Preach it!
It's always interesting when you talk to a whole bunch of UUs about God. Or Spirit. Or really, anything that has to do with stereotypical evangelistic Christianity-- a background that a lot of our congregants left to join UU.
For Martin Luther King Sunday, my choir was asked to prepare some spirituals and some good moving songs that honor the spiritual practises of Martin Luther King, Jr. I explained to my choir the frustration I have with Martin Luther King's Day: that even though we've taken the steps to abolish both institutional segregation of ethnicities and slavery, the interpersonal segregation--of people who are a different color of skin, or who are differently abled, or of differing sexual orientations-- or the slavery of people who don't have the opportunity to escape lower or middle class lifestyles because of financial situations.... even though we've taken these steps to improve institutional equality, there is much work still to be done until we can even consider all people even close to equal.
It's frustrating.
We pulled out the hymns and the choir piece for this Sunday, and had some light fun with them. We dissected the parts (something the congregation doesn't do for hymns... but it's always cool to hear, so I like to have the choir do it) for the hymns, and then pulled out Singing the Journey #1024: "When the Spirit Says Do".
You got to do when the spirit says Do*,
You got to do when the spirit says Do,
When the spirit says Do, you got to Do, Oh, Lord!
You got to Do when the spirit says DO!
The asterisk has a note. Note: replace "do" with other words: sing, dance, laugh, shout, etc.
The choir asks about the verses for the piece, and what I'd like to sing. I dictate: "First verse, we sing 'do'. Second Verse, we sing 'sing'. Third verse, we sing 'Preach', and fourth verse, we recap with 'do'. Everyone Cool?" I looked up from my music to some uncomfortable, in-the-seat shifting. "Oh, good gravy," I thought. "It's gonna be the freaking 'Lord' thing, again." I asked, "Guys, really, what's up?"
One of my basses responded with hesitated air, "Preach isn't one of the words in the hymn." "Right," I said, really relieved I didn't have to stop on the GodBox again, "but it's a verb, and it fits perfectly."
"How do you figure?"
I knew it was soapbox time. A lot of people don't realise it, but yes, Music Directors do get a chance to take a stand, form an opinion, and voice it. Whether or not they take that chance is up to them-- but me, I figure I should get into the habit now. This is my stance.
Preaching is not something a lot of UUs are comfortable with, and it's because of the background many of us come from-- where, to preach is to dictate the absolute and only correct belief in the world. That dogma, and any words or behaviors that are associated with that dogma are things that we love to reject in the spirit of our "different" religion. But the true sense of the word, without all the connotations, means to advocate with enthusiasm. I think, that we can all agree that inherent worth and dignity of each and every person, and a free and responsible search for an individual's own Truth and Meaning are worthwhile things to advocate. I also think that most of us want to see Unitarian Universalism grow, and the works done in accordance to our principals grow. But how can we grow if we don't get out there and advocate them, if we don't burn about something, if we don't, in turn, preach?
I can understand any discomfort surrounding this word-- "Preach"-- and if you'd like to talk with me about it after choir rehearsal, please, please do.
Nobody complained, or asked to talk to me afterwards-- in fact, from that point, they had a certain gained affinity and appreciation for the piece. While sometimes I aim to press little buttons here and there-- I tend to do foreign songs that directly translated have 'God' in them, expecting the choir to ask if they have to sing God (I respond that if they can directly and accurately translate their words into Zulu/Swahili, we might do it...)-- there are certain buttons that are landmines moreso than buttons: they're unplanned for, and when you land on one, you know it. Sometimes landing on one makes you think quickly and instinctually about where you stand in faith.
(Read more entries like this at my professional blog: www.uupolyhymnia.com)
For Martin Luther King Sunday, my choir was asked to prepare some spirituals and some good moving songs that honor the spiritual practises of Martin Luther King, Jr. I explained to my choir the frustration I have with Martin Luther King's Day: that even though we've taken the steps to abolish both institutional segregation of ethnicities and slavery, the interpersonal segregation--of people who are a different color of skin, or who are differently abled, or of differing sexual orientations-- or the slavery of people who don't have the opportunity to escape lower or middle class lifestyles because of financial situations.... even though we've taken these steps to improve institutional equality, there is much work still to be done until we can even consider all people even close to equal.
It's frustrating.
We pulled out the hymns and the choir piece for this Sunday, and had some light fun with them. We dissected the parts (something the congregation doesn't do for hymns... but it's always cool to hear, so I like to have the choir do it) for the hymns, and then pulled out Singing the Journey #1024: "When the Spirit Says Do".
You got to do when the spirit says Do*,
You got to do when the spirit says Do,
When the spirit says Do, you got to Do, Oh, Lord!
You got to Do when the spirit says DO!
The asterisk has a note. Note: replace "do" with other words: sing, dance, laugh, shout, etc.
The choir asks about the verses for the piece, and what I'd like to sing. I dictate: "First verse, we sing 'do'. Second Verse, we sing 'sing'. Third verse, we sing 'Preach', and fourth verse, we recap with 'do'. Everyone Cool?" I looked up from my music to some uncomfortable, in-the-seat shifting. "Oh, good gravy," I thought. "It's gonna be the freaking 'Lord' thing, again." I asked, "Guys, really, what's up?"
One of my basses responded with hesitated air, "Preach isn't one of the words in the hymn." "Right," I said, really relieved I didn't have to stop on the GodBox again, "but it's a verb, and it fits perfectly."
"How do you figure?"
I knew it was soapbox time. A lot of people don't realise it, but yes, Music Directors do get a chance to take a stand, form an opinion, and voice it. Whether or not they take that chance is up to them-- but me, I figure I should get into the habit now. This is my stance.
Preaching is not something a lot of UUs are comfortable with, and it's because of the background many of us come from-- where, to preach is to dictate the absolute and only correct belief in the world. That dogma, and any words or behaviors that are associated with that dogma are things that we love to reject in the spirit of our "different" religion. But the true sense of the word, without all the connotations, means to advocate with enthusiasm. I think, that we can all agree that inherent worth and dignity of each and every person, and a free and responsible search for an individual's own Truth and Meaning are worthwhile things to advocate. I also think that most of us want to see Unitarian Universalism grow, and the works done in accordance to our principals grow. But how can we grow if we don't get out there and advocate them, if we don't burn about something, if we don't, in turn, preach?
I can understand any discomfort surrounding this word-- "Preach"-- and if you'd like to talk with me about it after choir rehearsal, please, please do.
Nobody complained, or asked to talk to me afterwards-- in fact, from that point, they had a certain gained affinity and appreciation for the piece. While sometimes I aim to press little buttons here and there-- I tend to do foreign songs that directly translated have 'God' in them, expecting the choir to ask if they have to sing God (I respond that if they can directly and accurately translate their words into Zulu/Swahili, we might do it...)-- there are certain buttons that are landmines moreso than buttons: they're unplanned for, and when you land on one, you know it. Sometimes landing on one makes you think quickly and instinctually about where you stand in faith.
(Read more entries like this at my professional blog: www.uupolyhymnia.com)