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.

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.