hymnal
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Were You There?

One of my favorite Passion Week hymns is “Were You There?” I have formative memories of it being sung by a lone baritone in a darkened church, the haunting postlude to a Tenebrae service. Today, as I listened to the provocative question sung once more on a “Holy Week” Spotify playlist, I felt an answer Continue reading
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Be Thou My Breath

My favorite hymn is “Be Thou My Vision,” not merely because it is a beautiful Celtic melody but because I can use its verses to structure my day-to-day activities. When I rise and open my eyes, I can murmur, “Be Thou my vision.” As I drive to work in the soft morning light or home Continue reading
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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
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