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I initially imagined that this blog would be a place to share written reflections on music and faith. But over the past year I have realized that the music I compose is also a part of the conversation. It is where some of the topics I blog about actually get worked out in real time – where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. So, I have decided to create a page with sample pdfs of music that I have written and will update it with new material from time to time.
I’m especially focusing on liturgical music, as I believe that there is a need for new material that is approachable by congregations and choirs but is also well-crafted, diverse and honors the text. I’ll let you be the judge of my success or failure, though I do hope that these responses and Psalm settings can be of service to others. They are free for you to peruse; if you decide that you’d like to use one in your congregation, please contact me for information about a modest usage fee. (Believe me, I’m not in this for the money!)
An important note: All of the pieces have been used in the church that I currently serve (or in past churches) and were written with a specific community in mind. Sometimes music doesn’t translate well to other places, and that’s ok; every congregation is different. In which case, I encourage you to commission a musician in your faith community to write something that is sensitive to your congregation’s needs and character (or write it yourself, if you can). As much as publishers of every ilk might try to convince us, there is no one-size-fits-all solution that will bring vitality to a church’s worship life. But I believe that good worship happens when preachers, musicians and worship planners prayerfully ask, “What is God’s WORD for this congregation, in this particular time and place?” and then search out or even create ways for us to hear that WORD anew.
So, click on over to the music page and let me know what you think.
This morning, while doing my usual worship warm-up and prep at the piano, I looked back at the Tiffany window that graces the rear wall of the Sanctuary and it looked as if someone turned a spotlight on behind it. It glimmered and sparkled like I had never seen before. Maybe it is the special angle of the sun at this time of year; maybe I was just in the right place at the right time.
The music ministry at The Park is growing both in size and its breadth. One of the ways that we are trying to celebrate the wonderful diversity within our congregation is by drawing from many musical and cultural traditions. So, we started a Gospel Choir which has rehearsed over the past three weeks. It is a small group (we are going to grow as we go!) that sang in worship for the first time this morning. As might be expected, folks were a little nervous; and quite frankly, the first part of rehearsal made me nervous, as I sensed we were lagging vocally and struggling to get a good unison sound. However, we were well-prepared and I felt that pushing too hard was not going to help us relax.
So many choral directors struggle with this same experience: we wish we could bottle our rehearsals and take them out for Sunday mornings. But we work with human beings who have emotions, who wake up late or who struggle sleeping, or whose voices are just not as warmed up at 10 a.m. on Sunday as they are on Friday evening at 8 p.m. There is a delicate balance that we sometimes struggle to maintain – being gracious and affirming, while at the same time challenging people to offer their best. When we don’t get what we want or expect from folks, it is easy to get frustrated or even angry and I find that those of us who do full-time ministry in the church work have the hardest time of it. We work especially hard to get things just right – our anthems, our sermons, the bulletin formatting, the preparation of the worship space. Just like Tiffany, we put a lot of work into the details – all very important, mind you – and there is an art and a craft to what we do.
But what the Spirit whispered into my ear, and what I shared with the choir during a rehearsal break, is that we are like that stained glass. We did all that we could to prepare but ultimately it is not about us. We are beautiful, multi-colored, sometimes-imperfect but always-loved pieces of glass that the Creator shines through. We are nothing without the light, the living energy and presence of God through us when we open our mouths to pray, preach or sing. And the beauty of the window is the way that the colors combine and overlap to bring an even greater beauty and richness to the whole. It is more beautiful than we can even imagine!
I won’t claim that our singing was perfect, but I do want to believe that God got all the praise as we let the Light shine through us this morning. It is a funny spiritual principle – the less tightly we hold onto outcomes, the more we can be drawn into a different, deeper sort of participation. And when we get out of the way and let God do God’s work through us, it creates a space for others to celebrate God’s goodness and love with us, too. And that is worship in the end, isn’t it? It’s not a highly self-concious act but something that helps to redirect our focus and attention to the One who is worthy of all our praise.
This past Sunday was an extremely eventful day, the crest of the first big wave of energy and activity for me here at Park Avenue Christian Church. It was World Communion, a day when many denominations celebrate their unity with Christians around the globe. I’ve been thinking recently that we should see every Sunday as World Communion, in the way that I have heard it said that every Sunday is an Easter celebration. It is so important for the American church to be intentional about welcoming the marvelous gifts of our sisters and brothers around the world. Serious engagement with music and language from other cultures can help to expand and deepen our prayer and praise. And it is a way for us to be connected to and in prayer for people and places that we might otherwise forget.
For our celebration we invited a steel drummer, a percussionist and a Trinidadian friend who is an actor and poet to lead us in music and poetry from the Caribbean – a excerpt from a gorgeous Kyrie samba by Glenn McClure; the joyous response ‘Halle, Halle, Halle’; ‘God or Mammon’, a challenging poem by the Afro-Trinidadian poet, Alfred Cruickshank; the Communion hymn ‘Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ’ and others. It was a truly joyful feast of the People of God! One of the most beautiful moments in the service was the Postlude – a simple setting of ‘Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring’ played by solo steel drum with some light chordal accompaniment from the piano. The congregation sat in grateful silence and it felt, in some way, like we were hearing Bach’s piece again for the first time through the distinctive, sparkly tone of the steel drum. We gave our guests a gift by honoring and celebrating the music and culture of our Caribbean sisters and brothers but, at the same time, they gave us back something of own culture, infused with a fresh sound and spirit. It was a blessed moment.
And on Sunday afternoon I was officially installed as the Minister of Music at Park Avenue Christian Church. I was joking with friends that they should bring their toolboxes to worship. When I think about the word installed, my mind goes to a dishwasher or a light fixture - something that has a sense of functionality and/or permanence in a place. But the truth is that the service was a time to intention, before God and this congregation, that I am going to put down deep roots here. It was a moment to remember that my ministry through music is not just something to dabble in but it calls forth deep commitment and discipline, prayer and focus, and love for all of God’s people in this faith community, in this neighborhood and in this city.
And to add further to the sense of arrival and permanence, I got word on Monday that I was approved for an apartment. The original place I mentioned several postings back did not work out but this one is even better and cheaper in the end. It’s the ground level and first floor of a brownstone in Harlem with a spacious living area (enough room for my piano!), 3-bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and a private backyard with real grass! It’s not much further from church and in a great neighborhood. I am feeling very blessed.
So all is moving forward, deepening slowly…and I have a strong sense that God is in and through it all.
