I recently read an online article entitled, “Where Next for Contemporary Worship?” It was actually an interesting read, but the title left me with one inescapable thought. Contemporary worship needs to die. It’s already dying a slow death, of course, along with the boomer generation that created and sustained it. But it’s happening waaay too slow. (Lest I get the usual email bag full of silly “All worship was contemporary once, Jonathan!” replies, let me insert this disclaimer: By contemporary,... Read more

  Neither praise nor worship have a style. They are to be spontaneous, unrehearsed, and not synchronized with the way anyone else praises and worships the Lord. . .The most important thing is that we praise and worship the Lord when we come together. The thing to keep in mind is that His spirit flows more freely when worship is done spontaneously and freely. – comment on the Ponder Anew Facebook page This is a common refrain from those who... Read more

Many of you may have heard that today is the 200th birthday of Silent Night. Actually, Austrian priest Josephus Franciscus Mohr supposedly wrote the poem in 1816, but whatever, it was first sung 200 years ago tonight. You probably know the story. The church organ flooded. Mohr gave his poem to Franz Xaver Gruber, who wrote the tune and accompanied it on guitar for the Christmas Eve mass that year. Again, supposedly. I know of no evidence to contradict the... Read more

I should preface the following remarks by saying I am not anti-technology. How could I be? I’m an early millennial, for goodness sake. (We once called ourselves “Generation Y” to distinguish ourselves from our supposedly disillusioned and ultra-pragmatic older siblings!) We were the first to grow up with computers in our homes and schools. I have trouble putting my iPhone down for more than a few anxious minutes. I don’t remember a world (or a church, frankly) without technology. So,... Read more

As a professional church musician, Christmas Eve is probably my favorite holy day of the year. December is all but over, and the frenetic, sleep deprived existence I’ve led over the past month is slowing down. Most churches I’ve served or attended have loved Christmas Eve, as well, because it’s usually the second highest attended service of the entire year. And our contemporary church culture, in which butts in our seats mean everything, tells us we have to roll out... Read more