In the 1970's the Lutherans around my area had a Chicago Folk Service, which I think borrowed heavily from the Catholic's folk mass. It was conducted with the pastor doing what he usually did, but we would sit with our guitars and lead the congregation with the hymns. We had to have someone explain that Lord of the Dance was using the term dance figuratively, not literally. I recall a really bad re-write of Blowing in the Wind (the answer my friend is living in all men).

My fellow guitar players complained about my trying to finger pick the accompanyment (why can't you play like the rest of us), which probably had a lot to do with why I'm a lapsed Lutheran today. After my batch of Luther League compatriots went off to college, the folk service stopped due to lack of interest from the next batch of high school kids.

The father of one of the other guitarists was wondering about whether there was a communist influence in the youth group. The pastor had looked through one of my reprints from Sing out and printed What a friend we have in Hoover (by Tom Paxton) in the Luther league song book. She told him that was one of my selections. Years later I was told that if the girl's father had appeared a bit distant when I was around, that was probably why.