hymns
-
Stopped Pipes & Stubborn People
Pipe organs are temperamental instruments. True to their name, they seem to live—and die—like biological beasts. They fluctuate with humidity and temperature. The smallest bits of dust can set them wheezing. Occasionally they refuse to play—or to stop playing—for no clear reason, and never when convenient. Knowing that a freshly-tuned organ awaited me, I was Continue reading
-
Boldly Singing “Son”
We sang “Be Thou My Vision” last week at church and, as always, I was curious to see which version of the second verse we would use. The traditional verse reads: Be thou my vision, and thou my true Word;I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord.Thou my great Father and I thy true Continue reading
-
Resolve to Sing: Part 3 – The Satisfaction of Singing
In the first post in this series, I challenged you to consider adding a new resolution to your list: sing more! In the second post, we considered human beings as singing creatures and Christianity as a singing faith. Consider giving those a skim if you haven’t already! A Discipline and Delight Now look, we are Continue reading
-
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
-
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
advent, blog, chistmas service, Christian life, Christian ministry, christian music, church, church leadership, church music, faith, hymns, Jesus, leadership, ministry, ministry life, Music, music ministry, organist, singing, singing church, spirit-filled singing, worship, worship leader, worship music, worship musician blog -
I Was There – Lyrics for Passion Week
A few years ago, I wrote about one of my favorite Holy Week hymns: “Were You There.” Many of us sing this song annually but don’t stop to realize that it is a question we must answer. If we are in Christ, we were there. Rather than restating myself, I encourage you to visit my Continue reading
-
Publication Update
The last few months have brought wonderful opportunities for writing. Among these was the opportunity to pitch and write an article for The Gospel Coalition. I’m so honored that TGC chose to publish my little article and hope it encourages readers that a simple way to build one another up is to sing more old Continue reading
-
Singing Our Way to Gospel Culture: Seven Things We Do When We Sing Hymns Together
I spent the last week studying and discussing gospel culture, which is, most simply, the unity between Christians that flows from union with Christ. The majority of my classmates were pastors, so we spent a lot of time talking about how to foster gospel culture through preaching and shepherding. Naturally, I was concerned with how Continue reading
-
The Spirit Moves in Mysterious Ways…and then other times the Spirit is VERY Clear
This title really says it all. Yesterday, I had a moment of angst. I was hard at work on my book proposal when my laptop began to act up again. I’ve been ignoring its quirks for months now and, finally, had to admit it was time for an update. My workflow was disrupted for the Continue reading
-
The Fruit of the Spirit in Worship
I have written extensively on singing as a scriptural mandate, as essential evidence and enforcement of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. For reference, please see my previous posts, “Four Reasons Your Church Should have a Choir” and “Preaching as the Choir”. Worshipful music (note that not all “worship music” is necessarily worshipful) must be practiced and Continue reading
-
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
-
Midweek Rhythm: “Nearer, My God, to Thee”
Throughout college, I rehearsed at my church on Wednesdays. After a full morning of classes, I would hide away in the sanctuary to practice. Often, these practice sessions became restful, transformative, and worshipful experiences. As I settle into a completely new season of my life, it is comforting to return to this midweek rhythm. It Continue reading
Recent Posts
- Gift Ideas for Worship Musicians
- Celebrate Jane Austen through Careful Quoting
- In Celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th Birthday
- Salt & Light
- Last Things First: November–December 2025
Subscribe for Free
Support
If you enjoy Ryanne’s work and would like to keep the music playing and words flowing, consider buying her a coffee using the button below.
Social Media
Ryanne Molinari 