Music in the Church: A Personal Journey Including Tools for Worship and Music

By Shirley R. Smith

Chronicling the professional and spiritual walk of a church musician, Music in the Church not only follows author Shirley R. Smith’s personal journey, but it also offers relational and musical tools for the position of church musician.

This memoir recounts her life as a child through high school, covers her years of education relating to her vocation, and describes the music ministry positions she’s held. In addition, she offers her thoughts on approaches to programming in the church, aspects of effective worship planning, and present-day life through the eyes of a pandemic-induced lockdown and vocational plans for reentry.

A memoir, Music in the Church expresses Smith’s sincere hope that God’s faithfulness reflected a positive spirit on the lives of others, bringing them joy and confidence in the promise of God’s salvation and love. She hopes others draw closer to God and discover new and refreshing ideas on the presentation of music in the church and the importance of healthy relationships within those walls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Nov 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781480899421

Shirley R. Smith

Shirley R. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree of music in organ performance from Oberlin Conservatory, a master’s degree of music in organ performance from George Washington University, and a master’s degree in pastoral counseling from Norwich University. She has been a director of music in churches for more than fifty years. Smith has served in numerous denominations and worked with vocal choirs as well as instrumental ensembles and orchestras. This is her second book.

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Copyright © 2020 Shirley R. Smith.

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make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book

and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from Revised

Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of

America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living

Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale

House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9941-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9942-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020922560

Archway Publishing rev. date: 11/19/2020

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

Dedication

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Early Years

The Prelude

Chapter 2: Preparation And Study

The Hymn

Chapter 3: Using Skills Learned

The Lessons

Chapter 4: Programs

The Sermon

Chapter 5: Worship

The Offering

Chapter 6: A New Path

The Eucharist

Chapter 7: Present Ministry

The Blessing

Chapter 8: Legacy

The Postlude

Bibliography

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am grateful to friends, family, students, and coworkers, without whom my professional and spiritual journey would lack depth and my personal growth would be diminished.

Since I cannot begin to name them all, I will mention a few special friends who held me time and time again during my grief: Alexandra, Ann, Jeanette, Sister Jean, Corinne, Carol, Alison, Mike, Deb, and Viking. You will be welcomed and honored before God in heaven.

A big thank-you to Archway Publishing for their devotion to this manuscript and its pristine and quality presentation.

PREFACE

My professional and spiritual experiences in church work have been many and varied. Before his death, my husband, Rich, repeatedly urged me to write about those experiences. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 afforded me the time to do so. The process has been intellectual, spiritual, and emotional. Just as we all hope to grow from life’s experiences, this project has been unexpectedly insightful and life changing for me. Let there be no doubt that God continues to work out His purpose.

I hold in my heart family, friends, clergy, professors, and, most particularly, all the co-ministers of music who have helped me make a joyful noise these many years. As I have often said to my choirs, It would be lonely up front without you. Our ministry does take a village. A team of devoted and gifted people are what makes music shine. Thanks to every one of you.

DEDICATION

To Rich, my devoted, supportive, courageous husband,

whose heart was always in the right place

INTRODUCTION

I sincerely hope that the contents of this book bring the reader closer to Christ, put forth some new and refreshing ideas, and offer consolation to those encountering obstacles along their way. Ideally these pages will open the hearts of those who know me and those whom I am about to meet.

Music in the Church follows my personal journey spiritually and professionally.

Chapter 1 recounts my life as a child through high school, paving the way for God’s mission to begin in me.

Chapter 2 covers my years of education applicable to my vocation.

Chapter 3 describes the music ministry positions that I’ve held, including job descriptions and joys and concerns integral to the positions.

Chapter 4 offers two approaches to programming in the church. One approach is the creation of choir programs within the church. The second is formatting, content, and planning programs or concerts.

Chapter 5 discusses aspects of effective worship planning.

Chapter 6 describes opportunities for a new path of ministry open to me in what might otherwise have been a time of retirement.

Chapter 7 reflects on present-day life through the eyes of a pandemic-induced lockdown and vocational plans for reentry.

Finally, chapter 8 shares the roles that specific relationships have had in my life. It expresses a sincere hope that God’s faithfulness to me in life reflected a positive spirit on the lives of others, bringing them joy and confidence in the promise of God’s salvation and love.

1

THE EARLY YEARS

The Prelude

The prelude is intended to calm and center the congregation in preparation for the spiritually uplifting experience to come. The prelude may be soft or loud, but it should be transformative for the hearts and souls of the listeners. Unfortunately, in most churches the prelude competes with gathering conversations. Most organists expect conversation during their postludes, but the postlude has a different placement in the structure or flow of the worship service. The prelude calls the people into God’s house for singing and hearing the Word. The postlude is more of a vehicle for departure into the world outside the church doors.

Following the prelude, a greeting is often said: Oh Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise (Psalm 51:15). These few simple words convey the energy and spirit that we should possess each time we come to worship our God. On some mornings, that feeling is difficult to manifest, but remember, God cannot use tentative Christians. The person in the pew has the luxury of low-energy Sunday mornings. The leader, however, must go deep within and gather the best of who they are to minister to God’s people.

These lyrics were written by Anna Bartlett Warner (1820–1915). As young people, Anna and her sister, Susan, lived near West Point Military Academy and led Sunday school classes for the cadets. Both sisters were buried with military honors because of their service of leadership at the academy. Susan wrote a novel titled The Wide, Wide World (1850), which became a best seller. Anna, under the pseudonym Amy Lothrop, wrote Hymns of the Church Militant (1858) and Wayfaring Hymns, Original and Translated (1869). In 1860, Anna wrote the text to Jesus Loves Me for inclusion in one of her sister’s novels, Say and Seal (1860), as a poem of comfort for a dying child.

The music for Jesus Loves Me was composed by William B. Bradbury (1816–68), who contributed largely to gospel hymnody in this country. Bradbury was influenced by Lowell Mason, a colleague who was known as the father of both public school and church music. In his ministry as a director of music, primarily in Baptist churches, Bradbury was known for his work with children. From 1841 until his death in 1868, he published fifty-nine collections of sacred and secular music. Other hymns by William Bradbury include Just as I Am, He Leadeth Me, and Sweet Hour of Prayer.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light but came to bear witness to the light. The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. He came to what was his own and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:6–13)

The central claim of the Gospel of John is that Jesus was God and became human. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his