My Favorite Things

Image by cgrape from Pixabay

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...there are a few of my favorite things." The song from The Sound of Music captures us with the warmth and comfort of the treasured things of life. My favorite version of the song is by John Coltrane, the great jazz saxophonist. Even without the lyrics, I find that feeling brought to life. We all like our favorite things. And that is good. 

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There is a rub, a friction, that lies underneath the warm fuzzies of the song. My favorite things are not necessarily your favorites and that can lead to conflict in a communal setting. Just think of how difficult choosing the dinner menu can be with more than one person involved. 

In the church, "favorite things" are often the songs we sing. (Though the donuts we offer require a sensitive process of discernment). We want to sing songs that we like, that surface fond memories that are familiar. The thing is, while we rejoice when someone really loves a song we choose to sing for worship, that is a bonus. Since the mission of the congregation is not "Keep everyone happy" (an impossible mission) but is rooted in our values, beliefs, and the Word of God, we choose songs that help in the proclamation of the gospel. 

We select hymns based on the appointed scripture readings for the day, the theme of the worship service, and the season of the church year. The songs are chosen to reinforce the message of the day. We don't (and can't) simply recycle the "top ten favorites," because your top ten are not mine, and someone else has ten others. There are old hymns that have stood the test of time and new ones that put a new perspective on faith. Bottom line is: if the readings, theme, and season all point to forgiveness, the hymns will too. 

We are also a Church that spans time and space. We express that in music when we sing songs that are ancient and new, that speak other languages and represent more than our culture alone. We sing, on occasion, in lots of languages—Spanish, Greek, Swahili, Hebrew, and Latin. We always provide the English translation. The worship words "alleluia" (Latin), Hosanna, Hallelujah, Amen (Hebrew) tie us to the faith we share with all people of all times. 

The truth is that we sing hymns that are not my favorites. Our Minister of Worship schedules music that is not his favorite. Our true favorite thing is to worship with music that sings God's gospel of grace, mercy, peace and is rooted in the Word. 

Pax Christi
Tim Olson
​Lead Pastor