Notes for Sunday, May 27

Sunday we celebrate the Festival of Pentecost!

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 104:24-34, 35b; Ezekiel 37:1-14

SERMON: What Shall We Do With The Bones?

ANTHEM: Come Down, O Love Divine, D. Busarow

The words to this traditional Christian hymn were written by Bianco da Siena (d. 1434), and appear in Laudi spirituali del Bianco da Siena, edited by T. Bini, 1851. The words were translated from Italian to English by Richard Littledale for the 1867 version of The People’s Hymnal. Vaughan Williams composed the harmonization of the first verse that appears in the version we will sing.

Bianco da Siena was a follower of B. Giovanni Colombini. The two lived in Italy during the “golden age of vernacular ascetical and mystical literature.” Colombini’s early private life was apparently marred by avarice, ambition, and a proneness to anger. His reading of the biography of St. Mary of Egypt is supposed to have transformed him completely, into a man of incredible humility and meekness. He converted his home into a refuge for the needy and suffering, and lived out his life in apostolic poverty.

Bianco is known for his mystical lyrics. The etymology of the word mysticism implies a relation to mystery. In philosophy, mysticism refers to a desire of the human soul towards an intimate union with the Divinity.

The mystery of God will be on full display Sunday, as we celebrate God’s gift of Holy Spirit. As we sing, let us feel and feed our souls’ desire towards union with the Divinity. For as we will hear with the Invitation to Worship, “God’s Spirit has been poured out on all flesh.”

HYMNS AND RESPONSES:
#128 On Pentecost They Gathered
Austrian Hymn (response)
Stuttgart (children’s recessional)
#127 Come, O Spirit
Sanctus #581
#129 Come, O Spirit, Dwell Among Us

OTHER ITEMS:
Prelude: Andante Cantabile, from Symphony No. IV, C. Widor
Offertory: Elevation, from Messe Basse, L. Vierne
Postlude: Carillon, L. Vierne

Vierne was an assistant to Widor, at Saint-Sulpice in Paris. Vierne suffered from congenital cataracts, and used Braille for most his work later in life. His oft-stated lifelong dream was to die at the console of the great organ of Notre Dame. Which he did, June 2 1937, during the closing section of a recital, with his left foot resting on the low “E” pedal.

Until Sunday, Bonnie

Notes for Sunday, May 6

Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter.
We celebrate the baptism of John Mathew Willock!

SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 11-12, passim

SERMON: A Faith For Life

ANTHEM: Children’s Letters to God

Shearer’s musical setting of these letters brilliantly captures the paradox inherent in children – their endearing inexperience in the world and their other-worldly wisdom.

The congregation will smile at the text of the letters printed in the bulletin – at Robert, at the thought of Noah’s ark (which some of us may have wondered about these last few days) and the three-cat-dilemma. But the serious tones of the musical settings of the other letters will remind them of the wisdom of children. Wisdom that we often grow blind to, the more we have seen of the world.

What does your God think about nonbelievers? The answer to this question speaks volumes about one’s concept of God; about one’s daily motivations. Does your God favor believers over nonbelievers? (Put differently, do you accept Pascal’s wager as sound?) If so, what challenges does your view pose for belief versus faith? If not, what challenges does your view pose for daily living? (Last summer, I found myself out to lunch with colleagues one afternoon – a group of one Muslim, one Jew, one Hindu, one Lutheran, one Protestant – at the downtown Lebanese Catholic church that serves lunch each Wednesday. Fantastic! The Lutheran and I were trying to explain the difference between Catholics and Protestants. We noted the distinction between salvation by virtue of good works and salvation through the grace of God. And our Hindu colleague asked, “If one gets to heaven by the grace of God and not as a result of good works, then why bother being good?” How would you answer?)

What is it like in heaven? I spend a good portion of my days as an economist trying to help students grapple with the problems that insatiable human beings face in a world of scarcity. Counter-examples are often a useful learning tool. And we sometimes try to think about how to adapt our models of a finite world to describe what it might be like in heaven. (As theologian M. Douglas Meeks suggests, God is perhaps the ultimate economist. And the Bible is arguably a codification of rules for living the optimal life in a world of scarcity.)

What is it like when you die?

Rabbi Sandy Sasso writes that all children by age five have a conception of God – whether or not they’re taught spirituality/religion by their parents. And that they ask large questions. She suggests that what children need from us is a language they can use to converse about their inherently deep ideas. I would suggest that we need their questions just as much.

(Sasso writes wonderful books for children – “God’s Paintbrush” and “In God’s Name” are among her best known. And she has edited a marvelous volume entitled “Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World’s Religious Traditions.” What “religious” books did you grow up with as a child? I nearly wore out our Purple Puzzle Tree books and records. (Yes, I still play them – chuuuurple, chuuurple, chuuurple.))

HYMNS AND RESPONSES:
#582 Memorial Acclamation
#495 We Know That Christ Is Raised
#579 Gloria Patri
#524 With Grateful Hearts Our Faith Professing
#106 refrain, Alleluia No. 1

OTHER ITEMS:
Prelude: Children’s Prayer and Child’s Dream, F. Peeters; Jesus and the Children, G. Martin
Postlude: Toccata in Seven, J. Rutter

Until Sunday,

Bonnie

Notes for Sunday, April 29

Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Easter

SCRIPTURE: Acts 9:36-43; John 10:22-30

SERMON: Tangible Evidence

ANTHEM: Sing, Alleluia, Clap Your Hands!

The anthem follows the first scripture reading. The reading tells a resurrection story. Dorcas falls ill and dies. Her friends call Peter, and he raises Dorcas to life.

And we will “sing alleluia, clap your hands. Sing and rejoice.” The piece is full of the joyous energy of life – with layered vocal lines and handclaps.

You can hear the Westhill High School Concert Choir sing the anthem here.

Listen here also.

The work also continues our call for “peace throughout the land.”

HYMNS AND RESPONSES:
#582 Memorial Acclamation
#107 Celebrate with Joy and Singing
#481 Llanfair (response)
#535 Tallis’ Canon (response)
#524 Holy Spirit, Lord of Love
#428 Schumann (response)
#535 Go with Us, Lord

OTHER ITEMS:
Prelude: Fantasie in G-Dur, J.S. Bach
Offertory: Her Christ, der einig Gottes Sohn, D. Buxtehude
Postlude: In dir ist Freude, J.S. Bach

The “fantasy” is a composition rooted in improvisation. As such, it often lacks strict musical form. In the Baroque period, fantasies were typically written for keyboard instruments, with rapid passagework. Bach’s Fantasy in G major features such patterns, with a grand five-part chorus in the middle.

The postlude comes from Bach’s “The little organ book.” (The title refers to the dimensions of the book – not the magnitude of the works!) During his tenure at the ducal court in Weimar (1708-1717) Bach began to assemble “The little organ book,” for his son Wilhelm Friedemann. The book contains traditional Lutheran hymn tunes – set in complex textures. Bach not only loved hymn-tune settings as a musical form, he was a dedicated teacher. Most organists use his “little organ book” during their training. The dedication on the title page of the book reads,

“to the honor of the Most High God alone, to my neighbor, that he may learn from it.”

Until Sunday, Bonnie

Singing and Thinking

Singing is a good thing (though thinking may be even better):

Singing together, working together against tangible adversaries, melds us into one whole: we become members of the community, embedded in place. By contrast, thinking--especially thinking of the reflective, ironic, quizzical mode, which is a luxury of affluent societies--threatens to isolate us from our immediate group and home. As vulnerable beings who yearn at times for total immersion, to sing in unison (eyes closed) with others of our kind, this sense of isolation--of being a unique individual--can be felt as a deep loss. Thinking, however, yields a twofold gain: although it isolates us from our immediate group it can link us both seriously and playfully to the cosmos--to strangers in other places and times; and it enables us to accept a human condition that we have always been tempted by fear and anxiety to deny, namely, the impermanence of our state wherever we are, our ultimate homelessness. A cosmopolite is one who considers the gain greater than the loss. Having seen something of the splendid spaces, he or she (like Mole [in The Wind in the Willows]) will not want to return, permanently, to the ambiguous safeness of the hearth.

That is by Yi-Fu Tuan, discussed by Virginia Postrel.

(Hat-tip to (i.e., stolen from) Tyler Cowen of MarginalRevolution.)

The "P" Word

The discussion last Wednesday had barely begun, when we heard the "P" word – performance. It was used several more times as the conversation continued – even after its use was questioned.

Why do so many perceive music in worship as performance? Why do even those who acknowledge that music in worship is more than performance continue to use this word as their primary descriptor of musical activity in worship?

The purpose of performance is to entertain, to stimulate, to influence, to inspire, to disturb even.

Music in worship is, at various times, intended to do all of these things. It is thus perhaps not surprising that music in worship is often perceived of and described as "performance." However, music in worship is an offering to God. And no offering to God should be confused with a performance. A performance ends. An offering to God is an on-living symbol of faith. There simply is no comparison.

If music in worship is an offering to God, what does it mean to search for a church musician? It means that one is searching for a music minister. It means that one is searching for someone who will facilitate your ministry as musicians; someone who will foster and feed your ability to make offerings to God through music; someone who will help the 2PC congregation and community to experience offerings to God through music.

In this context, you may find it helpful NOT to approach the final stages of the search process as an "audition." (What would it mean to "audition" someone as they participated in worship with you, making offerings to God?) The resumes and recommendation letters of the candidates will provide reliable signals as to musical competency. Rather, approach the final stages of the search as a process of discernment. Use your worship and rehearsal time with the candidates as an opportunity to discern whether their ministry will feed and foster yours, given your particular interests, theological perspectives, and worship tastes.

MUSIC IN WORSHIP IS AN OFFERING TO GOD.

Which candidate will facilitate your offerings to God? Which candidate will help the 2PC congregation and community experience offerings to God through music?

Notes for Sunday, April 8

Sunday we celebrate The Resurrection of the Lord!

SCRIPTURE: John 20:1-18

ANTHEMS:
Faithful Vigil Ended, L. Nestor (Introit)
Alleluja, W. Mozart (Solo, Mary Donald)
In Remembrance, E. Daley (Anthem)
But Thanks Be to God, G. Handel (Offertory)
Hallelujah, G. Handel (Postlude)

It does not seem quite right to suggest that our Lenten journey will end on Sunday morning as we celebrate the Resurrection. The purpose of the journey, afterall, is to guide us back to path Jesus Christ laid down for us. We will close the Lenten season though, with “Faithful Vigil Ended,” as the Vigil Light is presented.

Mary will then raise the Alleluja! we buried in February, as the shroud is removed and the children process to flower the cross.

Since Handel’s death, Messiah has been traditionally performed during Advent, in preparation for Christmas. Messiah was, however, conceived and first performed for Easter. The libretto consists of verse fragments from the King James Bible. Much of the text is drawn from the Old Testament. The few quotations from the Gospel come at the end of the first section of the work (The Birth) and at the beginning of the second section (The Passion). “Hallelujah” is taken from Revelation. “But Thanks Be to God” is taken from I Corinthians 15:57.

HYMNS AND RESPONSES:
#113 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today!
#105 Because You Live, O Christ
#104 Christ Is Risen! Shout Hosanna!

Hymn to Joy
St. Clement
Alleluia! Give thanks to the risen Lord
Old Hundredth
#581 Sanctus

OTHER ITEMS: Prelude: Prelude, Fugue et Variation, C. Franck

Until Sunday, Bonnie

Good Friday Music Notes

On Good Friday we participate in the Ancient Office of Tenebrae, led by Mary Gene Boteler, Jim Dowd, Betty Dowd, Mike Willock, and Barbara Willock.

Tenebrae is Latin for “darkness” or “shadows.” The Tenebrae service commemorates the death of Jesus Christ. Typically, candles are gradually extinguished throughout the service, until only a single candle – a symbol of Christ – remains. We use the progressive darkness as an opportunity to reflect on the emotional and physical pain of Jesus Christ on that evening. A pain which we try to imagine, but a pain the magnitude of which surely far exceeds the emotional and physical pain any of us has personally experienced.

Some versions of the Tenebrae service feature a “great noise” at the end of the service (ours will not) – the shudder and rattle of the earth at the time of Christ’s death (Matthew 27). Some understand the tearing of the temple veil at this moment to represent a newfound direct access to God for forgiveness of sin – bought for us by Christ.

SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 26:20-25; 30-35 (The Betrayal)
Mark 14:32-42 (The Desertion)
Matthew 26:47-56 (The Betrayal of Judas)
Luke 22:54-62 (The Denial of Peter)
Matthew 27:11-31 (The Trial)
Luke 23:33-49 (The Crucifixion)
Matthew 27:57-66 (The Burial)

ANTHEM: When Jesus Wept, arr. D. Wagner

Terree will sing “The Crucifixion,” S. Barber. Although some Protestants venerate Mary, her devotional and doctrinal position in the Catholic tradition can feel somewhat foreign to many of us. Barber’s anthem expresses a human side of Mary (and of Jesus Christ) with which everyone can surely empathize. This simple and barest of humanities is often lost in the midst of our Holy Week focus on the Godly power and sacrifice of Jesus Christ:

At the cry of the first bird
They began to crucify Thee, O Swan!
Never shall lament cease because of that.
It was like the parting of day from night.

Ah, sore was the suff’ring borne
By the body of Mary’s Son,
But sorer still to Him was the grief
Which for His sake
Came upon His Mother.

HYMNS:
Martyrdom
Jesus Walked this Lonesome Valley
Beneath the Cross of Jesus
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Were You There?
Jesus, Remember Me

OTHER ITEMS:
Prelude: Le Banquet Celeste, O. Messiaen

He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood dwells in me, and I in him. John 6:56.

Messiaen’s Le Banquet Céleste is a meditation on the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The Eucharist transcends time, as through it we again and again experience the reality of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Music is, of course, among the most time-conscious of the arts. Nonetheless, Messiaen manages to capture the timelessness and “other worldliness” of the sacrament, by separating rhythm from meter. The chord progressions of the piece move so slowly that the work it is nearly devoid of beat, devoid of time.

Messiaen experienced a mild form of synaesthesia, in which sound manifests in color. In other words, he saw color while hearing music, literally. Even for those of us who are not synesthetes, the “colors” of Messiaen’s chords are vivid. His vision of the celestial banquet of the Eucharist was clearly a magnificent one, perhaps reflecting his vision of the love God showed for us through the sacrifice of His son, for the remission of our sin.

Through the lush chords, listen for bursts of sound in the pedal line, like drops of water. And hear the blood of Christ, as it drips to the ground.

Le Banquet Céleste is a profound devotional. Some may find its unusual sonority and notion of time unnerving. Fittingly so, as we prepare to hear the story of Jesus’ last days.

Maundy Thursday Music Notes

On Maundy Thursday we solemnly commemorate and celebrate the Lord’s Last Supper, with washing of hands and the sacrament of Holy Communion.

The feast of Holy Thursday is the oldest of the Holy Week observances. We use it to mark four events: the washing of the Disciples’ feet by Jesus Christ; the Last Supper Jesus shared with the Apostles, through which he gave us His mysterious and timeless ever-presence in our own celebrations of communion; the agony of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, where He watched, prayed, and suffered for our sins on the night before we crucified Him; our betrayal of Jesus Christ through Judas Iscariot.

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 26:20-25; 30-35; John 13, passim.

MEDITATION: The Martyrdom of Andy

HYMNS:
What Wondrous Love
Ah, Holy Jesus
My Jesus I Love Thee
Stay With Us

ANTHEM: When Twilight Comes, arr. R. Farlee. As the words of the anthem describe, on this Holy Thursday evening, as twilight comes, we will be with Christ Jesus; hear His voice and receive His servant care. We will gather ‘round and pray close together, kneeling as one family, embraced in the blessed Trinity.

OTHER ITEMS:
Prelude: Reverie, M. Moussorgsky
Postlude: Traumerei, R. Schumann

The prelude complements the anthem. Like the anthem, it is written in a 2/4 rhythm, with the guitar-like strumming feel of folk-music. The piece ends on the tonic chord, rather than the dominant. This same lack of resolution is perhaps shared with Holy Thursday – when we both delight in the gift of Holy Communion given to us and take comfort in Christ’s healing, but also feel the coming foreboding of that which we acknowledge and recount on Good Friday.

PCUSA on Wages for Musicians

Through the Presbyterian Association of Musicians (PAM) and the office of Theology and Worship in the Congregational Ministries Division, the Presbyterian Church (USA) offers employment guidelines for support of musicians who serve the church.

The PAM suggests entry-level salary ranges, by education level. (For each 10 years of experience, it is recommended that the salary be advanced by one education level.)

To determine salary within the ranges, "categories of service" are suggested. The lowest category is "Functional Church Musician;" the middle category is "Vocational Church Musician"; the highest category is "Pastoral Church Musician." 2PC is searching for someone in this highest category.

Ranges are to be adjusted based on the local cost of living.

The guildines indicate that benefits should be figured at an additional 20-30% of base salary.

On March 31, 2007, 54 job listings were posted on the PAM Job Listings site. Of these, 47 included information on salary.

Of those listings with salary information 79% offered lower bound salaries at or above the ranges suggested by the Presbyterian Church.

2PC is among the 10 churches that have chosen to post job listings with lower bound and/or upper bound salaries below the PAM guidelines.

(These figures include cost of living adjustments for 15 of the 47 observations. In other cases, I simply looked to see if the lowest implied hourly rate in a listing was entirely within or above the guidelines. No adjustment has been made for category of service. This lack of adjustment makes it "easier" for an observation to fall within the guidelines.)

It is more difficult to determine how many churches have chosen to abide the guidelines on benefits, based on information contained in the listings. Of those positions listed at 20+ hours per week, 85% offer major medical insurance. (2PC is among this 85%, and has chosen to follow the benefits guideline.) This figure is at least indicative that many churches abide the benefits as well as the salary guidelines.

The entry-level hourly rate suggested in the guidelines for candidates with a Master's degree is $24.69-$29.75. With a discount for the cost of living in St. Louis (which is 3.2% lower than the national average), this range is $23.90-$28.80.

The entry-level hourly rate sugested in the guidelines for candidates with a Bachelor's degree is $17.25-$24.69. With a cost of living adjustment, this range is $16.70-$23.90.

Our posted salary of $25,000 - $30,000 for 30-40 hours of work weekly (assuming paid vacation) implies an hourly rate of $16.03 - $19.23 (30 hours) or $12.02 - $14.42 (40 hours). Thus, the upper bound of our offered range falls within the suggested rate for candidates with a Bachelor's degree, assuming 30 hours of work (and the lower bound is just a near miss). The posted range does not at all overlap (not even the upper bound) within the suggested rate for candidates with a Master's degree - our preferred candidate.

Third Baptist

I spent the afternoon working at Third Baptist Church with a group of students from the SLU John Cook School of Business.

Third Baptist is blessed with an incredible facility. Our building is significant, but seems almost small relative to Third's. Third Baptist works hard to invite and welcome the community into their space. (They have a tutoring program two days each week - staffed by volunteers from the Service Leadership program at SLU. They plan to expand to four days each week next year.) One of the projects in the works is a large music program for children - with free piano lessons! The facility is filled with pianos - just waiting for little fingers!

Such music programs are especially important for the church. The number of degree-pursuing organ majors is in decline. During the 1985-86 academic year, 728 students were enrolled as organ majors. By 1999-2000, the figure had fallen to 527. The American Guild of Organists (AGO) has a number of programs designed to stimulate interest in the organ and careers in sacred music. Churches can play a vital role in supporting the long-term supply of church musicians. Sacred music programs and strong support for present day musicians are particularly important. Without support today, we are likely to see fewer and fewer young people pursue careers as church musicians.

Here is the AGO's Official Position Statement on the Shortage of Organists in America.

As we worked throughout the afternoon at Third Baptist, I could hear the sounds of the organ. It is too quiet at Second these days. Once a 30 hour per week musician is again on staff, it will be wonderful to hear our Schantz being played and practiced upon throughout the week.