The Oxford dictionary online defines Tradition as “a long-standing custom or belief that has been passed from generation to generation, or the fact of being passed on in this way.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes “tradition” as a. “an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior;” b. a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable;” c. the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction.” As an ever-becoming more seasoned pastor, I recognize that as of late I have been stretching the sense of tradition in worship. I know this is hard and uncomfortable at times. I’ll recognize too, that discomfort comes from two directions—the exploration of tradition beyond this faith community and the offering of experiences/words/music beyond this faith community’s recognized traditions and the discomfort that arises from mistakes in judgement as to what will work and enhance worship and what will not.
I have made mistakes in selections of what I call “new to you hymns.” In these past few weeks, I recognize that I made mistakes in how much I planned for us to accomplish in worship. I appreciate your patience in these moments and I want you all to know that I do note when worship extends over time or when a hymn just flops and I will do my best to do better in these ways. (I make note of this in the hymnals I hold in the office, with the intent of passing them on to your next pastor to help them in their transition to leading worship with you all). Please accept my apologies for these mistakes.
Remember the story of Fiddler on the Roof? The feature song “Tradition?” Tevye is faced with three daughters who are ready for marriage, all having found love on their own and yet the tradition is for a matchmaker to identify the best fit for each child. There is considerable angst in the family over the tension between tradition and what is best for this new generation of adults. A significant truth of tradition is that at some point in time, it was a new idea and there was a mixed response of embrace and resistance to it.
Worship holds many layers of what we believe is tradition: the liturgy, itself (also known as the Order of Worship); the purpose each component serves within the service, the theological line or perspective taken in the creation of the service as it draws upon scripture, tradition in this time and age can also be the hymnal relied upon for the selection of music or which Doxology, Benediction Response. All of these components of worship were new, at some point in time. The Doxology written in 1674 was originally a 14 stanza hymn called “Morning Song” written by Anglican Bishop Thomas Ken who used a 1515 tune called Old Hundredth composed by Huguenot, Louis Bourgeois. (It was not used for a Doxology until 1709). The worship component “Doxology” speaks to the purpose of that particular moment of what we are engaging in as we open our hearts and minds to God and each other. Every moment in worship holds a particular purpose. Matthew Meyer Bolton, a prominent liturgist beginning in the late 90s and still today continues to teach his students at Harvard that excellent worship planning focuses on what each moment, each component of worship, offers the participants as they seek to deepen their understanding of scripture and their relationship with God.
In my interviews with the congregation, as we considered whether we were called to minister together in this transition period, I was asked to help the congregation prepare for the possibility of engaging in denominationally identified learning processes and the possibility of becoming an Open and Affirming Church. The Transition Conversations are reinforcing this possibility for the congregation along with a couple of other learning processes all focused on broadening the welcome of this congregation in intentional ways. Welcoming newcomers and inviting newcomers requires an openness to change and collective finding of new traditions or the adaptation of old traditions. Expanding a congregation’s understanding of the broadness of worship traditions is already the work of an Interim Minister as is this time a moment to reflect on denominational identity and congregational identity. It is important for us all to remember that for everyone in worship, we hope for something refreshing and something familiar. I will continue to strive for this.
Please know, that I always welcome direct conversation about these concerns, maybe to lead to my doing something different than I am or to an establishment of mutual understanding, an essential for any covenant.
Pastor Stacey