Several years ago I spent some of my continuing education allowance to attend an event that taught me a lesson that I will never forget – one that continues to teach me day after day after day. I am sad to report that I do not remember the who, the what, the when, or the where of this important event – but – to this day I continue to benefit from the lesson I learned that day.

The person presenting began with a very simple question: “How many of you, from your childhood, remember a complete sermon – verbatim?” Much to our surprise – one person raised a hand. Following some further inquiry the person explained: “Yes, my father served as a supply preacher when I was growing up. I heard him preach each and every week – in a different location – the same sermon.”

Second question: “How many of you, from your childhood, remember a complete Church School lesson – verbatim?” This time no one raised a hand – but – we immediately started to exchange memories of wonderful and less-than-wonderful teachers and events in our lives. My memories took me to Mr. Warner – who taught my Sunday class at the local United Methodist congregation when I was in the sixth grade. Mr. Warner also happened to be the principal of the school I was attending at the time. We was a wonderful teacher – both on Sundays and during the week – he taught reading to sixth graders at our school. However, my vivid memory of him was the number of perfect attendance Sunday School pins that he wore on the lapel of his suit jacket – so many that he surely titled to the side where they were displayed. But – no one could remember a complete lesson – verbatim.

Third question: “How many of you, from your childhood, remember songs that you learned in worship and Sunday School?” We started singing – and continued singing – and continued singing – for at least the next 30 minutes before the person presenting the event asked us to stop – even though we were no where near finishing the list of songs that we ALL knew and could still sing.

Fourth and final question: “Where did you learn your earliest lessons of the faith, of theology, of God, of Jesus?” We ALL knew the answer – from the faith that we were taught through our singing as children.

The presenter made one final point – “So be careful what you sing in worship – because that is what you are teaching – that is what people will remember – that is what people will use as the basic understanding of life – that is the language of faith they are learning.”

Naturally, in the days, weeks, months, and years before I was ordained as a pastor I told this story as often as possible to help people understand the importance of music in a community of faith. I was fortunate to work with a number of pastors who completely understood and agreed with the lesson I learned from this event. Following my ordination I still remember that same lesson – there is a great likelihood that people will learn more from the songs we sing in worship than from any sermon that I might ever have the opportunity to deliver.

In the next post I will tell the story of the final portion of this continuing education event and the importance of being very intentional about the way that we assist people in learning the language.

It is time to move from language in general to the specific language of the arts – and – particularly the language of the arts in worship – and more particularly – the language of the art of music in worship.

The next several posts will focus on the following two sections from the “Directory of Worship” –

When these artistic creations awaken us to God’s presence, they are appropriate for worship. When they call attention to themselves, or are present for their beauty as an end in itself, they are idolatrous (W-1.3034(2)).

In worship, music is not to be for entertainment or artistic display. Care should be taken that it not be used as merely as a cover for silence. Music as prayer is to be a worthy offering to God on behalf of the people (W-2.1004).

Who determines what is appropriate and what is not appropriate? Are their standards that can be agreeable to everyone? Is it possible to set standards that exceed the geographic and theological limitations of a single or particular congregation? After all isn’t one person’s art another person’s idolatry?

It seems appropriate to begin with some thoughts by Robert Shaw (what a surprise!):

“Music is great because it carries something so native and true to the human spirit that not even sophisticated intellectuality can deny or destroy its miracle.

It is not primarily a matter of raising the standards of musical taste. It is primarily a matter of providing adequate opportunity for the exercise of inherent taste. One falls in love by being at the right place at the right time for long enough. If there is no place where people can meet Bach or Beethoven, how can the people be expected to love them? If Bach is not sung, he is not met.” (351)

“The Arts exist to convey that which cannot be otherwise conveyed . . . but, to our shame, the Church named after the ‘Good Shepherd’ and ‘Holy Comforter’ has had a history of persecutions, inquisitions and crusades – in just one of which, in the year of our Lord 1212, and in a much smaller world, fifty thousand innocent children were ‘shepherded’ to their deaths by sword, starvation and pestilence, and the few fortunate survivors ‘comforted’ by being sold into slavery.

The arts may indeed be not the luxury of the few but the last best hope of humanity – to inhabit with joy this planet.” (360)

The Robert Shaw Reader. Edited by Robert Blocker. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004.