A couple weeks ago, as I was putting the finishing touches on our Ash Wednesday service layout, I decided it would be good for the musicians to be able to put down their instruments and microphones in order to participate with their families and the church in the part of the service when the elders imposed the ashes and when everyone formally journeyed on Way of the Cross. So, knowing there would be no musicians to underscore, I was thinking about what kind of music would fit to be played overhead during that time. I began searching the iTunes Store for soft, contemplative music, and after sifting through a bunch of New Age weird stuff, I came across something that immediately brought me back to one of the most memorable moments of my life. Although, thinking of it now, it seems like it happened in a dream.
It was about ten years ago, and I was staying with my team of Celebrant Singers (not to be confused with the Celibate Singers) at a bed and breakfast inn in Vermont. It was late October, and I must say that being in the Northeast during the Fall was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. We had a couple days off - we usually got one day off per week, almost always Mondays, and then we'd be back to doing concerts in different churches every weeknight, and anywhere from two to six Masses in Catholic parishes on weekends. Our days off were purely sabbatical. Well, at some point between partaking of a nice home-cooked meal and crocheting a scarf in a rocking chair next to a fireplace, we were told of a local monastery where a group of monks gather together at four o'clock in the morning to chant.
So in the morning a few of us woke up and drove down to a dimly lit chapel in the woods. Slowly, monk after monk entered the chapel. They gathered on the altar near the sanctuary, about thirty of them. Some sat down, others leaned against a wall or pillar, and they all began to sing. It was mostly Latin, from what I can remember. (Of course, being up that early, everything seems Latin.) There were a few moments when one of the monks would play a simple tune on a classical guitar or incorporate the subtle sound of a rain stick, but for the most part, it was simple, pure drone and chant. It was one of those moments when you are truly alive.
This is the album that captured my attention in iTunes: Chant: Music for the Soul - Monks of Cistercian Abbey. I thought for sure Gregorian Chant would be the perfect music to use in our Ash Wednesday service during a half hour of reflection. That is, until I ran the idea by the staff. Apparently, most of their encounters with Chant weren't as moving and colorful as mine. Their experiences were pretty much limited to a single priest (no pun intended) singing part of the Mass with an awful, crackly voice, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of my co-workers. They claimed that many others like themselves, especially former Catholics, would immediately be turned off at the sound of Chant. Now, let me just say that I am extremely grateful for the freedom I have to be creative and incorporate ancient worship practices in our church, but I am equally grateful for the reins of a healthy team. We keep each other in check, oftentimes steering one another away from disaster and towards honoring God in a greater way.
To be sure, we were already pushing the evangelical limits by imposing ashes and praying through the Way of the Cross. And although I personally would have preferred this beautiful Chant to be heard in this rich service, we could definitely accomplish what we needed to with any number of other music styles. Perhaps this Gregorian Chant would have been more of a distraction to some. We ended up using an instrumental piano album. I honestly don't even remember hearing it. I was too enraptured in the Way of the Cross, observing a bunch of marked people journeying on the Jesus Road, and participating with my wife and another family, as we listened to a mother read the Scripture passages to her Son at each stop along the Way.
In the meantime, over the past couple of weeks, I have listened to this Chant album a number of times. I let it play in the background while I am working. I absolutely love it! I heard it once said that Gregorian Chant is music in its purest form, the closest sound to the voices of angels and the song of God. I suppose that is a pretty subjective statement, but I challenge you to listen to it for yourself (thirty tracks for only $7.99 in iTunes). You may find a certain objective beauty in it that exceeds the music of later eras. I know, it's hard to accept that Contemporary Praise and Worship music might not be the pinnacle of musical achievement.
6 comments
Comment by Betsy Andersen on February 27, 2009 at 8:56 AM
I never knew you sang with Celebrant Singers! I have a good friend from college who toured with them for 2 years.
Interesting post...I'm going to check out that Gregorian Chant on iTunes.
Comment by The Sun Also Rises on February 27, 2009 at 10:40 PM
I think it's great how you were open to using different types of music in your services. Is this church that you attend and lead at a Catholic Church or were you just implementing the Catholic tradition of the ashes on the forehead?? I think the symbolic action of the "walk with Christ" is a beautiful thing as well... I am taking a class called essentials red with the University of St. Stephens and the whole point of the course is how the deep history of the early church can be gleaned from to help make us more effective worship leaders today, and maybe instead of looking for new innovative ideas to make our worship sets better, we could look to the past and the way the early church shaped their lives around Jesus and never let themselves get away from the story of Jesus. Do you have any thought on this??
My blog website is www.kehrich.wordpress.com
Comment by Unknown on February 27, 2009 at 10:44 PM
Ryan, I think it's really good that you're rediscovering a jewel of your past that helps direct your heart in worship. My past is marked all over with artists, cd's, books, significant moments in relationships, etc. where God made more space in my heart for Him, and I love remembering them. Recently I recalled a time when I was in a choir also and sang a phrase that brought me to tears. It's the last paragraph of the post linked at the end of this, if you're interested.
-Andy
http://andybiddy.blogspot.com/2009/02/time-and-space-essentials-red.html
Comment by Dan on February 28, 2009 at 1:38 PM
I remember that morning....beautiful!
Comment by Ryan on March 1, 2009 at 10:44 AM
I'm glad to see so many friends of Dan Wilt and the Essentials Courses here. Dan is an awesome dude, and we have very similar convictions.
Kelsey (The Sun Also Rises),
Our church is not a Catholic parish. We would probably fit best in the independent, evangelical, non-denominational, Contemporary Church category. (Let's start a denomination!) We often implement ancient worship practices in our Celebrations. In fact, our weekly Sunday worship structure is a contemporary twist on the historic four-part service, Gathering/Word/Table/Dismissal. I can't tell you how freeing the Divine Liturgy is is, and how much it ensures we live the Gospel as a church.
Concerning ashes, this was the third year we imposed ashes on foreheads. The first year wrought a whole bunch of pushback from people. I wasn't here at that time, praise the Lord. Now, the negative pushback has morphed into positive feedback, especially from former Catholics and ignorant evangelicals. We always teach our people thoroughly before throwing something like this at them. And, as it turns out, the tradition of ashes is actually pre-Catholic Church, although it is most popular in the Catholic Church. The Old Testament reveals to us the Jewish, and possibly other-cultural/religious, usage of ashes in mourning and repentance. In fact, the ritual was a lot messier back then. Imagine if we poured buckets of ashes on our congregants instead of a simple mark of the cross! Additionally, the New Testament speaks of us being a "marked" people, sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Bible also constantly exhorts us to walk humbly with God. Combine these biblical images, teach it to your people before just doing it, and it's amazing how receptive evangelicals can be to this act of worship.
There were about 300-400 people who attended this service.
I do have thoughts on how the Contemporary Church has sacrificed historic practices for new innovative ideas. I have strong feelings, in fact. That's pretty much what this blog is about. I think the Contemporary Church has, in large part, provided church-goers with more distractions than they have pointed them to Jesus. My newest, most concise definition of worship is "Living the Gospel" or "Living Christ". That's it. I could write a book explaining those two words, but that would be counter-intuitive to the simplicity it demands.
Andy,
Thanks for sharing. I love when God moves me emotionally like that. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen as often as I would like, or allow. I often have so much clutter in my life that the Gospel either can't break through my layers of sinful clothing, or my layers of clothes keep it from getting out. Either way, I spend more of my life bound by selfish desires than free in Christ.
It's getting better, though.
Ryan
Comment by Matte Downey on March 6, 2009 at 3:14 PM
I just bought that cd not too long ago because it looked intriguing (and amazon was promoting it in some flyer)! Yeah, other people I played it for were not so thrilled with it, but it is one of the few things I can play while reading or writing and not get totally off track. It seems to add clarity instead of bring confusion. Simple and lovely.
Thanks for joining us and sharing your thoughts.