This little trick is so simple that anyone can do it - unless they are in a congregation so small that they don't use microphones. Because, yes, this has to do with microphones. When it is the congregation's turn to confess their sins, confess the Creed, or say the Lord's Prayer, turn off the mic. It is arguably the easiest way to help a congregation find its voice, and yet so many places don't do this.
For pastors who don't have someone at the sound board who can do this for them - though I'd think someone can and should be found to do this - the alternative is for the pastor not to say those parts. Just like the pastor does not say the responses "Thanks be to God" or "Praise to You, O Christ" after the readings.
What? Pastor you say you DO say those parts? Well, stop it. As Bob Newhart famously said, "Just stop it!" Seriously, there may be an awkward pause at first and you should explain to the folks why you are doing this, but let them take ownership of their parts in the liturgy.
This is Step One to "Helping Your Congregation Find Its Voice." More to come. Stay tuned . . .
FINE TUNING
Monday, November 13, 2017
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Making Sure Our Boast Is in the Lord
"When people take pride in the business, they focus more on customer needs and innovation." - Mike Salvino, former CEO of Accenture, the world's largest management consulting firm.
There are obvious applications for program staff in a church, but I want to focus on how this connects to a huge problem in many churches, and illustrate how it manifests itself in the Church's song.
Scripture teaches repeatedly that our boast should only be in the Lord (1 Cor. 1:31; Gal. 6:14; Ps. 34:2; Jer. 9:24). Our pride is found in Christ alone. I believe that when people take pride/boast in Jesus, they will focus more on telling the Good News about Him and meeting their neighbors' need.
Where, then, is this "huge problem" I see?
It lies in two directions--Sasse's ditches on the sides of the road, if you will. On one hand, we have two generations of new hymnals chock full of excellent hymns and canticles that in many cases have nonetheless been forced onto congregations rather than being convincingly introduced. As wonderful as much of this new music is, few will tell their neighbor "come to my church and hear the organ blast songs that few of us know but are really doctrinally pure and liturgically orthodox!"
On the other hand, despite the promises of church growth gurus and numerous evangelism workshops, the Church's experiment with worship "styles" and adoption of rock bands and radio music over the past 20 years does not lead to boasting in the Lord either. As sincere as their missional intentions may be, few congregants are motivated to invite their friends to "come and hear our garage band blast songs that some of us know and sort-of sing along with on the easier parts. The songs don't say much, either, but we do them anyway because we're trying to get folks to come."
Ironically, whether one runs off the road to the left or to the right, one is driven by the same motivation: to do things right. The devil's use of our good intentions come to mind. I don't have all the answers, but I do know they lie in keeping things centered on Christ. In my own ministry area, I can say this: if you are picking music for "missional" reasons, step back and pick hymns that your people know and love and *can sing* that are about God and His love for us in Christ Jesus. If you are picking music for "confessional/orthodox" reasons, do the same.
A good test is to take away the "wall of sound," whether it is your praise band (missional) or your organ (confessional) and listen to the people sing. Their singing will reveal to you whether they are boasting in the Lord or not. There may be need to re-center in other ways (preaching, Sunday School, church programs, etc.), but in the area of cantoral ministry, congregations need to cultivate the common songs which bind them together and move them to invite others to join in the song. Sure, there is room for each generation to add new songs to the garden, but few take pride in their church because they are singing songs they think they should be doing rather than the songs their faith wants to sing. (Ps. 40:3)
Friday, May 5, 2017
Let There Be Gin
Our esteemed colleague Jacquelyn Magnuson recently put this awesome story up on FB, so we asked if we could share it here. It's instructive as well as amusing, and a great reminder to all of us to always do our homework. Enjoy!
Let There Be Gin: A lesson on the importance of practicing
Let There Be Gin: A lesson on the importance of practicing
During my senior year of college, a friend and I sang the hymn "Scatter the Darkness, Break the Gloom" (LSB 481) at church. This was our first encounter with this hymn, and it came as a somewhat last-minute request from the kantor that we sing a duet to introduce the hymn to the congregation, who would sing it for the first time the following week.
So we arrived at the church early. We were left to run through the hymn on our own as the kantor was getting ready for the prelude. We agreed that it would be a good idea to sing through all the stanzas so that we wouldn't stumble over words during the service.
It's a good thing we did. Stanzas one and two went off without a hitch. Then came stanza three (do you see where this is going yet?):
"Crying and sighs, give way to singing:
Life from death, our Lord is bringing!
Let there be... gin"
Life from death, our Lord is bringing!
Let there be... gin"
Yes, gin. Let there be gin. Not one, but both of us somehow overlooked the hyphen in the word "be-gin", which unfortunately occurs at a line break in the LSB. Cue the uncontrollable laughter. Cue the writing in our hymnals to make sure we'd get it right later. Well, it went smoothly during the service, but thankfully that line is at the end of the hymn, because it was hard to keep a straight face with the mishap so recent in memory. I cringe when I think what might have happened had we not rehearsed before the service.
Lesson learned? Never, ever play or sing for a church service without practicing. (There are a few exceptions when this is actually unavoidable, but they are rare.) Even for those hymns that we have played hundreds of times. Even for that instrumental part that is incredibly easy. Even singing a hymn we've known since we were young children. Always practice everything. Why? Because as church musicians, we ought not be a distraction. Sure, mistakes happen, and quite often. But to make mistakes and cause distraction because we're unprepared is unacceptable. I'll save the more serious side of this topic for another time, but suffice it to say, the importance of practicing cannot be understated. And it'll inevitably save us some embarrassment along the way too.
Oh, and the actual hymn text? "Let there begin the jubilee-- Christ has gained the victory!" Christ is risen and is bringing us out of death to life. Indeed, a much better thing to sing about than gin!
Sunday, March 5, 2017
They got it!
Guest post by Emily Woock.
Not too long ago my small (ten voice) children’s choir was scheduled to sing for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany and I searched high and low trying to find a setting of the Beatitudes that would be appropriate for them. I really wanted something other than "Blest Are They" from All God's People Sing, but I wasn’t finding anything that would work well for children, let alone something that would work with only three rehearsals after just coming back from Christmas break.
I reached out to my friend and colleague Phillip Magness to see if he had a recommendation, and he suggested his setting of the Beatitudes from Liturgy Solutions and sent me a copy to preview. I knew right away that this piece was perfect for my group and purchased it immediately. It was simple enough to learn in three rehearsals, but still beautiful and interesting for the singers. As an added bonus, there were many teachable moments built right into the piece.
My choristers responded very favorably to this piece, excitedly pointing out to me (as if I hadn’t noticed!) that there were repeated phrases that “have the same notes but different words.” This was done without any prompting from me. Several of them left that first rehearsal humming the melody, so I felt confident they could pull this off in time since it was clearly sticking with them.
I have a practice of marking my young choristers' bulletins ahead of time so they can be confident in their leadership role during worship, and I also try to help them make connections to various things in the service or about the season, often putting little notes in the bulletin of things for them to think about. On this particular Sunday, I wrote simply “Do you notice something?” right next to the Gospel text. I watched with delight as heads snapped to attention one by one as the Gospel was read and they made the connection that the Gospel text was the same text as our anthem. Several winked or made a face at me as if they were in on some big secret just because they were in the choir, and one of my very youngest singers ran over to me during the passing of the peace, unable to wait until the end of the service to exclaim, “Miss Woock! Pastor said the same words that we are singing!” They got it!
This wonderful arrangement was a joy for my choristers to experience, fit beautifully within the Divine Service that morning, and left me one happy cantor that there was so much teaching mileage packed into a single anthem. Thank you, Liturgy Solutions, for providing resources like this.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
A Magical Moment
We all have special moments we experience in worship, both as worshipers and as worship leaders. Some are downright "magical." Before I continue, let me insert all the Lutheran caveats here: by "magical," I don't mean anything gnostic or occult nor will this be about using the art of music to manipulate emotions. I say "magical," merely in the sense of a phenomenon that is "beautiful or delightful in an extraordinary way." This can and should happen when the art of music is joined to the Word of God. It certainly happened for us this morning at Immanuel. Key to this happening was my preparation for this as a worship leader - and so I'd like to share with you what I did so that it might help you as you strive to bring the Gospel similarly to your people.
Here's what went down. There is a cool communion song I found a few years ago in the Wisconsin Synod hymnal supplement by Michael Joncas called "Take and Eat." You can also find it in the latest editions of Gather. Here's one of several recording out there on YouTube, of various quality, instrumentations and tempi. I've always wanted a congregation to embrace it, but until today my attempts to minister with the song had fallen. In Illinois I had even used the "have the children's choir sing the verses" trick to try to help "sell" it, but never had an assembly really own it - even the steady faithful who come to our Wednesday night services of "Catechesis and Communion" here in Oklahoma. I had started to wonder if this was just a song I liked but really shouldn't impose on the folk. I knew the words were good, but started thinking that perhaps I just liked the chord progression too much or something, and really wasn't singing a melody they could embrace.
Thankfully, with the readings for today providing an excellent opportunity to sing this hymn, I decided to try it one more time. So I re-approached the hymn anew and did exactly what I teach others to do but realized I had failed to do myself. I got up from the piano and sang the song unaccompanied. I memorized the lyrics and mused on them. I sang the song in the sanctuary, imagining people in the pews and considering how I might bring these words of our Lord alive in their ears. I spent an hour doing this on Friday and another half-hour on Saturday, and then jammed on the tune for another half-hour on the piano at home. In other words, I took the craft of cantoring seriously and did everything I should have done previously with the song in order to prepare to minister through this music.
I didn't need to hear the compliments after the song to know that I did the right thing. I could tell by the third refrain that something was different in the room. By the final refrain the sanctuary was filled with singing - the kind of heart-felt singing I had always hope to elicit but had previously failed to evoke with this song. It was a very special moment. The people were connecting with the promises of Jesus and being comforted by them. It was indeed, in the best sense of the word, "magical."
Please note that this came about not because I was "into it" or because of some "inner feeling" I had. I've always grooved on this song. That kind of playing and singing might provide an inspirational testimony, but the hearers remain passive. It can even devolve into entertainment. No, this was because I had consciously moved outside of myself and had worked on singing the song in an intentional way, with the intention being to bless all who heard me today and to invite them to join me in singing the LORD's song.
How often do we take our musicianship for granted? How often are we just singing words and notes on a page? As important as notation is, the page just contains symbols. The music is in the air. Sure, we need to learn the music first, but never forget that notes and words and rhythms are but the beginning of true practicing. If you stop there, you'll miss the music. The results will be similar to that of a pastor dryly reading his sermon rather than really preaching it to you. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we offer are just as important as the preaching - and often have more impact on people. So approach each song as if it were a little sermon, focusing not just on what you are singing, but who you are singing it to and/or with. And let God's "magic" happen as His Word has His way with His people. SDG
Here's what went down. There is a cool communion song I found a few years ago in the Wisconsin Synod hymnal supplement by Michael Joncas called "Take and Eat." You can also find it in the latest editions of Gather. Here's one of several recording out there on YouTube, of various quality, instrumentations and tempi. I've always wanted a congregation to embrace it, but until today my attempts to minister with the song had fallen. In Illinois I had even used the "have the children's choir sing the verses" trick to try to help "sell" it, but never had an assembly really own it - even the steady faithful who come to our Wednesday night services of "Catechesis and Communion" here in Oklahoma. I had started to wonder if this was just a song I liked but really shouldn't impose on the folk. I knew the words were good, but started thinking that perhaps I just liked the chord progression too much or something, and really wasn't singing a melody they could embrace.
Thankfully, with the readings for today providing an excellent opportunity to sing this hymn, I decided to try it one more time. So I re-approached the hymn anew and did exactly what I teach others to do but realized I had failed to do myself. I got up from the piano and sang the song unaccompanied. I memorized the lyrics and mused on them. I sang the song in the sanctuary, imagining people in the pews and considering how I might bring these words of our Lord alive in their ears. I spent an hour doing this on Friday and another half-hour on Saturday, and then jammed on the tune for another half-hour on the piano at home. In other words, I took the craft of cantoring seriously and did everything I should have done previously with the song in order to prepare to minister through this music.
I didn't need to hear the compliments after the song to know that I did the right thing. I could tell by the third refrain that something was different in the room. By the final refrain the sanctuary was filled with singing - the kind of heart-felt singing I had always hope to elicit but had previously failed to evoke with this song. It was a very special moment. The people were connecting with the promises of Jesus and being comforted by them. It was indeed, in the best sense of the word, "magical."
Please note that this came about not because I was "into it" or because of some "inner feeling" I had. I've always grooved on this song. That kind of playing and singing might provide an inspirational testimony, but the hearers remain passive. It can even devolve into entertainment. No, this was because I had consciously moved outside of myself and had worked on singing the song in an intentional way, with the intention being to bless all who heard me today and to invite them to join me in singing the LORD's song.
How often do we take our musicianship for granted? How often are we just singing words and notes on a page? As important as notation is, the page just contains symbols. The music is in the air. Sure, we need to learn the music first, but never forget that notes and words and rhythms are but the beginning of true practicing. If you stop there, you'll miss the music. The results will be similar to that of a pastor dryly reading his sermon rather than really preaching it to you. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs we offer are just as important as the preaching - and often have more impact on people. So approach each song as if it were a little sermon, focusing not just on what you are singing, but who you are singing it to and/or with. And let God's "magic" happen as His Word has His way with His people. SDG
Monday, January 30, 2017
WHEN IT'S REAL
Several friends posted a video of me jamming with some street musicians before the March for Life. It was an uplifting experience, one of many that day, and I'm not surprised this little video has made the rounds.
As someone known for being conservative on percussion in worship ("The song of the Church is Word-driven, not beat-driven!"), who disapproves of applause during the Divine Service, and who strongly prefers the chorales over "happy-clappy" music, one may fairly ask, "Magness, why do you groove on this?"
The answer is not so simple as saying, "Well, this wasn't in the Divine Service," even though that is an important point. Because I'm actually OK with some hand-clapping and even some dancing during worship--when it is real. And by "real" I don't mean whether people are "feeling it" or not, because any half-decent musician can whip up emotions and get the poorly catechized to think they are "in the Spirit." I'm talking about the reality of manifesting the faith God gives to us as brothers and sisters in Christ. That's something we can judge objectively.
When it is real, when it is faithful, it is reverent and authentic. It is reverent in that it honors God, acknowledges God, and is focused on God. This is much more easily done in cultures with histories of rhythmic music and ceremonial dance. Which leads to the second point of authenticity. If I am in a community which sings jubilantly with percussion instruments to organically proclaim the steadfast love of the Lord, then there is no distraction or manipulation. But where such music is not part of the culture, it is at best merely entertainment, often distracts from the Gospel, and manipulates emotions rather than giving voice to our shared experience of the faith.
How can one tell the difference? It's pretty easy. By dropping out. If the community owns the song, the musician who summoned the song can step away and it will go on. There are cultures where this readily happens. Typical North American parishes, outside certain minority communities, are not among them when it comes to the music promulgated in the name of entertainment evangelism. Many, however, in their zeal to either be attractive or to generate excitement among the membership, try to make this happen artificially by having a band play jubilant "praise music" in the assembly's stead--cranking up the volume so that the impression of great worship is created. But if the assembly cannot sustain such energy unplugged, it is actually the opposite of authentic. By contrast, the sound of a Lutheran assembly chanting the Lord's Prayer or singing the Te Deum a cappella with conviction in four-part harmony is actually truly authentic. And it is just as energetic and powerful as any other culture's music, with or without percussion or an "upbeat" tempo.
That said, I certainly do see a role of musical testimony which edifies a congregation and broadens their repertoire. Some will inevitably be entertained by that--whether one powerfully presents a Renaissance motet or an African hymn. But that is a matter of catechesis. Once a congregation gets used to higher quality music, they'll clap no more for the music than they do for the sermon--or for receiving the Sacrament. (Seriously, if applause is really directed to God, why don't people clap after receiving the Lord's Supper?)
So, whatever you are singing, make sure you are singing the folk music of your people. Keep it real. Don't substitute someone else's joy for your own. There's no reason for it. Even if you think you are doing it "for the young," or "for the seekers." Because, truth is, you'll never be as convincing singing someone else's song as you will your own.
"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." (Ps. 40:3)
As someone known for being conservative on percussion in worship ("The song of the Church is Word-driven, not beat-driven!"), who disapproves of applause during the Divine Service, and who strongly prefers the chorales over "happy-clappy" music, one may fairly ask, "Magness, why do you groove on this?"
The answer is not so simple as saying, "Well, this wasn't in the Divine Service," even though that is an important point. Because I'm actually OK with some hand-clapping and even some dancing during worship--when it is real. And by "real" I don't mean whether people are "feeling it" or not, because any half-decent musician can whip up emotions and get the poorly catechized to think they are "in the Spirit." I'm talking about the reality of manifesting the faith God gives to us as brothers and sisters in Christ. That's something we can judge objectively.
When it is real, when it is faithful, it is reverent and authentic. It is reverent in that it honors God, acknowledges God, and is focused on God. This is much more easily done in cultures with histories of rhythmic music and ceremonial dance. Which leads to the second point of authenticity. If I am in a community which sings jubilantly with percussion instruments to organically proclaim the steadfast love of the Lord, then there is no distraction or manipulation. But where such music is not part of the culture, it is at best merely entertainment, often distracts from the Gospel, and manipulates emotions rather than giving voice to our shared experience of the faith.
How can one tell the difference? It's pretty easy. By dropping out. If the community owns the song, the musician who summoned the song can step away and it will go on. There are cultures where this readily happens. Typical North American parishes, outside certain minority communities, are not among them when it comes to the music promulgated in the name of entertainment evangelism. Many, however, in their zeal to either be attractive or to generate excitement among the membership, try to make this happen artificially by having a band play jubilant "praise music" in the assembly's stead--cranking up the volume so that the impression of great worship is created. But if the assembly cannot sustain such energy unplugged, it is actually the opposite of authentic. By contrast, the sound of a Lutheran assembly chanting the Lord's Prayer or singing the Te Deum a cappella with conviction in four-part harmony is actually truly authentic. And it is just as energetic and powerful as any other culture's music, with or without percussion or an "upbeat" tempo.
That said, I certainly do see a role of musical testimony which edifies a congregation and broadens their repertoire. Some will inevitably be entertained by that--whether one powerfully presents a Renaissance motet or an African hymn. But that is a matter of catechesis. Once a congregation gets used to higher quality music, they'll clap no more for the music than they do for the sermon--or for receiving the Sacrament. (Seriously, if applause is really directed to God, why don't people clap after receiving the Lord's Supper?)
So, whatever you are singing, make sure you are singing the folk music of your people. Keep it real. Don't substitute someone else's joy for your own. There's no reason for it. Even if you think you are doing it "for the young," or "for the seekers." Because, truth is, you'll never be as convincing singing someone else's song as you will your own.
"He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." (Ps. 40:3)
Friday, January 20, 2017
We're Back!
Good afternoon, dear friends,
After 3 1/2 years, and on Inauguration Day of all days, Phillip has re-discovered how to access this blog! He & Stephen had made efforts the past couple of years to get in and start posting again, but simply could not access the site. Here's a brief explanation, which will also help you understand the slower pace of Liturgy Solutions these past few years, as well as our new effort to revitalize the site:
* In 2012, Phillip was dismissed from the cantorate at Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois. He and the pastors publicly affirmed that his firing was not due to immoral life, false doctrine, or any incompetence with his duties. Phillip had had a breakdown under work stress, after which the head pastor cited personality conflicts and a desire for a new person in the position. The congregational leaders then opted to follow this pastor's lead rather than to attempt to negotiate conflict resolution or otherwise improve the situation.
* By the grace of God, Phillip was blessed to serve the following year at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Tinley Park, where he made many friends and planned on staying to build on the excellent legacy of church & school music left by his predecessor there, Carl Lisius. However, the direction of the pastoral leadership was toward forms of "modern" or "contemporary" worship, with even the traditional services minimizing sung liturgy, and so when another call came Phillip decided it best for the church to accept an opportunity to serve where his vision for worship was in line with both the pastor and the elders.
* While he first had access to the Fine Tuning blog while in Oklahoma, that access was lost when his wife and family joined him in Oklahoma after the Magnesses sold their house in Illinois. Between expired emails, new computers, and forgotten passwords, we just couldn't get in! Stephen had not posted in a while himself, having moved from full-time church work to teaching at a Roman Catholic high school in the Bronx, and also could not locate our credentials to get onto the site.
Fast forward now to today, of all days, when, after considering the doctrine of vocation and President Trump's point in his inaugural address about a nation's greatness depending on the success of its citizens to freely pursue their dreams, Phillip decided to try to get into Fine Tuning again. Behold, it was a success!
We are happy to report that today, almost four years later, by the grace of God, both Phillip and Stephen are doing well. Stephen is having a great year with his choirs and classes at Monsignor Scanlan High School in New York, and has new compositions in the GIA catalog. His daughters are doing amazing things in music, and he continues to address the church on matters of music at various conferences. Phillip and his family are enjoying life in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where he now serves at Immanuel Lutheran Church. He continues to serve as "cantor-at-large" for the spiritual renewal retreats of DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Council, and also his teaching of the French edition of the LSB, Liturgies et Cantiques Luthériens. He will be in Togo in March to lead a couple of workshops and also to play for worship services for the annual convention of 14 confessional francophone Lutheran churches to be held in Dapaong. He also served as chief musician for the 2013 and 2016 LCMS conventions.
So much for why we disappeared here and what we've been doing. So why revitalize the site? The brief history outlined above gives a hint of the reason: vocation. Throughout all the trials and in both blessings & woes, our hearts and hands and voices have been fixed on the Lord's song. God has been good to us; how can we keep from singing? And so with a new day for our country, it is fitting that we begin a new day at Liturgy Solutions. Let us know what you might like us to write about, and how you are doing. We'll see you on FaceBook, but we'd love to see you hear to. We look forward to doing more of what we love most: encouraging, nurturing, and enlivening the art of music in service to the Word of God.
May His peace be with you this new year and always!
In Christ,
Your Friends at Liturgy Solutions
After 3 1/2 years, and on Inauguration Day of all days, Phillip has re-discovered how to access this blog! He & Stephen had made efforts the past couple of years to get in and start posting again, but simply could not access the site. Here's a brief explanation, which will also help you understand the slower pace of Liturgy Solutions these past few years, as well as our new effort to revitalize the site:
* In 2012, Phillip was dismissed from the cantorate at Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois. He and the pastors publicly affirmed that his firing was not due to immoral life, false doctrine, or any incompetence with his duties. Phillip had had a breakdown under work stress, after which the head pastor cited personality conflicts and a desire for a new person in the position. The congregational leaders then opted to follow this pastor's lead rather than to attempt to negotiate conflict resolution or otherwise improve the situation.
* By the grace of God, Phillip was blessed to serve the following year at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in Tinley Park, where he made many friends and planned on staying to build on the excellent legacy of church & school music left by his predecessor there, Carl Lisius. However, the direction of the pastoral leadership was toward forms of "modern" or "contemporary" worship, with even the traditional services minimizing sung liturgy, and so when another call came Phillip decided it best for the church to accept an opportunity to serve where his vision for worship was in line with both the pastor and the elders.
* While he first had access to the Fine Tuning blog while in Oklahoma, that access was lost when his wife and family joined him in Oklahoma after the Magnesses sold their house in Illinois. Between expired emails, new computers, and forgotten passwords, we just couldn't get in! Stephen had not posted in a while himself, having moved from full-time church work to teaching at a Roman Catholic high school in the Bronx, and also could not locate our credentials to get onto the site.
Fast forward now to today, of all days, when, after considering the doctrine of vocation and President Trump's point in his inaugural address about a nation's greatness depending on the success of its citizens to freely pursue their dreams, Phillip decided to try to get into Fine Tuning again. Behold, it was a success!
We are happy to report that today, almost four years later, by the grace of God, both Phillip and Stephen are doing well. Stephen is having a great year with his choirs and classes at Monsignor Scanlan High School in New York, and has new compositions in the GIA catalog. His daughters are doing amazing things in music, and he continues to address the church on matters of music at various conferences. Phillip and his family are enjoying life in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where he now serves at Immanuel Lutheran Church. He continues to serve as "cantor-at-large" for the spiritual renewal retreats of DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Council, and also his teaching of the French edition of the LSB, Liturgies et Cantiques Luthériens. He will be in Togo in March to lead a couple of workshops and also to play for worship services for the annual convention of 14 confessional francophone Lutheran churches to be held in Dapaong. He also served as chief musician for the 2013 and 2016 LCMS conventions.
So much for why we disappeared here and what we've been doing. So why revitalize the site? The brief history outlined above gives a hint of the reason: vocation. Throughout all the trials and in both blessings & woes, our hearts and hands and voices have been fixed on the Lord's song. God has been good to us; how can we keep from singing? And so with a new day for our country, it is fitting that we begin a new day at Liturgy Solutions. Let us know what you might like us to write about, and how you are doing. We'll see you on FaceBook, but we'd love to see you hear to. We look forward to doing more of what we love most: encouraging, nurturing, and enlivening the art of music in service to the Word of God.
May His peace be with you this new year and always!
In Christ,
Your Friends at Liturgy Solutions
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