The Little Friar

I don't intend, in these thoughts, to assess the theological content of contemporary worship.  There's enough ink spilt over that, with very few real progresses made in making good observations. But, I intend, rather, to say a few things to make pastors and worship leaders reflect on what we're saying with the phrase "contemporary worship". "Contemporary worship" is first, and perhaps foremost, contemporary .  The age of music doesn't determine its quality -- I'm not enough of a snob to know that all worship music has to sound like Bach -- but I think that this criticism (normally leveled at contemporary worship) really misses the point.  It isn't about quality.  In a world peopled by advertisers and entertainers, "contemporary" is a hurrah word, a marketing tool, branding liturgical music that is fashionable, up-to-date, oozing youthful cool.  Contemporary is young, and young is good.  The desire to make worship more appeal...

One of the most significant practices of my spiritual life has been keeping the Church Year.  And one of the most formative periods of that year has always been Lent.  This hymn is normally, for me, associated with Ash Wednesday.  

Abyssenian Baptist Church in Harlem During the year he lived in the United States (1930) Bonhoeffer attended and taught Sunday School at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem.  It was there at Abyssinian Baptist where Bonhoeffer encountered the gospel and spiritual songs of African-American tradition.  Before leaving the US Bonhoeffer bought a crate of albums of African-American spirituals. This collection became one of Bonhoeffer's most prized possessions and featured prominently in his pastoral ministry.  Bonhoeffer played this music to poor working-class German children in his confirmation class, to his youth group in London, to his college students in Berlin and to the seminarians at Finkenwalde. To quote Bonhoeffer: The most influential contribution made by the Negro to American Christianity lies in the "Negro Spirituals," in which the distress and delivery of the people of Israel ("Go down, Moses . . ."), the misery and consolation of t...

Some years ago (more than I care to count, really), I read Tex Sample's book, White Soul:  Country Music, the Church and Americans , in which he laid out a theology and spirituality of lament for the poor that is country music.  That book had a deep impact on my theological thinking about country music.  I must admit that I've only ever really listened to "classical" country -- dating from before about the mid 80s.  But one of the significant voices from that era who's had a lasting impact on my theology has been Johnny Cash. Cash got his big break in 1954 when he walked into Sam Phillips's Sun Records in Memphis, TN.  Phillips was just starting out and his big client at the time was the young Elvis Presley.  Cash would eventually be the second great star of Sun Records, followed by the signings of Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison, helping Sam Phillips carve out and shape the sound of early Rock 'N Roll. " I Walk the Line " was one of Johnny Ca...

It's a well known fact that Karl Barth began his day with breakfast, coffee, the newspaper, and Mozart.  In my estimation that's why he was the theologian he was:  His wisdom in listening to Mozart each day before he began his work.  Productive minds spring from the ground of productive soil.  And nothing feeds the mind like excellent music (and it also feeds the soul).  So, which compositions are essential for theologians?  What are the compositions not only without which theologians cannot do their work, but without which life itself becomes frivolous and empty? 1.  Mozart's Requiem (KV 626) 2.  Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, 4th Movement (Ode to Joy) 3.  Michael Haydn's Divertimento In C Major For Violin, Cello, & B.C. (P99) [3] Menuet 4.  Mozart's Symphony in No. 32 in G major (KV 318) 5.  Michael Haydn's Symphony Number 18 6.  Michael Haydn's Symphony Number 26 7.  Mozart's Clarinet Concerto A Major, (KV 622) -- I. A...