Sacred

A church choir, praise team, or instrumental ensemble doesn’t simply gather to sing or play for entertainment and recreation alone – there is an even greater purpose in gathering. When…

Ever catch yourself contemplating Thanksgiving? When I think about it, memories rush right in. Thanksgiving is truly a holiday for all the senses! There are the incredible smells of turkey,…

Several years ago, I was invited by the pastor of a prominent congregation to spend a weekend working with the choir. A long-tenured music director had left, and the choir…

Every week, choir members gather to rehearse, learn music, prepare their voices, and serve together in worship. Some weeks are exciting; other weeks may feel ordinary, repetitive, or even exhausting….

Encouraging Growth While Honoring Grace We’ve probably all been in that rehearsal: The pianist has spent hours practicing a difficult anthem, only to be publicly scolded for the measures she…

A brand-new choir year – how exciting! You may be early in your ministry as a children’s choir director, or perhaps you have served for decades. For this choir year…

My daily scripture reading recently walked through the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, chapter 7 of the Gospel of Matthew, day by day. The very end…

September has always been one of my favorite times of year! There’s something exciting about opening fresh folders, introducing new music, and seeing choir members reconnect after a busy summer. Over…

During my junior year of college, I landed what felt like the musical lottery: my first gig in church music ministry at a cozy little country church. It was the…

Several years ago I had a colleague who was an exceptional organist. He was known and respected in many different parts of the world. Several years my senior, I valued…

Certain pieces of music transcend category – works that resist being boxed into a season, a style, or even a single audience. They simply belong wherever hearts are open to…

I recently attended a meeting with the leadership of the community handbell ensemble I conduct. As we discussed plans for the coming year, our board president posed an interesting question:…

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies…

True worship is the only kind of worship that transforms lives. Every Sunday, my prayer is that all who attend First Baptist Dallas, myself included, will be different when they…

Dear Worship Leader, How’s it going? Are you feeling rejuvenated? Buried? How do you know when you’ve successfully “led” worship? Is it a nebulous and unattainable metric that drives us…

When the grand pomp and bombast of Easter subsides, a deafening silence and loneliness await many church musicians. When the beating drums and clanging cymbals fade, when the soaring notes…

And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done…God rested from…

…no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the…

Church music has been a constant, unmistakable presence throughout my life. My first experience of organized singing was in worship. In addition to the participatory nature of congregational singing, I…

One of the great joys of being a professional or pastoral church musician is the opportunity to support and minister to the members of music ensembles and their families –…

G.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was an author and Christian apologist who is perhaps best known these days for one of his fictional characters, the priest-detective Father Brown. But Chesterton was also…