Throughout this year the COS choir has been singing movements from Handel’s Messiah in worship, weaving them into the liturgy rather than singing them as performance pieces. For example, we sang the chorus “Glory to God” as the Gloria at Christmas and “Behold the Lamb of God” as the Agnus Dei during Lent.
Of course, what seems like a creative idea in a worship planner’s office during the week has a lot of potential to be really tacky in an actual worship service. That was my fear this week when I planned to use “Since by Man Came Death” during the confession. But I ran a draft by a few of my fellow liturgy geek friends–or, “tackometers” as I like to call them–and they gave me the thumbs up and some ideas for tweaking it.
I’m happy to report that it worked really well. It was a healthy musical challenge for the choir and strings, and fit into the liturgy in a way that was meaningful rather than distracting. Take a listen to the recording of the “Since by Man Confession.” While you’re at it, take a listen to the lectionary Psalm for the day: Marty Haugen’s setting of Psalm 23, Shepherd Me, O God.