisdom to rest in your embrace. Draw us away from the cacophony of our lives and allow us to fall inward to that quiet place where our spirits are nourished and we remember that all things are one. Amen.