“He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.”
– Songs of Songs 2:4
Hi James and Ellen,
What do you think that it is like for a guy who is wholly enamored with a gal who is utterly awestruck with him? What do you think that it is like for a gal who is totally enthralled with a guy who is thoroughly mesmerized by her? When a spontaneous relationship begins to blossom between a guy and a gal, what do you think that the guy and the gal mostly think about when they are not sleeping? Ask your dad and ma what they thought about when they first began to realize that they were mutually attracted to each other. When your grandpaa’s sister Kathleen told him about 48 years ago – over 63 years ago as of this editing, that a gal – who is now your grandmaa, was interested in ‘getting to know’ your grandpaa and that he ‘would like her’, your grandpaa immediately began to ‘dream’ about spending time with the gal. That gal – who is now your grandmaa, was staying in the same house – which was called the Grotenhuis Dorm, where your dad’s Aunt Kathleen was staying in in Sioux Center, Iowa. Your grandpaa, your grandpaa’s sister Kathleen and your grandmaa in 1961 were students at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. About fifteen gals stayed in the Grotenhuis Dorm during the 1961-62 Dordt College school year. Because your grandmaa’s home was in Wilmington, Delaware – over 1300 miles and nearly a full 24 hours away from Sioux Center, your grandpaa’s sister Kathleen – during a scheduled long weekend in October at Dordt College, invited the gal – who is now your grandmaa, to the farm that was near Volga, South Dakota where your grandpaa and his sister Kathleen grew up on– which was about 120 miles and just over two hours away from Sioux Center, to spend the weekend with her. To do something with the gal – who is now your grandmaa, your grandpaa called Dennis Vanden Berg to ask Dennis if he would like to go on a double date with your grandpaa and with another gal who was also staying in the Grotenhuis Dorm and who your grandpaa’s sister Kathleen had also invited to spend the weekend with her on the farm where she and your grandpaa grew up on. Dennis and your grandpaa took the two gals to a bowling alley in Watertown, South Dakota to bowl. Your grandpaa will never forget watching that gal – who is now your grandmaa, as she gracefully skipped forward to the foul line before letting go of the bowling ball. The first memory of that evening that your grandmaa and grandpaa will never forget was when your grandmaa – just as she was about ready to release the bowling ball on one of her throws, accidentally dropped the ball. When the bowling ball hit the wood bowling alley floor, the spin on the gall caused the ball to roll slowly toward and down the gutter of a neighboring alley. Your grandpaa walked down the neighboring alley to retrieve the ball. When your grandpaa got back to the gal – who is now your grandmaa, your grandpaa gave her the ball and told her to roll the ball again even though your grandmaa was totally embarrassed by what she had just done. The second memory of the evening happened while Dennis was driving back to Volga. Just as your grandmaa and grandpaa kissed each other for the very first time, Dennis drove over some very rough railroad tracks.
If you are thinking now that your grandpaa has given you too much information or more information than what you wanted, read Solomon’s intimate love letter which is now known as the Song of Songs or the Song of Solomon. Song of Songs 2 has an interplay between the two Song of Songs main players – who are Solomon as the lover and the gal as the beloved. The beloved sees herself as being the rose of Sharon and a lily – which could be a lotus or an anemone that are found in the valleys. Solomon saw his beloved as a lily among thorns – the thorns being the other unmarried gals. The beloved sees her lover – among all the young guys, as the lone apple tree who offers her shade and delicious fruit. The beloved continues by describing her intimate relationship with Solomon by continuing to use an imaginative language of apples and raisins as being touches and kisses and gazelles as youthful vigor and form. The interchange continues with the beloved doing a word play to convey to Solomon her feelings for him and by Solomon replying with metaphors such as ‘his own vineyard’ to try to explain his beloved’s physical beauty as he sees it and ‘foxes’ to describe the fear that Solomon has of his beloved living in a place where other guys see her and are attracted to her as he is. Your grandpaa thinks that a wife is the ultimate earthly gift that God gives to a man.
Verse 4 says, “He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love.” became the words for a tune that was written by Kevin Prosch – called “His Banner Over Me”, which was often sung by the guys, gals and kids who attended the Aberdeen Christian and Missionary Alliance Church – in Aberdeen, South Dakota – which is where your grandmaa, grandpaa, dad and Aunt Connie went to between September of 1972 and August of 1974. “His Banner Over Me” goes: He brought me to His banqueting table (echo). He brought me to His banqueting table (echo). And His banner over me is love. I am my beloved’s and He is mine (echo). I am my beloved’s and He is mine (echo). And His banner over me is love. Yes His banner over me is love. And we can feel the love of God in this place. We believe Your goodness, We receive Your grace. We delight ourselves at Your table, O God. Do you have God’s love banner waving over you? If you are Christ-follower kids, you have God’s love banner waving over you.
Song of Songs 2 (1006)