The church and enthusiasm

from w
This morning at East Geelong Uniting Church, the congregation were most happy because it was a Favourite Hymn Service and the people in the pews chose the hymns - well, sixteen of them! Usually the minister and I (as muso) or the minister and Fae (another muso) choose five or six on the Friday morning, and include new and unknown songs - which doesn't always work well. My view is that we just can't stay with the very old and comfortable songs, but bit by bit add the best of contemporary Christian songs that are singable by a bunch of people.

We are a modest lot, mostly older, and don't clap hands a lot except today for 'Mine eyes have seen the glory', 'Lord of the Dance', and 'We are the church.' Today we sang songs that were chosen mainly because that were important at significant times in a person's life, or songs from the comfortable place of childhood. The first hymn wasn't even chosen until five minutes before the service - 'How great thou art' and they lifted the rooftop!

David with the laptop and data projector was ready with websites that had relevant stories. The Together in Song (Australia) book was used instead of the usual words on the wall so we didn't use other resources such as the wonderful books that have come out of Adelaide - All Together series.

Anyway, though Betty (piano) and I(organ)were like ducks, paddling like mad, it all went very well with lots of stories matching the chosen songs. I noticed that many writers, including several women, wrote the words of the hymns at a time of crisis in their lives.

Anyway I found two cartoons about being happy-clappy - one funny, the other not so. I do not write about happy-clappy style on our other blog as there is a sensitivity issue about church life in Fiji at present.