Worship & Music
Loony
Tunes! Now what is she talking about?
You know, I always loved the old Warner Brothers cartoons: Daffy Duck,
Yosemite Sam, Elmer Fudd… But, I especially remember how WB used Classical
music for so many of their cartoons. And I got such a kick out of the one where
Bugs Bunny is lowering himself gingerly into the steaming pot of water-as into a
hot-tub-as the natives are busily slicing vegetables to make him into a rabbit
stew.
Sometimes,
as Christians, we don’t always realize the situations that we’re getting
ourselves into but we do know what we like!
Our Congregational Survey told us so much from the members who completed
it and it kind of reminds me of Bugs, getting himself into a boiling kettle of
water and our Vision Team, getting into a topic that we’ve realized that no
matter what we do, there will be people who are unhappy about it. Here’s why:
Some
people LOVE the time of the service they go to, some HATE the time of certain
services!
Some
love the traditional songs of the church, some don’t like the old songs at
all.
Some
love the contemporary service, some hate it!
Some
want more instrumental music, some would prefer all organ music.
Some
love having DVDs played, others hate them.
Some
love the old liturgy, others love the new, repetitive response tunes.
Some
want every song to speak to the message, others want the songs to be uplifting.
Are
you seeing a certain theme emerge here?
It was very clear to the Vision Team for Worship & Music that people
wanted change, and we’ve already accommodated that request in some ways.
We’re working on some other changes, too. We know that not every change will
be viewed favorably by every member.
But
here’s something that I’ve learned in my “view from the pew.”
As, most likely, the youngest, oldest
member of Good Shepherd (my parents started here when I was 6 months old
and the congregation was just over a year old), change can be difficult,
sometimes even painful, but as a recent sermon said, it IS all about us. It’s
all about us being children of God. It’s all about us loving the Lord because
He loved us enough to send Jesus to atone for our sins. It’s all about us
never being able to repay Him, but wanting always to do more for Him because of
the amazing gift of everlasting life that he has given us-at such huge cost to
Himself-and at no cost to us.
So
really, it’s not about the music. It’s not about the time of the service.
It’s not about whether we like praise band music or the old, old hymnal (first
blue, then red). It’s about worshipping God in every action, in every word, in
every way we can, wherever we are and whenever we can, whenever the opportunity
presents itself. And whether that be with a clanging cymbal, a trumpet, a gong,
a lyre or a host of heavenly angels, it IS about the music-the music of us
raising our voices in praise and thanksgiving and willingness to serve, even
before we’re asked!
As
followers of Jesus, we are commanded to go forth-and that brings me back to the
music theme-certainly not Loony Tunes this time.
I LOVE the old songs that remind us who we are as Christians and what we
are
expected to do: “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” “Take My Hands and
Let Them Be,” “Just As I Am”- all of the tunes that I grew up with,
hearing that beautiful 4-part harmony. But, I also LOVE the DVD, “He Knows My
Name.”
Is it possible? Are we able to change? Can we, as Christians, accept that
there are many ways to
worship? I believe that we can. And even though a particular song, or
activity, or style of worship may not be our favorite, it REALLY is all about
GOD!
Vicki
Sorensen,
Chair
of Worship & Music Vision Team
Members:
Rich Schurman, Karen Johnson, Eric Sorensen, Mary Hilgenkamp, Barb Gierke
, Pastor Gierke.