Burning the candle at four ends

If anybody sees the second half of October lying around, be sure to let me know.  I think I misplaced it!

The fall season has been flying by, and while I've stayed on top of planning for Christmas and managed to prepare music for every service, the blog fell by the wayside for a bit.  I hope you missed it - maybe even enough to help out with content and comments sometime.

My blog post today refers to something I used to say when I was an undergrad.  My grandma would warn me against buring the candle at both ends, and I would reply that I had cut the candle in half so that I could burn it at four ends.  Of course, that was right before I was diagnosed with mono...but that's another story.

This is a busy time of year for everyone.  We've celebrated Halloween and Reformation.  We try to savor the nice days by getting outside - though too often lately it's to rake leaves or prepare for winter.  We're planning ahead for the holidays and trying to finish up school projects before the deadlines loom too close.  But rather than abandon the quiet moments of reflection (like blogging), it's important to reclaim that time for ourselves.  The burning of a candle is not the raging inferno of a wildfire; it connotes calmness and quiet.  For me, that means finding more time to listen to and create music and church music and sharing thoughts on both.  What will you do to help find calm this season?

The classical-country divide

My entry about Bach last week drew a few comments that might be called evidence of a cultural divide. To be very broad, I'd suggest that most people fall into one of three classifications: There are people who love classical music and look down on country music. There are people who love country music and dismiss classical music as elitist. And there are people who are eclectic and love a variety of music, including some classical and some country. Of course, country and classical are chosen here simply as examplars from two broader categories (plus they have a nice alliterative quality, don't you think?).

Reality or talent shows sometimes play on this division. The finale of the most recent season of "America's Got Talent" featured an opera singer and a country singer. I didn't hear either of them sing, but I predicted the winner. Always bet on country music in a popularity contest!

Of course, there is beauty in simple melodies, folk music, gospel, jazz, country, bluegrass. Most of the American innovations in music have bubbled up from the people as popular expressions of music, rather than the European tradition of court music. We do want to include that sound in church. One difficulty from my point of view is that it often isn't appropriate for congregational singing or isn't written with a text that lines up with Lutheran theology. And so, as members of my congregation know, I play a variety of music but the majority stems from classical sources, and much of our hymnal reflects centuries of European musicians. I don't think I've played any Amy Grant. Since her music came up in the comments last week, I'll have to search out something as an offertory or communion piece, perhaps. Any other suggestions? Music you miss or music you'd love to hear? You can always share online or in person!

But keep in mind that maybe it's not a bad thing that church music is often different from what we hear in our daily lives. It helps create a sense of the sacred. We'll keep inviting in new sounds and aim for variety, and I'll have more to say on the debate tomorrow. But to close today, a simple country tune that I sang along with to a commercial the other day (much to the amazement of my significant other). Sing along!

Stick shifts and safety belts,
Bucket seats have all got to go.
When I'm riding in my car,
It makes my baby feel so far...

And God bless Lynne Rossetto Kasper at MN Public Radio for putting that hummable, memorable tune in my mind most weeks!

Take a break

It's a busy week for me, full of exams. We all have weeks that get a bit hectic or challenging for a variety of reasons, and I'm always reminded that they seem to go better when I have a break to work out, to listen to music, or to practice the organ or piano. It's important to step back from our busy, project-filled lives to have time to breathe and reflect on what's most important to us.

That's true not only at the level of our daily lives but within worship as well. Sometimes the logistics of worship can distract us from a prayerful attitude. Sometimes the repetition and the ceremony overpower the meaning. I recently reread a quote from an Anglican priest named Gordon Giles who wrote several books and articles on church music. On this issue he wrote:

"We say 'Lord, have mercy' so frequently that it can seem unremarkable and automatic, and seeking God's mercy in worship can become so common and instinctive that we barely notice that we are doing so. Similarly, we tend to sing hymns without thinking about what we are really singing to ourselves or to God or to each other...The Kyrie is all about seeking forgiveness, not only for ourselves, and for any individual sins we feel we may have knowingly or unknowingly committed, but also for the sins of the world, past and present, which, as we study history or read our newspapers, we very much lament."

It's important for us to sing and listen thoughtfully in worship. The tune and the text are simply vessels to convey deeper truths. This week take a moment to focus your attention on the text of our hymns and to the kyrie especially. Let your meditation refresh your spirit for the busy week ahead.

PS For my non-Ohio readers, there was a bit of snowfall here today. Christmas planning suddenly seems ever-so-important!

They missed the music and the art!

Foreign Policy magazine has an interesting article on religion that you can read online at this link. It explores some of the myths and realities about the religion and its place in modern life. Don't be thrown off by the opening headline "God is dead." It's there mostly for shock value, and the article goes on to say that religion is here to stay. I would say that the article, on balance, argues that religion has been a positive force throughout history.

What I noticed, however, was the notable absence of any mention of music or art. So much of our literary, artistic, and musical heritage stems either directly or indirectly from the church. My personal experience has been primarily in the culture and traditions of liturgical Christianity, of course, but I'm also aware of the beauty and meaning of great art in the traditions of Islam, Buddhism, etc. Think of how different art museums might look or how different our music might sound without the vast influence of the church. What would Bach have done for a living, after all?!

If you're going to debate the role and influence of religion, you need to look beyond politics and science, because faith is an all-encompassing construct of life. It's a paradigm through which we view all aspects of our existence. In one of the classes I teach right now, I have a Muslim student who excuses himself for daily prayer, and the sound of his mellifluous chant has become a fixture of the environment already. When thinkers and writers overlook that daily, lived experience and its many expressions (including music), they miss so much of the point. Read the article because it's interesting, but don't forget the music!

Unorthodox wisdom - sounds of silence

Isn't it amazing how a phrase can become so completely associated with a piece of music? In church music there are simple things like "Holy, Holy, Holy," which immediately conjure the rousing march-like hymn tune or Biblical passages (often Isaiah) that for some people instantly spark motifs from Handel's Messiah. Simon and Garfunkel will forever "own" that phrase, won't they?

I've been thinking a lot about silence lately and how integral it is to the experience of music. When the choir sang "Verily, verily" a couple of weeks back by Tallis, I encouraged them to think about the driving eighth-note beat that lays underneath the piece as if it began long ago and continues well after the piece is done. Even in the rests between phrases, that tactus continues to carry on - music is heard sequentially in time so the silences can have meaning.

When a piece comes to an end, the silence can be a profound moment of contemplation, even a reaction to what was just heard. (I personally detest when an audience member insists on being the first to applaud, as if proving how much he or she loved the music. In my opinion, if you loved it so much, you'd be savoring the experience of the silence.)

I'll be musing on the "meaningful silences" of the church service and music in general in the coming couple of weeks. But I figured I should lead with the most famous lyric that starts from a simple memory of a dream and goes on to tell us much about the power and meaning of silence:

"Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence."

Public Radio: Composer's Datebook

I suppose it's odd that I've written numerous entries on the joys of public radio, but I've never mentioned the program "Composer's Datebook." Thanks to a suggestion from Pastor, I'd like to rectify that situation today.

This past Saturday, the show featured a performance of "Genesis" by composer Charles Wuorinen. He is an American composer who fully embraced and enhanced the sound of "modern classical music." He is well-known for incorporating ideas of math and geometry into his music, and his work has been acclaimed with a Pulitzer Prize and a MacArthur "genius grant." Despite all of that, he remains largely unknown to the public because his music is far from easy to understand and enjoy. (To hear a free sample of "Genesis," click here. It's not a melodic, listener-friendly piece, but it may be the perfect sound for the chaotic process of creation!)

Wuorinen is particularly articulate on the distinction between art and entertainment, just as we might analogously attempt to draw a line between worship and entertainment. In a New York Times interview, he says, "I think there's a very simple distinction [between art and entertainment]. Entertainment is that which you receive without effort. Art is something where you must make some kind of effort, and you get more than you had before." In other words, great music and great art have a lingering influence on our lives and worldview.

However, despite his claim that it is a "simple" distinction, the line can admitedly become blurry. For instance, while I would argue that my vibrant memories of seeing Les Miserables on Broadway for the first time represent an artistic highpoint of American theatre, other people would surely rate it as entertainment. Individual perspective, experience, and even level of music education matter greatly in determining the difference between art and entertainment. Church musicians thus face a weekly struggle to find music that can reach people and yet transcend entertainment. It's a delicate balance, but the best hymns and service music will provoke thought and prayer as well as delight your ears.

No two people hear a piece of music in the same way. What brings an audience together, though, is the shared experience of hearing and making sense of a performance. On "Composer's Datebook," Wuorinen is quoted as saying, "Art is like nuclear fusion. You have to put something into it to get it started, but you get more out of it in the end than what you put in. Entertainment is its own reward and generally doesn't last." Replace "art" with "worship" and the same comparison is valid - worship demands participation and has everlasting reward.

A quick quiz

Here's a quick, one problem quiz for you:

Name two different pieces of music that I have played during communion at a worship service any Sunday in the past 18 months.

Can you name anything other than "Blowin' in the Wind"? And that, my friends, is a primary reason that I think it was a great addition to this past Sunday's worship: it was memorable. It made people talk. (In fact, some people who came to second service had already heard about it.) Now, I'm not saying that church musicians should be controversial simply for the sake of controversy and conversation, but it can be exciting to see people actually discussing the music, rather than blithely ignoring it.

Many mega-churches have gone to the extreme of contemporary music, having no pipe organs at all in place of a praise band, for instance. Rick Warren famously said that people don't listen to classical organ music in their home (or on their iPods), so why should they have to do so when they come to church? I have three responses to such a critique. First, the unique nature of the language and music of church is what sets it apart as a santuary for our community. Second, some of the music people don't listen to is among the greatest ever composed (just as some of the books we don't read are the truly great classics), and we have a responsibility to aid their propagation. Finally, we can maintain our traditions while also being flexible and welcoming new music, technology, language, and ideas - the most promising trend in church music is toward "blended" worship.

Plus, I do believe that philosophers, artists, composers, and musicians continue to grapple with the same driving questions about the human condition that the Bible raises. In this particular instance, Bob Dylan's answer "in the wind" is not that different from the ongoing search of the book of Ecclesiastes.

I hope you enjoyed the musical change of pace, and whether you did or you didn't, I'd love to hear from you any week!

Unorthodox sources - Part 6: Sing! Make Your Own Kind of Music!

To my ears, it sounded like the Gloria went better for the congregation as a whole this week. I hope that hearing David sing through it as the prelude was helpful, and thanks David for agreeing to do so.

Too often, people say that they "can't sing." Perhaps they were even told that by a music teacher or a friend, and what a shame! In my years of summer stock theatre, I often worked with actors who had never before been in a musical and came in calling themselves tone deaf. Two weeks later they were competently contributing to the chorus. We can't all sing the lead roles, perhaps, and we may not be comfortable as a solosit, but that's no excuse to avoid joining the congregation in song or singing in the shower or whistling while you garden.

We read one of my favorite psalms today, and it's truly a shame that we didn't sing this text:

You have turned my wailing into dancing;
you have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing;
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.

On a similar note, Pastor's message for the children about the uniqueness of every shell and grain of sand and person reminded me of some song lyrics from the Mamas and the Papas:

Nobody can tell ya
There's only one song worth singin'.
They may try to sell ya,
'cause it hangs 'em up
to see someone like you.

You've gotta make your own kind of music;
Sing your own special song.
Make your own kind of music,
even if nobody else sings along.

And that reminded me of a concert version by Barbra Streisand, where she paired it with another song:

Sing, sing a song.
Sing out loud; sing out strong.
Sing of good things, not bad.
Sing of happy, not sad.

Sing, sing a song.
Make it simple to last your whole life long.
Don't worry that it's not good enough
For anyone else to hear.
Just sing, sing a song.

The hymn that stuck with me today is "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name!" I've been humming it around home all day. I hope everyone else is following the psalmist's injunction to dance and sing praise to God.

Father's Day music

I want to highlight two musical moments for this Sunday's music.

First, Joanne will be singing a solo, "Peace Be Still" during the offering. With the absence of the choir over the summer, it's wonderful that some of our members will volunteer to sing and enrich our services. We can honor God and our fellow congregants with offerings of music as well. When you prayerfully consider your own contributions to the church, be sure to ask if God has blessed you with gifts that you can share. We're always happy to welcome "special music" as well as new choir members!

Second, I'll be playing an arrangement of "This is My Father's World" during communion. It will be a jazzier sound from the piano than you normally hear from me. That's partly an homage to my father, who always appreciates an eclectic music mix. It's also become a part of my own music philosophy to seek out worthy music in all styles.

On many Sundays, we hear Bach and Luther, classical music and chorales. Joanne and I have prepared two decidedly more contemporary pieces for this week, and I hope you enjoy.

Mom's only rule

Growing up, my mom often said that the only truly important rule was this: No whining. She repeated it as a mantra, and it applied everywhere - at home, Scouting activities and trips, and her classroom. You could respectfully disagree, you could choose not to participate, you could even argue (in a civilized tone), but you could never, ever whine, because it was both irritating and ultimately unproductive.

I thought of my mom's mantra this Sunday when it was announced that we would be singing a new liturgy for the summer. (If you're attending Wednesday night services, you are even singing two different liturgies this summer.) I think it's a shame that for many people that prospect elicits groans, complaints, or even whining.

I always find it interesting when people object to change. After all, the modern world is supposed to be characterized by change, and for the most part change brings good things to our lives - the changes of marriage or birth, new inventions, new homes, new jobs - these are often joyous occasions in life. Unfortunately, these positive changes carry with them an implied negative - birth and death, the old technology that disappears, the old home or job left behind. The economist Joseph Schumpeter called it creative destruction. We celebrate the new but sometimes mourn the old. It's important to keep both costs and benefits in mind; give change a chance before you pre-judge it with a knee-jerk whine.

New liturgies are good for several reasons: They prevent stagnation and create musical interest. They provide an opportunity to expand our musical repertoire. They put long-time members on the same footing as visitors, which can help create empathy and a welcoming, helpful attitude toward newcomers. They renew our attention to the text and prevent rote recitation. Some people might argue that the music is more contemporary or even "better" (by which they often mean more to their liking or in line with their taste, and there's nothing wrong with that either).

So be open minded and give the music a try. Boldly sing a few wrong notes while you learn the tunes. I promise no one will point or laugh at you during church, and you may decide that you like the new sound. Provide your feedback and input anytime - comments, emails, or in person - just remember, no whining!

The New York Times overlooks the music

This morning I read an article in the NY Times about a young boy who decided to join a church and brought his family back to worship. It's a puff piece, but a nice article about this boy's devotion and what sounds like a welcoming congregation and devoted parents. However, I found the complete omission of any mention of music to be the more interesting part of the article. What is this boy's favorite hymn, I wonder?

While practicing this morning, I was thinking of the story and the goals of church music. In the preface of his book Singing with Understanding, Ken Osbeck lays out four basic objectives for congregational singing:
1. To unify a congregation in worship, prayer, and praise.
2. To teach and reinforce spiritual truths.
3. To provide an outlet for expressions that are difficult to verbalize.
4. To create the proper mood for the message and the other activities of the service.

I hope that all these goals will be met this Sunday. We'll be singing one of the greatest hymns ever written, "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" (ELW 858). The text was written by Joachim Neander, a famed author of approximately 60 hymns in the mid 17th century. His texts are almost exclusively celebratory and optimistic, including two others in the ELW: "Open Now Thy Gates of Beauty" (533) and "All My Hope on God is Founded" (757).

The hymn we'll be singing celebrates life and joy, an outpouring of emotion that can only be sung. If we were to speak such words they might likely sound stilted, embarrassed, or ironic. But set to music, they allow our voices to unify and the tune to soar in prayer.

The first verse ends with a call to worship: "Let all who hear now to His temple draw near, joining in glad adoration!" Perhaps that's the kind of music and text (and attitude) that could attract a young man and his family back to church.

Back in the Buckeye State

I've returned from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, where the weather was unseasonally cold, gray, and dreary, not at all the beautiful days at the lake that I had been hoping for. But it was a wonderful visit with friends and family, as well as a chance simply to relax and be away from home for a few days.

On the drive back through Indiana, somewhere near South Bend, I noticed a billboard for a regional website www.artseverywhere.org. I know most of my readers won't be attending any of their events, but I do love the fact that the site exists and has such a great name. Art is (and should be) everywhere around us, and it only reinforced one of my original goals of this blog: to share more information about the arts in greater Cleveland. So I'll be redoubling my effort to find local events, and I ask you to send along any events that you find particularly worthy as well.

I heard Garrison Keillor quote Ben Jonson today, "Art hath an enemy called ignorance." In troubling economic times, arts organizations can struggle for funding to the point that their existence is threatened. Schools focus on the "core curriculum" and trim music and art budgets. That only reinforces the importance of church music. Some of the greatest musicians of all history were church organists, J.S. Bach being the most prominent. Gregorian chant gave rise to the earliest systems of written music. Furthermore, Vatican City is bursting with some of the greatest sculptures and paintings of history.

It's not only Christianity that has inspired great music and art, of course. The temples of Ankar Wat, the pyramids of Egypt, the calligraphy of the Quran - art and religion have a symbiotic relationship around the world. The arts can inspire and educate us, buttressing our faith with liturgies and hymns. Those are good reasons to sing out on Sunday morning and for me to get back to work planning for this Sunday's services. See you in church!

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.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

The musical highlight of the marathon today was hearing Aretha Franklin's signature song played on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's sound system as we ran by. It was a beautiful day for a run, cool and sunny, and despite a lack of training this spring I still managed to finish in 4:35. It's certainly not a personal best, but I'm not complaining. It was a fun day.

One of the things I often notice when I travel around Cleveland is the proliferation of churches. I wonder how we stack up on a per capita basis (and how our city compared when the population was larger). There does seem to be a higher concentration than other cities I've lived in, but of course we know some of the struggles that has entailed.

I also noticed, though, that I never passed a church that appeared crowded and none of them had people outside cheering on the runners. It's such a contrast to the churches that line Summit Avenue in St. Paul during the Twin Cities Marathon - several of their choirs sing hymns and the congregations have a picnic to support the runners. Bethany isn't on the route, of course, so we can't really implement such an idea ourselves. But I'm reminded that we all generally need to continue to seek ways of engagement from our music ministry and our church in general.

Because God first loved us

It's been a busy week of final exams for me, so I'm just now sitting down to write a few thoughts about worship this past Sunday. It was a great week for the role of music in worship.

For one thing, I hope that the reading from 1 John conjures up memories of Sunday school or VBS for almost everyone. It's my fervent hope that all Lutheran kids should be able to sing and clap along to this simple song:

We love (clap, clap) because God first loved us.

We love (clap, clap) because God first loved us.

We love (clap, clap) We love (clap, clap) We love!

Because God first (clap) loved (clap) us! (clap, clap)

Not exactly the most profound text, is it? I'm not arguing that it should be in the ELW (in fact, such a tragic event should constitute every church musician's nightmare), but it's perfect for introducing a key tenet of our faith as well as a Bible verse to our youngest members in a fun, catchy tune that they will enjoy. It's the kind of "earworm" music that you might still be able to recall and smile about years later.

For the adults in the congregation, there were other musical lessons on Sunday: "Christ is alive, let Christians sing!" Pastor read portions of the text of that hymn during his sermon to draw our attention to it. I think the opening line alone is an important lesson!

Different music can stir our souls and teach us lessons at any age. It's one reason why we hear and sing different music in different styles each week - our faith and our music should reach everyone.

Why do we sing?

I just read an article titled "Musical Fellowship and Spiritual Teamwork" that gave one important answer to the question of why we sing hymns and we have choirs and bell choirs and special music like brass during our worship services.

It isn't a moot question. I was reminded of that at Easter dinner, when an agnostic, a Mormon, and a Lutheran organist sat down to dinner. There was quite a discussion about the theology and motivation (as well as the tradition) behind several aspects of worship. Guests who worship at our church do ask questions about all kinds of things that we take for granted. It's important for our own faith development and apologetics that we can articulate answers to questions such as why we sing.

The answer the aformentioned article advanced was the community building aspect. In corporate worship, we raise our voices together. Often, we are told to focus on the text and to consider the hymn a musical prayer, with our mind and heart focused on God. However, there's more to it than that; there is also the blending of the voices of the people around you and the fellowship and camaraderie of a community. Singing should always be a joyful experience from that perspective.

A member of Bethany once referred to playing in the bell choir as the ultimate team sport. That's a great analogy. We work together when we sing and make music, and we simultaneously are the audience as well, harmonizing our sounds together, with all of that raised in prayer, praise, petition, and proclamation of our faith. What a powerful and complex task it is to sing a hymn with all that in mind!

And yet, we cannot always be thinking quite so hard. It's also true that our songs give voice to our faith, thoughts, and emotions. In simpler, musical language, we can also answer the question in this way:

"I sing because I'm happy,
And I sing because I'm free.
His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know he watches over me."

Lutheran Blog Directory

Just a quick note that "Music at Bethany" has been added to the Lutheran Blog Directory.

If you're a new visitor, welcome! If you're a regular reader, you may want to use the directory to find other blogs by Lutherans that you might find interesting. For everyone, I always encourage you to join in the discussion with your comments, and consider linking to this blog or becoming a follower.

The Internet is sometimes metaphorically referred to as the Old West. To stretch that metaphor, I think it's important that churches establish a presence, connect with each other, and influence and participate in the community.

Being a Lutheran is about more than what we do on Sunday morning. I hope this blog might be just a small part of extending your faith life and especially your connection with Lutheran music!

Church marketing

Some people get deeply offended at the combination of the words "church" and "marketing." However, as I mentioned in an earlier post, church attendance and membership is shrinking around the country. The only time the Plain Dealer puts a church on its front page is when it's closing. We'll never see the headline "Growing attendance at Bethany's Wednesday Lenten services" even though it's true. Churches sometimes act like the people will simply come through their doors because they always have. We know that isn't true, though; we know intuitively that something must be done to keep from becoming irrelevant.

I always hope that music can help draw people to the church. However, I have occasional doubts since the press also loves to run stories about some business using Bach's music to drive teenagers away. In my family's own experience, children won't approach a house on Halloween if Bach's "Tocatta and Fugue in d minor" is playing loudly on the porch! Whoopi Goldberg scares her students in Sister Act 2 when she announces they will sing in a choir.

What can a church musician do? Some churches switch to contemporary music or even "Christian Rock." The ELW uses inclusive language and world music. My approach is to use the widest possible variety of sounds within the Lutheran tradition, to write this blog as an attempt to communicate and connect with musicians and congregants, and simply to keep asking questions and searching for new ideas. Some days that seems like frustratingly little, but it's worth the struggle for the one person who enjoys a prelude or a new reader who connects with the church and its music differently.


Pastor's sermon on the 9th and 10th commandments pointed out the dangers of marketing, but I'd like to suggest that marketing is simply a tool for sharing information. The product can be of any quality. We might, like John Stuart Mill, distinguish between the higher and lower goods and activities available to us. What a shame if only the lowest quality, least fulfilling things are marketed! Let's pick up the tools and use them for good instead. How will people know about our church if we don't ever spread the word?

On Palm Sunday, Pastor noted that Christ asks us who we say he is. Maybe some of the best "marketing" is simply to follow his example and keep asking that question of the world and those around us. I don't claim to have a brilliant solution to any of the problems churches face, but it is so important that we keep thinking about them and exploring new options. What is our purpose? How will we measure our success? (One of my favorite blogs on this topic is here.)

Have a brilliant idea of how music ministry can help with marketing and outreach? Have a favorite piece of music you want to hear? Leave a comment or send an email anytime!

A nation of agnostics?

The 2008 American Religious Identification Survey came out a few weeks ago. Unsurprisingly, it found fewer religious Americans. People claiming no religion constituted 15% of the sample or an estimated 4.7 million people in the country. Christians declined to 76.7% of the population.

The statistician in me would revel in better data, the ability to drill down within that "no religion" group to find out if they're among the people who consider themselves "spiritual, just not religious." CNN noted that the trend may be partially due to individualism and discomfort with the seeming burden of "Thou shalt not" commandments.

It might also be partly due to the social acceptability of being agnostic or an atheist. I'm told anecdotally that some people in Brazil will answer the question of "Do you have a religion?" with "No, I'm Catholic." Religion can become simply a cultural expectation rather than a deep belief. It seems that every church is struggling with filling the pews and staying relevant.

It's often repeated that weddings, baptisms, and funerals bring people back to the church. For funerals especially, I give partial credit to the music that we want to hear, the comfort and the solace that familiar hymns and songs can provide. Maybe it's "Amazing Grace" or maybe it's "Tears in Heaven" or even "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (for you fans of The Big Chill).


A great hymn of stewardship and ministry is ELW 696, "Jesus Calls Us; o'er the Tumult." We need to hear it for ourselves and spread it to others:


Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world's golden store,
from each idol that would keep us, saying, 'Christian, love me more' (verse 3)


Jesus calls us! By your mercy, Savior, may we hear your call,
Give our hearts to your obedience, serve and love you best of all. (verse 5)

Musical heritage

The music at worship this week covered more than 300 years of music history, from Beethoven to Manz, from an old favorite "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" (ELW 803) to a relatively new hymn, "In All Our Grief" (ELW 615). Who would have guessed just from hearing it that the latter was composed in the 20th century?

I'd venture that Christian churches have wrestled with the challenge of what to say and sing in worship for 2000 years. For instance, I mentioned in a previous post the influence of Vaughan Williams on the Anglican church, and Pastor Ferro pointed out that the Church of England has their share of disagreements with his compositions and a troubled relationship with their musical heritage. (Read more in this article, if you're interested.) The ELW has been a cause of dissension within the Lutheran church, which brings me to my topic of the day: why does our organist hate "Shine, Jesus, Shine" so much?!

Yes, that particular hymn is my cliche punching bag, I will admit. What you don't know is that secretly in my heart I truly enjoy the rousing chorus. I can remember singing it at Luther Crest Bible Camp at an evening outdoor worship and being inspired by it. So what's the problem with it for regular Sunday morning worship?

My personal test for the quality of a hymn always begins with two questions:
1. Is the text appropriate?
(Including, does it expound proper Lutheran theology, not simply does it mention God.)
2. Is the music appropriate for congregational singing?

It is on the second count that I have my biggest issue with several selections in the ELW. In particular, "Shine, Jesus, Shine" has a tempo issue. If you sing the refrain fast enough to be exciting and uplifting, then the verses become completely unsingable. So the congregation is stuck with the choice of a compromise tempo, tongue-twisting verses, a depressingly slow refrain, or changing tempos (among the worst of sins to any trained organist).

I'm always reminded of my years as an organist for a Catholic church in Minneapolis. For that congregation, the hymn is perfect: the "vocal leader" would sing the verse into a microphone while a few members of the congregation perhaps mumbled along, and then a few more people would join in happily on the refrain. The Lutheran church, however, places a strong emphasis on participation. That is one of the reasons our music is based on the chorale - it has a regular beat and a predictable form, while allowing creativity for composers and arrangers.

Of course, we'll continue to sing some hymns that aren't my favorites, an experience we all have at some point over the course of the year. But we'll also sing my favorites and yours too. We add to our musical heritage and pass it on, simply doing our best week after week.