Going Bananas Over the Lord's Prayer in Song

Graduation ceremonies are fast approaching once again this year, with the latest crop of high school seniors ready to quit the halls of secondary education and move on down the road to college, boot camp or what have you.

Typically this time of year we are treated to a smattering of controversies over whether a prayer may be uttered from the podium during graduation ceremonies.  The answer to that question is, in most cases, no, a prayer may not be uttered from the podium because of the rules defining separation of church and state.

Now, the separation of church and state is indeed a good thing.  The church should not be in the state’s knickers, nor should the state be in the church’s knickers.  But I was a bit surprised to read this headline.  Choir told not to sing ‘Lord’s Prayer’ at graduation. From the linked story.

The Comstock Park High School choir performed “The Lord’s Prayer” six months ago at a benefit for the family of Nick Szymanski, a choir member and deeply religious student who was killed in an accident last October.

In honor of their classmate, the choir decided to sing it again next week during graduation.

But that plan changed Wednesday when choir director Keith VanGoor told the vocalists that school administrators would not allow them to sing the religious song during the May 31 ceremony at Sunshine Community Church.

Of course the reason stated for not being allowed to sing the “Lord’s Prayer” is the separation of church and state.  Further into the article we are informed that the choir did sing the “Lord’s Prayer” during an earlier school concert, but, for graduation it will be verboten because, well, here’s what the Comstock Park Public Schools Superintendent Dwight Anderson said.

But graduation is a bit different, Anderson said, because, unlike a choir concert, graduation includes more of a “captive audience."

A “captive audience.” Hmm, that’s interesting.  I’m wondering, if there are fears that this “captive audience” will be so moved by the singing of the “Lord’s Prayer” that a Pentecostal fervor will sweep over the crowd and a mass conversion, complete with altar call, will take place, which would of course delay the graduation ceremony and we don’t want that.

Or, are there concerns that members of the “captive audience,” who take supreme umbrage at hearing any reference to God, will spontaneously combust upon conclusion of singing this chorale?

Separation of church and state is a must, but disallowing the singing of the “Lord’s Prayer” during a graduation ceremony is a bit much.

Posted by on 05/25 at 04:07 AM

  1. My name is Jennifer Meyers-Hall and I graduated from Comstock Park in 1984. My senior year I was president of Comstock Park Honors Choir under the direction of Carla Thompson. At the time we had the beautiful TRADITION of singing the Lord’s Prayer at the Graduation Ceremony which used to be held in either our sweaty un-air conditioned gym or our football field.

    Our TRADITION was that during the song, any alumni of the Honors Choir would come up and sing this beautiful song with the choir.

    I remember my freshman year how impressed I was when I got to sing The Lord’s Prayer with the alumni. This is a memory I hold dear.

    Please remember in our zeal to do the right thing that we know what the right thing is.

    This isn’t about our community. This isn’t about following the letter of the law. This is about the class of 2007.

    As far as the law is concerned prayer is not allowed in school and should not be part of the curriculum. This is a song. No where does it say, to my knowledge, that religious songs cannot be sang at school functions.

    If the seniors want to sing this song which was a long standing TRADITION, who is anyone to say that they cannot.

    My father, Howard Meyers, taught at Comstock Park for over 30 years, he taught the Government Class as well as French, Sociology, and History. Two of my brothers, Joe Meyers and Tom Meyers, were awarded the Hachmuth Award for outstanding senior boy which at the time, was a first in the history of Comstock Park. My Grandmother’s graduating class planted the huge oak tree in front of the old high school in front of what we called the old building. So my roots in this community are very deep.

    It is interesting to watch this become a battle of religion. It has nothing to do with zealots trying to convert or impose their beliefs.

    It is all about the class of 2007 in a time of war, school shootings, social distress, and economic uncertainly wanting to sing a beautiful song that inspires them to go into the world as graduated adults.

    Let them have their song.

    Oh and by the way my family is Jewish.

    Jennifer Meyers-Hall
    Class of 1984

    Posted by  on  05/27  at  12:22 PM

  2. Jennifer -

    It is interesting to watch this become a battle of religion. It has nothing to do with zealots trying to convert or impose their beliefs.

    It is interesting, and disheartening, that a simple chorale, because it mentions the “Lord,” can create such a spectacle.

    Thanks for your note.

    Posted by John Venlet  on  05/27  at  12:32 PM

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