Insights: Fall 2019 "Worship and Music"

Worship and Song foreign languages. Further, by printing the text of the choral pieces in the bulletin, we hope the words will help lead participants in prayer.

Vikki Schwarz (MAMP’19), Music Director, Berkeley United Methodist Church, Austin, Texas I am always astonished, and I am always grateful, that God can be and is present through music in the liturgy of prelude, three hymns, offertory, doxology, special music, and postlude. As a music director, I have been fortunate to work with several pastors who plan sermon themes in advance. This has allowed us to offer a unified message each week in all the words we offer. The hymns and anthems enrich the growing theological understandings of those attending. Because of this, there is a rich variety of music presented over the course of time—traditional, global, new hymns, Taizé, etc.—so that we are always aware of the larger voice of the worldwide church, are comforted and challenged, placated and provoked, and always praising, praying, reflecting, and sending renewed hearts out to serve the world.

How do you incorporate music into your pastoral work?

Josh Robinson Songs are like scents; like when you catch a whiff of something and it triggers a certain, ingrained memory or emotion. One of my practices is to invite members to create a playlist for me of songs according to certain themes, and sometimes, I make playlists for them. Here are a few theme prompts I’ve given to congregants:

• If you could only share three songs with me that best capture the essence of who you are, what would they be?

• Which five songs best articulate, for you, the essence of the Christian faith or God’s love?

• At the reception of your memorial service, which songs would you want played for the comfort of the attendees?

When members send me their selections, I purchase the songs, create a playlist, and listen to/study them multiple times. I find the playlist exercise helps them to focus their attention on what they believe or enables them to express thoughts/ emotions that otherwise escape them.

Vikki Schwarz As a composer, I have written anthems, hymns, and liturgical pieces that either meet the need of particular church themes and/or special days. Often my compositional work is in collaboration with others, so that I am constantly growing beyond my own understanding of faith and learning to craft words and music that embrace the larger realization of the community of faith. Creating texts is a calling that holds great responsibility; I am ever more aware of both the joy and the seriousness 26