When I was a little boy, I studied piano. My mother was my teacher. When it came time for recital, my mother made me go over the conclusion again and again. I had to get it down perfect! “Keep on practicing the conclusion, Bob. Learn those last measures!” she used to...
The Lorica of St. Patrick (The Deer`s Cry) I arise to-day: vast might, invocation of the Trinity,— belief in a Threeness confession of Oneness meeting in the Creator… I arise to-day: might of Heaven brightness of Sun whiteness of Snow splendour of Fire speed of Light...
The New Testament churches were made up of people of different ages, genders, races and socio-economic levels, who came together because of their common belief in Jesus. Christ gave them their identity and, consequently, their unity. In an era of marketing...
To sing worship music from more than one generation is, in part, to communicate our larger identity as the people of God. We hail from many backgrounds, families, races, and tastes, but now we are joined together through the blood of Jesus Christ, who has reconciled...
Singing is a spiritual activity best experienced in community. The documented benefits are as significant as those in yoga, a healthy diet, and prayer. Our culture, however, has commodified singing and turned it into a perfected idol that is performed by the few and...
Jesus doesn’t dominate the other, avoid the other, colonize the other, intimidate the other, demonize the other, or marginalize the other. He incarnates into the other, joins the other in solidarity, protects the other, listens to the other, serves the other, even...
If you worship Christ as the Creator of everything, every cosmic speck across billions of light years of trackless space, the Creator of the textures, shapes and colors that dazzle our eyes: if you worship Christ as the Sustainer of all creation, who by his word holds...
Should we not remind ourselves that worship is a transitive verb? We do not meet to worship (i.e. to experience worship); we aim to worship God. “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only”; there is the heart of the matter. In this area, one must not confuse what...
Since Christ is the central figure of the new covenant, he is also the central focus of all authentic Christian worship. Christ is both the one whom we worship and the one through whom we worship, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Christ is also the one whom we...
In worship there is divine action. In our celebration of Christ, something happens. There is an action from above: the Holy Spirit delivers Christ and the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection to the worshipers. In other words, in worship our relationship with...