A day.
March 1, 2006
- A Midterm Exam for Worship & the Reformed Tradition: felt a bit like a hypocrite: writing answers to case studies concerning the Eucharist that were 100% right according to the PCUSA Book of Order, answers that I know PCUSA pastors would have a problem doing in a church, and that was, interesting…
- Finally finished a series of days of activities with my Field Ed. Not more hours than other peers of mine have, but a huge increase in time compared to what I normally have scheduled - tired.
- An email from a professor basically calling me out on skipping class and not coming prepared - an honest reply - a heartfelt reply back. Things are fine, but who likes to be called out on things like that?
- A conversation with someone who will play a direct role in my
potential future as a PCUSA minister that was frustrating,
stress-producing, unfair in many respects and one of those phone calls
that causes you to ask, "What the hell am I doing in this process?" - Realizing all that needs to happen between now and the end of the semester with work, field ed., school, wedding planning.
And then…a chance to sneak into the back of the sanctuary at Nassau Church as they hosted the Alma College Choir Concert,
a chance to sneak away into the realm of acapella choral music, a world
that I love, a world that I could get lost in, a chance to close my
eyes, breathe and realize there are bigger things and more important
things. A phone call to the woman who loves me, and her calm
reassurance that we’d figure out how to maneuver through all of this. A
chance to share fellowship with men who are all strugglers and a chance
to pray for one another. Finally, a phone call again with my partner and then the bed. Such was this day.
Posted in General
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Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
March 1st, 2006 at 10:40 am
Adam:
Here’s a decidedly NON-pomomusing: Why would you want to get your ticket punched to join a bunch of hypocritical PC(USA)pastors who can’t/won’t/don’t follow the Eucharistic practices set out in the Book of Order?
Derek
March 1st, 2006 at 11:06 am
Just curious as to what aspects of Communion/Book of Order you were refering. Derek’s comments seem a bit harsh. I’m a PC(USA) pastor, and would just like to know why I am a hypocrite in his eyes. Jesus didn’t have a Book of Order. Not so sure he would have followed it if he did. Besides, there’s the whole “reformed and always being reformed according to the Word of God” thing.
March 1st, 2006 at 11:22 am
Derek - (why I feel a need to defend this, I have NO clue)
But it should be understood that just because an answer to a “case study” fits with the Book of Order, it doesn’t mean it would be easy to work. The Book of Order is concerned with - well - order. But the situations that you must address have implications both in that and on the human realm. Case in point:
Music Director wants to play a Bach piece (40 minutes in Italian) for Palm/Passion Sunday. He says to do so you should drop the sermon. What do you do?
Well, in Reformed Worship we need to have a sermon - something that expounds on the Word read. So, his idea doesn’t fly. Now, if your answer is: “Tell the Music Director that he has no authority to determine what music is sung or eliminate the sermon” then you’ve provided an answer that is fine by the Book but difficult for any sain pastor to do.
So… having written the same exam as Adam, I can say he may not be saying that PC(USA) pastors are hypocrites, but that following BOTH the Book of Order and being pastoral in many situations is very tough, and its easier to just “throw the book” at someone, tell them they’re wrong (or whatever is necessary) and to it the “right” way. Of course, no pastor worth his or her salt should EVER feel good about that.
Now, if Adam meant something different by his comment, that’s for him to day, but I don’t think it’s exactly fair to infer that PC(USA) pastors are especially hypocritical - at least no more than any other denomination… which come to think of it probably means that they all ARE big hypocrites - just as ALL of us Christians are…
March 1st, 2006 at 11:25 am
Wow. I have to run to class right now so I can’t comment. But I’m wondering WHEN I ever called a PCUSA pastor a hypocrite in my post? Let’s read that post again…
…if it was inferred, that’s incorrect. I meant that “I” was the one who felt hypocritical.
March 1st, 2006 at 12:10 pm
Adam, I was refering to Derek’s use of the term. I understood what you meant, because I have taken those same exams and felt the same way. Just wondering why Derek lumped together “a bunch of hypocritical PC(USA) pastors who can’t/won’t/don’t follow the Eucharistic practices set out in the Book of Order.”
March 1st, 2006 at 1:49 pm
There’s just a whole bad vibe going around on this blog lately.
What’s the deal?
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:10 am
hang in there, friend.
I should say, hang in there *and* drop out.
;-)
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 am
hang in there, friend.
I should say, hang in there *and* drop out.
I’d echo the first part… That second part, not sure… :)
I remember once in college when I used a word incorrectly (irregardless, which isn’t a word) and was called out for it by a teacher I loved. Ugh. No fun. Had a good conversation about it in his office later.
Keep up the good work, Adam. Seminary is hard. The discernment process towards ministry (or whatever it is you are discerning towards) is hard too. Pray a lot. And trust in God’s good gifts to you.
ObDon’s Post: There are pastoral ways of applying the BOO that are important to consider, and frankly when I took my Standard Ords they were looking for both my knowledge of the BOO and my pastoral application/interpretation of it. In your example, the word can be understood through music as well as through speech, and one could reasonably argue that, since it is the Holy Spirit that makes the reception of the word effective in the hearer’s heart, whether the Word is spoken by the pastor or presented by the choir, they could both be seen as The Word for that sunday… (W-2.2008, noting what is in W-2.2007, see also W-3.3101 (3) and W-3.3401 (d) “or other forms authorized by the Session and by the pastor”.)
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Kairos - good word, I wholeheartedly agree. Being pastoral AND following the BoO is what needs to be done. I was just trying to throw a bone towards Adam’s comments and the insinuation by Derek of hypocracy.
Concerning the question I posed though, here are a few rebuttals [all in good fun of course]
W-2.2008 “should exercise care that the gospel is faithfully presented in ways through which the people of Goid may receive and respond.” - hard to do if no one understands the language (it’s the whole argument for the Word in the vernacular)
W-2.2007 “sermon should presnet the cospel with simplicty and clarity, in language which can be understood by the people” - can’t get any clearer.
W-3.3101 (3) agreed, but must follow the preceding as interpretation of Scripture
W-3.3401 (d) again, agreed - but must be understandable as stated above
Music can indeed be a valid sermon, functioning in that way, but, as was the case in the scenario, if it’s all in Italian, or another language that is unintelligible to the congregation, it does not function properly as such.
By the way, where the heck this is all coming from is beyond me. I’m the guy who would rather hear David Crowder lead us through worship than read prayers out of the Book of Common Worship… I really had just tried to throw out a simple example. But you have proven how difficult any of this is. Two people can take the same words and interpret them differently because of their preconceived notions and foundational beliefs… shall we move onto Scripture?
*grin*
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:26 pm
Breathing is good. You are a great guy and it will all work out (even if it doesn’t). Take care.
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Kairos - forgot to add this:
Irregardless of our differences, I’m sure we can agree that worshipping God is a good thing… *wink*
March 2nd, 2006 at 12:47 pm
Sounds like you ought to join an accapella group Adam - I know a couple good ones. Emergent Acapella. Now that would be cutting edge, or would it be oximoronic?
I hear the PC(USA) is still ordaining folks to that ministry too . It’s real hot up here in the burgeoning churches of the Northwest, where our music ministries have been left void by the disappearance of Grunge. ) - :
Don’t drop out Adam, we need your voice! (pun fully intended.)
March 2nd, 2006 at 1:28 pm
Don–
Yes, worship of God is a great thing. Part (in my interpreation at least) of the chief end of (hu)man(s).
The italian thing sure gets in the way, assuming the congregation doesn’t understand italian. We presbyterians never did do much glossolia.
I assume that most music for Worship is thematically tied to the scripture of the day, or the Word meant to be proclaimed. I don’t know the Bach piece in question, but its connection to Palm/Passion Sunday might be germane. Interpretive text in the bulletin could suffice. *smile*
Point is simply that there are interpretive matters here, and ways to get at fulfilling the spirit of the BOO. These matters in the Directory for Worship are meant to provide accessibility and understanding to the word–spoken and proclaimed. As we are understanding a generational change in how people access and experience worship–from mainly aural to mainly visual, from mainly logical thought to something that stresses more experiential thought–how that accessibility works is going to shift too. And perhaps more musical interpreations of the word, at least in combination with the spoken sermon, might be more of what is in store. But I’ve not time now for a lengthy debate on ‘understanding’. Maybe next week. *smile*
(Jack might not be that far off–Emergent A Capella) :)
ObGrunge: Check out what bad christian found…
March 2nd, 2006 at 6:59 pm
It is always much easier to speak from the “other side”. By “other side” I mean having jumped through the hoops and become ordained…. At that point violations of the Book of Order in this regard seem to become slaps on the wrist rather than consequential to your career….A little hopeful cynicism there for you and a statement of caution for you all to agree too much with what I am saying…
Anyway, with that said, let me interject that I look forward to the day when our Book of Order is not the “unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ and God’s word to us today”. I look forward to that role being returned to Holy Scripture as it is illumined by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer and the community of faith so that we can break free of the box of worship by legislation.
Because, if I were free to, I would say that there are some anthems that are so compelling, so inspired, so exegetical, so woven with Scripture, that to say anything before or after they are sung would take away from the Word being “rightly preached”.
Well, now I’ve opened myself to target practice…
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:16 pm
Because, if I were free to, I would say that there are some anthems that are so compelling, so inspired, so exegetical, so woven with Scripture, that to say anything before or after they are sung would take away from the Word being “rightly preached”.
I’m not sure I’d disagree with that experience… Not at all…
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Because, if I were free to, I would say that there are some anthems that are so compelling, so inspired, so exegetical, so woven with Scripture, that to say anything before or after they are sung would take away from the Word being “rightly preached”.
Kyle~
I quite agree…and I would hasten to say that ‘irregardless’ of the language, the Holy Spirit can speak to hearts thru the power of the music, and of course, it is always wonderful to have the intrepretive text to read alongside listening to the music.
A powerful example for me was hearing Brahms German Requiem for the first time, sung in German. Even without the English text in front of me, the music ministered deeply to my soul.
As a confirmed lover of choral music, I have to endorse the idea of
Emergent A Cappella!
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:49 pm
I like the idea actually of a completely sung worship. Might force we pastors to reconcile with our music directors and work together dependent on each other.
As to Emergent A Cappella….amen!