The Quiet Science – The Rekindling Of The Stars

Written by: Laura Chambers (4/27/2016)

When you look into a night sky in the middle of nowhere, or even during a blackout, it’s hard not to be struck by the beauty of the heavens. To think that all of those stars were created by God individually, separated by a vast amount of space, and that we can observe them from here.

Closer to Earth, there is a brilliant light that emanates from our souls; our innate dignity as people created in the image of God. Yet we never become quite as radiant as when we reflect Him knowingly, having chosen to give our lives and hearts to His service. The Quiet Science makes an obvious leap from simply telling a tale to responding with worship.

“The Beginning” postulates that desire for interaction with God was ingrained in us from the start. He will continue to call us and we will continue to desire Him for all time.  Before Eve took the first bite of the apple, even before the heavens and the Earth were created, God knew He would have to give His blood to save us.  “Splendour” bemoans the sad fact that we miss God’s messages written within His creation and wind up worshipping it instead of Him. The ethereal vocals give this song a wistful, apologetic tone, especially the chorus:

But we misread, and gave your glory to the birds

We gave your honor to your works instead

But we misread and chased the sun, the moon and stars

to try to find out who we are and from where we came

If “Bonfires” casts God’s word as the spark setting hearts alight, then His love is like pouring an accelerant on it, coaxing the embers into flaring upwards.  We find comfort in feeling His touch, not just hearing Him thunder from the heavens. Even the sound of the song begins like flickering light and bursts into flames before settling down again.  “Silent On Our Knees” creates an atmosphere of reverence with understated instrumentation, depicting a moment where our words and actions seem out of place. (Ironically, I’m writing this as I listen, which goes against the song’s message, sort of. ) What words could ever do justice to this sacred moment? What right would we have to stand before God? Above the darkness, pain, and disgrace, He speaks to us, assuring us that no matter how it appears, we are beloved children belonging to Him.

“The Rekindling Of The Stars” is an instrumental track. While it may seem an odd choice for the title song, it provides a pause for reflection and worship. It almost sounds like twinkling, which I’m sure was the intention. It also serves as a lead-in to the next track, “The Restoration Of All Things”, a haunting moment where time seems to stop in God’s presence.  There, everything lost to the winds of time is recalled, because God never forgot us. “Heights Of Heaven” is a triumphant song that looks both upward and around. Our weakness becomes a grand opportunity to display faith and ultimately, the  One we have put our trust in. When He speaks, how can we help responding loudly? As easy as it is to forget how deep God’s love is, “Messiah” nevertheless resolves that who Jesus declared Himself to be, so He was. We can find all we require in Him; He will accept us, no matter how many times we’ve lost sight of His faithfulness.

“…And For All” looks ahead to the return of the Lord, reminding us that great darkness always comes before greater light.  Invoking a rarely-heard in music (at least in my experience) name for Jesus, the Bright Morning Star. Though our fate seemed to be written indelibly on the pages of time, He eradicated hopelessness forever with His sacrifice. “You Only”, tired of being distracted by surroundings and situations, asks God to fill our field of vision until He is all we can see.  Only by surrendering everything and realizing that we ought to desire Him, not merely the things we can obtain from Him.  “Faith (As A Gradual Process)” completes the album with praises that sequentially illustrate the steps one might take in their beliefs about God.

It can be easy to let our lights burn out in the midst of our difficulties and distractions. There are also many in this world who would seek to extinguish our fire for God and His Word. However it occurs, only God can re-ignite our failing flames. We need only to reach for Him, and the sky will come alive again. The Rekindling Of The Stars stirs our desire for personal revival, taking us by the hand and leading us upward, where we’ll find Him waiting to embrace us.