The St Mark's Way
Hearty singing with organ accompaniment has always characterised St Mark's worship. Additionally, services have always begun and ended with an organ voluntary.
This tradition has continued to flourish during Fr Ed's pastorate. Pastor Ed was trained at both Yale University's Divinity School and its Institute of Sacred Music-- he's an organist himself, as well as a choral conductor and liturgist. Although pipe organs became a norm of Lutheran worship in particular only since about the 17th century, Fr Ed believes they remain to this day the most effective way to accompany and inspire bodies of singers in liturgical assemblies.
St Mark's also promotes the use of every other kind of musical instrument in its services. Bells, strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, in acoustic and electronic forms, are all eagerly appreciated by the St Mark's community.
Human voices raised in song, however, are the musical instruments par excellence of worship, because the human body and mind is the instrument. Glorious as the organ and other musical instruments can be, St Mark's has learned that we don't have to be led or accompanied by any musical instrument to sing vibrantly and well. From Gregorian chant to praise songs to hymns to the liturgy itself, we have discovered, as Bishop Augustine said some 1600 years ago in Africa, "Who sings, prays twice."
So if it ever was, it is no longer the custom at St Mark's to "sit and listen." Everybody contributes here, not just the musically gifted. Worship at St Mark's is highly participatory and highly musical, without being in the least "fancy." Martin Luther was himself a musician, a singer and composer, who believed that music is what shows human beings to be made in the very image of God. We try to be a worshipping community after Martin Luther's heart.
As we say, "You know you've been to church" when you come to St Mark's!
This tradition has continued to flourish during Fr Ed's pastorate. Pastor Ed was trained at both Yale University's Divinity School and its Institute of Sacred Music-- he's an organist himself, as well as a choral conductor and liturgist. Although pipe organs became a norm of Lutheran worship in particular only since about the 17th century, Fr Ed believes they remain to this day the most effective way to accompany and inspire bodies of singers in liturgical assemblies.
St Mark's also promotes the use of every other kind of musical instrument in its services. Bells, strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion, in acoustic and electronic forms, are all eagerly appreciated by the St Mark's community.
Human voices raised in song, however, are the musical instruments par excellence of worship, because the human body and mind is the instrument. Glorious as the organ and other musical instruments can be, St Mark's has learned that we don't have to be led or accompanied by any musical instrument to sing vibrantly and well. From Gregorian chant to praise songs to hymns to the liturgy itself, we have discovered, as Bishop Augustine said some 1600 years ago in Africa, "Who sings, prays twice."
So if it ever was, it is no longer the custom at St Mark's to "sit and listen." Everybody contributes here, not just the musically gifted. Worship at St Mark's is highly participatory and highly musical, without being in the least "fancy." Martin Luther was himself a musician, a singer and composer, who believed that music is what shows human beings to be made in the very image of God. We try to be a worshipping community after Martin Luther's heart.
As we say, "You know you've been to church" when you come to St Mark's!