The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (Part 3)
As we bring this short series on the Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (see part 1 and part 2) to an end, the following are a few more carols and songs with…
Greg Wilbur
The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (Part 2)
In the previous post, we began to consider the gospel content of some Christmas carols. Again, it is important to remember that some of the best Christmas carols not only…
The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas
The season leading to Christmas is a wonderful time to draw attention some of the all-too-familiar lyrics of some Christmas carols. Some of the best Christmas carols not only speak…
Guidelines of Worship
The concept the confessional worship creates an unfamiliar category that challenges the better known ideas of contemporary or traditional. Practically speaking, what is called contemporary or traditional can be very…
Songs of Pentecost
Pentecost marks the end of the season of Easter as the promised Spirit is poured out on the Church. This is the seal of the New Covenant—the presence of the…
Ascension Hymns
The season of Easter draws to a close with the Ascension and Pentecost—the final days of the earthly ministry of Christ and the birthday of the church. There’s a very…
The Slow Miracle of the Lord’s Day
Whenever I get the opportunity to speak about worship in either a Sunday School series or an Inquirers class, I try to work in the following thought from Hart and…
The Father of Hymnody
On December 7, 374, Ambrose became bishop of Milan and thereby became a staunch defender of the Faith against the Arians. Ambrose was born into a prominent Christian Roman family…
A Reformation Hymn
In peace and joy I now depart At God's disposing; For full of comfort is my heart, Soft reposing. So the Lord hath promised me, And death is but a…
Singing in Parts
I love plainsong chant and the power of unison singing. This type of singing fulfills particular roles in worship that part-singing cannot. However, I would suggest that the current status…
The Aesthetics of Worship
In my last post, I set out a series of questions–including the following–regarding the content of music in worship: Is there (or should there be) a palpable difference between the…
Beyond Hymnals and Screens
There has been a recent series of posts, blogs, and articles about the use of hymnals, the loss of hymnals, what we gain with screens, what we lose with screens,…