“The great thing about a chord – you’re already dealing with something people enjoy. You’re not telling people God is a problem to be solved – you’re saying that the Trinity is a reality to be enjoyed.” – Jeremy Begbie I knew our conversation would be theologically rich—Dr. Jeremy Begbie IS a theologian, after all—but …
This month’s episode of Music and the Church features a conversation with Dr. J. J. Wright. J. J. directs the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, one of America’s most influential Catholic music ensembles. He is a Grammy Award winning jazz musician, composer of O Emmanuel, an album which debuted at the top of the …
An Interview with J. J. Wright, Director of the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir Read More »
How did American Christians go from hating rock ‘n’ roll to embracing contemporary worship music? One reason is Pentecostalism’s influence. On Music and the Church, we’ve explored how important Pentecostalism was in making the change, and how influential it continues to be on contemporary worship. (Check out this episode if you’re curious.) But Pentecostalism also …
The Devil’s Music, an Interview with Author Randall J. Stephens Read More »
We believe that people all people are made in the image of God. Full stop. So, when we are talking about how to make our churches more inclusive, we aren’t talking about welcoming people even though they have disabilities (or even though they are children, as we talked about in last month’s episode). The goal …
Children and the church. Children in the church. It’s complicated, especially with music in the mix. Join Anita Smallin and me as we discuss how to welcome our littlest sisters and brothers in worship services.
Join Monique M. Ingalls, Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg, and Zoe C. Sherinian in a conversation about their new edited collection: Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide.
Last week I did something for the first time: I cancelled an anthem because of the composer’s very public sin. In other words, I did not separate art from the artist—I made a choice affirming my belief that composers matter to our experience of the music they create. Then, I wrote about my reasons for canceling …
Check out my follow-up post: I don’t separate art from the artist. Every week, I declare that composer’s identities matter by including their biographies in the Order of Worship. And every week, those who read the notes implicitly agree with me that the composers matter.
We might be the experts in the room, and our expertise is valuable, but so are experiences of the people we lead.
Church services can be incredibly distracting places, especially for leaders—you’re in the choir, you’re reading the scriptures, you’re leading prayers, you’re preaching the sermon. What does it mean for us participate with our hearts—not just our lips!—when we’re busy with mundane things like adjusting a microphone or remembering a last minute announcement?