My view
ual congregation activities two pages. Small photos. As my grandson would
say, “Lame.” Annette Sell Hanover, Pa.
One church I greatly appreciate the article “Deeper understandings” on the use of “catholic church” in the Apostles’ Creed (Decem- ber, page 20). However, I sense that it is above the heads of many J.Q. Pew- sitters. I’ve repeatedly heard comments like, “I’m not Catholic” (I know they mean the denomination), or “We are Lutheran.” How far amiss am I to try to instill that Christ instituted one holy Christian or universal/catholic church. The basic belief in Christ as the one sent by God to redeem is believed by the uni- versal/catholic church, and it is denomi- nationalism that has brought us to think- ing in terms of churches separated by
differences more than united in Christ. The Rev. Donavan E. Doerfer Lakeville, Ohio
Stick to the basics Our church offers the peace, truth, compassion and hope in the liturgy and hymns of the sages. The Lutheran Book of Worship is a treasure house. No fads needed here, just doing all well so we can find the word in each segment of our powerful worship. Let us not be caught up in what the world thinks is important and water down our
worship opportunities. Adele Lindberg Elgin, S.C.
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I
Scott is director of music at First Evangelical Lutheran Church, Decatur, Ill.
By Milton Scott
Traditional & familiar Let’s be open to being family
have been Lutheran since 1969. A transplanted “Con- greMethodTyrian,” I have experienced many worship styles and traditions. Surveys about worship offer wide
opinions and this is healthy. However, the words tradi- tional and familiar are controversial in choosing music for worship.
As an example, my family opens presents on Christmas
Day after a night of worship. The Sanchez family waits until Las Posadas, Jan. 6, for their gift giving. The Smiths exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, then attend Christmas Day service. Each family has its own tradition, and none is wrong. The reason for the season is still there. As you sit next to that new person on Sunday, what hymns and traditions are familiar to her? (The entire Zim- babwe song collection is familiar to me.) A parishioner once said to me that he didn’t like the
With One Voice book because it was full of unfamil- iar hymns. I pointed out that “Balm in Gilead,” “What a Fellowship,” “Day by Day” and “Shall We Gather at the River” were familiar to my grandparents. Are you familiar with Seinfeld? Not me. It always aired on choir nights. The word familiar, along with tradition, can hang us up in our church relationships.
How does one become familiar with the music of
worship? Were you familiar with the red Service Book and Hym- nal … was that a yes or a no? My children are not—the green Lutheran Book of Worship is two years older than my 32-year-old son. And how about the book before the SBH? Some of you remember that tent meetings were not places at the mall to buy cars. Evangelical Lutheran Worship is packed with a variety
of songs and hymns, many of which are familiar and tradi- tional to someone out there in the pew. My point is this: As we all try to explore being in a con- gregation that desires to worship well as a family, whether choosing from two or three service styles, we must real- ize that we are individually diverse. That is our tradition. As a family, we become familiar with these differences through experiences based on Christian tolerance and openness.
Let us move forward to make our parishes centers of
our family time together, perhaps creating a new tradition: one of tolerance, wholeness of purpose and becoming, again, a family—the family of God.
February 2013 49
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