Drumming at Blossom Hill Mennonite Church

Today's service at my home congregation, Blossom Hill Mennonite (http://blossomhill.pa.us.mennonite.net), began and concluded with music that included a drum. The closing song was a Tanzanian melody with drum accompaniment. I once owned the drum that was played, but I wasn't playing it. There was a Drumming for Peace drum in front in a basket full of percussion instruments next to a skin covered drum. This was just another regular Sunday worship service. And yet, drums have been beating there way, little by little,into our congregation.

This may not seem unusual to many, but the idea of drums in a Mennonite congregation is a rather new phenomena, considering that for much of the the Old Mennonite church's history music has been 4-part harmony sung acapella. For many Mennonites musical instruments were considered "sinful" or they were forbidden in an effort to maintain the long tradition of harmonic singing. Even into the 1950's instruments were not allowed in Old Mennonite congregations or institutions. By the 1950's more acculturated Mennonites (General Conference Mennonites) accompanied their singing with organ and piano. As with many other church traditions guitars, drums, and other more contemporary instruments were introduced into some white congregations in the 60's and 70's with folk and rock music entering the church.

Still, drums are a very recent musical addition to Mennonite worship. Part of my work with Drumming for Peace is to "redeem the drum" as an instrument of worship, spirituality, and peacemaking. I see glimpses of that happening in my own congregation without any planned effort or instigation on my part. Upon invitation I have taught a Sunday School class for adults on sacred drumming and a children's class on drumming for peace (see photos above). On occasion children are invited to play along with songs during the children's time using percussion instruments. At one point children were publicly given small maraccas when they started attending worship (see photo). Drummers have played during worship and even at a groundbreaking ceremony for our new building (photo above). For me these are small, local signs of a new appreciation of rhythm within Mennonite worship.