contemporary worship

August 25, 2021

Inverted Worship

During my time in the United Kingdom, I discovered that a large number of church musicians are not professing Christians. It was, perhaps, naive of me to assume otherwise, but I was shocked to find that many students at my university participated in church choirs while openly denying orthodox doctrine. I simply cannot imagine coming Continue reading

literary living

church music, church musician, contemporary worship, hymns, mega church, Music, music and worship, music in the church, music ministry, musician, organist, traditional worship, worship, worship leader, worship ministry, worship pastor
January 18, 2021

Four Reasons Your Church Should Have a Choir

If you’ve read this blog at all, I’m sure you’ve noticed that I care deeply about choral singing, not merely because I enjoy making music, but because I wholeheartedly believe that singing together is foundational to human community and central to Christian communion. Singing together is foundational to human community and central to Christian communion. Continue reading

culture, Faith, Grace & Gumption, Music

Art, choir, choirs, christian, contemporary worship, Music, music and worship, sacred music, sing, song, theology, traditional worship, worship
November 16, 2020

Stand Out and Show Up

In addition to my work as an editor and church organist, I help teach choir at a Christian high school. This week, in place of regular classes, the school put on a conference (masks required!) during which multiple breakout sessions were offered. I was asked, because of my particular background, to prepare a session on Continue reading

Grace & Gumption, literary living, Musings

christian, Christian school, Christian school teacher, conference, contemporary worship, first year teacher, sacred music, session, teacher, teaching, teaching during covid, traditional church, traditional worship, worship
September 22, 2020

Musical Martha: Minding the Rest as a Church Musician

I have always struggled with Sundays. I have always loved keeping busy throughout the whole day—even on weekends—but the very structure of Sundays is set against this. As a musician and writer, I deeply enjoy my work and take satisfaction in doing it well. My love for productivity, however, makes Sundays a challenge. Before I Continue reading

Music

blogger, busy, choir, church choir, church music, church musician, church organist, contemporary worship, liturgy, martha and mary, martha world, mary and martha, mary spirit, music blogger, organist, restless, restlessness, sacred music, traditional worship, worship, worship leader, worship pastor, writer
June 4, 2017

Divided Services, Divided Body?

I love traditional worship and, as a church musician, am in favor of the whole package: choir robes, pipe organ, hymnals, etc. I once even jokingly said I’d drown myself if I ever heard “Oceans” played in another chapel. That said, though, I am not necessarily in favor of having separate traditional and contemporary worship services. Continue reading

Faith, Musings

calvin, christian, christian music, church, contemporary worship, faith, generation, generation gap, hymn, hymnal, traditional, traditional church, traditional worship, truth, worship
January 23, 2016

Organ Removal: A Statement and a Story

I often find that the most effective way of communicating a potentially controversial opinion is through storytelling. That said, I will let the following short story speak for me rather than explaining at length my views. Please let me know what you take away from this as I would like to know if my statement-through-story Continue reading

Scribblings

christian music, classical music, contemporary worship, hymns, modern music, Music, old church, old music, organ, piano, pipe organ, traditional church