Tag Archives: DVD

Nurturing Future Church Musicians

A few months back in the Lutheran Witness (official periodical of the LCMS), the issue was centered around the need for pastors and how we can encourage men to consider this vocation.  The August 2008 edition of the Lutheran Witness has an article that explores the need for church musicians and encouraging children to consider the vocation of church musician.  A portion of this article can be found here – “Music to the Ears: Inspiring Children to Enrich Worship“.

The article spread begins with this “teaser” to draw us in:

“I am constantly getting calls from pastors, especially pastors in our smaller parishes, who have no organist,” says Rev. Jon Vieker, assistant director of the LCMS Commission on Worship. “They tell me their organist is 85 and can’t play for services anymore, and there’s no one to take her place. Now what are they going to do?”

Future church musicians are nurtured when the congregation gives children the opportunity to serve.  This means the congregation has to actively support and offer opportunities – children’s choirs, handbells, instrumental music, and possibly even scholarships for lessons.  These can take a lot of time and money, but have far greater rewards.  If your congregation has a budding child or teen that has an inkling for the organ, take a genuine interest and encourage them.  While that child may eventually move away, you are nurturing and giving a gift to the church at large.  Who knows what God may have in store for him.

The Lutheran Witness noted that a DVD caled Children Making Music” produced by the LCMS, WELS, and ELS will be sent to 10,000 churches and schools.  Paul Grime, now Dean of the Chapel at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft Wayne, noted that “If the DVD is shown in just half of our congregations and schools, and if it provides the needed encouragement to only a couple students in each of those institutions, that would ultimately mean several thousand additional musicians who might one day be leading our congregational song.”

I think back to when I first started playing the organ nearly 17 years ago (because the “real” organists either died or moved away and I could play the piano).  That small church was quite gracious as I “learned” to play the organ.  They plodded along as I sometimes dragged (or zipped) through a hymn or hit wrong notes, but they were always forgiving and thanked me for serving.  I’ve grown quite a bit as a church musician since then, but I’m thankful for the opportunities that they gave me.

Lutheran Hymnody Makes the Evening News

How often do you hear Lutheran hymnody on television? Not often. How often does it make the evening news? Almost never . . . that is until “Singing the Faith: Living the Lutheran Liturgical Heritage” was produced by the Good Shepherd Institute. I stumbled across the news story “Seminary Prof. Produces Music Documentary” at the Indiana NewsCenter website via a Google search. There is a text news story and an online streaming video from the evening news with that Seminary Prof. – Kantor Resch. Not bad for only a 1 or 2 minute video.

I received my copy of the DVD this past weekend and am working my way through the videos and the study guide. Eventually I might write a review on Singing the Faith. If you’d like more information, surf on over to the Good Shepherd Institute website and view the introductory video – it’s only about 12 minutes +/-.

Singing the Faith – Living the Lutheran Musical Heritage

When I was back at Concordia Theological Seminary this last summer for an Organist Workshop, Kantor Richard Resch mentioned that the Good Shepherd Institute was working on a DVD with teaching guide that explores our rich Lutheran musical heritage. I could tell Kantor Resch was excited and passionate about this project.

Singing the FaithWithout much fanfare (e.g., there was no mass media blitz or e-mails from CPH) and by accident, I discovered that the Good Shepherd Institute will soon be releasing their DVD project entitled Singing the Faith – Living the Lutheran Musical Heritage.

Their website says that Singing the Faith “is a study of the history of Lutheran congregational song.” The contributors to the DVD include an impressive array of Lutheran music and hymnody experts.

On their website you will find links to download a 12-minute sampler video. As a word of caution — I first downloaded the “Medium” file and the video froze half way through (right after Carl Schalk). I then downloaded the “Small” file and it worked great.

After only a 12-minute preview, I’m impressed and excited. I sense this will be an important resource to help people understand the richness of Lutheran music.

I close with a brief excerpt by Kantor Resch from the video describing his goal of Singing the Faith.

To help today’s church see and hear the rich theological and musical roots of Lutheranism . . . To show that this beautiful inheritance is not simply history, but it is alive. It is an ongoing sung confession of faith that serves Christ’s church — Yes . . . even today.