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| This Little Light of Mine, I'm Gonna Let It Shine |
Music in our worship is a very purposeful and considered
element. All the selections that have been included in our hymnals (regardless
of denomination) have been carefully considered and chosen based on a
preconceived plan or list of criteria for acceptance. Music in our worship must praise and glorify
God. Music might be used in lieu of a spoken prayer. It might be used to reiterate and reinforce
the text of the Gospel or other lessons.
Regardless of how it is used, musical selections are almost always chosen
with conscious forethought for how they will fit into the service. It’s a rare moment in our Episcopal tradition
of worship where the congregation will break into spontaneous song simply for
the sheer joy of singing a song! Yet it
does happen. I've actually experienced
one of those rare spontaneous moments of song recently at a Diocesan Convention
when Bishop Ely led us all in a rousing rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”
Our rigid structure of the order of service somewhat precludes
spontaneity of song. But even in our elegant and reserved tradition, there is
one area of mischief and joy where spontaneous song still erupts. Enter a
Sunday School class and you will find spontaneous song as children work on an
assignment. Spy on a youth group meeting
and somewhere along the way, they’ll bond over a song. They remind us that
music in our worship should also bring us closer together and should (at least
once in a while) be a joy! To that end,
the editors of our hymnal ensured that a number of hymns geared specifically to
appeal to a young audience were included in The Hymnal 1982, and most assuredly
again in Wonder, Love and Praise the
hymnal’s more recent supplement. The back of the hymnal includes a number of
rounds and canons that have specific appeal to children. “Seek Ye First” comes to
mind. Another is a round by Michael
Praetorius called, “Singt
dem Herren.” Other hymns specifically included to appeal to children
include “Grand Isle”
by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. and “Earth and All Stars” by
Herbert Brokering.
Not included in our hymnals are those songs children learn
through the oral tradition. Children who attend Sunday School or summer camps
learn songs that tells stories, teach lessons, illustrate morals and are just
plain fun. And not all of them are
forgotten by the time we reach adulthood, as Bishop Ely demonstrated. Along
with “This Little Light of Mine,” remember those other great campfire songs, “Peace Like a River,” “He’s Got the Whole World,”
“I’ve Got the Joy, Joy,
Joy, Joy Down in My Heart” and “Give Me Oil in My Lamp”
and some African songs like “Siyahamba” and “Ukuthula” and, of
course, “Khumbaya.” Some favorite story songs retell Bible
stories with a twist. “Rise
and Shine” is one that retells the story of Noah’s Ark. “Joshua Fought the Battle of
Jericho” helps kids understand a confusing Old Testament story. Some kids are fortunate enough to grow up in
a family with a musical background. In my family, we used to trade silly songs.
My favorite growing up was an irreverent song my Dad taught me called, “The Happy Bible School.”
It’s a silly old folk tune with endless verses and this refrain:
“Young folks, old folks, everybody come!
Join the happy Bible school and
have a lotta fun.
Please check your razors and your
rifles at the door*
And we'll tell you Bible stories that
you've never heard before.”
*Cleaner versions say “Please check your chewing gum and
raisins at the door” but I like the hillbilly version better. My brother and I used to entertain ourselves
by making up verses about our favorite Bible stories. The only verses of our
own that I can remember are these, but you get the idea…
“Abraham
and Sarah were getting on in years.
An angel of the Lord arrived to
ease all Abram’s fears.
He talked about a son and descendants
like the stars.
And Sarah laughed until her husband
left to hit the bars.”
“Absalom was David’s son who had a lot
of hair
He thought that he could oust his
pop and steal the royal chair
But the king had a general that
disobeyed his lord
As Absalom hung by his locks he
stabbed him with his sword.”
You can find original as well as alternate verses at this
link if you click here. Some of them are pretty funny and worth the
read! But be forewarned; as a folk song, many of the alternate verses show
their prejudices.
As everything that goes around, comes around again, the idea
of spontaneous song in worship is getting a revival of sorts with “paperless
music.” Paperless music hearkens back to
the days when congregations knew all the hymns by name and sang them as the
minister saw fit. Today, paperless music
is more in the style of Taizé with simple, repetitive lines that can be sung
and harmonized for use throughout the service. Who knows? The old favorites
from our Sunday School and Bible Camp days may find themselves back in our
worship again!
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