I had a hard time sleeping last night, which is not something that usually happens (my son's adventure, which I may share at a later date was the culprit...he is fine) and guess what??? I did not make it to Marva Dawn's plenary this morning. I have read her book about Dumbing Down some years ago, and she was at Ministers' school two years ago I think. I am not a huge Marva Dawn fan (I loved the book...she just comes across pretty self righteously in person and doesn't have much latitude in her opinions about worship content that are open enough to include the "somewhere out there" people.) I did make it to my first sectional (read: workshop) with Hal Hopson with his wife Martha accompanying. He has put together a new set of very singable psalm settings using folk songs tunes from around the world. I bought his book. We sang nearly the whole workshop. I knew Hal and Martha from my Scarritt Graduate school Days when he was professor. (I went back to graduate school after serving four years full time in Southern Illinois--met Philip at Scarritt) --they greeted me like an old friend--well, I guess I am an old friend. These are two of the kindest, considerate and talented people I have ever met.
After a wonderful lunch, the next plenary was on What Hymns Would Dr. Seuss Choose?---the conference theme is on children and congregational song. The interim pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Prairie Village KS (not far from where I live) gave the lecture...and though the topic sounded bizarre, he mostly rose to the occasion of helping us realize how some of the principals, which really are fairly complex by the way, that Dr. Seuss had in his writing might be ones we would want to live by as worship leaders and hymn text composers.
Then a sectional on The Best in Contemporary Praise and Worship Songs which was really good. We sang a lot. I heard several great songs by Keith Getty (text writer) and Stuart Townend (tune composer) which would really work well with a rockin' band which are beautiful really, and the theology behind the text is resonant with what I believe.
Then another sectional on The Art of the Psalms--pretty neat. We sang a lot (we have a theme here). We sang through two books of new setting of psalms one by (Father) Michael Joncas. Joncas, along with Marty Haugen and Dan Shutte (don't now about that spelling) are the prominent contemporary Catholic composers today. On Eagle's Wings is the most well known of Fr. Joncas' songs. Well, anyway, he was in this particular sectional, something I didn't expect, and led us in several of his psalm settings ....and I have a picture here to prove I am actually here and that I met him. He introduced himself to me at Mike...he is currently a professor at a Roman Catholic university in St. Paul.
After dinner, there was a hymn festival led by Carl Daw, who is retiring as the president of the Hymn Society after 16 years, He is a text composer, with hymns in our current UMH and in The Faith We sing. His texts are beautiful, especially the last one we sang tonight---but not what I would call passion inspiring. He is an Episcopal priest, has a speaking voice that sounds like he earned it at Harvard, and obviously has a great love for traditional hymnody---but about half way through, I wondered if I could get up and leave to go watch the Home Run Derby---my attention was not held and wouldn't have been even if Albert P was not in the Derby---which he did not succeed in very well. I have an opinion about that too.
All in all a great day. I am inspired to produce something in writing to help those with contemporary worship to realize that the lectionary can add depth and drama to all kinds of styles. I also have about three other projects I'd like to get on right away but probably won't. But hey, maybe I will!
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