Earlier this summer I read Leah Schade’s book Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide, then interviewed her for my current book project. Preaching in the Purple Zone was also one of my “reads of the week” on the Called podcast, and it’s the only book I’ve ever mega sticky-noted TWICE (a …
What should we DO with patriotic holidays in the church? Celebrate them? Mention the occasion in a pastoral prayer? Run for the hills? Bill and I talk about the challenges of patriotic holidays and offer healthy ways to approach them. Transcript of our conversation below!
Around the fourth of July, we church musicians like to debate whether we should program “patriot music” if the choice is up to us. But the question isn’t really about “patriotic music.” The questions is: should we base our musical choices on Scripture readings only? Or, should we also consider current events and civic concerns …
Current events influence the music I choose. Here’s why. Read More »
Try This at Church: Does your church like brass on Easter Sunday? Don’t wait to book your musician(s)—schedule them now! Interview: Jonathan Dueck, Vice President Academic and Academic Dean at Canadian Mennonite University (Winnipeg, Manitoba), discusses his new book, Congregational Music, Conflict and Community. It’s about the worship wars in three Canadian Mennonite churches—and how statements …