“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
“Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (John 4:19-22)
Dear Hymn-Singer on the Other Side of the Aisle, Continue reading
Jeremy Begbie, professor of theology at Duke Divinity School, has spent much of his life focusing on the intersections of the arts, faith and theology. Now I know, often artists write off theologians and academicians because we think they don’t “get” us artists, but I can assure you Dr. Begbie gets us!! He is indeed one of us!! A musician in his own right, he has been spear-heading arts initiatives at seminaries and universities across the world, making sure professors, pastors and religious thinkers know that the arts have a vital role to play in the Church!
His books (with short reviews/descriptions from Amazon reviewers) include:
Voicing Creation’s Praise: Towards a Theology of the Arts is “for those interested in serious theological reflection on art. Begbie’s unique background as a classically-trained musician and Cambridge theologian gives him wonderful insight and Spirit-led authority in dealing with this critical cultural topic. Moreover, Begbie breaks free of the Modernist stranglehold on aesthetic philosophy, and presents a refreshing and deeply Christocentric analysis of the relationship between the character and action of God and human creativity.” I’ll warn you, this book is expensive, so look into borrowing it from the library. Continue reading
Worship band a little sparse on keyboard, piano, and /or synth? I’ve struggled with this very problem as a worship leader until I discovered Worship Pad Loops by Shalon Palmer.
padloops.com
Pad loops provide ambient noise in the key that matches the songs you’re playing and fills in empty space with beautiful sound.
Files download right onto your phone or mp3 player and then can be routed through your sound system. I have used them in a variety of settings including a large cavernous church and a small retreat setting. Works well in many settings!
Skeptical? There’s a sample in the key of A so grab your guitar and play your favorite song in A right along with it to hear how it sounds! And enjoy your worship time with Jesus as you do!
Have you always wanted to play the piano or keyboard at church or for your own personal times of worship? Had trouble fitting lessons into your busy schedule? Perhaps traditional piano lessons have left you frustrated? Well, I’ve got a possible solution for you!
This is my friend Dr. Ron Sprunger and this is his creative offering called How 2 Play By Ear. Check out the site for a quick summary and sampling of Dr. Sprunger’s program to help you learn to play the piano or keyboard by ear.
Looking to improve your guitar playing or drumming? Looking to learn? Looking to equip your worship team? Worship Artistry provides online worship guitar and drum lessons to help you master today’s top Christian worship songs – with new songs being added weekly – all from the convenience of your computer, smartphone or tablet.
From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise! (Matt 21:16)
When I first saw this video I was first struck by this boy’s exuberance, then by his uncanny metronome-like sense of meter and timing, and then by his knowledge of this intricate piece of music. And then, of course, on the shear fun and laughter of it all! He is filled with energy and life as he conducts his imaginary orchestra! He captures the nuances of the dynamics of the song as it swells and collapses back down to near silence!
Today, in honor of the National Day of Prayer, I want to direct you to this song by Joshua Aaron called Hoshiana (Save, Please). It is a BEaUtiful song of intercession for the nations and a wonderful example of intercessory art, crying out to God on behalf of the nations!
No other name by which we are saved but the Name of the Lord
Oh that the world will know Your Name
That the nations will call on the Name of the Lord
The Name of Yeshua!
Art against injustice: Justice Sees illustrates the sobering reality of human trafficking and the way God cries out to the oppressed.
Dancer: Rebecca Ludwick http://www.krswing.com
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
Another Facebook Friday!
Today’s group is called Christian Artists and its group description reads as follows:
Christian artists, Christian dancers, Christian painters, Christian sculptors, Christian musicians, Christian singers, Christian actors, Christian writers and poets.
We are interested in networking and showcasing excellence in the arts for God’s glory.
Ever wish you had a better singing voice? We all know God’s Word says to lift a joyful noise unto the Lord, but we sometimes wish our joyful didn’t sound so off-pitch!
Enjoy this article complete with tips on How to Sing Gospel from Vocal Singing Tips. Then practice along with this live version of Tasha Cobbs singing Break Every Chain:
I trust you had a blessed Resurrection Sonday!
I love this BEaUtiful rendition of “Crown Him With Many Crowns” below from the Crystal Cathedral—the arrangement, the horns, the voices, the flowers, the organ pipes and the sanctuary all speak of the majesty and glory of the resurrected Son of God. And even so, they still pale in comparison to the true glory and majesty of our Risen King. For today, watch, taking a glimpse, and imagine the Lamb of God seated on the throne!
Music that brings healing? Some will immediately answer yes to that question; others will be skeptical. I encourage you to read the link I provide today all the way to the end. And to keep an open mind while you do.
Many of you have been deeply blessed by Matt Redman’s songs. He has a wonderful heart of worship, and I love that his passion for Jesus shines through his work.
He offers many resources but I want to point to two specific resources today. First, he writes and posts song devotionals on many of his most popular worship songs on his website at www.mattredman.com (go to bottom of page to view listing). Continue reading
Manuel Luz is the Creative Arts Pastor for Oak Hills Church in Folsom, California. Today I want to refer you to his blog, Adventures in Faith & Art. He posts reflections that help stir the heart of the creative soul. You can follow his blog or like his page on Facebook to keep up to date with his posts.
Let’s get our Monday morning praise on with this video of creative worship from World Outreach Worship featuring StikYard:
Moved by the Spirit, Simeon went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God…
Coming up at that very moment, Anna gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. ~ Luke 2
We often hear about the shepherds and the wise men that came to worship Jesus following his birth. Yet there are two other characters who show up after the birth of Christ that we might not hear as much about.
If you’d like you can read more in Luke 2:22-40.
Nurturing the Creative Spirit Within 