In preparation for the release of our album, Without Our Aid, on September 13, 2011, we’re beginning a series of posts reflecting on the hymns incorporated into the project. Many do not realize that the Protestant Reformation was just as much about worship as it was about doctrine. In fact, reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin would have seen little division between the former and the latter. Luther championed three emphases in particular, which all serve the goal of … Read More
Is there a correlation between what’s happening in the book and music industries?
Justin Taylor recently encouraged his readership (which includes myself) to check out an Op-Ed piece in the Wall Street Journal by Eric Felton on the self-publishing boom in the Kindle market. The article’s title: “Cherish the Book Publishers – You’ll Miss Them When They’re Gone.” The thrust of the piece is that book publishers do the grunt-work of weeding out the myriads of bad books so that we can more easily find the diamond in the rough: Shouldn’t we be … Read More
The Difference Between a Lead Musician and a Worship Pastor
A sister church of ours recently gave me the privilege of coming out and speaking to their Wednesday night group about the differences between a “lead musician” and a “worship pastor.”
Theology vs. Pragmatism: The Foundational Difference Between Worship Discussions Then and Now
Church history knows no division between theology and worship. As worship became “institutionalized” in the Church in the Middle Ages, though perhaps excessively mystical, leaders of and reflectors on worship did so through an intensely biblical-theological grid. The writings and leadership of church music pioneer Hildegaard von Bingen attest to this.
Ten New Albums Indicative of Positive Shifts in Modern Worship
When I began cataloguing the growth of the hymns movement several years ago, I had no idea that its growth would be this rapid. Even using just one metric for growth and expansion—the production of albums—the number of artists and churches setting old hymn-texts to new music is much greater than it was five years ago.
The State of Worship Music Today
Mike Cosper, Pastor of Worship at Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, KY, is interviewed briefly by Bob Kauflin on the state of worship music today. Note what this pastor-theologian-musician is and is not focused on.
Worship Ignites a Passion for Justice
Don Sweeting has a great post on the relationship between worship and justice–a connection made by the Old Testament prophets, to which American evangelical Christianity seems to be re-awakening.
The Similarities Between Baroque and Rock Music
History is one of elitism’s greatest enemies. The more I study history, and particularly that of music, the more I realize that there is nothing new under the sun.
Treating Sermons Like a Wine Tasting
Walter Kaiser writes:1
According to the “New Homiletic” [a term coined by David Allen], every sermon or lesson from the Bible must chiefly be “interesting.” But what biblical support could we give for this assertion?
A Documentary Every Modern Worship Leader Should See
In days of old, church music leaders studied in seminaries and colleges, receiving degrees like Master of Church Music (MCM) and Master of Sacred Music (MSM). Part of their curriculum was a thorough study of music history, with particular attention to the history of the music which shaped their field of traditional church music.