suffering a great loss. The composer of the hymn was named Cleland Boyd McAfee. In 1901, his two nieces died from a disease called diphtheria. Today we have shots that doctors give children to protect them from this disease, but in 1901 there was no vaccine to help boys and girls stay healthy. Rev. McAfee was a pastor and a choir director. He wanted to help console his family, so he prayed and sought God’s help for words to share. The words and music seemed to flow from his own heart: “There is a place of quiet rest near to the heart of God.” Each line of the song reminds us of the one and only place we can go when nothing else can console us – the heart of God. And prayer is how we find our way.
When we pray during worship, we are
Books
taking time to make a place in our hearts for God to enter and take us to God’s own heart to receive what we need. Rev. McAfee’s hymn, Near to the Heart of God, spells out for us what God’s consoling is like. Let’s put the words into the pillow before we close it to help us remember what God gives: quiet rest, comfort sweet, full release, joy and peace.
[Let the children insert each of the corresponding hearts as the ideas are expressed.]
We can tie these last few strips of fabric to hold those words in place.
[Demonstrate completing the fringe on the pillow.]
As we pray during worship, let’s remem- ber that Jesus holds us “near to the heart of God.”
Recommended by The Rev. Dr. George H. Carpenter, a retired member of the New York Annual Conference, living in Mechanicsburg, PA.
Adventure in Music Ministry, Roger
Wayne Hicks, Enumclaw, WA: Pleasant Word Press, 2009, 160 pp. with appendices. To order, call 1-877-421-7323.
Roger and Jean Hicks share their story in
music ministry. My first reaction was: “Here we go again, another success story.” I was pleas- antly surprised to find it was mostly a spiritual journey of this couple. Their roots are in the Christian Missionary Alliance Church, and then spread, through music ministry, to the United Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist traditions. One of the compelling aspects of their journey is their growth from the gospel tradition of the CMA to embrace other musical expressions of faith, from standard hymns to classical music and to contemporary expressions of church music. Equally compelling was the diversity of interests they bring to church music in the variety of settings they served.
As a retired clergyman I was intrigued by the relationship Roger shared with the pastors and the stresses they experienced in their ministries. This sharing benefits us in seeing that ministry, especially in larger staff situa- tions, is a team effort. Senior pastors, music directors, and educators are involved together in service to the church community. This point is positively affirmed!
WORSHIP ARTS • JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2010
All the chapters end with two questions: “What if” and “Can you relate?” The “What if” question leads to an exploration of alternatives they may have chosen. It is a question we can raise in terms of our ministries: “What if we had taken a different alternative? Where would we be?” “Can you relate?” allows us, as readers, to add our journey to theirs. Both are effective questions, making this a worthwhile read. My only complaint is that we learn more about their sons and families than is necessary. But this is minor. I recommend this book to enhance your understanding of how music ministry is a calling.
From Glory Into Glory: Reflections for
Worship, Susan Palo Cherwien, St. Louis, MO: Morning Star Music Publishers, 2009, 381 pp., with bibliography and four indices, $24.95. These blank verse writings were originally to be used in hymn festival settings. They incorporate pieces of scripture, story, and theology to be integrated with the music we sing. You can visualize how they are utilized in the hymn festival outlines provided in the index. The reflections, on their own, open us to our individual spiritual journey. I found several of these reflections useful in meeting with Clinical Pastoral Experience students in a non-musical setting, and they can be used in many others. They enable us to explore our faith understand- ing when planning hymn festivals, serving as bridges with what we sing. Hymn selections are indexed to major denominational hymnals, and an index of appropriate choral music is pro- vided. This is a very creative resource for music directors and pastors, especially those who have not planned hymn festival services.
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