The New Pornographers as a model of fidelity to the Vow of Ordination

When I read about Martin Luther I am always impressed by the way he approaches various problems. For him the solution always lies within the realm of religion; specifically faith, even more specifically ‘law & gospel.’

The New Pornographers are such a brilliant band. 

Plenty has already been said about what makes them so great, by folks better equipped to make such pronouncements than I. 

I will say, though, what makes this band so wonderful is on full display in their most recent album, “Brill Bruisers.” The album name is an homage to the Brill Building in Manhattan, where some of the finest pop music was written. 

Make no mistake, though, this album is no mere love-letter to the Brill Building. No, this album is a manifesto. Brill Bruisers is a statement. Brill Bruisers is a piece of art from a band who believes the promises their craft makes.

It turns out, Brill Bruisers is a confession.

The New Pornographers preform in an era flanked by poles of the likes of Kanye West and Arnold Schoenberg. There are folks who claim music as purely scientific, objective pursuit, as well as folks who claim music as some kind of tool of salvation, conquest. In short, The New Pornographers craft music in a context of uncertainty.

That context makes Brill Bruisers’ statement even more poignant. The New Pornographers don’t demean their craft, and neither do they claim for more than their craft asks. 

That simple approach makes their music so darn good. 

The New Pornographers believe pop music is an inherently populist entertainment. Their music is never merely entertainment or populist; it’s always both. A difficult balancing act, no doubt. Given their trust in the ethos of pop, though; it’s a balancing act they pull off magnificently. 

All I am trying to say is simply that, The New Pornographers trust the ethos of pop music; they trust pop music can deliver what it promises.

Their trust is infused throughout Brill Bruisers.

Their trust is analogous to Martin Luther’s approach to life’s dilemmas. 

Let me make a confession; all too often when someone visits me, I become a crypto-psychologists. When folks ask about the life of Trinity, I become a crypto-statistician. When folks ask about Trinity’s mission to our context, I become a crypto-sociologist. When I preach, I become a crypto-preformer, etc.

I’m afraid I’m not alone…

As I’ve reflected on the way that clergy place their trust in the claims of other approaches, I’ve noticed a few things. 

First, I have to confess the clergy’s attempt to wear two hats at once is as laughable as it is effective. Rather than addressing a problem from one robust perspective, we come at it from two partial ones. 

Second, and worst of all, is that this approach reveals that clergy themselves don’t trust the claims their faith makes. (And we wonder why folks don’t have respect for clergy these days! If we don’t have respect for our own call, I don’t suppose we should expect others to either…)

This pathetic approach to our call comes off like some Kanye Wests, making claims that are far too grand; or like some Schoenberg, insisting our faith is actually something else! 

It’s sad. More critically though, it’s a betray of the vows made at ordination. 

Martin Luther is indeed a model for fidelity to the call. A secular model for clergy today could be The New Pornographers. Both of these examples hold up the approach of working from a perspective of faith, and letting that perspective guide everything else. 

Therefore, I invite clergy to hole themselves up for a few days, dust off their books of confession and blair Brill Bruisers. It’ll be good for us, for the congregations we serve, and most importantly, it will be faithful.