Singing on Miscellanea

Sing more!

Sat, 17 Feb 2024 14:57:48 +0000

We need more singing!

Sing more and murmur less!

Sing more and slander less!

Sing more and cavil less!

Sing more and mourn less!

Amplified "Worship Teams" and Congregational Singing

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 13:46:01 +0000

The granting of the power of amplification to ‘worship teams’ in American Christianity has done more than anything since the Protestant Reformation to undermine congregational song. Once Protestants were known for their lively and joyful corporate singing, but today in many of our largest and most imitated churches the only music worth admiring comes from multithousand-watt sound systems while the vast majority of image bearers in the room sing weakly or not at all.

Psalms for Dark Times

Sun, 04 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

When it is very dark with us, let brave spirits say, ‘Come, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm.’

Value of Hymns

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

When you take a pop song and weigh it down with the gospel it sort of cheapens both. The theology is too heavy for the song, and the song usually ends up being too light for the theology. Often I feel like you end up with some sort of fuzzy Christian propaganda that doesn’t do music or the gospel any justice.

That’s why I like hymns so much. The early fathers wrote many of the texts to hymns that we sing today. I like that they attach us to our Christian history and remind us of what in our faith is worth preserving.

Unloose my Stamm'ring Tongue

Sun, 14 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

When he came, the angels sung, ‘Glory be to God on high;’ / Lord, unloose my stamm’ring tongue, Who should louder sing than I?

Music and Theology

Fri, 07 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Show me a church’s songs, and I’ll show you their theology.

Two Directional Singing

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The singing of the congregation takes place, as it were, in two directions: facing the other members of the congregation and facing God.

Borrow a Song from Tomorrow

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Is there nothing to sing about today? Then borrow a song from tomorrow; sing of what is yet to be.

The Value of music

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000

I would not give up what little I know about music for something else which I might have in greater abundance.

Singing

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Singing belongs to one who loves.

Enough Singing

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0000

As long as we live there is never enough singing.

Music as a Marvelous Creation

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

A person who gives this some thought and yet does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of asses and the grunting of hogs.

I Will Sing to the Lord

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.