Learn the Handshakes for Mormon Heaven

Banned in Utah - The Mormon Cartoon

Mizzurah Accent: Church and Chicanery

Diversity! Yeah! Everything but the liturgy and real hymns!

Campus conference highlights worship diversity
By Joe Isenhower Jr.

A first-time three-day conference in mid-February for worship leaders from the Synod's colleges, universities, and seminaries to "openly discuss divergent worship practices" on their campuses was "a practical unveiling about the extreme diversity in music repertoire, artistic expression, and liturgical heritage that shape the worshiping communities within the LCMS [resulting in] a fervent appreciation for the level of excellence in worship and pastoral care for our students in each of these institutions."

Rev. David A. Johnson, executive director of the Synod's Commission on Worship, gave Reporter that assessment of the Feb. 15-17 conference at Concordia University, Irvine, Calif. The conference title was "Word and Sacrament Ministry in This and the Next Generation: Worship Leaders' Conference Exploring Worship Diversity in a Campus Culture."

The agenda included several major presentations on worship-related topics, followed by a "table talk" for each topic; 30-minute "worship portraits," with representatives of the schools highlighting worship activity on their campuses; and three of Concordia, Irvine's, chapel services and its Sunday-night Communion service.

The Commission on Worship also participated in the conference, along with representatives from several other Synod-related entities.

Major presentations addressed "Freedom in Christ," "Practicing Those Middle Things [adiaphora]," "The Emerging Church Model," "Understanding the Millennial Generation," "Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi (what we pray is what we believe)," "Worship - Mission - Context," and "The World of Technology. [GJ - Tweeting the Gospel?]

Johnson said that both during the conference and later at a meeting of the Commission on Worship on the Irvine campus, commission members "expressed a unified exuberance for the level of honesty and integrity among worship-conference participants."

"This conference has ignited in us a desire to further the conversations among the seminaries, colleges, universities, and churches," Johnson said.

The commission is "seeking to understand and intentionally support the contextual (worship) practices" of each community, conveyed in pastoral and musical care," Johnson said.

"It is clearly not the intention to diminish our Lutheran heritage," he explained, "but to allow for the expansion of worship repertoire that faithfully undergirds the proclamation of Word and Sacrament ministry."

Johnson said that, toward that goal, the commission "will be considering processes to develop liturgies for contemporary instrumental ensembles, and new songs that sing about Baptism and the Lord's Supper."

"From this event, we hope others will intentionally engage in conversation, seeking to understand and not divide," Johnson said.

He added that the LCMS Commission on Worship is currently working on a "paradigm" for a composers conference -- tentatively set for 2010 -- "to engage young artists from the Millennial Generation to craft and record Lutheran song that is filled with language about Christ."

The campus worship leaders conference at Irvine was made possible through funding from a Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation grant.

Sharing ideas, resources

In the application for that grant, Johnson pointed out that an LCMS Commission on Worship member visited each Concordia college and university in the 2004-07 triennium, leading to the decision to hold the conference, based on "a significant finding [of] ... felt need on the part of campus worship leaders to be able to share ideas and resources with one another as part of a shared event, as well as an opportunity to support one another in the work of ministering to the diverse student bodies of our Concordias. The need for interfacing with worship staff at the seminaries also was expressed."

At its conclusion, the 30-some conference attendees gave the conference high marks in a written survey. Several also expressed to Reporter their appreciation for the event.

"This was really the best chance I've had to hear and consider the big variety of situations we have at our Concordias as we plan and lead worship," Rev. Steven Smith, campus pastor and assistant professor of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, wrote via e-mail.

Dr. Kent Burreson, acting dean of chapel and associate professor of systematic theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, stated that the conference "provided an unparalleled opportunity to intersect worship life and formation on the LCMS university campuses with worship life and formation on the seminary campus. The result: increased understanding and appreciation for the rich and diverse worship that pulses on the campuses of higher education in our church body."

For Dr. Jean Boehler, a director of parish music and an adjunct professor at Concordia College, Bronxville, N.Y., who also is on the faculty of Concordia Conservatory, the conference "enabled us to look to the future as we discussed the needs of the millennial generation and how we might minister to them in our unique settings."

"It was a joy to mix with other college chaplains and worship leaders, and of course, to hear their points of view and for them to hear ours," said Dr. McNair Ramsey, interim president of Concordia College, Selma, Ala. Ramsey presented the school's worship portrait with Rev. Steven Washington, who assists with chaplaincy duties at the college and is its athletic director. Washington is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Selma.

The Selma college -- with a predominantly African-American student body, faculty, and staff -- is in the process of seeking a full-time campus chaplain.

Campus diversity

In a recap by phone of their "worship portrait," Ramsey said that worship on the Selma campus is diverse in style -- using different campus choirs and speakers, including area Lutheran pastors and members of the college's board of regents -- to appeal to a diverse student body."

"They come from all over the United States," Ramsey said of the school's students. In addition, he said, there are a significant number of international students, and about three-fourths of the student body is not Lutheran.

"In chapel, we get to share what we believe as we touch on what we have as Lutherans -- a clear understanding of sin and grace; that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ," Ramsey said.

Jon Jordening, director of Contemporary Worship Arts at Concordia University, Irvine, explained via e-mail that for a number of years, chapel worship at Concordia, Irvine, led to "a sense of frustration on the part of worshipers not knowing the worship format for each day. People would come with a certain set of expectations for worship, only to find out something different had been planned on that day."

Jordening added that chapel worship also "had not been reaching a large part of our campus community. We had become a very diverse campus," he said -- with students from many Christian denominations, and with a climbing percentage of unchurched students.

"The impression by a large part of our students and staff ... was that chapel wasn't for them," he said.

These factors led to adjusting the approach to campus worship some three years ago.

"We decided to take a broad perspective [with] ... spiritual care in a corporate setting, and felt an obligation to offer a variety of Christian resources for the diverse populations on campus. In other words, to be faithful to our ministry of the Gospel in our diverse setting, we felt compelled to provide a diversity of corporate student settings.

"While the core of our chapel experiences would remain 'worship' in the 'narrow sense' (Divine Service), some of our other corporate gatherings might focus on a broader aspect such as teaching, outreach, or devotion -- worship in 'wider sense' as our diverse population might view it."

He said that the changes have led to greater participation in new "wide sense" weekly worship settings, while the "narrow sense" chapel worship settings remain very stable.

The photo that accompanies this story -- of Dr. David Mennicke shaking jingle bells to accompany conference participants' singing -- illustrates "mixing musical styles during Epiphany-season chapel services at Concordia University, St. Paul, Minn., [providing] a purposely eclectic mix of musical styles to show the diversity of the Body of Christ," according to Mennicke.

Chairman of the Music Department and cantor for the chapel at St. Paul, Mennicke explained that his accompaniment was for the singing of "'Helleluyan' -- a Muskeego (Creek) Indian melody that we have used for an Alleluia verse in Eucharist" services.

Johnson said this first-time campus worship-leaders conference was "clear evidence that LCMS colleges and universities are united within their sphere of influence to develop opportunities and certification programs that will shore up and train musicians with a variety of diverse and contextual skill sets and experiences."

Posted March 26, 2009

Big Love - From the Latter Day Saints

"Do your Temple Garmets itch too?"

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS and Mormonism":

I feel that you people seriously need to get a life....mormonism is very good. i feel that you people need to grow up and stick to your faith, and not put down others. GROW UP!!!

Busta Says: "Fellowship Is For Suckahs"

When Busta Gut's mom mentioned going to Concordia College, the subject was changed faster than Busta's didies.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I Give Up: WELS Pastors Write Better Satire Than I...":

"We have a rockin' music team that leads us in worship every week with familiar Christian rock songs right off the radio. Our music volunteers are all talented musicians who have gone through an audition process to keep the quality of our worship experience one that will keep you wanting to come back."

I personally listened to auditions at a WELS congregation, (not this one) where the person that was chosen to be the "lead singer" in the praise band revealed that she was LCMS! I spoke up and said that this would disqualify her because it was a fellowship issue, especially when she did still consider herself aligned with "her church" - an LCMS congregation. The pastor over-rode my thinking and vote because she was good and had definte (sic) charisma. She was given the gig despite her very clear testimony that "her church" was not the one where she was now going to be leading worship. I no longer see any justification for the "praise band" thing and have stepped away from the "Church Nouveau."

I now feel as though I have to be very cautious and careful at which WELS congregation I align myself. A sad commentary on what used to be a very homogenous lot. But Christ himself did talk of the narrow and wide path didn't he? Choose wisely bretheren (sic).

***

GJ - This is not new to WELS. The Kuske-Stolzenburg-Zehms Lutheran Parish Resources ("the first WELS CG agency")sponsored Soter, an ecumenical rock group, for an Ohio youth gather in Jenera. The same group performed badly at the national WELS youth rally in Columbus, 1989, where Kuske was clearly in charge. One Soter member was Greek Orthodox because The Donor was Greek Orthodox (and many other denominations, not to mention c-notes). Given the make-up of the WELS clergy and pseudo-clergy, Satyr would have been a better name.

Soter was ecumenical and pretty bad. I really cannot define a bad rock group since they range from mediocre to horrible. I shocked a college class by saying it takes no talent to be a rock performer. I struck my imaginary guitar, "Twang!" and screamed. They enjoyed my brief rock career and laughed. However, many were scandalized at my claim. They eventually agreed that the members of the Boston Orchestra could all be rockers if they wanted to, but almost no rockers could be seated in the Boston Orchestra.

Where are they now?

Richard Stadler was the main speaker at the communion service. Jon Balge thanked me for not puking on him during the sermon, which was an extended children's talk done in a lispy voice. Stadler left WELS with his congregation.

Mark Freier was another speaker. After visiting destruction on a number of congregations, Mark served CrossRoads in S. Lyons, Michigan, which is now Evangelical Covenant. Mark will perform your wedding whether you are Hindu or atheist. He is also a life-coach.

Mark Schroeder (POP-Lutheran, married to Johne's daughter: Johne hunts in Africa with Patterson) was kicked out of WELS, and his congregation left with him.

Wayne Mueller spoke, too. This was a proto-Church and Change rally.

Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Roger Zehms, and Paul Kuske were in charge of the rally. Kuske and Schumann endorsed Stolzenburg for a job at Emmanuel, Columbus, an independent Lutheran-Masonic congregation. Floyd promised to commune Masons in a letter he wrote to his prospective employer. Kuske wrote a letter of recommendation for Floyd and denied having anything to do with Floyd's new job.

The Michigan District voted Kuske out of office, an event as rare as a Book of Concord study-group at The Love Shack...or The Saussage Factory.

PS - Church Growth Enthusiasts are bolded in red.