Old South Church
Boston MA 02116
http://www.oldsouth.org

What's inside?
• Meet Carl F. Schultz, Jr.
• Becoming . . .
• Litany of Justice for the Janitors of Boston
• Adventures with Theological Books
• UCC, What's That?
• The 25 Great Hymns of the Church
 
 

Meet Carl F. Schultz, Jr.,
OSC's Interim Extraordinaire
By Michael Fiorentino & Evan H. Shu

Old South Church finds itself in very unfamiliar waters. After 28 years under the steady and inspirational leadership of retiring Senior Minister, James Crawford, we now have to find someone to take his estimable place as Senior Minister. Just as importantly, our first task was to find a Senior Minister to serve on an interim basis during the critical period of our national search for a replacement, a search which may take as long as two years.

Call it serendipity or call it God's sure hand, without question Old South Church is blessed to have the Rev. Dr. Carl F. Schultz, Jr. accept our Council's call this fall to serve as Interim Senior Minister during this crucial transitional period. His resume is most impressive, having served 43 years in the ministry capped most recently by a 34-year tenure as Senior Minister of the First Church of Christ in Glastonbury, Connecticut - where he himself only retired last year.

Carl is a "PK" (preacher's kid) who grew up in his father's Cape Code parsonage (Hyannis Federated Church). He is a graduate of Tufts University, Andover Newton, and Hartford Seminary. He served as minister in Plymouth, New Hampshire and Auburn, Mass. before moving to Glastonbury in 1968. In addition to numerous positions of major responsibility at local, state, and national levels, he has even served as guest Chaplain in the United States Senate on more than one occasion. He has initiated interfaith ministry with Roman Catholic and Lutheran churches in Glastonbury, overseen relationships and outreach initiatives with inner city churches in Hartford, and recently had a book of his sermons published entitled "Faith Faces
Forward."

But even more impressive than his resume is to meet the man in person. His gentle warmth and welcoming presence make him very approachable and he seems quite comfortable in any setting, no matter how new or unfamiliar. He has already eased himself into Old South's many ways, committees and protocols seemingly without our missing a beat. More importantly, he is not hesitant to suggest a subtle change here or there or to make an adjustment that smoothes the process along.

If you have attended any of the services this fall, you no doubt felt that the Old South liturgy continues on in its grand tradition, yet Carl has already managed to put his own stamp on it in subtle ways of timing and tone. At Council meetings, he often introduces a bit of light verse, a short anecdote, or an inspiring quote that sets the right attitude for the rest of the evening's deliberations. In committee meetings, he listens carefully to all its members and often comes up with a crucial suggestion offered up with both humor and humility. To gain a sense of the man, you need only read one of his favorite prayers (based on a traditional St. Patrick's Day blessing) from fellow pastor, Dale Turner in Seattle:

 Give me a sense of humor Lord,
 Give me the grace to see a joke,
 To get some pleasure of out of life
 And to pass it on to other folk.
 Give me sympathy and sense,
 And help me keep my courage high.
 Give me calm and confidence.
 And please, a twinkle in my eye.

Blessed with the good fortune to have an Interim Senior Minister of such caliber serve at Old South (and at the risk of looking a gift horse in the mouth), it is only natural for us to ask, "Why? Why here, why now? And why so soon after retiring yourself from a full ministry?"

"This was the right opportunity, and the right time and place," Carl replies to this question. "I feel God called us to this wonderful church and this exciting city. It was truly a combination of divine and human circumstances that brought us here."

One clue that may hint at why Carl is at Old South today is our address at Copley Square on the corner of Dartmouth and Boylston, which our beloved erstwhile Senior Minister often used to term as the "Hub of the Hub of the universe." No doubt, the opportunity to serve in a major urban ministry was an important reason in accepting Old South's call. Though First Church of Christ in Glastonbury rivals Old South in every way in terms of size, budget, and outreach, its suburban environment contrasts sharply with Old South's setting in heart of Boston.

Yet already, Carl focuses in on the similarities not the differences. "No matter where you go people are all the same and we are all God's children," Carl says. "I appreciate and celebrate the diversity in Boston and in Old South; it offers me a special opportunity. Regardless of the size of the city or the size of the congregation, there are similar challenges."

*************************************************

A favorite prayer of Carl F. Schultz, Sr. and Jr:
God, make me worthy of my calling and my friends.

It is my joy in life to find
At every turning of the road
The strong arm of a comrade kind
To help me onward with my load.
And since I have no gold to give,
And love alone must make amends,
My only prayer is, while I live --
God make me worthy of my friends.
- Frank Dempster Sherman

**************************************************

To gain the most of this special opportunity of a true urban ministry, Carl and wife, Della, have taken up residence only a few blocks from Old South's doors in the nearby Prudential Towers - which brings us to another delightful bonus in this "interim package," Della Schultz. She is equally as warm and personable as Carl and is a big support to him and his ministry. Della is a strong person in her own right, having had career of her own, which notably included teaching in both the Newton and Glastonbury public school systems for many years. Carl says of her, "She has been a constant source of love and friendship, support and wise counsel, inspiration and encouragement." Carl and Della have three grown children (and a total of ten grandchildren) now scattered around the US. Della recalls fondly their family's early years in nearby Melrose, where Carl served in a half-time position as Minister of Youth at the Melrose Highlands Congregational Church - with the other half-time job waiting on tables at a Newton Centre delicatessen! It was in Melrose, under the care and watchful eye of mentor and lifelong friend, Senior Minister John J. Foster, that Carl recalls "dissuaded me from any idea of seminary teaching and confirmed my gifts for parish ministry." In addition, Carl discovered he had quite a talent for preaching as well. While studying at Andover Newton, he was awarded the Whitemore Prize for Preaching. "This was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with preaching," Carl writes in his Statement on Ministry. "I love to tell the story."

Serving in a suburban church for much of his ministry has not shielded Carl from dealing with some of the more pressing national issues in our church over the years. In fact, his congregation has always been at the forefront. In 1994, Rev. Schultz supported and led his church in becoming "open and affirming" to the gay community. In 1997, First Church of Christ was one of the first to begin using the inclusive language New Century Hymnal. Under his leadership, First Church became one of the pace-setting churches in the UCC in television ministry with its own studio of broadcast quality, which they made available as a resource to the community and to other churches. They broadcast on national television for 26 weeks on the VISN channel. In 1998, First Church was selected by ABC television to broadcast its Christmas Eve service throughout the nation.

No matter what or where the church, Carl recognizes that for a church to be effective as a worshipful congregation doing God's work, one of the primary needs is "getting the congregation together - be it to communicate better with one another or even just dealing with the pragmatics of getting to church every Sunday."

Like all good people who build up impressive records of longevity and achievement, it is abundantly clear that Carl does not measure time in years but from day to day. In dealing with the temporal quality of an interim ministry, Carl says, "I'm not sure how long I'll be here, but I'll savor each day," and then quoting from Paul's letter to the Philippians, "thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." +
 

Becoming . . .
By Janet Eldred, PhD
 

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back: a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country."
 - Anais Nin

If you arrived at Old South after September 1996, we won't have met: that's when I left Boston for York, England. My plan was to complete a 12-month masters degree course in Women's Studies; after that, who knows? I trusted that the ensuing steps would emerge from the mysterious (yet welcoming) cloud that was my fixture.

At that time, six years ago, I'd reached a transition point in my life. Career dissatisfaction had me asking, "what is my true calling?" and a lack of pressing family obligations meant having the freedom to make changes - even big ones. I dusted off my teenage dream of pursuing graduate study in Britain (that version had me earning a PhD in English Literature from Oxford!), quit my job. sold my condo and my car, put my belongings in storage, and said my farewells to family, friends, and church. Next stop: the University of York!

In the UK, masters degrees are either "taught" (i.e. seminar-driven) or undertaken "by research," and they are generally completed within a full calendar year, from October through the following September. Students write a dissertation ("thesis" is reserved for the doctoral research paper) of approximately 15,000 words, based on original research conducted in the second half of the program. My dissertation was a case study of how women and men shared space in a local pub - yes, many offers to help with the research, none for the writeup!

I thrived on the entire experience, both of postgraduate study and of living in another country. The latter opened up all sorts of creative channels, which found expression in freelance writing and poetry (some of which has appeared in the Reporter -- see Winter 2002, Fall 2000). Unlike my undergraduate days in the late 70s, I wasn't obsessed with grades. Rather, I took time to enjoy a social life and to participate in volunteer opportunities and church life. So rewarding was the experience that at the end of the year, I considered staying on to do the doctorate while my brain was already in "research mode". What would that involve? A PhD in the UK generally takes three years full-time with a maximum of four years allowed. (NB: overseas students must study full-time.) In most non-science disciplines, there are no classes or seminars other than occasional training or topical events, most of which are optional. The 36 months are meant to focus entirely on the research project. I decided to make the commitment.

I began by looking at the feminist devotional literature I was reading for personal enrichment, with the intent of surveying the work of Anglo-American laywomen. Seven months into this project however, I had an experience that I can only describe as being "shoved by God." I put down the book on Christianity and the female body that I had nearly finished reading, moved over to the computer and began typing out a new research proposal: to investigate whether and how key themes from feminist theology are reflected in the lives of older churchgoing women and vice versa. As many people cautioned, you have to be passionate about your PhD topic in order to see it through, and this project reflected my passions for feminist theology and older women's lives. The clouds began to part, and as I started the literature review, I was hooked.

For the past four years (yes, I used the maximum time limit), the workload was always great and took discipline and effort. But, at the same time, I was buoyed along by a sense of purpose. From the beginning, I intended to make the research findings known to a wide audience, especially within the churches. I immediately began to make contacts around the county with other academics, church folk, and clergy who were also involved in these topics, and discovered that my research fell in with a groundswell of interest in older people's lives, the churches, and spirituality. (The UK is behind the US in this awareness, but catching up fast.) These contacts built into a network, which in turn led to work on a Methodist Church (UK) task group on older women, articles, speaking engagements, and workshops. My project was indeed happening at the right place, at the right time, and yielding practical results beyond the basic goal of earning a degree.

In the past year, I've managed to complete my thesis despite numerous bereavements and illnesses among loved ones - many of them members of my partner John's family-and the gut-wrenching experience of being over here on September 11, 2001. I believe that it was the essential "rightness" of the work that saw me through with the necessary calm and strength. In July, I passed the viva voce (oral) defense for my thesis: Community, Connection, and Caring: Towards a Christian Feminist Practical Theology of Older Women. And, on December 17th, I. graduated from the University of Leeds with a PhD in Theology and Religious Studies. I was at last "Dr. Janet."

Now, I'm continuing to work on related projects, such as promoting a resource pack that the Methodist task group produced, as well as on writing articles that I hope will be published in academic and popular journals. I've also signed a contract with MHA Care Group (a division of the Methodist Church in the UK) to write a book summarizing the thesis and have been commissioned by them to give a series of workshops based on the research findings. It appears I've found a calling even if, as yet, the future is once again unsettled and a bit mysterious. Once again, I'm at a transition point. Although I'm not sure what employment I'll have in the months and years ahead, I'm certain I've found my vocation in the field of older people and spirituality. My kite is soaring! U
 

Editor's note: Old South member, Janet Eldred, has for some time been our "long distance" champ for active committee service, having served with the Communications committee while residing in England for the last five years. She sends word that she and John Heath (a Yorkshireman born and bred) were married at the Newport Pagnell Methodist Church by the Rev. Margaret Goodall on December18th - the day after her graduation! They continue to live in York. You may contact her via e-mail at <jbe100@yahoo.co.uk> or 24 Arthur St., York Y010 3EL, England.
 

Litany of Justice for the Janitors of Boston
By Jennifer Mills-Knutsen

One of the simplest and most profound claims of our faith is that our God loves justice. The Bible, from the Hebrew prophets to the words of Jesus to the epistles of the early church, calls again and again for economic justice and the fair distribution of resources among all the people. So, this past summer and fall during the Janitors for Justice campaign, as the janitors of greater Boston spoke their demands for a living wage, health care for their families, and basic benefits such as sick leave, they looked to their faith for encouragement, and to us, their brothers and sisters in the faith community, for support.

Through the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO, of which Old South is now an active member), the faith community responded. In addition to joining protests and reaching out to political and business leaders, one of the most powerful things the faith community did to support the janitors was join them in worship and prayer. On September 30, the first night when janitors walked off the job and went out on strike, GBIO sponsored a prayer service, attended by janitors and community members alike.

I wrote the following Litany for Justice for that occasion. In the Catholic Mass, the priest offers a prayer for the martyrs, calling out the names of the saints and appealing for their intercession. During struggles for political liberation in Latin America, the people began responding to this roll call by answering, "here!" or, in Spanish "presente!", and adding the names of local heroes who had died in the strug-gle for liberation. Now a common practice in Latin American Catholic churches, the call of "presente!" boldly claims that the spirits of the saints who have gone before join us in our own quest for justice. Knowing that we stand in the tradition of these great leaders, we have the courage and strength to continue the struggle for justice in our own time.

For the janitors of Boston, we called on saints from throughout history and throughout the world who had risked their lives and livelihood to stand up for justice. And I believe the spirit of those great saints joined us in the campaign for justice for janitors in Boston.

Litany for Justice
Since ancient times, peoples have struggled against injustice. Since ancient times, prophets, leaders and organizers have risen up from the people, speaking out for what is right. Tonight we invoke the names of those many leaders, taking strength from their courage and faith. We call out "presente!" to acknowledge the presence of these witnesses among us in our struggle.

Moses, who led an oppressed people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and toward the Promised Land.
Moses: Presente!

Fatimah, daughter of Mohammed, who stood beside Mohammed against angry mobs and defended him from persecution. Fatimah: Presente!

Nehemiah, biblical prophet, who organized the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and welcome the return of the exiled ones. Nehemiah: Presente!

Harriet Tubman, who led more than 300 people from slavery to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
Harriet Tubman: Presente!

Chief Joseph, leader of the betrayed Nez Perce, who walked out of this country rather than accept an unfair settlement. Chief Joseph: Presente!

Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker Movement, witness to God's presence among all who live in poverty. Dorothy Day: Presente!

Mother Jones, who spoke out against labor exploitation and stood with striking workers. Mother Jones: Presente!

Mahatma Gandhi, father of Indian dignity and independence, who stood in defiance to the largest most powerful empire in the world. Mahatma Gandhi: Presente!

Susan B. Anthony, who led the women's liberation revolution and pushed for women's right to vote.
Susan B. Anthony: Presente!

The madres and abuelas, mothers and grandmothers of Argentina, who kept vigil in the Plaza de Mayo to protest the torture and disappearance of their children and loved ones. The madres and abuelas: Presente!

Martin Luther King, Jr., prophet of justice, who braved the dogs and firehoses of racist oppression and encouraged us to do the same. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Presente!

Cesar Chavez, who rallied and organized whole communities to support farm workers' fight to win good jobs and a better life. Cesar Chavez: Presente!

Archbishop Oscar Romero, priest of the people, whose preaching against the oppression of the poor cost him his life. Archbishop Oscar Romero: Presente!

Rosa Parks, a simple seamstress, who stood up for equality by refusing to give up her seat on the bus after a long day's work. Rosa Parks: Presente!

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, witness for truth, who shed light into the darkness of apartheid and moved the world to cry out for justice. Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Presente!

O God, we give you thanks for these many leaders and prophets who have gone before us. Teach us to
have the strength and courage that they had. Stand with us in this struggle for justice for janitors here in Boston, and raise up leaders, prophets and organizers among us to guide us in faith. Unite us in one voice, calling for an end to the exploitation of workers, and the advent of justice in the form of fair wages, healthcare and good jobs for all who labor. Let us stand together,
for together we are strong. Amen. +
 

Adventures with Theological Books
By Steve Silver

Sometime last spring, as I was beginning to lay the groundwork for my master's thesis in Theology, I called up Jim Crawford to see if he could offer any suggestions for good commentaries on Amos, Micah and Hosea. "Sure," he replied in his characteristically enthusiastic voice, "come on over." Relieved that I may have saved myself a few minutes of searching for books in the bowels of the Divinity School library at Harvard, I headed over to 645 Boylston Street. Little did I know that I was about to get a lot more from this visit than I bargained for. Jim decided that it would be a good idea to give me a tour of his entire office library - all 3500 or so volumes, with the aim of pointing out the best titles as I built my own theological library. So, what I thought might be a half hour visit stretched into two highly enjoyable multi-hour sessions.

I arrived at Jim's office and we began the tour. He started at one corner and, over two visits, made his way around to the other, happily chatting away about this book and that, responding to questions I might offer about a volume or engaging in spirited discussion about books we had both read. I followed in his wake, scribbling my notes. Now, I should mention that I suffer from "Rochester scrawl" a degenerative disease in which one's penmanship becomes ever more indecipherable until one is finally authorized to write prescriptions. As readers of the Old South Reporter know, Jim Crawford is a proud son of Rochester who happens to have famously indecipherable handwriting; my late father also hailed from Kodak's hometown and seems to have had the same penmanship teacher who instructed Jim. Bizarrely, though I do not come from that fine city hard upon Lake Erie, I too, have less than stellar handwriting. In fact, when I put pen to paper, the result is often what orthographers call "chicken scratch." Happily, however, Providence saved the day and I was able, with some effort, to decipher my own notes. The result was a list of approximately 300 titles spanning theology to preaching to history to assorted miscellanea. To my wife Rachel's relief, I already owned a number of books on the list. But not all. And that, too, is another matter. For, once one begins to build a library, one never stops.

I've been buying books for ages. The first time Rachel came to my house on Beacon Hill, she looked around and wondered about my book "habit." But her fears really began to take flight the first time she visited Jim in his office. As she told me later, she looked around and shuddered as she saw a vision of our future: books, books, and more books.

Books on shelves, books on tables, books on the floor, books on other books. A veritable bedlam of books. But guess what? There was order beneath the apparent chaos. For Jim Crawford had a system, one that made eminent sense. Theology in one place, church history in another, American history close by. A shelf on Ben Franklin, another on Lincoln. A section on Reinhold Neibhur and another on Dr. King and, of course, a shelf dedicated to the Social Gospel.

There were the books on Easter and ones on Christmas. Then there was the bay of books containing sermons from some of Jim's favorite preachers - George Buttrick, Paul Tillich, Dave Read from Madison Avenue Presbyterian, Halford Luccock, late of the Christian Century, Dietrich Boenhoffer, and Henry Sloan Coffin.

Near his desk, his various commentaries, including the venerable and ever-reliable Interpreter's Bible, the Old Testament Library series, now issued by the Westminster John Knox Press and the Daily Bible Study series by William Barclay, "always good for a quickie - especially on Mark." (We proceeded to have bible study. A quickie bible study. Really.)

And also close at hand, hymnals. Methodist, of course (you can never go wrong with those Wesley boys), Presbyterian, Congregational, Disciples and Reformed were all there on the shelf, in addition to the classic Pilgrim Hymnal and the earlier UCC Hymnal, all helpful aids to our editor-in-chief of the New Century Hymnal. (Strangely, indeed inexplicably, I should note, not one of these hymnals contains the classic American Hymn, "Jesus Dropped Kicked Me Through the Goal Posts of Life.")

My two visits with Jim were a great pleasure and a great boon. I've always enjoyed talking with Jim, whether it the subject was theology, politics or the Red Sox. But more importantly, our sessions were helpful in that I gained some useful perspective on managing my own library, and on how I might better organize my books. (Admittedly, to better organize requires some form of pre-existing organization. Prior to my visit, my books weren't even organized; now they are.) I learned about some writers and preachers with whom I wasn't familiar and had the chance to talk about books I already owned, even to offer Jim some suggestions.

And, so, my advice (as inspired by Jim) to anyone building a theological library would be as follows.

· Develop a shelving system.
· When you find an author you like, buy his/her stuff.
· A lot of the good stuff was written a while back. Niebhur doesn't go out of style.
· A lot of the stuff published today isn't as good as it appears. But some of it is. Before you buy it, ask if you'll still want it on your shelf in five years.
· Find books you can dip into again and again.
· Buy books by authors with whom you disagree.
· Don't limit yourself to theology - include history, biography, and more.
· If you use a book for a sermon, make a note inside so you know when it was last consulted. No quote is so good it should be used four times in six months.
· Buy sturdy bookcases.

In closing, let me offer some more actual quotes from Jim Crawford about some of the books he recommended. Imagine him saying these words and you'll have a bit more fun reading the list:

· Raymond Brown, The Birth of the Messiah and the two-volume The Death of the Messiah: "Crucial."
· Robert Coles, Dorothy Day: "Peculiarly Good."
· Ernst Kasemann, Romans 13: "Idiosyncratic, but brilliant."
· Hans Kung, On Being a Christian: "A great book."
· Page Smith, A People's History of the United States, 8 volumes: "Readable. Writes like an angel."
· Paul Tillich, Eternal Now, New Being, Shaking of Foundations: "Masterpieces."
· Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Anything by MLK - pick
 it up!"
· Albert Baily, The Gospel in Hymns: "A fabulous book."

Author's note: Suze Campbell, our indefatigable and enterprising OSC church historian, recruited a team of volunteers last fall to catalog Jim's entire library and move the bulk of it to Taylor Crossway in Brookline. Her goal: to create the late 20th century counterpart to the
bibliography of the Prince Library. +
 

UCC, What's That?
by Evan H. Shu

Most of us are familiar with the puzzled look that we get when we tell people that we belong to the UCC, the United Church of Christ. As Jennifer Mills-Knutsen said in her recent sermon, Still Speaking (9/8/02),  "[People will say] 'What is the UCC?' or 'Is that the same as the Church of Christ?' ['Oh no!' we respond.]" She continues, "Maybe some of you worshiping with us didn't even realize this church was part of the United Church of Christ, for we in New England frequently defer to a simpler, more familiar answer, stating, 'We are Congregational.' " Yes, with that answer, people will usually nod their heads knowingly as if now they understand who we are.

But do any of us really understand what being UCC means? - not the specific credos, sacraments and liturgical forms, but what is our sense of the whole, the gestalt that comes when we say UCC? Is it just being congregational - with its own attendant image of independence and "every tub on its own bottom" approach? Or is it being "liberal", whatever that means? We know that Unitarians are quite well known for their own brand of liberalism in allowing many forms of non-Christian and personal forms of spirituality, such as Agnosticism, Buddhism, Naturalism, and Transcendentalism into their liturgy and belief structure. And so we laugh at the small kernel of truth exposed when we hear the old joke about our own liberalism in that UCC must stand for "Unitarians Considering Christ."

The United Church of Christ came into being in 1957 with the union of two Protestant denominations: the Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches.  And this past year, we have had the unique opportunity to learn much more about UCC. First, Dick Yeo and Lael Murphy lead us in a seminar on what it meant to be UCC. That was followed by visits by UCC President and General Minister, John Thomas and by Nancy Taylor, Massachusetts UCC President and Conference Minister, where we learned much more about who we are directly from our leadership..

John Thomas, in a forum at Old South on Dec. 15, 2002 hit on a few high points of what he believes the UCC is all about. One, we are about "an extravagant welcome," he said, in that we do not keep people out of the church by drawing strict lines of race, creed, or sexual identity but do our utmost to welcome all people who wish to worship Christ into our midst. Secondly, he said being UCC means that we "take a risk in truth-telling." Wherever we see injustice in any form, it is the UCC way to speak out and act against it wherever and however possible. Finally, he said that the UCC was about "reconciliation," seeking forgiveness and overcoming our own sin to reconcile and unite as a people with our God.

Last Easter, the UCC launched an "identity campaign" to hone our denominational identity even further by getting our members themselves to voice what the UCC is all about. In fact, there is a website devoted to this effort called "Still Speaking" (as in God is still speaking) <www.stillspeaking.com>. The site includes sermons, movie and book reviews, "Top Ten Reasons to check out the UCC" (No. 10  is "What if church is like spinach . . .?"), and includes personal narratives from many UCC members across the spectrum. "I am excited about our 'God is still speaking' identity emphasis," said John Thomas about this campaign. "It links the good news at the heart of evangelism with a sense of what is distinctive about the UCC. God is still speaking, and doing so through the distinctive voice of the UCC."

The theme for this campaign was inspired by a love note written by the late, great comedienne Gracie Allen to her husband -appropriately enough- George "Oh God" Burns. "Never put a period where God has put a comma," Gracie wrote. "That spirit captures the UCC's confidence that 'God is Still Speaking,'" says Ron Buford of the UCC in a press release publicizing this campaign. "Still Speaking" will also be the theme for the 2003 UCC General Synod this summer in Minneapolis.

Whether or not this campaign gives all of us a clearer sense of who we are as a UCC church, it cannot hurt to think and talk with others about who we are and who we want to be. John Thomas concluded by telling Old South members about the UCC church that displayed Gracie Allen's quote in a banner above its front doors. In an apt point-counterpoint, the fundamentalist church across the way, displayed its own banner, "Never put a comma where God put a period!"

Who knew that God was so picky about punctuation? . . . . Or rather, perhaps, it is not God but we who need to work on our own
syntax of spirituality. +

The 25 Great Hymns of the Church for Children to Learn
By the Music & Christian Education Committees

This year, the Old South Church school children will be learning the great hymns of the church. Any time you make a list of this kind, you are sure to provoke some discussion and debate, but let that be a healthy stimulus to get us all thinking about the many great hymns of our tradition.

The list that follows (compiled by Old South's music director, Gregory Peterson) is not an exhaustive list (and in no particular order) but represents "standard hymns" that a Christian may encounter throughout his or her life and which are sung across a variety of denominations. Some have a child focus. Many have strong, singable refrains, which is a good way to teach hymns to the youngest children. All are tunes that can be learned by children and are in a good range for them to sing easily. They are listed along with their hymn number [in brackets] from the New Century Hymnal as well as a line of commentary about each as taken and adapted from the New Century Hymnal. -- We recommend these 25 great hymns to children of all ages - as the song goes - from one to ninety-two!

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel [116]
This familiar hymn dates back to the medieval Western church where its stanzas were sung consecutively on the seven days before Christmas.

All Glory, Laud, and Honor [216]
Author Theodulph became the Bishop of Orleans in the 9th century but was later imprisoned. According to legend, he was released when the king, Louis the Pious, heard him sing this hymn from prison.

O How Shall I Receive You [102],
(tune same as All Glory, Laud, and Honor)
In midst of the Thirty Years' War, German Lutheran pastor Gerhardt's trials were legion and yet he composed more than hundred hymns, among them some of the finest and most beloved in Christian hymnody.

Away in a Manger [124]
This very familiar carol is often misattributed to Martin Luther but the author is in fact unknown. It did first appear in a Lutheran hymnal for schools and families, with the tune attributed to James R. Murray.

Jesus, Our Brother, Strong and Good (Friendly Beasts) [138]
A French carol dating back to the 12th century whose origins are unknown but its text is based on a medieval French cathedral festival recognizing the role of the donkey in the flight into Egypt.

Go Tell It on the Mountain [154]
This great African-American spiritual is familiar throughout all our protestant churches. It was adapted and arranged by John Wesley Work II (director of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers) into its current form in 1907.

Lift High the Cross [198]
Though originally written in 1916, it became enormously popular here after its first inclusion in a US hymnal in the 1970s. Its authors, G.W. Kitchin and M. R. Newbolt were Church of England ministers, and the melody of its familiar refrain melody is by Sydney Nicolson, the organist of Westminster Abbey.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross [224]
Acclaimed as one of the finest hymns in the English language; Isaac Watts wrote it in 1707-his hymnody was a result of dissatisfaction with the metric psalters of his time.

Amazing Grace [547]
Written in 1779, this most beloved hymn is well known to be the autobiographical reflection of John Newton's conversion from his earlier existence as a slave trader.

O Come, All You Faithful [135]
Adeste Fideles is the title of this familiar Christmas hymn as discovered in its original Latin text and melody. It was first found in eighteenth century manuscripts by John Francis Wade, who lived among a group of English Catholic refugees in northern France.

Christ the Lord Is Risen Today [233]
The unknown composer of this hymn wanted music with more movement and spirit than found in the traditional slow psalm tunes limited to one note per syllable. He set these words of Charles Wesley (translated to English from the Latin Lyra Davidca) to the tune we now call, Easter Hymn, which was among the first of a popular new style.

As with Gladness Those of Old [159],
(same tune as For the Beauty of the Earth)
William C. Dix, inspired by the Epiphany gospel, penned this hymn in 1861. His melody is also used with For the Beauty of the Earth (see below). Dix (an insurance manager by trade) was a gifted hymnwriter who also wrote, "What Child Is This?"

For the Beauty of the Earth [28]
Folliott S. Peirpoint penned these verses in 1864 on a late spring day near Bath, England when the flowers were in full bloom and all the earth seemed to rejoice.

The Strife is O'er [242]
A seventeenth-century Jesuit collection published in Cologne, Germany in 1695 is the earliest source of this Latin hymn, which has a musical setting from the Magnificat by Italian composer Palestrina.

Holy, Holy, Holy [277]
This hymn is by Reginald Heber in 1826 and was first found in a book of hymns for Banbury Parish Church in England. Its tune, Nicaea, was named for the famous council that defined the doctrine of the Trinity.

I Sing a Song of the Saints of God [295]
Very appropos to this list, this text was included in author Lesbia Scott's Everyday Hymns for Little Children in 1929 with her original words, music and illustrations.

The Church's One Foundation [386]
This hymn was born out of a doctrinal dispute. Young priest, Samuel J. Stone, composed it in 1866 based on article 9 of the Apostles Creed in support of those reacting against nontraditional views of biblical scholarship.

Go, My Children, With My Blessing [82]
American hymnwriter Jaroslav Vajda crafted this benediction hymn in 1983 set to a traditional Welsh melody as though God were "dismissing the congregation after worship, while drawing together a review of the events that transpired during the service."

Now Thank We All Our God [419]
This traditional Thanksgiving hymn has become one of the most widely used hymns of the church. It was written in 1647 in German (Nun danket alle Gott) by Lutheran pastor and musician Martin Rinkart during the Thirty Years' War.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God [439]
There is speculation that this psalm paraphrase (Psalm 46) was written in 1527 when Martin Luther's friend was burned at the stake - or else in 1529, in protest over revocation of certain liberties.

To You, O God, All Creatures Sing
(All Creatures of Our God and King) [17]
These words by St. Francis of Assisi (1225) were adapted by Miriam Therese Winter who composed the hymn feeling a strong "bond with one who had gone before."

Sing Praise to God, Who Has Shaped
(Praise to the Lord, the Almighty) [22]
This most familiar of German pastor (Reformed Church) Joachim Neander's 56 hymn texts was first published in 1680, the year of his death.

O God, Our Help in Ages Past [25]
Another hymn from prolific hymnwriter and congregational minister Isaac Watts which, along with his new style of hymnody, was written as a "hymn of human composure" (using everyday language).

All Things Bright and Beautiful [31]
Here is a hymn written especially for children by English hymnwriter Cecil Frances Alexander in 1848. It is based on the first article of the Apostles Creed: "Maker of heaven and earth."

All Praise Be Yours, My God, This Night
(Tallis' Canon) [100]
Author Thomas Ken was a priest at Winchester Cathedral and he set his text in 1692 to the now familiar Tallis' Cannon, one of nine tunes composed by Thomas Tallis in 1567 for a book of metrical psalms. +
 

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: March 23, 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