“Isn’t he part of the problem?” – Chris W. “Jonathan, am I right in thinking that somewhere on your blog you’ve indicated some reservations towards the Gettys’ hymns? If so, what are they?” – Terry “[The Christian Post article] was a lame interview article, quite a bit of self promotion as well… so the Commercial problem remains, even as we try to turn the ship around to use and seek out, better worship songs and hymns. The Gettys and their... Read more
In a recent interview with The Christian Post, Keith Getty had some strong words for the so-called “contemporary worship movement.” Modern worship is an movement of “cultural relevance.” It’s “utterly dangerous,” and is leading to the “de-Christianizing of God’s people.’” “An authentic generation doesn’t begin with catharsis; it has to begin with an authentic picture of the God of the Bible.” “Over 75 percent of what are called the great hymns of the faith talk about eternity, Heaven, Hell, and... Read more
This little blog post about hymnals, written over five years ago, continues to be read and shared. For that, I am grateful. It also continues to provoke friendly responses like this one: The HYMNAL IS A TOOL like any other! If you are handicapped and can’t hold the hymnal or can’t see well and read the hymnal would you not look for other tools? A variety of tools are helpful for a diverse population with various needs. It is not... Read more
This is what Union Seminary in New York tweeted out yesterday. Today in chapel, we confessed to plants. Together, we held our grief, joy, regret, hope, guilt and sorrow in prayer; offering them to the beings who sustain us but whose gift we too often fail to honor. What do you confess to the plants in your life? pic.twitter.com/tEs3Vm8oU4 — Union Seminary (@UnionSeminary) September 17, 2019 I’m not concerning myself with the obvious idiocy of confessing sins to vegetation. Lots... Read more
How Can We Stop Their “Singing“ Words: Jonathan Aigner Tune: HOW CAN I KEEP FROM SINGING The church was once a place of rest, Of prayer, and chant, and preaching. But then they sold the organ pipes And hushed the choir’s singing. The praise band whines, and beats their drums, And all the while I’m thinking: “Oh my dear God, what have we done? How can we stop their ‘singing?'” They hired a hipster with guitar, Called him the “worship... Read more
Reports indicate that five music professors have been unceremoniously terminated from their positions at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s School of Church Music. A sixth position is being eliminated through attrition. R. Allen Lott, Professor of Music History, and Senior Associate Dean for the Academic Division, and a 33-year SWBTS faculty member Dr. Lott has degrees in piano (B.M., Trinity University) and musicology (Ph.D., City University of New York), and he has previously served as a research assistant for Grove’s Dictionaries... Read more
In response to yesterday’s post about the dismantling of the music program at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, there were a few comments expressing hope that, at least, the once-prominent School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was still offering legitimate church music studies. That is apparently not the case, according to multiple sources close to the situation Full-time faculty positions have been reduced from 11 to 5. (Update: Most music specialists are gone. This includes Distinguished Professor of... Read more
The School of Music at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary was once a leading training program for church musicians, but it was shuttered in 2009, citing low enrollment and a change in trends. Education in church music has supposedly continued under the “School of Church Ministries,” but a glance at their degree plan indicates otherwise. Photo: Flickr, creative commons 2.0 Read more
This was a common response to my last post about not needing song leaders (“worship leaders,” lead singers, whatever you call them): What do you do if you don’t have a choice? Maybe you’re just starting out in your position, and the church has always had someone in front singing into a microphone. Or perhaps you’re just filling in. Maybe the only accompanying instruments you have are guitar or piano. Maybe the congregation simply refuses to sing without a voice... Read more
In many ways the song leader is the single most important person in leading great congregational singing. A friend sent me this quote last week, found buried within promotional material for something called a “Word in Song” conference put on by some group called Emu Music. A look at their “Who We Are” tab reveals this group to be predominantly Anglican. Keep that in mind. We’re not talking about a bunch of Hillsong disciples or quasi-charismatic evangelicals here. In case... Read more
Ponder Anew
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