When I was growing up, I thought nothing of the fact that we always sang “traditional”
liturgy in church. In fact, I probably didn’t think about what I was singing at all! It was just part of the service that I did by rote, as did everyone else around me. We spent our service either watching the pastor as he preached or with our noses buried in a hymnbook as we tried to follow the bulletin for each appropriate response or hymn.

Today we have multiple “contemporary” liturgies, both in our hymnal and through such
services as the Makeever ‘Make a Joyful Noise’, Dakota Road, etc. If you look at all of them, however, they follow the same pattern: greeting, praise, readings, sermon, offering, meal, dismissal. Some of the liturgies are boring to the younger generation, and some of them are offensive to the older generation, but I’m thankful that here at Norway Grove, I know that if we do something one week that I don’t care for, we will do something soon that I do like. In addition, I’ve come to the conclusion that what’s important is that I’m worshiping God with whatever words we are using in a particular week.

The recent polka service is a good example. I love that service! It has long been said that much of church music comes from secular music of the same period, and using “Beer Barrel Polka” to praise God is certainly an example of this. Who said worshiping God couldn’t be fun? There was a lesson to be learned in “Sister Act”, the movie staring Whoopie Goldberg as a “nun” who taught her choir to sing praise to God using popular tunes of the time. The lesson is that it’s the praise that’s important, not the means by which it is delivered. I know that God was in the building when we did the polka service, just as He was there when we did a traditional Christmas service last year on July 25. In fact, I imagine God has quite a sense of humor and was smiling as we sang “The Chicken Dance” in his honor!!

So, as we enter the season of thanksgiving, let us all give thanks that we live in a country where we have the privilege of worshiping God when we like, as often as we like, and in whatever form we like. Happy Thanksgiving!

~ Elaine Jaeke, Chancel Choir and Tone Chimes Choirs Director