Old South Church
Boston MA 02116
http://www.oldsouth.org
What's inside?
Praise: Our Vocation
By Gregory Peterson
From a homily presented at the Center for Faith and Life, Luther
College, March 10, 2003
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
As far back as I can remember singing and making music has been the primary vehicle for praise in my life. I suppose I shouldn’t take it for granted, in as much as I grew up in a household where music and worship was inextricably linked. My father, a Lutheran pastor, imparted to me from the beginning of my life his love for the great music of the church – hymns, choral music, and especially the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach. My mother claims, in fact, that this started in utero, as it was during the early months of her pregnancy that she and my father were traveling in Europe with a small choir from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. The men were singing concerts of sacred music in many of the great houses of worship in Europe and, at each venue, my father would seek out the titular organist and request to hear something by Bach. My mother also claims that my penchant for fine wine and cheese can also be traced to those three months in the summer of 1960, but that is a different matter altogether!
One of the first hymns I learned as a toddler was Martin Luther’s “Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” (Erhalt uns, Herr). I also learned “All Praise to You, My God, This Night” (Tallis’ Canon), “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” (Lobe den Herren) and the great hymn of praise attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “All Creatures of Our God and King” (Lasst uns erfreuen). My parents sang me to sleep at night with these treasures of the church’s song. It wasn’t long before I sang them on my own, especially on street corners for everyone to hear!
At about age three, I became fascinated with a particular fugue subject by Bach, and was frequently heard singing it around the house. I picked it up from the repeated playing of an LP of the late E. Power Biggs, recorded on one of the historic organs of North Germany.
Our singing at home was amplified by singing in church each Sunday. There is nothing more stirring than a congregation of the faithful engaged in song. It is unique in all of music making. As the German theologian Dietrich Bonhöffer wrote in Life Together:
It is the voice of the Church that is heard in singing together.
It is not you that sings, it is the church that is singing,
And you, as a member of the Church, may share in its song.
Choirs, as the rehearsed voices of the congregation, are also an integral part of worship and praise. With me, as I suspect it was with many of you, choral singing began in the lower elementary grades and continued through high school and college. I am indebted, in my vocation, to the wonderful choirs that I heard and sang with, not least of which is the Nordic Choir here at Luther, and to the dedicated and inspired directors who instilled in me their own vocation of praise and love of music. But the call to praise in Psalm 150 admonishes everything that breathes to praise the Lord. As Bonhöffer puts it, “be it feeble or good,” everyone singing together “willingly and gladly” adds to the song of the Church.
I believe our vocation as Christians is shaped first and foremost through worship and that participation in this liturgy with its hymnody and music is fundamental to a life of service and praise. Specifically, it plays a crucial role in the vocational formation of the church musician. It is here, for example – in this place we call the Center for Faith and Life – where worship shapes and informs daily living. I can hardly believe that it was 20 years ago that I was preparing for my Senior Recital, March 26, 1983. During that time, as a student, I was here in chapel every day being challenged and fed. When I wasn’t sitting in the first row, I was on the bench of the mighty Sipe organ as a student chapel organist or in the balcony with the Nordic Choir or Collegium Musicum. Here, in this CFL, is played the great organ literature of the ages. Here is sung the whole body of great hymns of the church. Here resounds the timeless sound of choral voices. Here are inspirational and thoughtful talks from a diverse cross section of the community. Here is a vital arts and community program that is so tied to the mission of the college. And I would be remiss in not lifting up the indefatigable Professor William Kuhlman, whose artistry, ministry of music in this chapel, and expert mentoring over 35 years of teaching encouraged me and many others in this vocation.
One of the strengths of the Lutheran tradition as manifest here at Luther College is that it encourages a sense of vocation – discerning one’s responsibility to benefit the larger community in every area of ones’ life. It also supports music and the arts as integral to what it means to be human.
Vocation comes from the Latin root meaning calling. Vocare: to call; also related to the Latin vox or voice. The Psalter can perhaps be considered the first hymnal. The Hebrew title of the book, Tehillim, means “hymns” or “songs of praise.” In it we find the myriad range of human emotions: songs of thanksgiving, rejoicing, prayer and lament. The formation of the Psalter occurred throughout Israel’s history and was a long and complex process. It seems no accident; however, that Psalm 150 was put at the end as a great doxology. It is a hymn of praise in which all of creation is called to glorify God. The last Psalm is indeed a call to sing the praise of God. It emphasizes the call to praise and the universality of that praise in all the earth, by every creature, and with every instrument that can make music.
As Old Testament scholar Artur Weiser puts it, “In praising God the meaning of the world is fulfilled. To praise the abundance of [God’s] power is the purpose which links together the most diverse voices in heaven and on earth in a tremendous symphonic hymn of praise.”
As members of the Church, as we join that hymn of praise, we bear witness to God’s marvelous deeds; to God’s working of grace for us and for our salvation, which at the same time implies the salvation of the whole world. This is our vocation.
Let everything that breathes
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Amen!
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
Praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
Praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes
Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! -- Psalm 150
To you, God the Singer, our voices we raise,
To you, Song Incarnate, we give all our praise,
To you, Holy Spirit, our life and our breath,
Be glory for ever, though life and through death. Amen. -- Peter
W. A. Davison
Let every instrument be tuned for praise!
Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise!
And may God give us faith to sing always Alleluia!
Amen!
[Fred Pratt Green]
Like Spring Without Flowers:
Older Women Share Their Stories
by Janet Eldred, PhD
[Excerpt from the new book, Like Spring Without Flowers, Why Older
Women and Churches Need Each Other.]
I want to share some stories with you. Some are stories of delight, joy and spiritual well-being. Others are stories of disappointment, anger and spiritual pain. Still others are stories of determination and hope. All of them are the stories of older churchgoing women that I have come to know.
Speak with any five older women at your local church about their experiences there, and you are likely to get a mix of reactions similar to these:
“We aren’t valued by younger people in society today I don’t think. We’re dismissed as we’ve had our life and that’s it. Luckily, it isn’t so in the church as much. The attitude is different.” (Dora)
“We went into this fellowship group where we didn’t know the people, and I thought, ‘We’re going to be years ahead of everybody else’. I sat next to a young lad; he’d only be in his early 20s, I think. And at the end, after we’d been talking about something, he said, ‘Isn’t it lovely to have older people in the group! They can tell us such a lot’. I could’ve hugged him!” (Rebecca)
“You see, in the churches I’ve been in, it’s always been the elderly, the grey-haired people that have kept the churches going. They’ll do the cooking, they’ll help wash the dishes, they’ll lay the tables, they’ll do all these jobs. And we all love doing it. It gives us an incentive. It gives us something to look forward to. So it is helping us, you see. It keeps us alive. It keeps us living. It keeps us feeling that we are wanted, we are needed.” (Winnie)
“You’ve come into a new church as an older person, having moved from somewhere else, and perhaps somebody will put you onto a committee. And some members say, ‘Oh, but they’re new to the church’. But you’re not new to the church. You’re new to that church, but you’re not new to the church as a whole.” (Karen)
“You’ve got to belong. That’s part of your Christian faith. You have to belong. You can’t live out a Christian life as a sole unit; it just doesn’t work that way. You’ve got to belong. Even though it may become more difficult as time goes by, and you find you don’t belong in the church. I mean for me, well, without any church connection, it would be like spring without flowers.” (Mary)
By now, we are all familiar with reports informing us that older people are the fastest growing population group. We are also likely to be aware that older people are a substantial and growing proportion of the churchgoing population. Many people will know two additional facts: among older people as a group, older women outnumber older men at every age, and older women constitute a majority of the membership of many churches. Intriguingly, older people also form a large proportion of church leavers, and they usually leave because they don’t feel part of the church.
Ageism
There is nothing about growing older that can or should separate any
member from the Christian community. Judeo-Christian teaching holds up
older people and enjoins younger members of society to honor them (e.g.
Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:32). Added to this, Jesus’ bias towards marginalized
and silenced persons within the broader community, as well as his charging
his followers to do likewise, gives the church an imperative to counter
society’s ageism by listening to and empowering older people. Consequently,
there is a view, held by both those inside and outside the Christian community,
that the church gives older members high status; the reality, however,
is often quite different.
Sadly, ageism is alive and well in structures and attitudes in Christian churches today, as two examples will show. First, while church leaders are vocal about the need to attract young people to the faith in order to guarantee the Church’s future, there is a corresponding silence when it comes to encouraging older people to join. This is because it is believed that to do so would make churches unattractive to younger people. Second, there is a tendency for many clergy (and some churchgoers—including older people themselves) to apologize for the “disproportionately” large numbers of older people in their congregations. At the same time, older members who attend services infrequently or not at all as a result of poor health, mobility problems, or lack of transportation often struggle with isolation, even with a sense of rejection by the church community. Thus, being seen too often and in too great numbers inspires negativity from many church leaders and members, while not being seen at all on a Sunday morning can bring an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” response. It seems ageism strikes and wounds older people whichever path they tread. Their contributions—often considerable—are overlooked, downplayed, or negated.
Older churchgoing women and their stories. Older women face the added difficulty of not being heard because they are women, living in a society that often dismisses women’s views. Many older women keep their opinions to themselves because they believe they won’t be listened to or taken seriously, or because a perceived lack of eloquence makes them reluctant to speak. How easy it is, then, for churches to relegate older women to the background!
We know very little about older women in churches. What information we do have is mostly about older churchgoers in general and is not distinguished by gender. What we can say with certainty is that, for the majority of older women, churchgoing is a habit not to be shaken lightly. It has been a part of daily living for most of their lives. In addition to worship services, churchgoing has always included a social aspect. Sunday schools, youth clubs, young wives groups and ladies fellowships provided opportunities to meet with people when there were few places for young women of these generations to socialize outside the family. Yet, despite their numerical strength and many years of involvement, older women today are frequently invisible to their fellow members, the clergy and church hierarchies.
The women who speak in these pages are 65 years of age and older; that is, they were born prior to the outbreak of WWII. Although there are different generations within this group, there are certain characteristics they all share. They were, for example, all brought up to respect the established authority of church and state. The oldest women, born at the start of the twentieth century, have lived through radical changes in technology, politics, the welfare state, health care, life expectancy rates and immigration, and have witnessed the advent of a religiously and culturally pluralistic society. All of the women recall ‘an era when few formal sources of support were available and neighbors and friends depended mutually on one another’.
At the same time, their views are shaped not only by the events of the world into which they have been born, lived and grown old but by their individual experiences and circumstances. During our conversations, they discussed the various communities (such as family, neighborhood and local church) of which they are members, their connections with others, their feelings of exclusion and belonging, their experience of being older women and the role of caring in their lives. What emerged was a picture of a diverse group of unique individuals who nevertheless shared many joys and frustrations in common, and for whom the local church was a key part of their lives.
The 3 C’s: community, connection and caring. As a Christian feminist, I am excited by the ideas emerging from feminist theology. They help me form my questions, and they shape my own ongoing spiritual journey. Feminist theologians hold that women live their lives and understand and express their faith through the interrelated processes of community, connection and caring. They see all human life—indeed all life and all creation—as interconnected and interdependent. We are not isolated individuals, they say, struggling against one another for scarce resources, but created beings who need one another for survival.
Feminist theologians reject the hierarchical, competitive social structures of most of the western world in favor of ethical systems based on mutual responsibility and dependency, shared authority and a celebration of the diversity of life. The goal is for all creation, not just certain groups of human beings, to survive and thrive.
A favorite image used to help visualize these ideas is that of the web. How can we understand community, connection and caring—the “3 C’s”—as being like a web? Put simply, each of us is part of (or a point on) a “web” of relationships. Other points on the web could include, for example, our family members and neighbors, local schools and businesses, persons in other countries and the natural environment around us. We can call this web a “community” or collection of smaller communities, the relationships between the various individuals and points on the web “connections” and the interactions between members of the web “caring”. Each of these 3 C’s is equally important and each is very closely linked to the other two.
These 3 C’s are the tools by which, in subsequent chapters of Like Spring Without Flowers, I examine the churchgoing experience of older women. For now, we need to consider the particular issues that ageing brings to these ideas about community, connection and caring. In the face of increased life expectancy and with the prospect of living alone during these extra years and (for some) with the prospect of needing much physical care, how will older women maintain the bonds of community and connection? How will they access reciprocal caring opportunities—in other words, how will they find ways to both give and receive caring? Are there external communities they can draw on for support and where they can learn how to be older? Do older women have the resources within themselves to successfully negotiate these changes? Is the “web” of their lives strong and supportive?
As explored further in Like Spring Without Flowers, some older women report excellent relationships with their local churches. The part of the web of their lives that includes the local church is strong and resilient. However, many other older women relate negative experiences at church, ranging from not being welcomed as a newcomer, to struggling to be allowed to continue caring for others, to ageism.
How do older women feel about their experiences of church life today? What expectations do they have of their churches and of their fellow churchgoers, in terms of participating with, giving to and receiving from them? What are the realities of these interactions, both positive and negative? Why are many older women determined to persevere with their church communities, despite being let down? The answers to these questions emerge when older women share their stories.
Like spring without flowers? According to Mary (above), connection is a fundamental aspect of Christianity. But, whereas in the past Mary knew with certainty that she belonged to her church, now things are less clear. She is less sure, with age, of her place in the church. Why might this be so for her and for other older women? Is it possible to help the garden bloom with spring flowers once more? In subsequent chapters of Like Spring Without Flowers, I present a framework for action, suggesting ways in which churches can practically engage with the older women in their midst. What older women seek from their local churches—community, connection and caring—are the very things that those churches need for their own survival. In fact, it is older women’s own success at initiating and maintaining community, connection and caring that churches can draw on. Older women and churches need each other for the wholeness of spiritual well-being.
About the author: Janet Eldred left Boston in 1996 to pursue graduate
studies in England. She completed her doctorate from the University of
Leeds in the United Kingdom last year with a PhD in Theology and Religious
Studies. Her doctoral thesis on a Christian Feminist practical theology
of older women formed the basis the new book, Like Spring Without Flowers:
Why Older Women and Churches Need Each Other. She is also an award-winning
poet as well (see Page 9), who has made numerous contributions of her work
and words to Old South publications over the years. She and husband, John
Heath, live in York and continue to extend the geographic reach of the
Old South community. She has also kindly provided autographed copies of
her book for sale through the Old South web page <www.oldsouth.org>
(see Books and Media) with 20% of the proceeds to be donated to Old South
Church.
The Bells are Ringing at Summer Camp
By Elizabeth England
In June of this year, six members of the Old South Ringers went to camp. We did not have to bring bug spray but an air conditioner would have been nice. We packed cameras, t-shirts, shorts, cards, swimsuits (nobody went swimming that I know of), a good book if you could not get to sleep, an alarm clock in case you could not wake up, hats, suntan lotion, and lots and lots of band aids. I was warned that blisters will form anywhere at bell camp.
“Camp” was actually the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers (AGEHR) Area I Conference. This conference was held at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts. The conductors were Karen Buckwalter and Tim Waugh, nationally recognized composers. We six Old South troubadours slept in dorm rooms and attended a minimum of for classes and three to four rehearsals (an hour each) each day. We dined on cafeteria cuisine and met people from all over the United States. We agreed that the food was better now than when we went to school -- it may have been the pizza and unlimited ice cream available.
Prior to going to camp, I was unaware that handbell ringing was so extremely popular. I thought that it was only groups from churches who could afford to get the bells. But was I wrong! Of course there were church groups, but there were small groups large groups student groups, groups made up of choir directors and those made up of people who, prior to ringing, never considered themselves musical.
We arrived in Amherst in 110-degree weather looking for a cool spot. What we found was the hockey arena minus the ice and Zamboni. (I did meet the driver and see this wonderful machine but that is another story.) The floor was filled with people setting up, polishing, and organizing their bells. Tables were uniformly lined on the concrete floor with the Bronze, Coppers, and Tins groups together. The “metal” of the group signifies the level of experience. The six Old Southers hooked up with the Westborough, Mass. choir (as Coppers) and played with them. If the entire Old South Bell Choir had gone as a group, we would have been Coppers -- good but not enough to go on tour.
Once settled in our rooms and having eaten our first college meal, we headed back to the arena for our first rehearsal. It was amazing! Hearing more than 200 bells ringing almost together was an experience to remember. The conductors led us in stretching exercises and some very interesting coordination movements. Next time you see Peter (aka “Mr. Big Bells”) at church ask him to show you these routines. Following the brief one hour rehearsal we all walked -- ok I got a ride with some new friends and the rest of the group walked -- across campus to hear the Raleigh Ringers, a professional bell choir. The Raleigh Ringers travel all over the world playing bells to sold out concerts. They are considered the “Rolling Stones” of bell ringers -- without the clothes being thrown on the stage, but they do have groupies of all ages. I considered buying a t-shirt with their name on it but held off – barely. They use strobe lights, fake pyrotechnics, and lots of razzle-dazzle for each number. As a new ringer, I was more interested how they do certain ringing rather than how they sound. In the end, you could not be but amazed with how they looked, worked, and sounded as a unified group. Like most of the people who attended, I left the auditorium energized to ring but accepting that I may never be that good.
Once back in the dorm, I met my roommate from Illinois and finished looking at all the classes offered. My goal from camp was to get in as many classes and lessons as possible. I could sleep once I returned to Boston. Initially, you are signed up for three to four classes, but there was time to take more. My plan was to wake up in the morning go to the class board and see what classes still had room. I was driven in the goal to soak up all that I could. Who really needs lunch when you can take a class on “boomwacking?” Why have dinner when you can take music theory? What do you mean classes stop at 7:30, we still have two more hours of that we can fill up. I learned that you could actually go to a class that was full – if it was a lecture – and attend it anyway. By the end of the three days, I attended over ten classes instead of four.
Another great aspect of bell camp besides ringing and classes were the concerts from other ringers in our group. Three times a day, you could attend the concerts and hear all types of music from all levels played on bells. On Sunday morning, there was a service and a longer mini-concert. To be honest, I slept through church (forgive me) but made sure I was always there for the concerts. I wanted to make sure the ringers always had an appreciative audience. I was not the only one. Ringers support ringers.
Sadly, as all good things must come to an end bell camp wound down with a concert. If you were lucky enough to attend that event than no words can describe the power of this concert. The walls of the arena shook with outstanding music. The room was filled with love and respect of the people we came to know over the weekend and the full applause of an appreciative audience. Bell camp was all one could expect and more. As the year progresses, I hope that I can put into use all that I have learned. I know that the enthusiasm I have for bells will be self evident to all.
At the tip of our tongues
by Barbara Neale
For the past thirteen months, I've been enjoying the special pleasure of being a volunteer tutor of conversational English one hour a week at YMCA Training Inc. Training Inc., an Old South Outreach partner, provides the opportunity for a tutor to help adult, non-native English speakers (representing 32 countries and many cultural groups in the U.S.) feel comfortable with pronunciation, vocabulary and related conversational skills. What makes this experience so "special" is thanks to the exceptional professional staff, who create a very welcoming climate allowing a volunteer to feel an important part of the team.
Operating year-round in enrollment cycles of 16-20 weeks and located at 18 Tremont Street (a few steps from the Government Center T Station), Training Inc. teaches a comprehensive, hands-on Computerized Office Skills program in simulated business settings, allowing for practice as the student's skill develops. Their commitment is to help people from economically (and educationally) disadvantaged backgrounds to obtain jobs and thus a better future for themselves and their families.
Students have a lunch break from 12 noon to 1 p.m. It is during this time that the English conversational tutoring takes place. I work with just one or two students at a time, and it is their option whether or not to have their lunch while we interact. We work our lunch in quite "conversationally!" Thus far, I've met people from Ethiopia, Iraq, Albania and several locales in China. It's fun to introduce and find ways to explain colloquialisms and idiomatic phrases that crop up in conversation and appear so frequently in newspapers. The sports pages are particularly colorful, notably the headlines, providing superb opportunities for interpretation. What with international stories, map references, even food discussions, we're never lacking for energetic and sometimes hilarious material never far from the tips of our tongues.
As many readers are aware, Old South's Duane Day performed a vital role in founding Boston's Training Inc. during 1984 and in developing Old South Church’s relationship with them. His loyalty and involvement during the ensuing years are recognized and appreciated by their leadership.
Another Old South person with instant recognition at Training Inc is Charlotte Simpson, our Christian Service and Outreach committee liason. From our clothing drive collections, she sees to the selection and delivery of business appropriate, as well as casual, clothing where the items are carefully housed in special areas accessible for students to examine and select at their convenience.
There are many other opportunities to volunteer in this worthy organization that can be done during class time, such as the following positions.
Software Assistant: the word processing and spreadsheet departments appreciate extra hands and this person also assists in software training sessions by answering questions. Flexible time slots are available to fit your schedule.
Practice Interviewer: this volunteer helps trainees prepare to go on professional interviews doing anything from helping with possible answers, to posing likely interview questions, to actually conducting mock interviews. Flexible time slots are also available to fit your schedule.
Job Search Assistant: this volunteer helps trainees with suggestions and assistance about things such as where to go for applications, how to fill them out, and how to prepare a list of references, as well as providing general encouragement.
N.B. Employers are an essential need! Please ask your Human Resource or Personnel person to get in touch with Training Inc. to get your company involved.
To discuss these ideas or to offer your own, please contact Anne Myerson, Director of YMCA Training Inc. She would welcome your call at (617) 542-1800x22. And you too may find the joy and satisfaction in volunteering to help others, especially with such a worthy organization as Training Inc.
Worship and Why It’s Important to Me
By Michael Fiorentino
In looking over the many opportunities for service here at Old South, I was delighted to find "the Worship Advisory Committee" (please see insert) and so thankful I was allowed to join. Even though we operate only in an "advice-giving" capacity, I treasure our enthusiastic discussions about worship and it has encouraged me to reflect on why I am so passionate about the subject.
wor·ship (wûr“sh¹p) n. 1.a. The reverent love and
devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. b. The ceremonies,
prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed. 2. Ardent
devotion; adoration. - the American Heritage Dictionary
When I discovered the United Church of Christ, and particularly, our own Old South Church, the New Century Hymnal quickly became one of my favorite books. Granted, I can't read music to save my life and I've always preferred Gospel and Spirituals to the more "traditional" hymns that we often sing, but I couldn't help fall in love with the words. It's not just the inclusive, non-sexist language that Jim Crawford and the New Century Hymnal Committee worked so hard to incorporate into the songs, but it was also the way we praise God with these words. Although it's a hymnal, the New Century Hymnal is also chock full of wonderful prayers, both for Church services and home use. Before I knew it, I started creating daily regimens of prayer using a combination of hymns and prayers from the New Century Hymnal with Bible readings from devotionals (These Days" and The Upper Room). I later expanded the pool to include invocations and other words of praise within our bulletin and the UCC Book of Worship (when the Mass. Bible Society was sold out and Lael Murphy let me borrow her copy, I positively glowed!).
Just as all of you, I have a very busy life, but if I neglect those
ten minutes (more or less) of prayer every morning and evening, it is as
if something very special is missing. When traveling, I visit other UCC
Churches in the US, or United Church of Canada when I go up north (hey,
that's also “UCC!”) and pay strict attention to their church bulletins.
I feel the selections these congregations sing and pray say a lot about
them, just as I feel what we do each Sunday says a lot about Old South.
I guess when you feel such joy in words of praise, you can't help but be
excited about sharing this with your church family. I hope some of my ideas
about worship may be put into action, but I realize and respect that Old
South works diligently to balance old traditions and new concepts. Let
me summarize by sharing with you the beginning of a prayer I recite every
Sunday evening:
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost:
While I am grateful for the unity and fellowship of weekly worship
at Old South Church, I am also grateful for the time I spend in private
prayer.
Worship services and private prayer are both forms of worship, and
I thank God that both are parts of my life!
About the Worship Advisory Committee
The Deacons of Old South have many important responsibilities. Among them is worship. While the Board of Minister and Deacons has the authority to make decisions regarding this critical element of our Church life, in order to give this issue the attention it deserves, they have created a sub-committee to offer suggestions and recommendations. Known as the "Worship Advisory Committee," its historical roots at Old South are fascinating -- if only just to show how far we have come.
In the fall of 1990, the ministers and Deacons saw the need to study and possibly incorporate more use of inclusive language in “how we talk about God” in our worship services, music, and publications. This need led to the formation of an “Inclusive Language Study Group,” which used the Brian Wren book, What Language Should I Borrow (God-Talk in Worship: a Male Response to Feminist Theology) as a guide for its reflections. This study group, which included both Deacons and congregation members, then came up with a wish list of alternative language, doxology language, and adult language programs for the Deacons to consider incorporating into the Old South liturgy and program.
This study group then naturally led into a desire for a more permanent committee of the Deacons that would continue to consider these issues in depth and provide advice and recommendations to the Ministerial staff. This led to the formal resolution to form the “Worship Advisory Committee” at the February 25, 1992 meeting of the Ministers and Deacons that included this language:
“ . . . the [Worship] Advisory Committee will function in a broadly educational manner, sponsoring workshops and retreats that will deepen our appreciation and understanding of worship (hymn sings, study groups, etc.) . . . [It] provides a setting for discussion of points at issue in worship (e.g. inclusive language, role of lay liturgists, the place of music, provision for altar decorations and other symbols, etc.) . . . this Committee will provide a venue in which the clergy may present ideas or information for the enrichment of worship. The over-all goal guiding this Committee is that it be a vehicle of the congregation to become an increasingly informed and faithful participant in the central act of our communal life.”
In the past decade, the Worship Advisory Committee has helped to institute such changes in Old South’s worship liturgy as the adoption of the New Century Hymnal (whose Hymnal committee was chaired by Old South Senior Minister, James W. Crawford), the incorporation of the passing of the peace, adoption of inclusive language texts for the doxology, the inclusion of the text of the Lord’s Prayer in the church bulletin, inserting “Moments for Mission” given by lay liturgists, and well as numerous other subtle changes that have made our worship services a living, evolving sacramental liturgy seeking to meet the needs of our congregation.
Today, the Worship Advisory Committee continues as a committee of the
Minister and Deacons and is chaired by Elinor Yeo. It continues to explore
worship issues in depth. Some current topics include discussing suggestions
from congregation members, looking at what other churches are doing, proposing
possible changes to the format of our Sunday service, considering musical
meditations, etc. “Essentially,” Michael Fiorentino adds, “the committee
discusses anything and everything that can inspire us to make the devotional
experience more meaningful. We are also blessed with the participation
of our Minister of Music, Gregory Peterson, as well as all the Old South
clergy, not to mention Elinor herself (a retired minister) -- all who help
to guide our discussions.”
I knew it was a mistake
to look in your eyes
to study your hands
to consider your mouth
curved down in displeasure.
I knew it was a mistake
to picture you in my house
under soft lights
and hidden from other suitors.
I knew it was a mistake
to desire you
to covet you
to love you
above the rest.
I knew it was a mistake
to be captivated by you
neglecting my needs
and impoverishing myself.
I knew it was a mistake
to sit in that crowd
to raise my hand
to raise the bid
to make the purchase
to bring you home
to carry you upstairs
into my bedroom
and into my fantasies.
I knew it was a mistake
to bring my checkbook.
--- Janet Eldred
Mending the Real Fabric of Our Church
By Elizabeth England
What happens when you mix fabric, thread, sewing machines, scissors, fellowship, food and lots of gabbing? . . . Well, you get tablecloths for the church of course!
The Old South Stitchers have volunteered to make tablecloths for all the church dinners, council, deacons and any other event. This will be a great savings for the church and the environment.
I know you are now thinking, “How can I get involved?” Come, sit, gab,
and work on the project. We have 18 cloths to make and we want to have
them completed by the time of the Church School Christmas Pageant.
When do we start?
We already started on Sunday, September 21st in the Guild Room (on
the fourth floor). Keep an ear open (or contact me) for the next
date. We meet on Sundays after church.
Do I have to sew like a pro?
Of course not! You do not even have to know how to sew or use
scissors. We have plenty of tasks that require different needs and talents
(or lack thereof!)
Still not sure?
Well. just come have lunch and talk. We will not force anyone to do
what they do not feel comfortable doing. It is always nice to talk to people
when you are ironing, cutting or sewing. So fellowship is one of the most
important keys to making this work.
What should you bring?
Bring yourself and any friends you like. We will have a potluck lunch,
so bring something to share (for those who do not cook, we will have food
enough to share). If you have a sewing machine or scissors, bring
them, we will supply the fabric, thread, pins, and irons.
Will it be fun?
Of course, a stitch of a good time in fact! I hope to see you all on
Sundays at church and afterwards at the next meeting of the Old South Stitchers.
Please do not hesitate to come join us. For any additional questions, contact
me, your OSC Stitching Bee, Elizabeth England at <eengland@gsd.harvard.edu>.
First Annual Crawford Lecture:
James Carroll to Speak
Wednesday, October 29th, 7:30 pm in the Sanctuary
Old South is excited to welcome noted author and columnist, James Carroll, to speak at the first annual Crawford lecture, in honor of our recently retired Senior Minister, James W. Crawford.
James Carroll will be speaking to us on the topic of "Faith in a Time of Uncertainty."
He is the author of nine novels and a memoir, An American Requiem: God, My Father and The War That Came Between Us, winner of the 1996 National Book Award. His weekly columns on culture and politics appear in the Boston Globe. His most recent book is Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews. James Carroll received his BA and MA degrees at the Paulist Father's seminary in Washington D.C. He was a civil rights worker and organizer in Washington in l965 and was ordained to the priesthood in l969, serving as Catholic chaplain at Boston University from 1969 to 1974. After having studied poetry with Allan Tate and George Starbuck, he left the priesthood to become a writer. His essays and articles have appeared in The New Yorker and other publications.
His two recent books, An American Requiem and Constantine’s Sword are featured on the Old South website <www.oldsouth.org> (Books and Media), where you can not only order his books but donate 10% of the proceeds back to Old South Church.
Old South Reporter
OSC Reporter, a voice for the extended community of the Old South
Church, explores the mission of the church and aspects of the Christian
life through news, stories, poetry, essays, and commentaries
Communications Committee:
Evan H. Shu & Lois Harvey, co- chairs; Steve Silver, Linda Jenkins,
Henry Crawford, Janet Eldred, Elizabeth England, Eleanor Jensen, Elisa
Blanchard, Helen McCrady, Carl Schultz, Michael Fiorentino & Suzanne
Woolston Bossert.
Deadline for next issue: December 21, 2003
Old South Church in Boston(Click to Return to Home Page)
Gathered 1669
A congregation of the United Church of Christ
645 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617)536-1970
(617)536-8061 Fax
http://www.oldsouth.org
Carl F. Schultz, Interim Senior Minister
Lael P. Murphy, Associate Minister
Jennifer Mills-Knutsen, Assistant Minister
Gregory M. Peterson, Director of Music