Everything I have written so far could be summed up in a simple, two-part rhythm.  I believe this rhythm is the very essence of Christian worship, transcending denominational, stylistic, and even theological lines.  Christian worship does these two things, which are always working in harmony with each other:

1) Acknowledges our need for God.
2) Celebrates Jesus as the fulfillment of that need. 

If you are doing this in your worship, you are leading people toward experiencing the gospel, and therefore experiencing God.  This applies to our singing, as well as to preaching and to our celebration of the sacraments.  Over and over again as we worship, this rhythm is either right beneath the surface or explicitly displayed. 

Musically, it may happen within one song, with two songs, or it may be a broad movement over an entire set.  As you plan worship, look for this rhythm.  Plan it into your worship.  In this rhythm God is glorified.  In it God comes to meet us where we are.  In this rhythm we are ushered into God’s presence.    

If you've ever...

• felt like the worship at your church was floating in space, lacking direction and movement;
• wondered how to make contemporary worship more "Lutheran" (or more theologically sound, whatever your tradition);
• wondered how to find good new worship songs appropriate for your congregation;
• struggled to find a good modern/contemporary worship song to fit a certain theme or service element;
  

than this website is for you. 

Here you will find several resources that I pray you will find helpful:

1. Blog: Over the next weeks and months I will be sharing a practical theology of contemporary worship, proposing an order of worship that uses the treasures of our liturgical heritage to ground our worship in biblical faithfulness.  We will explore options for planning and arranging a service, how to evaluate and choose songs for corporate worship, and perhaps talk about arranging songs and leading a worship band.
2. Song Lists: At the request of pastors and worship leaders, I have compiled song lists arranged by composer, title, theme, and service element.  Each song has been evaluated theologically according to criteria I will soon present in this space. Intended to be used like the sections or indexes of a hymnal, my hope is that these lists will introduce you and your congregation to songs that will become new favorites.  Though they include a variety of styles, the lists focus heavily on music that has come out in the last 15 or so years, or since the start of what has been called the "modern worship" movement.
3. Resources: A quick list of useful tools for worship planning, as well as links to other articles and discussions happening around the internet. 
4. Reviews: Mixed in with blog posts will be some reviews of current worship albums and trends that demand our attention.

This site/blog is also an experiment.  One of my goals is to see whether the information presented here would make  a useful print resource to be published and made widely available.  Posts on this blog may eventually look like chapters of a book, with a few album reviews mixed in.

You are invited to participate!  This is not intended to be a monologue.  I hope the thoughts I share cause you to reflect and respond based on your own experience.  This is a vitally important discussion for the church as our worship is continually evaluated and renewed.  Thanks for joining me!