Dear Modern Protestant Pastor

I've recently been reading The Gift of Music: Great Composers and Their Influence by Jane Stuart Smith and Betty Carlson. This book is a collection of short biographies (really, biographical essays) on the lives and works of many of Western classical music's greatest composers. The spiritual lives of the composers are a large focus of the book. In the chapter on Bach, Smith makes the statement (as have many others) that "if there had not been a Luther, there would not have been a Bach." This started me thinking: if modern protestant pastors love Luther so much, and enjoy sharing that love with others who are like-minded, why are they ignoring the music of Bach, who (like they) found his spiritual heritage in the Reformation?

Help for the Liturgical Calendar

In the past year I have begun attending a church that follows the liturgical calendar. If you are in a church that follows such a calendar (most commonly Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, Catholic, or Orthodox), you will be familiar with my context. I have previously written on the selection of hymns according to topic and to their placement in the service in this post. Most of those principles still apply in my new church (beginning with a hymn of praise, introducing new hymns one at a time alongside old favorites, etc.), but there are now additional considerations for selecting hymns appropriate for the theme of the worship service each Sunday.

A Word of Encouragement

Do you feel frustrated as, week after week, you keep doing the same job, with no thanks from anyone? Do you ever get tired of the weekly drudge of trying to pick out hymns that somehow fit the obscure text your pastor chose (or worse, the same text as the last three sermons)? Why isn’t there a helpful hymn index, anyway? I know that for myself, it’s easy to fall into a rut of weekly frustration: “Did we sing this too recently? Not that anyone would remember, anyway….Do they really know this song? Do I feel like trying to teach them a new one this week?”

Tell Me the Old, Old Story

Each passage in the Bible has many different facets to be explored and understood. Sometimes, a pastor will preach for several weeks on the same verse. Other times, he’ll do a series based on one topic. While this is an effective way to teach and to learn, it can prove especially difficult for the music director to select appropriate music for one subject--for weeks at a time. Selecting music for only one week’s sermon requires careful thought and planning (see my earlier post), but what happens when there are only 3 hymns or songs on your topic, and three weeks of sermons?

Help! What If I'm Not a Musician?

So far, most of my articles have been geared toward church pianists, but what if you're a pastor or other church leader who is starting a church or who has been left without a regular pianist for some reason? Don't worry—this article is for you.

Music for Special Occasions Part 1: Easter and Christmas

Easter is only 3 weeks away—are you planning ahead? What kind of special music are you preparing for your church?

Selecting Music That Fits with the Sermon

One of the most difficult parts of being a church musician is choosing appropriate music for the sermon. Music should complement the message and help emphasize and reflect on the main points.

A Starting Point

Each person has a unique calling from God. Some are called to ministry in a small church. Small churches bring different blessings and challenges from those of larger churches. I hope this blog will be a place to share ideas and solutions for handling the responsibility that's just as large, no matter the number of worshipers who come to your church every week.

Some helpful hints to keep in mind when preparing each Sunday's music: