A holiness meeting

[velvetpage]

The service this morning was run by Major Oliver, a retired officer who has recently taken on the role of pastoral leader at our church, along with his wife. I've known the Olivers almost as long as I can remember; they were the officers at Winnipeg Citadel when I was six and my dad was stationed at DHQ there, doing an office job he hated. That puts them on the very short list of pastors I grew up with. In fact, the list includes them, my parents, and two other couples before I was sixteen. That's not a lot in the Army, especially considering how many places I lived in that time.

Major Oliver is from the old school of officership. He used real hymns and Salvation Army hymns that I haven't heard in years - "Power in the Blood," "Crown Him Lord of All," "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," and the prayer chorus "He is Lord," all came straight from childhood for me. The songster selection was "Though Your Sins Be as Scarlet," which has a soaring soprano line and lovely movement to it. It is one of the selections I never had to learn. When I joined the songsters at the age of fifteen, it was on the list of "selections to pull out at the last minute if necessary," which was fine because I'd been hearing it regularly from infancy and could have sung almost any part. Our songsters have an excellent soprano section, so they did justice to it.

The band selection was another that I've always known - my favourite melody for "My Jesus I Love Thee." There are plenty of childhood memories of that one, too, but two stood out more than others. One was my dad playing that melody on his cornet, with that full, round sound that only a cornet player with British roots ever gets. It used to ring through the house when he practised, and it was one of his favourites. Because of the way the vents worked at one of our houses, he would play in the basement and I would hear it crystal-clear in my bedroom, two floors away. It was surreal. The other memory of that tune comes from my year in France. The protestant church I attended there had regular meals together after services, and they often had people singing or playing at these meals. I sang that melody, three verses, no accompaniment, at one of those meals. There was only one other person there whose English was good enough to figure out the words - an English teacher who had spent most of her adult life in France, but had grown up in England. She knew the hymn as well, though not that melody, and we communed with it while those around us just listened. It was the first time in my life that I had sung in "church" without the feeling that I was being judged on my musicality. I sang better than I ever had or ever have since, for myself and for God.

As usual, the music spoke to me more than the sermon did, though the sermon was excellent. I have more thinking to do about it.

I was left wishing the usual majors weren't on their way home; that the Olivers were the usual officers; that the usual majors were more like the Olivers; that the old school were still the current school. The Army has updated itself in many ways in the last twenty years, and some of the changes have not been good ones. "Praise and Worship Groups" (I hate that term - praise and worship are THE SAME THING, the term makes no sense!) have been introduced but no thought has been put into placing them within the liturgy. Officers (or at least, our officers) don't put enough thought into using the music to back up the message. Much of the liturgy has fallen into disuse, including methods of setting up a service so that it covers approaching God, listening to God, and responding to God. The result is a hodgepodge of music, prayer, and sermon that never seems to flow right. Each element ends up standing on its own, and they fall down much of the time because they're not supposed to stand alone; they're supposed to go together to create a whole that leads the congregation into communion with God.

I have no idea if the Olivers do their services that way because they know the liturgy and are using it, or because that's the way they've always done it without knowing the background or justification for it. For most officers, it was the latter, which is why so many have abandoned it in the first place. Whether they do it on purpose or out of accidental habit and forty-year-old training, though, makes no difference. It was a service designed to bring the congregation closer to God, to promote holy living in each person there, and it succeeded admirably. If the Olivers were still corps officers, I'd be transfering to their corps tomorrow.

Even though it highlighted many of my dissatisfactions with the Army, it also made clear to me why I'm still there - why I always will be. No other church does music quite like the Army does, and when it's done right -as it was today - it can be the focal point of the service, teaching as much or more than the sermon itself. On a superficial level, I would miss the band, the songsters, the timbrels, the music I've always known. On a deeper level, though, those things are tied in with my spirituality. I need those props, in the same way many Catholics need a rosary. It's more than symbolism, and it's more than culture. The music triggers responses in me that I don't get any other way.

Okay, this has been long. Now I'll go do some crocheting. I haven't got the new thread yet, and Piet is out, so I'll have to go when he gets back.

Comments

[collie13.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't mind my commenting even though I'm not christian, but your writing rather spoke to me.

When I was very young we lived in Spain, and attended the English Anglican church most of the Protestant ex-pats went to. It was very much a new church, with people volunteering to fill in where there were holes. So my dad ended up organizing the choir, and my mom played the piano.

Since my dad couldn't read music, he had to memorize it, which means that while I'm personally an alto, I know the entire bass part for Handel's Messiah's "Hallelujah Chorus." ;) We ended up with a truly wonderful musical addition to the church, because my parents encouraged people to just try, even if they weren't professionals.

At different times we had an opera-quality tenor and several excellent-but-untrained altos, a terribly shy but wonderful trumpet player who gave me goosebumps all throughout Handel's lyrical The Trumpet Shall Sound, a flutist and two sweet-toned violins who performed a piece with my mom on piano that had me almost in tears at one point...

The choir sang lots of classical compositions for us -- the Messiah and Amahl and the Night Visitors and Verdi's Requiem and Beethoven's breathtaking Choral Symphony... oh, and so many other wonderful pieces of sacred music that I can't even remember them all individually any more -- there's just a beautiful, inspiring, lyrical memory of wonderful, wonderful music in my memories.

I didn't realize how deeply the music spoke to me, though, until I wrote a paper for a university class several years ago, titled, "Women and Catholicism: Coming to a New Understanding (http://www.stormtiger.com/collie/articles/catholic-women.cgi)." I interviewed several Catholic women in the process of writing the paper, and one of them really stuck with me.

As the person in charge of music selection for her church, she considered herself to be in a position of great responsibility. Words in sermons can become droning, misunderstood, or extensively intellectual and difficult to follow. Music, on the other hand, speaks in a sometimes more direct fashion to people -- straight to the soul.

Thus what she chose musically could have a direct impact and influence on the spiritual advancement of the people of her church. As she herself put it, she helped others to grow within their faith. In her eyes, there was no greater responsibility.

Listening to her was fascinating, and helped me realize -- more than anything, I loved the music. ;)

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I certainly don't mind you commenting. I trust the people on my friends list to be respectful, but since I wanted the post to be public, I wanted a disclaimer on it. I don't want to shove my faith down the throats of those who are uninterested in it, so I put it behind a cut. More than that, I don't want an argument about my beliefs.

Respectful discussion of points that have meaning for you - well, that's why I post it in the first place.

My favourite music all comes in three categories: songs with beautiful melodies and interesting lyrics, classical music with beautiful melodies, and sacred music, especially choral music. I don't just listen to it; I participate in it. I have never mastered the art of passive listening. In the middle of a game, I'll stop roleplaying because a wonderful song or melody has come on the stereo and I stop what I am doing to listen with my whole soul.

During the years when I was searching, it was the music of my faith that kept me. I could have, and nearly did, leave Christianity behind me; but the music wouldn't let me go.

[collie13.livejournal.com]

I don't want to shove my faith down the throats of those who are uninterested in it, so I put it behind a cut.

That's very thoughtful and considerate of you. More than that, it makes me wonder a little guiltily if I too should do more LJ-cuts on my personal-belief ramblings!

Hmm... I'll ask you, if you don't mind. Do you ever find it disconcerting when reading my LJ, to suddenly realize I'm talking about a very non-organized-Christianity viewpoint? More bluntly, am I in effect ramming my "un-faith" down folks' throats?

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Not that I've noticed, but then, there's a different dynamic there. It seems that it's socially acceptable to be public about slightly alternative faiths or atheism, but most of the Christians I know who have ljs tend to put their faith behind a cut. I think it might have to do with the common perception (entirely justified) that Christianity is all about conversion. Those like myself who aren't into trying to convert people go out of their way to look like they're not. Other faiths/non-faiths, that don't have that public perception, don't have to worry about it as much.

[collie13.livejournal.com]

Interesting; thank you for sharing your thoughts with me on this. I'll have to consider a bit, since I think fairness is as important as whether or not I'm (for example) trying to convert folks... and I'm not sure it's fair for only christians to feel obliged to lj-cut their thoughts on religion.

[athelind.livejournal.com]

I have a Jewish friend who puts his theological discussions behind a cut, even on friends-only posts.

[collie13.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm leaning more and more to using more cuts, in order to be both polite and fair. Thanks for your input too.

[kesmun.livejournal.com]

The Episcopal liturgy speaks to me in much the same way, as does the music. I think that's the biggest reason that I left the Seventh-Day Adventist church behind completely when I went back to the Episcopal church. I had gone to visit my parents and went to church with my dad, and realized that I missed the liturgy. Not just the pageantry, but the meat of it - the fact that I could still recite the Nicene creed almost from memory after not having said it for over six years brought it home to me.

I also love the music that I've been exposed to. We actually use "He Is Lord" to close out communion every Sunday and several Wednesdays, too. (We intersperse other prayer choruses such as one from Psalm 27 ["One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after, to spend my days in the house of the Lord, to enquire in His temple."] and "Something About That Name")

Today we had several of the old-but-always-wonderful hymns featured. We opened with "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken", had "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord" for the sequence hymn, "There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" was the offeratory selection by the choir, and we closed with "The Church's One Foundation."

"My Jesus, I Love Thee" (tune name Gordon) brings back some of the good memories I have from going to SDA Academy (boarding high school). My sophomore year, at morning worship in the dorm, we sang that one and "Nearer, Still Nearer" a lot.

"Power In The Blood" "Crown Him With Many Crowns" "All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name" are more favorites for me, as well.

One of the absolute neatest things about my current Rector is that he knows the reasoning behind each part of the liturgy, and explains it very well. He does "instructed Eucharists" fairly often, usually for a new crop of acolytes or those going through confirmation classes. He also explained once that his vestments are symbolic of the armo(u)r *G* of God described by Paul. (I'm slightly ashamed that I can't remember the reference right now.)

His sermon this morning was typical for him, and still one of the neatest I've heard in a long time. *L* He has a penchant for using his sons and their lives as illustrations, and he did so this morning while poor Landon was up there as one of the chalisters turning bright beet red. Landon takes it all with grace and a wonderful sense of humor, though. He's one of the neatest young men I know. At 17, he's a good influence on me.

But the part of the sermon that applies is that Fr. Paul described the Mansion with many rooms as having an Episcopal room, a Catholic room, a room for those who know God through Jesus Christ but don't have any other room where they exactly fit. It's all the same Mansion, and we don't have to agree on everything, but we're all still there. (Though of course you have to be quiet by the Baptist and Seventh-Day Adventist rooms because they each think theirs is the only room *G*) I guess you're most comfortable in the Salvation Army room.

[collie13.livejournal.com]

But the part of the sermon that applies is that Fr. Paul described the Mansion with many rooms as having an Episcopal room, a Catholic room, a room for those who know God through Jesus Christ but don't have any other room where they exactly fit. It's all the same Mansion, and we don't have to agree on everything, but we're all still there.

Oh, that's lovely; I really like that. Thanks for sharing it.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

That's a wonderful image. :) I would imagine the Salvationist room would be just around the corner from the Anglican room, anyway. We'll be neighbours!

[r-caton.livejournal.com]

Officers (or at least, our officers) don't put enough thought into using the music to back up the message. Much of the liturgy has fallen into disuse, including methods of setting up a service so that it covers approaching God, listening to God, and responding to God. The result is a hodgepodge of music, prayer, and sermon that never seems to flow right. Each element ends up standing on its own, and they fall down much of the time because they're not supposed to stand alone; they're supposed to go together to create a whole that leads the congregation into communion with God.
That in itself is something I've never thought about before. Not being a regular attendee at church these days but having been dragooned into Sunday School and Junior Christian Endeavour as a child I was brought up with the CSSM Chorus book (no, I don't know what it stands for) and even on holiday at Jaywick Sands there was a couple who lived IIRC in a beachfront bungalow/chalet who did a chorus and Bible meeting on the sands every Sunday....
one can dislike organised meetings (for any purpose in my case) but I must belatedly give grateful thanks to those people who worked to keep us closer to God than we might otherwise now be.
I've never thought of there being a structure to a service though; a bit like a communications protocol, call, exchange data, acknowledge....
And music certainly hits buttons that words alone do not. It is recalled ever after in moments of solitude, and speaks directly to the emotions for good or ill.

BTW when you hear good orators, those who hold their audience and spread a message, do you notice how they do it? With timing, inflection, gestures they create a music of the spoken word and conduct their audience along with them. The best can vary the tune according to the audience; failing ones tend to reiterate their greatest hits without spotting that the audience has indeed drawn a line and moved on...

Food for thought there!

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I believe speech and music are a continuum, starting with just rhythm, moving up through melody, adding words, branching out a bit as you get to harmony, but starting from and ending up at the same spot. I've studied the art of speech-making a bit - it's part of being a teacher, often - and the techniques I teach for speaking are very similar to the techniques I teach for singing - posture, breathing, spacing, phrasing - it all goes together. I was noting today that most good sermons are constructed like essays that are meant to be read out loud, with three main points, and a conclusion that answers the question, "So what?" The clinical part of my brain dissects the sermon even while the rest of it is taking in the points. :)

[dornbeast.livejournal.com]

It's good to know that I'm not the only person who thinks music reaches people more effectively than words.

As an aside; I can see cutting this because it was long. Cutting it because it's about your faith isn't necessary. You aren't, IMO, pushing your faith on anybody.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I appreciate that. THanks. :)

[paka.livejournal.com]

Let's see. I definitely agree about the whole flow idea - I do think that community leaders can get and keep momentum going, then slow to a stop, within a religious service. So I definitely believe you, but without the same context about the Army's reformatted services, it'd be hard to brainstorm on what's actually making the service so stop-and-go.

And, I hope you don't mind my curiousity and responding.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

I don't mind. I trust everyone on my friends list to respond appropriately to faith posts, I just didn't want anyone trolling for an argument to decide to pick one in my journal.

It would not be hard to reformat things, IMO. Quite simply, officers need to prepare every service within the template of approaching, talking to, listening to, and responding to God. (That's the basic format for all liturgy, though obviously many churches couch it in different terms. When you get down to brass tacks, though, that's what they're all doing.) Within that template, every single item needs to have a purpose. Go ahead and have the "praise and worship team" sing (though for heaven's sake, rename it!) But decide what they will sing based on the role of the song in the service. If they're singing during the response time, it should be a prayer chorus. If they're singing during the approach time, it should be a praise chorus. And so on.

Also, the music sections cannot be as autonomous as they have become. They lose their connection with the service when they're that separate. The officer needs to provide an overview of themes for services several months in advance, including hymns that he is considering using, so that the music sections can prepare items that mesh and enhance the theme, rather than competing with it. When everyone's doing their own thing, no one is doing God's thing, and everyone loses.