With the great variety and sheer quantity of music available for use in worship, one of the greatest challenges for worship planners is selecting music for use in worship and deciding how it will be used. These decisions must be based on a variety of factors: musical-music for worship should be well-crafted music; textual-the texts chosen should be faithful to the Bible and communicate their message well; pastoral-selections should be made with sensitivity to the spiritual needs of individual...
Music is integral to each of the four basic acts of worship. Music sets the tone or mood for what takes place in each act. It is also a means by which the unique aspects of each part of the service many be expressed. The process of planning music for worship should always take into account the function of music in relationship to the structure of the worship service.
One type of tool that pastors often use to select Scripture readings for a service is known as a lectionary. Although not well known to church musicians in some traditions, this tool can be very helpful in assisting the church musician to select music that is appropriate for a given service. The following article suggests why this is so and then lists resources that can assist church musicians in working with the lectionary.
Building on centuries of tradition, churches in almost every worshiping tradition are rediscovering the value of singing the Psalms in worship. The following article describes several possibilities for the inclusion of the Psalms in worship. The article is especially concerned with planning worship in the Reformed tradition, which has always placed high value on singing the Psalms, but the ideas it presents can be easily applied to worship in any tradition.
Singing during Communion is an ancient practice that has been restored in renewal worship. This article presents common guidelines for the restoration of Communion song.
The choosing of hymns relevant to worship requires thoughtful planning and creativity. Here are several principles of hymn selection and use that contribute to an enriched experience of worship.
A hymn festival is a worship service devoted especially to congregational singing. It is a type of service especially well suited to the celebration of important events in the Christian year and in the life of the congregation. This article provides information on how to plan a hymn festival for your congregation.
Music for worship, like any other music, is copyrighted material and must be used with the proper consent of the composer and text-writer. This article answers many of the questions concerning the copyright law.