Crossing Cultures – Creating Unity: An Interview
Felicia Patton is a lifelong Chicago native and worship leader at Urban Village Church. Felicia received an undergraduate degree from North Park University followed by two graduate degrees from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Introduction We all have a history; a history that shapes who we are and what we believe. This is true for all aspects of our lives, […]
19th of June 2019
Album Review – Christopher Williams, “We Will Remember”
The Context Over his two-decade career, singer/songwriter Christopher Williams has played with the likes of Jars of Clay, Phil Keaggy, and David Wilcox. Williams is located in Nashville, and this most recent record is his 12th full-length album. “We Will Remember: Songs Inspired by the Book of Joel” is a different project for him, however, […]
18th of June 2019
Strong Black Lead: Power Gospel Soloists PART II
Guest Blogger Joslyn Henderson is a full-time graduate student at Truett Seminary and Baylor School of Music, having first earned her Bachelors in Music, Vocal Performance from Spelman College in Atlanta. Part I of this blog post can be found here. Moving down into the 2000s, the following entries reflect gospel music as […]
10th of June 2019
Strong Black Lead: Power Gospel Soloists – Part I
Guest Blogger Joslyn Henderson is a full-time graduate student at Truett Seminary and Baylor School of Music, having first earned her Bachelors in Music, Vocal Performance from Spelman College in Atlanta. When she finishes at Baylor, she will add a Master of Divinity and Master of Music in Church Music to her education. She is a […]
30th of May 2019
Context Matters: A Case for “I” in Worship
Blogger David Bjorlin is a worship pastor at Resurrection Covenant Church (Chicago), a lecturer in worship at North Park Theological Seminary (Chicago), and a published hymnwriter. [In my previous post, I explored how The Sound of Music’s “Edelweiss” helped me understand that a congregational song’s theological content can only be interpreted correctly if we […]
20th of May 2019
Finding the Risen Christ in Community
Blogger Ginny Chilton Maxwell is Music Minister at Church of the Ascension in Norfolk, Virginia, where she serves as organist, choirmaster, and elementary music teacher. Eastertide Eastertide is the season where we get to hear a little each Sunday from the book of Acts, a record of the wild experiences of Jesus’s […]
13th of May 2019
A Healthy Body Image for the Worshiping Church
This blog is by guest blogger Joel Payne and was originally posted on the ResoundWorship Blog in 2018. Body Image It’s well accepted these days that fashion magazines have played their part in promoting an unrealistic, even unhealthy, body image. But what about the worship music industry – could it be that […]
9th of May 2019
Album Review – Joseph Pensak, “Hallowell”
The Context Hallowell is the name for Jospeh Pensak’s first project since participating in Bifrost Arts’ “Come, O Spirit!” From 2007. Pensak is a Presbyterian pastor in Burlington, Vermont, and the Hallowell album features a plethora of Vermont-based musicians. Pensak worked with composers and vocalists, including a chamber music collective and a chamber folk band, […]
7th of May 2019
Lord, You Can Turn All Mourning into Dancing
Blogger Brian Hehn is the director of The Center for Congregational Song. SOLEMNITY It’s pet peeve time. Let’s talk about the word solemn. Especially in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other traditions with similar liturgical tendencies, the word solemn is used quite a bit. You hear about celebrating a “solemnity,” keeping this “solemn […]
30th of April 2019
Common Hymnal
David Calvert is the Creative Arts Director for Grace Community Church in rural North Carolina and a PhD graduate in Theology and Worship from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He writes the album reviews for The Center for Congregational Song. Authentic Community One of the deep longings of the human heart is for […]
