Trinity Presbyterian’s Senior Pastor, Tom Letts, has received a Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant for a sabbatical. His departure will be marked at a special Sabbatical Sendoff party at 11:30 a.m. after their regular 10:30 a.m. service this coming Sunday, April 29. I don’t know what they are planning, but it should be a fun time, knowing the Trinity folk.

Sabbaticals, if you’re unaware of them, are based on the Sabbath concept of the 7th day, except years are used. In academia, churches, and some businesses, leaders are given a portion of every 7th year to take time off for study, rest, and reflection. The purpose of Sabbaticals is to give leaders this opportunity to rest and grow, coming back to their classrooms, congregations, etc. refreshed and re energized.

According to Letts, his sabbatical’s purpose is:
A sabbatical, in short, based around a pilgrimage to discover: practices lost to Protestants after the reformation (monastic/common life, hermits, pilgrimage, living under a common rule, lectio divina, fasting…), the effect of the loss on Protestant spiritual development, and how Protestants might reengage in these practices.

Tom’s sabbatical will continue until August 2012. He’ll be meeting with a number of religious figures in the U.S. and Europe. They include Rev. Dr. Darrel Guder: Former Dean of Theology at Princeton Seminary, Rev. Dr. Richard Mouw: President, Fuller Theological Seminary. Christopher Webb: executive director of Renovare, author on the interior life. Rev. Dr. Robert Mitchell: Former president, Young Life International, former vice-president World Vision (U.S.), Presbyterian pastor, spiritual director (Renovare), and the man who introduced Tom to Pascaline. Sr. Pascaline Coff, OSB: Spiritual director to Tom Letts for 27 years. A founding member of the ‘Osage Monastery, the Forest of Peace.’ Sr Anne Lise: Prioress of Dominican Monastery, Oslo, Norway. Fr. Robert Anderson, OSCO: a hermit outside of Telemark, Norway. Rev. Dr. J. Philip Newell: Former warden, Iona Community, Scotland -resides in Edinburgh. Dr. Elizabeth Liebert SNJM: Dean of San Francisco Theological Seminary. Todd Hardesty: Emmy award-winning videographer and member of the contemplative prayer group at Trinity who will accompany Tom to stage and record the interviews and oversee production of a DVD based upon these interviews.

During Tom’s sabbatical, his wife the Rev. Tamara Letts will be preaching, and managing pastoral care, along with the deacon board.

I asked Anchorage pastor Rev. Martin Dasler of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church about his sabbatical experiences and was fascinated by his account.

Dasler shares “My last Sabbatical was in 2002. I received a grant from the Lilly Foundation and did it on Global Missions. My travels took me to Ethiopia to visit mission sites and churches that were supported by Western Washington congregations. I visited and taught at the MaaSae Girls Lutheran Secondary School in Monduli, Arusha, Tanzania, and visited other missions in that country. On my way back to the USA I stopped for a brief stay in the Taize’ Community in France. I believe that my ministry and the congregation greatly benefited by this trip. I came back with new energy, a new perspective on faith and culture, and an infectious joy in my faith rediscovered in Africa.”

Sabbaticals can be enriching experiences for pastors and their congregations. Sadly, some congregations do not recognize the value of sabbaticals for pastors, instead preferring to expect them to be available 24 x 7 with no real breaks for spiritual and physical refreshing. For a sober look at why pastors burn out, I strongly suggest reading Barbara Brown Taylor’s recent book, “Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith”. I’ll share other pastoral sabbatical experiences in future posts.

Have a great sabbatical Pastor Letts. We’ll be looking forward to an accounting of your experiences when you return.

I’m seeing a disturbing trend in some Anchorage churches. They dish out sound at potentially ear damaging levels. In most cases the music in question is contemporary Christian or Christian Rock. Some musicians even quote scripture in defense of this practice, and put down worshipers who object.

At one recent service I attended, the worship leader stated that their sound levels were consciously set loud, exactly where they wanted them. He further bluntly suggested that if you didn’t like it, you should choose another congregation. What a charitable statement to any seeker after truth – Our way or the hiway!

At another church visit, toddlers were seen dancing around in the front of the auditorium holding their fingers to their ears to stop the harshness of the sound, while their parents sat feet away not seeming to know their children’s hearing was being damaged in front of their eyes.

During my church visits, I have electronically measured music levels, and found startlingly high levels of 105-110 decibels during worship services, for extended periods. Professional sound engineers note that music at these levels can damage sensitive ears in minutes. Some churches defend this practice as they are seeker-oriented, i.e. attracting newbie’s who, they say, demand a more contemporary sound like they get on the radios in their cars. Others say it is more in step with the times than the boring old hymns, choirs, and organs of the past. Regardless of the argument, professional sound engineers state that 80 decibels should be the maximum music volume during the service and that the remainder of the service should ideally be at 65-70 decibels.

In addition to the potentially permanent ear damaging sound levels being heard in some churches, studies show that these high sound levels introduce unhealthy effects. Professional sound engineer Leon Sievers recommends the following sound levels for churches.

“I recommend operating your church sound system at no more than 80dB peak during worship and averaging 65-70dB during the service. Sound Pressure Levels, which exceed these parameters, will cause ear fatigue, loss of concentration and potential hearing damage.” Sievers further observed “The National Association for Hearing and Speech Action (NAHSA) also reports that exposure to 85 dB or more for any length of time is potentially dangerous.“ Click HERE to read his entire report HOW LOUD IS YOUR CHURCH?

If people come to church to worship and learn more about spiritual matters, why would a church encourage a practice which actually lessens concentration? Studies are beginning to emerge regarding people’s inability to concentrate after being exposed to loud music, even in church.

John Stackhouse, a theology professor at Regent University – Vancouver, BC offers some great advice in a Christianity Today article titled “Memo to Worship Bands: Five sound reasons to lower the volume”.

First, I know it’s breaking the performer’s code to say so (the way magicians are never supposed to reveal a secret), but cranking up the volume is just a cheap trick to add energy to a room.

Second, when your intonation is not very good—and let’s face it, most singers and instrumentalists are not anywhere close to being in perfect tune—turning it up only makes it hurt worse.

Third, the speakers in most church PA systems cannot take that much energy through their small, old magnets and cones, especially from piano, bass, and kick drum. So we are being pounded with high-powered fluffing and sputtering—which do not induce praise.

Fourth, consider that you might be marginalizing older people, most of whom probably do not like Guns N’ Roses volumes at church.

Fifth, let me drop some church history and theology on you. By the time church music matured into Palestrina and Co. in the 16th century, it had become too demanding and ornate for ordinary singers. So Christians went to church to listen to a priest and a choir.

The Protestant Reformation yanked musical worship away from the professionals and put it back in the pews. Luther composed hymns based on popular melodies, including drinking songs. Calvin insisted on taking lyrics from the Psalms. This was music in which almost anyone could participate. The problem today, to be sure, is rarely elaborate music. We could use a little more artistry, in fact, than we usually get with the simplistic and repetitive musical figures of many contemporary worship songs. No, the contrast with the Reformation is the modern-day insistence that a few people at the front be the center of attention. We do it by making six band members louder than a room full of people. But a church service isn’t a concert at which an audience sings along with the real performers. Musicians—every one of them, including the singers—are accompanists to the congregation’s praise. They should be mixed loudly enough only to do their job of leading and supporting the congregation.

Now, I like Palestrina and I like good Christian rock. So, church musicians, if you want to perform a fine song that requires advanced musicianship, by all means do it. We will listen and pray and enjoy it to the glory of God.

But when you are leading us in singing, then lead us in singing. And turn it down so we are not listening to you—or, even worse, merely enduring you. I know that is not what you want to happen. But I am telling you that’s what is happening.

It’s not my intent to point out or embarrass any church in Anchorage, but I’m firmly convinced many “loud music church” members have allowed their leaders and musicians to make decisions about musical loudness that potentially fosters hearing loss and impairs concentration. I can’t believe either of these exemplifies Christian virtues. If lawsuits for hearing damage begin cropping up, it’s possible church leaders finally might start taking this issue seriously.

After a wonderful Good Friday hour of hymns, John Rutter’s Requiem worshipfully and beautifully rendered, scripture readings, and removal of religious articles at St. John United Methodist Church, the choir and congregation departed the sanctuary in silence. I came home to ponder the impact of Good Friday. Basically, if we don’t get the significance of this dark day, we won’t get the plan of redemption. Without the plan of redemption for man, we have no hope.

Theologian Walter Brueggemann’s thoughts capture many Good Friday emotions perfectly with his poem, “The Terrible Silencing We Cannot Master”.

The Terrible Silencing We Cannot Master
“Holy God who hovers daily round us in fidelity and compassion,
this day we are mindful of another, dread-filled hovering,
that of the power of death before which we stand
thin and needful.
All our days, we are mindful of the pieces of our lives
and the part of your world
that are on the loose in destructive ways.
We notice that wildness midst our fear and our anger unresolved.
We mark it in a world of brutality and poverty and hunger
all around us.
We notice all our days.

But on this day of all days,
that great threat looms so large and powerful.
It is not for nothing
that we tremble at these three hours of darkness
and the raging earthquake.
It is not for nothing
that we have a sense of our helplessness
before the dread power of death that has broken loose
and that struts against our interest and even against our will.
Our whole life is not unlike the playground in the village,
lovely and delightful and filled with squeals unafraid,
and then we remember the silencing
of all those squeals in death,
and we remember the legions of Kristy’s
that are swept away in a riddle too deep for knowing.
Our whole life is like that playground
and on this dread-filled Friday we pause before
the terrible silencing we cannot master.

So we come in our helpless candor this day…
remembering, giving thanks, celebrating…
but not for one instant unmindful of dangers too ominous
and powers too sturdy and threats well beyond us.
We turn eventually from our hurt for children lost.
We turn finally from all our unresolved losses
to the cosmic grief at the loss of Jesus.
We recall and relive that wrenching Friday
when the hurt cut to your heart.
We see in that terrible hurt, our losses
and your full embrace of loss and defeat.

We dare pray while the darkness descends
and the earthquake trembles,
we dare pray for eyes to see fully
and mouths to speak fully the power of death all around,
we dare pray for a capacity to notice unflinching
that in our happy playgrounds other children die,
and grow silent,
we pray more for your notice and your promise
and your healing.

Our only urging on Friday is
that you live this as we must
impacted but not destroyed,
dimmed but not quenched.
For your great staying power
and your promise of newness we praise you.
It is in your power
and your promise that we take our stand this day.
We dare trust that Friday is never the last day,
so we watch for the new day of life.
Hear our prayer and be your full self toward us.
Amen.”

Good Friday/1991

Taken from Walter Brueggemann’s Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth
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It’s not often I recommend particular Good Friday services, but I have two this year. Good Friday observances reflect upon the darkest side of Christ’s life, his trial, death, and burial.

This is not a time for magnificant outpourings of spectacular music and stagey performances such as I witnessed at last year’s Citywide Good Friday service at West High Auditorium. No, for true Christians, it can only be a time of quiet and serious reflection of the nature of the price the Son of Man paid for man’s redemption. Scripture records only pain, suffering, and fearsome displays as the life of Christ slowly came to an end.

In keeping with this theme, I recommend two local church presentations for the public in keeping with this solemn time.

Rutter Requiem at St. John UMC
St. John United Methodist Church is presenting John Rutter’s Requiem with choir and instrumental ensemble. St. John’s choir is an excellent choir superbly led by Karen Horton, the choirmaster and organist. This fine unpaid choir has been practicing for months to present this musical offering at the conclusion of Holy Week. I guarantee this beautiful and lyrical piece, adapted from the Roman Catholic requiem form, will bring tears to the eyes of many listeners. Ms. Horton, a longtime music teacher at ASD, will be retiring at the end of the year. This will be the local public’s few remaining opportunities to observe her fine directing. The performance commences at 7 p.m.[img_assist|nid=160633|title=Rutter Requiem – St John UMC|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=350|height=469]

Seven Last Words at All Saints Episcopal
All Saints Episcopal Church will present the “Seven Words From the Cross” from 12 – 3 p.m. on Good Friday. Based on the seven last words of Christ, it will present talks by various local community, scripture, hymns, and musical keyboard offerings by Maestro Robert Ashens of the Anchorage Opera. A perennial favorite, this program will offer a midday worship and reflection opportunity at this fine downtown church.

I’m so pleased that many Anchorage churches honor Good Friday and infuse it with traditional meaning, while adding new emphasis of its relevance for today’s Christian. There are many meaningful offerings at local churches. I selected these two as they offer unusual opportunities for this most solemn of days for Christians. Actually, the significance of Good Friday and Easter are the only reason we call ourselves Christians.