What a sound!

I know that the summer schedule has its defenders and detractors, but after yesterday's service I want to add my voice to the list of strong supporters! It was so great to be home to a full church and such a great sound on this morning's hymns. I know the church was full in part because of graduation, but it really created hopes for me that we can continue to have full pews of congregants with their voices raised in song together.

It also helped that we sang some old favorite hymns, of course. "Jesus Shall Reign" has been echoing and replaying in my own mind since the service. It was an inspiring way to end the service. I hope the rest of the summer goes as well!

Public Radio - Part 4, This I Believe

Last night was our first Wednesday night service of the summer and also the beginning of Pastor's weeks-long series of sermons on the Creed. Like all new ventures, it had its bumpy moments. I think most of those present would agree that ELW 411 need never be sung again, for one thing. The text may have been perfect, but the tune left much to be desired. Overall, though, the service was a great start to the summer.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm geeking out over the Creed this week. Pastor mentioned that in some quarters there is an anti-intellectual bias against the Creed, that it represents the imposition of beliefs. The Speaking of Faith interview that I mentioned earlier this week (and you really should listen to it when you have some time) takes aim at that argument. The guest points out that we have to be able to pass on an orthodox set of beliefs to future generations. What better way than to write them down in poetry and set them to music? The Creed provides a wealth of material for anyone interested in theology, history, poetry, or music. For a geek like me who loves all four, there is no better topic.

My other public radio topic for today is Edward R. Murrow's series titled This I Believe. He started the famous project back in the 1950s, but NPR has been replaying select essays from it. The project has also seen a renaissance with new essays being collected. Their website has a plethora of material. It's fascinating to hear how people strive to sum up even one belief and compare it to the beauty, simplicity, and depth of the Creed.

Summer Changes

Sometimes when I'm starting to write an entry and want an accompanying image, I'll just type a keyword into Google Image search and see what comes back. The word "change" brings a variety of images: Obama's campaign and an attack on Congress, a homeless man, climate change in various guises, an ostrich with its head in the sand, the famous Gandhi quote about being the change you wish to see in the world, and this simple photograph of a cityscape. I don't want this blog to be political or controversial, and I find something beautiful in this simple, unexpected image. It presents the word almost on a blank canvas - is it an imperative verb or a noun? Is it inevitable or suggested? Attacked or promoted? Political or personal? Change is all around us every day, in ways great and small, wonderful and terrible, mundane and profound.

Somewhere in the middle of all those scales come the changes in worship this summer. We have a new schedule, a new experiment with Wednesday night worship, and new liturgical settings. None of these is outrageous or radical (at least I hope no one thinks so), and they present an opportunity to take a fresh look at worship.

A person close to me sometimes worries about the danger of "vain repetition" during the church service. By doing the same thing week after week, the words run the risk of eventually becoming meaningless. The same kyrie and gloria roll off our tongues with nary a thought of the text. The new liturgical settings this summer provide an opportunity to grow not only by an increase in musical repertoire but in a theological perspective. Perhaps the new melody will emphasize a word you've never considered important or maybe the change will just catch your attention and keep you focused on the deeper meaning of worship.

New music can be challenging, but I hope that reframing it as an opportunity to grow in faith and musicianship will help you embrace these minor changes with enthusiasm, the same way you embrace the change of seasons and the coming of summer.