Thanksgiving service.During her homily Pastor Michelle asked us to share what we are thankful for. Many of us were thankful for individual members or all of their family. Chris and Susie shared a picture of a tree which those who attended their wedding had signed. Katie shared her first pair of dancing shoes. Bob shared a thank you note one of the student he had helped had written him.
The choir performed two pieces Sing The Beauty of the Earth and For The Beauty of the Earth. Similar titles, very different compositions.
This is not the first time the choir has sung these works. They were chosen by Matt, this season's choir director, from Creator's music library.
I have been a member of Creator's choir longer than I have been a congregation member. We have always had a good representation of choir members who are not officially Creator members. When I joined the choir was different than it is now, which is to be expected. Participation has, to a certain extent, decreased.
I know we are not alone in losing some core members in our church choir. The people around me don’t sing in our lives the way we once did. I grew up singing in home, in school and church every week. Now, many people think they are not good enough to sing, Add that together with people who have moved or are no longer attending Creator for other reasons and the decline is traceable.
There are, of course, other reasons which have less to do with Creator as an individual church and more to do with other current cultural trends. To name a few:
- Choir music seems staid in comparison to other music we constantly hear around us. It is tempting to trade traditional choir for more contemporary ensembles.
- Money. Music is an area that can be cut when dollars are scarce in the plate. I know personally this is happening in other congregations besides Creator.
- At Creator Wednesdays used to be a night for church activities. At a high point there was confirmation, book group and choir. This attracted parents, children and those who needed more than one activity to make going to church seem worthwhile.
We have music leaders during worship. I am one of them and would not detract from what we try to give the congregation. Many of us are in the choir yet there s a marked difference in how the choir supports congregational singing over worship leaders. This starts with physical presence. Worship is not a time or place for encouraging our individual relationship to God but rather focus on a congregational voice. There is something about a choir that accomplishes this in a very unique way, visually and musically.
Choir also has unique gifts in expanding the congregational music repertoire. More difficult and complex music to the greater congregation by leading corporate singing, since choirs have the benefit of outside rehearsal time, I wholeheartedly believe Christians have a singing tradition. If they don't it feels like something critical is lost. Creator values music and the choir has helped keep people connected to the faith.
Choir, for me at its best, has been a preaching and praying group, proclaiming God’s self-revelation, to which the congregation can listen, meditate, and give a heartfelt response to God. Their contribution adds creative artistry and beauty to a worship service. The profound poverty of artistry and imagination found in our culture’s popular musical output is staggering, My wife heard about the “Hillsongization” of Christians gathered worship and didn't know exactly what was being talked about. I told her about the Christian top hits and Hillsong music despite being popular or because of it meant singing in the church – both the songs that are sung and the style of music becomes more and more similar and less challenging. Everything becomes obligatory in how music is chosen and presented.
She knew exactly what I was talking about.
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