faith
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Final Words & Parting Gifts: Thoughts on Pre-Selecting Funeral Music
Earlier this week, I played for a funeral. Although this is a regular part of my job as a church organist, this particular service was uniquely encouraging. The departed was clearly a remarkable lady. Her children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren sang the hymns with incredible confidence, leading me to believe she has left behind a… Continue reading
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“Stop”: Christmas Lyrics Based on the Book of Job
Earlier this autumn, I got to play Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living with one of the choirs I accompany. I’ve written before about how much I love playing Forrest’s music. A pianist himself, he writes choral music that requires accompanists to be genuine collaborators. His piano parts tend to be equal parts intuitive—fitting perfectly… Continue reading
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Worship Leader, Are You Using the Wrong Metric?
It’s Advent, a season of special services and rousing carols. Even people who rarely listen to traditional worship music will find themselves humming along to “What Child is This?” or belting out “Glo-o-o-o-o-oooo-o-o-o-o-ooooo-o-o-o-o-ooo-ria!” when “Angels We Have Heard on High” plays. For contemporary and traditional worship leaders, the pressure is on. It may be a… Continue reading
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October Recommendations
I’m in the final push of editing and am looking forward to turning in my manuscript at the end of the week. I have a million blog ideas buzzing around my brain and I’m excited to write shorter pieces next month. In the meantime, here are some recommendations for the rest of your October. Whether… Continue reading
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The Opening Devotional from My Church’s Faith & Arts Gathering
A few months ago, a painter friend of mine expressed a desire to host a gathering for Christian creatives in our church. Our first meeting was a joyous morning of painting, writing, and crafting. People brought projects to start, to keep working on, or simply to share with others. We had our second gathering last… Continue reading
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September Recommendations
I’ve been silent on my blog lately as I press into the final two months of manuscript writing/editing. Thanks to a walking pad, I’m staving off the stress of this process. I’ll be honest, though: trying to manage full-time music work, ministry, and writing has been a lot. A LOT. But I love it. I… Continue reading
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Be [Weeding Out] Sin or It Will Be [Weeding Out] You
![Be [Weeding Out] Sin or It Will Be [Weeding Out] You](https://ryannemolinari.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-photo-189791.jpeg?w=1024)
In Iowa, you could watch the grass grow and not be (too) bored. My husband will mow our lawn, and if it rains even a little, the grass will spring up an inch by the following day. The same, unfortunately, is true of weeds. So. Many. Weeds. As my music work winds down for the… Continue reading
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Why I’m Hopeful About My Chronological Bible
Here’s a confession: I am terrible at following Bible reading plans. I am always digging into scripture, but I rarely stick to prescribed reading plans. I’ve tried over and over and always end up feeling guilty, even though obeying a “Bible in a year” plan is not mandatory. It’s good. It’s not required. In December,… Continue reading
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Social Media and Sabbaths
It’s Saturday evening, and I am filled with relief. Tomorrow, at last, is a Sabbath. Sundays are not restful for me. I rise earlier than other mornings and practice for an hour or so before my first church service, where I play the organ and direct the choir. After this, I snatch a few donut… Continue reading
blog, blogger, Book, books, bookworm, christian, christian blogger, Christian living, church, church life, church music, church musician, faith, fruit of the Spirit, Fruitful Worship, journal, literature, ministry, ministry life, music life, organist, pastor, Reading, reflection, theology, traditional worship, worship, worship leader, worship music, writer, writing -
Why I Moved to Iowa
I was asked today how I knew moving to Iowa was the right choice. This picture is the closest I can come to an answer. In June 2021, two weeks before our wedding, Billy and I visited Iowa for him to interview at Prairie Bible Church and it was one of the worst weekends of… Continue reading
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Love
Foremost and fertile, it images the TrueVine in Whom all things are made and made anew.It is at once the soil and root:Love, agapé, the Spirit’s firstborn fruit. I’ll likely add more to this poem in the future, but it seemed thematic for Valentine’s Day. Did you know that love isn’t merely the first fruit… Continue reading
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Reawaken Hymns Livestream
Yesterday, I participated in a livestream on the fruit of the Spirit in musical worship Nathan Drake of Reawaken Hymns. It was a wonderful time full of insight and humor. You can watch the complete livestream at the following link: Reawaken Hymns Livestream Continue reading
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Ryanne Molinari 