One of our Seven Foundational Principles at Apostles is: “All ministry must arise from the gifts and talents of the people.” For years that has determined the nature of music at Apostles. Music has flexed, grown and changed accordingly over the years. Through it all we have maintained one simple standard. The standard may surprise some of you. What we have held to is this: We try to sing one traditional hymn a Sunday, while the balance of our music has always been contemporary with some notable exceptions.

• During Advent we add one Christmas Carol each Sunday until we are singing all Christmas Carols from the Hymnal. This continues throughout the Christmas Season.
• In Epiphany we return to our standard, one traditional hymn a Sunday and the balance of our music is contemporary.
• In Lent, we add more traditional hymns; however, we attempt not to get too somber, even though we reserve the Alleluia songs and hymns for the Easter Season.
• From Easter through Pentecost, we go back to our standard practice, one traditional hymn and the balance is contemporary.

The type of music has changed with the changing of the members of the music team. Originally we had quite a Southern Gospel flavor, with a mixture of “Maranatha” and “Integrity” music, including some contemporary hymns. With our move to the new building came a change in music personnel and we began to sing songs and choruses common to the Cursillo movement and some from Episcopal renewal movements. Faith Alive started another shift with the introduction of music from Australia, some of it still among our favorites. With the addition of Linda Olsen to our staff, and with some changing music team personnel, we are again adapting our music to our gifts and talents. I have requested that we maintain the pattern in the bullet points above, but that we also revisit some of our old favorites from our earlier period at the Worship Center and at the School. I have also requested that we begin to learn some new contemporary songs and broaden our repertoire of traditional hymns. Any time we go through a change and an accompanying learning period we are going to be stretched, but being stretched is part of growing in worship. I am particularly delighted with some of the very worshipful music that Linda has written. As we go through this new learning period I have requested that our music team begin regular weekly rehearsals in August as we begin to prepare for the fall.

The selection of music is determined by three things:

1. The first is that mysterious and ever-changing combination of our talents and abilities.
2. The second is what will speak meaningfully to a cross section of the people to whom we seek to minister.
3. The third, and most important, is determining what kind of music will draw us corporately into the presence of God. That word corporately is very important.

Early in our life together at Apostles one of our early members asked me a question: “Why can’t we make them sing our kind of music?” Let me translate this for you. The word “them” refers to you. The phrase, “our kind of music” refers to the one Episcopal congregation where she had been a member. Apparently that congregation sang only music from the Hymnal. It just wasn’t going to happen at Apostles, so she returned to her congregation of origin. Instead we play what our gifts and talents allow us to play. Good congregational worship is an experience of the whole Body of Christ, and is determined by the capabilities of that Body.

Father Rob +

Click here to see archived articles and letters written by Father Rob Smith.