My preschool teacher, Jossette Maddison, taught us to sing “Jesus loves me” in French, Spanish, and American Sign Language. We spent hours on the playground singing at the top of our lungs, sometimes merging three languages at once, but never doubting the meaning of the words. I remember the first night at church camp, gathered around a fire singing, “Be Thou My Vision” as the words took on new meaning when it was accompanied only by the sound of a river and the wind winding through aspens. Despite a language barrier, I knew it was “Christ the Lord is Risen Today!” being sung in a packed Catholic church at 6:30 am in Chengdu, China, and I even knew when to sing the “Alleluias!”
At different stages in my life, different hymns have provided comfort and guidance. There was a period of Taizé music that taught me how to meditate on the word of God. There was a period of ancient hymns that gave me a rich theological vocabulary and compelling images of the divine. There was even a brief foray into praise music that taught me something new about worship. At each stage, these hymns, ancient and modern, helped to show me that the church could be bigger than I had imagined. At each stage, the music helped remind me that I was connected to a community far beyond the one I thought I knew. Even the progression of hymnals from the Red to the Blue to the Purple was a visual sign that the church continues to grow.
Sometimes when we are surrounded by stone and reading ancient texts, it’s easy to forget how dynamic the church is. This Sunday, we will celebrate a church that is alive and growing. We will celebrate as we recognize our 5th graders receiving hymnals and being welcomed into Youth Ministry. They are closing out their time in Children’s Ministry and beginning something new. They will teach all of us about God’s invitation to continue exploring our faith in new ways. When they receive their hymnals, they will be tied back to a man who loved the church deeply and who hoped these words would help guide a new generation of Christians. We will pause and offer our prayers and encouragement to our High School Seniors who are also leaving known things behind and are stepping into something new, and not yet defined. In that moment, we will be praying for one another, remembering that no matter what, God goes before and with us. When we leave worship, we will be invited to connect with our Confirmation Class as they share their Confirmation Projects in the Gym. An opportunity to learn how spirituality looks and feels to a new generation.
Our worship on Sunday will be different. Woven in with our celebration of our 5th graders and our Seniors will be an exercise reflecting on who we are as a living congregation through this year’s Hymn Fest. As we acknowledge the growth in our young people, we will also celebrate our own growth as a community. Through the words of the hymns, the beauty of the music, and the collective work of singing together, we will celebrate and embody the growing, learning, loving church God calls us to be. What a day to celebrate!
