Worship Arts July August September 2022

I learned a lot of things from that prison choir, but I can tell you that I have never had a more dedicated group , and no group has watched my back like those guys!

I felt secure in the chapel. So, I at tempted to refocus the men on the upcoming revival music. After all, Paul and Silas sang in prison and so could we. Always a little slow, it took some time for the potential gravity of my situation to register. The entrance to the yard was more than two long city blocks away. The guys worked out a plan. I was given a light blue denim jacket – regular prison garb – and a matching hat by one of my choir members. We exited casually from the chapel and the fellows surrounded me and we moved gradually to the front of the yard where I was yanked to safety by an angry warden who informed me that I had been the only non-inmate on the yard for at least half an hour. I learned a lot of things from that prison choir, but I can tell you that I have never had a more dedicated group, and no group has watched my back like those guys! Igniting a spark Upon reflection, I realized that my position at the state reforma tory had been dangerous – but not just because of this incident. Early in my ministry, I developed a desire to make music in risky places that challenged my comfort zone, both personally and professionally, and, even in those safer places, take risks that might stir the faithful from the status quo. Like the gospel itself, I’ve decided that effective music minis try is, among many things, danger ous! Even during those early days of my music ministry – about 45 years ago – a spark was ignited that

however, has always been a bit hazardous. Another dangerous profession About fifteen years ago I was in York, England, at a hymnology conference. During a break in the schedule, I visited the famous York Minster Cathedral. Musicians often tend to romanticize the English Ca thedral choral tradition, but, as we shall see, it can also be dangerous. On a wall in the nave was a plaque entitled “The Organists of York Minster” – a list of thirty names. The minister of York Minster Cathedral is second in rank only to the Archbishop of Canterbury, thus the second highest office in the Church of England. The City of York has a verifiable Christian presence that dates to the fourth century. Judging from the aver age length of tenure of an organist (organist choirmaster), my guess is that John Austan, the first name on the list, began his ministry on or near the time of the consecration of the present building in 1472 – a mere 543 years ago! What would such a ministry have entailed? First, and fore most, at least sometime after 1534 when Henry the VIII declared himself the Head of the Church of England, the position required allegiance to the State Church. Even back then, there was a bit of politics involved in being a church musician. Take Thomas Tallis who was caught in the middle of the change from the Roman Catholic to the Anglican Church; he had to negotiate musically the transition

has continued to grow in ways that I could never have guessed. Fellowship members have a sense of vocation in music and the arts. Some know exactly when that sense of vocation came into focus – singing in a children’s choir, doing service on a youth mission trip, performing the duties of acolyte. For others, it may have been a gradual process of forma tion. Sometimes we lose sight that our service to the church through music and the arts is part of a long tradition. We form a link in a long train of artistic custodians of the church’s worship. Our calling,

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