How can we listen to silence? How can that be our prayer? And where can it take us? Guest post by Susan Butterworth Recently I was gifted tickets to a wonderful concert of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. I was excited to hear the headline work, Mozart’s Requiem. Needless to say, the Mozart was glorious, a sublime example of the intersection of music and Christianity. But the experience that moved me even more was the unexpected first half of the program Tabula... Read more
[Guest post by Rev. Anna Tew] America’s hip-hop prophet has something to say to us about Lent. And it isn’t pretty. But it echoes the words of the prophet Joel in this year’s lectionary reading for Ash Wednesday. Blow the trumpet in Zion. Sound the alarm on my holy mountain. Joel is trying to get Israel’s attention. This is a wake-up call. Ash Wednesday does the same thing, but if you do Ash Wednesday every year, you might miss it.... Read more
Yes, Elvis recorded gospel music. But some of his secular songs reveal his faith, hope, and love in ways that are surprising and heartbreaking. Of course, that’s not to downplay the power of his sacred recordings. A lifelong fan of gospel music, Elvis released How Great Thou Art in 1967. Packed with classics like “In the Garden”, “Stand By Me,” and “By and By”, it won a Grammy for Best Sacred Performance. He followed it up with He Touched Me... Read more
In June, I performed a unique sacred music concert in collaboration with the extraordinary Zimbabwean musician John Pfumojena (AKA John Falsetto): Found in Translation: Cross-Cultural Musical Explorations of the Bible. Fusing African and Western musical styles, the concert featured one-of-a-kind arrangements for voice, mbira, and piano of gospel songs, African-American spirituals, and hymns. (For a taste, check out this unique version of Blessed Be the Ties That Bind or this arrangement of the beloved hymn Come Thou Fount of Every... Read more
This is part 2 of an article exploring musical settings of the Stabat Mater. To read the first part, click here. By Josh Rodriguez, guest contributor Hawar Tawfiq Pain is universal, and classical concert music is a vast canvas used by people all over the world to communicate and empathize. Born in Sulaymaniya (Kurdish northern region of Iraq), Hawar Tawfiq fled his homeland in 1998, finding asylum in the Netherlands. There his musical talents were discovered by a teacher who... Read more
By Josh Rodriguez, guest contributor The world watched in horror as yet another Black man gasped for air, murdered on camera. In those final moments, George Floyd called out to his mother – except his mother was not alive. She had passed away two years prior, giving this cry the transcendent anguish of one who knew he was about to die. But this was not the only image of death that we saw in 2020, nor was it the last.... Read more
He’s back! And trolling Christians once again. Since rocketing to fame with Old Town Road, the Georgia rapper has become infamous for his ability to provoke us and anger us. And he’s perfected it. First, in his music video for Montero (Call My By Your Name), he descended to Hell and gave Satan an enthusiastic lap-dance. Then – back on earth – he released a custom-made version of Nike Air Max 97’s he called “Satan Shoes”, which were supposedly made... Read more
God Bless America has become one of our country’s most beloved patriotic songs. But its beauty and power mask an underlying danger for us Christians. Written in 1938 by Irving Berlin, the song celebrates the fertility and beauty of our land as evidence of God’s favor upon on us. But it’s not just a song of thanks and praise. It is also, literally, a prayer. It is a song that asks for God to stand beside us and guide us.... Read more
If you are like me, you can’t wait for Lent to end. Whether you gave up coffee, chocolate, alcohol – or even if you didn’t – Lent can be a real slog. The lectionary gives us prayers and psalms that constantly remind us of our sin. Our churches usually (or, in my opinion, ought to!) feature music that doesn’t shy away from the darkness of the season. There’s nary a trumpet in sight – and you can forget about alleluias!... Read more
“Preach the Gospel at all times; when necessary, use words.” This famous phrase is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. Although there’s no proof the quote originated with him, its enduring legacy attests to its provocative power. Some have embraced it. They agree with the sentiment at its core: that true witness to our faith comes principally from our actions. Many others have challenged it. For some, the idea of focusing on actions can keep us from learning how to... Read more
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