Use With Care
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STJ#1042, Rivers of Babylon
We have seen this before. Well, not, entirely – in July, we sang a round based on the first two lines of Psalm 137, and noted that more would come. Well guess what – it’s time for more, and based on my searching, it’s not what we think. First, let’s look at the lyrics and… Continue reading
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STJ#1041, Santo
I suspect this piece doesn’t get used much in our congregations. The reason is probably that it’s in Spanish and is unfamiliar. And that’s too bad. I’d rather the reason be that we don’t often preach on Oscar Romero and liberation theology, or that we don’t often use any part of a Catholic mass in… Continue reading
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STJ#1040, Hush
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” and thus begins my own story, A Tale of Two Memories. The first memory of this song is set in a hotel suite in St. Paul, MN, where the inaugural group of students in the Music Leader Credentialing program gathered to talk about… Continue reading
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STJ#1014, Answering the Call of Love
If you open your hymnal, you will see that the song has a different title printed. Now if you’ve been paying attention, you have also marked up this song’s title and lyrics, as per the composer’s instructions, changing “standing on the side” to the much less ableist and much more active “answering the call.” I… Continue reading
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STJ#1011, Return Again
There’s a wonderful podcast called Song Exploder, where host Hrishikesh Hirway invites songwriters to talk about the origins and construction of their songs; they ‘explode’ the song apart to share insights about the ideas for the song, and about the various parts as it goes from hummed melody and chords on a piano to fully… Continue reading
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STLT#413, Go Now in Peace
If you are a fan of a film or tv show with highly quotable lines, you may find yourself giving the next line almost out of habit: “Inconceivable!” “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.” “To make a long story short…” “TOO LATE!” “My father hung… Continue reading
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STLT#407, We’re Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table
Use this hymn with great care. I cannot stress this enough. Use with care. Really. Give context. Use it in the right context. This lesson is one I learned thanks to friend and colleague DC Fortune, a white minister whose allyship shone brightly the day we sang this at a collegial training as though “the… Continue reading
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STLT#406, Let Us Break Bread Together
I need more opportunities for communion in my life. This is not my way of declaring myself in a particular theological camp. What I am declaring, however is that I recognize the power of what Jesus called for us to do – gather together, with intention, to eat, drink, and remember. To pray together. To work together.… Continue reading
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STLT#401, Kum ba Yah (Come by Here)
One of the blessings of my seminary experience was getting to know the remarkable singer and scholar Kim Harris; she was finishing her PhD while I was getting my MDiv. She became a friend and confidant, a mom when I was going through the worst of my heart troubles, a singing partner, and at least once formally, my… Continue reading
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Hymn by Hymn Extra: Spirituals in White Spaces
I’m sorry to say I didn’t know this video from May existed until today, but in this amazing piece, First Portland’s music director, DeReau Farrar offers powerful testimony about what it means to sing spirituals in white spaces. There is no embed code, so please click on this link to watch this video. We have… Continue reading
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