Issue 18
Psalm
145:1-7 I will praise you, my God and King, and bless your name
forever and ever. I will bless you every day, and I will praise you
forever. Great is the Lord! He is worthy of praise! His greatness
is beyond discovery! Let each generation tell its children of your
mighty acts. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and
your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every
tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story
of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy of your righteousness.
The psalms are such a wonderful source
of teaching for us, even today. As I thought about the passage quoted
above, I realized it was an instruction book on how we as musicians
can evaluate the songs we use in our worship. It provides a checklist
for us as we strive to choose appropriate, relevant and beautiful
music for our worship.
This passage tells us how long we
are to be actively engaged in praising God - forever! It also tells
us that even though we may praise God every minute of every day, we
will never exhaust his greatness or understand the complete nature
of God. We are instructed to tell our children the story of God's
saving grace through Christ in such a way that they will carry the
story with them. Finally, we are sent to share the good news with
everyone.
As we choose music for our worship,
we should keep these instructions in mind. Do the songs we choose
tell the Good News? Do they have "staying power"? Are they
worthy of our Lord and Savior in there construction? Are they powerful
enough to be remembered by our children so that they can carry the
story with them? Are they theologically sound? Do they say what we
believe? Will people who are hearing the message for the first time
sing these songs with joy? Will we continually use our training and
expertise to select the best there is to praise our God? Will we seek
inspiration as we meditate and pray about how we are to use the gifts
God has given us?
Book Alert:
Praying
Twice: The Music and Words of Congregational
Song by Brian Wren, ISBN-10: 0664256708, ISBN-13: 978-0664256708,
Westminster John Knox Press, 2000. A historical overview of congregational
song as well as a look at present-day issues such as inclusive language
and multicultural worship makes this a great read. Wren includes guidelines
for updating hymns as well as a discussion of contemporary music in
worship.
Music Alert:
Piano: Classic
hymns for 4-Hand Piano by Joel Raney, Hope Publishing, Code
No. 8281, 2006. This book presents a wonderful collection of familiar
tunes that you can share with someone on the bench! Tunes include
Holy, Holy, Holy, Praise to the Lord the Almighty and Be Thou My Vision.
These arrangements are very accessible and would be a wonderful way
to provide special music and involve a fellow pianist.
Vocal: Bless
the Broken Road: The Duets Album by Selah, Word Music, Distributed
by Hal Leonard, ISBN 13-978-1-4232-2407-9, ISBN 10 -1-4234-2407-7.
This collection of duets by the contemporary Christian group Selah
includes their hit song "Bless the Broken Road". Some of
the settings are for S/A and others are male/female. Contemporary
sounds support some very traditional texts.
Handbells: The
Creative Use of Handbells in Worship by Hal Hopson, Hope
Publishing, Code No. 1956. This collection of handbell accompaniments
and descants is one way to keep your handbell ringers involved in
worship year round. Easily learned, these settings often require only
a few ringers. Also included are suggestions for adding as few as
2 bells to a hymn. Great for using handbells to enliven your hymn
singing.
Upcoming Events:
May 30-June 1, 2008 ABWomen's Conference
at Green Lake Conference Center. Come and be renewed and recharged
for service. Click
Here for more information.
June 8, 2008, 1:30 P.M. Celebrate
with First Baptist-West Allis. The elevator is in and the construction
is over! That is something to celebrate! Worship begins at 1:30 with
a reception to follow. For information, contact the church at 258-7400
Any questions
or comments, contact me at fbwamusic@aol.com
Mary
