Musical Form in Christian Hymnody
Musical form shapes content in very similar ways to poetic form, yet it is a bit more abstract and thus considerably more difficult to readily… Read More »Musical Form in Christian Hymnody
hymns
Poetic Meter in Christian Hymnody
The next level of form is poetic meter and rhyme scheme. A poetic meter is basically how many syllables are in each line of the… Read More »Poetic Meter in Christian Hymnody
Word and Phrase Choice in Christian Hymnody
Word/Phrase Choice There are several different ways that content can be shaped within a hymn. The first is simply with what words are chosen to… Read More »Word and Phrase Choice in Christian Hymnody
The Anatomy of a Hymn
For many people a hymn is nothing more than some truth made pretty. But such an understanding would be like viewing a person as a… Read More »The Anatomy of a Hymn
The Purpose and Power of Christian Hymnody
Last time we observed the fact that we sing because the Bible commands us to sing. But let’s get a little bit deeper than simply… Read More »The Purpose and Power of Christian Hymnody
How do you treat Independence Day in your Church?
A music pastor recently asked me the question, “How do you treat holidays like the 4th of July in your church?” Great question; here are… Read More »How do you treat Independence Day in your Church?
The Biblical Mandate to Sing
When Christians discuss worship, they often focus on one primary element of worship above others—music. The church’s songs are without question the most controversial aspect… Read More »The Biblical Mandate to Sing
Podcast: Q&A – April 20, 2010
In this podcast, Scott answers several questions that have been posted in the suggestion box on www.religiousaffections.org, including: Granted aesthetic values r universals rooted n… Read More »Podcast: Q&A – April 20, 2010
How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 6
How can we conserve biblical worship? We can conserve biblical worship by regulating our worship by God’s Word, by learning to distinguish between ordinate affection… Read More »How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 6
How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 5
Conservative Christians will be committed to transmitting these worship forms to future generations. This leads to my final point of discussion. If our goal as… Read More »How Can We Conserve Biblical Worship? Part 5
A Good Friday devotion
My good friend Michael Riley has compiled a book of hymns and poetry that can be used this Friday to commemorate the suffering of our… Read More »A Good Friday devotion
The Watts Controversy
On the wall in my study I have three portraits. All three are portraits of theologians who were also heavily involved with music. They are… Read More »The Watts Controversy
A potential danger in writing hymns in an age of mass media
There seem to be a lot of hymns being written today, and a lot of them are really pretty good. One of the reasons for… Read More »A potential danger in writing hymns in an age of mass media
Accessible vs. Immediate
I’ve heard a lot of teaching recently on what makes a good sacred congregational song, and among qualities listed, “accessibility” is inevitably among them. I… Read More »Accessible vs. Immediate
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Conservative churches that want to do a special service around Christmas time often have a hard time finding cialis price quality “pre-packaged” programs. So what… Read More »A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
"Ebenezer" – biblical literacy and singing hymns
Before pastors discredit lines of hymns because they are “archaic” or “don’t make any sense today,” perhaps they should make sure that what they are… Read More »"Ebenezer" – biblical literacy and singing hymns
Choose your own price for tracks from God Himself Is With Us.
God Himself is With Us: the Gospel Proclaimed Through Hymns is now on BandCamp.com. Some of the nice features of BandCamp include the following: You… Read More »Choose your own price for tracks from God Himself Is With Us.
What music should be used when planting indigenous churches in . . . the United States of America?
It seems as if several themes have been reoccurring on this site, Paleoevangelical, and a few other places over the last few weeks. These themes… Read More »What music should be used when planting indigenous churches in . . . the United States of America?
Your turn: What have you done to teach children how to worship?
We’ve been discussing the topic of teaching children to worship here for some time, and now I’d like to get your feedback. I’ve offered suggestions… Read More »Your turn: What have you done to teach children how to worship?
More on teaching children hymns
I’ve just finished a week of vacation with family, so I’m getting caught up on e-mails, comments, etc. There were some good questions and comments… Read More »More on teaching children hymns