Posts Tagged ‘Singing’
Using Screens without Hymnals
From time to time, I get the opportunity to attend public worship with other church assemblies around the country. I am glad to observe how other churches “do worship” but also to participate in other services without the pressure of being the leader of it. One observation is the predominant use of projecting the words…
Read MoreLet the Little Children Sing
From the time Emily and I first knew we were expecting, we sang “Jesus Loves Me” to our daughter Evelyn. She heard it in the womb, then in the first few moments after delivery, and even now she hears it every evening at bed time. Next, we immersed her sister Kyrsten in the tradition. We…
Read MoreSerendipity for Singing, Not Sinning
Christmas is the only holiday you never want to arrive because that means Christmas is going to end. What makes the Christmas season so enjoyable is the season itself and the anticipation. So we’ll take down the lights. We’ll pack away the decorations. And eventually, we’ll stop listening to Christmas music. No more “O Holy…
Read MoreThe Harvard Reformers: Learning to Sing Again
You’re standing to sing in a new church. The worship leader gets up to lead the first song, with the words on the screen behind him. Then you realize you can’t sing the song because you’ve never heard it. Did the worship leader write it? Who knows. But you’re left standing there, with about a…
Read MoreWhat Happened to the Singing?
In 1640 the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony printed the Bay Psalm Book. It was the first printed book in North America. The original title was The Whole Booke of Psalms Faithfully Translated into English Metre. That title highlights the Puritan desire for a psalm book that clearly reflected the original Hebrew poetry of the…
Read MoreA Case for Church Choir
“When she said that to me . . . Well, if there were a fruit basket of the Holy Spirit, let’s just say, ‘I was not in the basket’!” Those words from a good friend in ministry made me laugh out loud because I have been there. You have, too. We all have been there.…
Read MoreCongregational Singing Is Cool Again
Chuck Phelps Congregational singing has suddenly become cool (again). Just listen to Mark Dever, who testifies that, “The effect (of congregational music) on my own soul is electrifying.” Dr. Dever counsels pastors to reduce the praise band and the organ “by 80%” so that the voices of the congregation may be heard. After all, says,…
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