Jesus
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Christmas Recommendations to Nourish Your Imagination
I just looked up from answering emails to see that today is December 19th. How is that possible? Even though I’ve spent the last few weeks playing for holiday concerts and preparing for Advent services, Christmas still managed to sneak up on me. Anyway, if you are not quite in a holiday mood or are… Continue reading
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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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Reblog & Reflection: After a Children’s Christmas Service
I just finished playing for another children’s Christmas service which, as usual, was full of joy and cuteness and more than a few muffled laughs. Highlights of the evening included my organ student accompanying hymns with excellence, little voices reading big words from Scripture, and pews full of beaming parents and grandparents. Humor from the… 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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Review: “What is a Healthy Church?” by Mark Dever
What is a Healthy Church? by Mark Dever was first published in 2005 and the 2024 revised edition just came out—testifying to the continuing need for books on church health and the continuing influence of this book in particular. What is a Healthy Church? is part of the IX Marks series, which identifies and exposits… Continue reading
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Book Review: Beholding the Triune God (Emerson and Smith)
Beholding the Triune God: The Inseparable Work of the Father, Son, and Spirit by Matthew Y. Emerson and Brandon D. Smith is a welcome addition to my library. At once accessible and profoundly biblical, I have already recommended this book to others with full confidence in its usefulness. It’s particularly providential that I set out… 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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Jesus or Bacchus? The Deeper Issue of the Paris 2024 Olympic Opening Ceremony
I didn’t watch the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. Instead, I’ve kept an eye on something even more interesting and chaotic: the internet’s reaction to the opening ceremony. Having waited for the waves of outrage to calm, I’d like to wade in with a few thoughts… The Debate Social media arguments can be… Continue reading
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The Sunday After Easter – Reflection & Lyrics
Most churches have low attendance on the Sunday after Easter. I’ve been told that this Sunday is known as “Cannonball Sunday” because “you could shoot a cannonball down the aisle without endangering anyone.” But if Christ’s resurrection is worth celebrating on Easter, it is worth celebrating always. Every Sunday. Every day. No exceptions. As I… Continue reading
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Eve’s Magnificat
For my latest paper, I’m doing a deep dive into Genesis 3:16 and the multiplication of Eve’s pain in childbearing. It was most interested to discover that, through the births and lives of Cain, Abel, and Seth, Eve is brought from hubris to humility. She greets Cain’s birth with triumph and pride in her accomplishment,… Continue reading
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