Sound Theology by Colleen Butcher

We made it! We gave our attention to the 40 days of Lent. We celebrated through the 50 days of Easter. And now we have come to the culmination of it all: the gift of the Holy Spirit in power. The birth of the Church is the sum of all that has come before, a new people of God, birthed by the incarnation, death, resurrection and ascension of Christ, and sealed in the presence of the Spirit. Pentecost is not the beginning of another season, it is the exclamation point on the end of Easter. In the coming weeks, the calendar leads us into stories that teach us how to be, and live as, the church   read more…

This week’s playlist includes a number of settings of the “Gloria” or Great Doxology of the mass. The Gloria is the centerpiece of the mass, as it is a crucial part of the liturgical celebration of both the Roman and Orthodox rites. Historians have catalogued over 200 medieval tunes for this ancient hymn. The text is an expression of worship, praise, and blessing to the Triune God, focusing on the Son, the risen and ascended Christ. The modern, concert settings of this text are joyful and expansive, making them both memorable and singable. In this seventh and final week of Easter, raise your voice to the Savior.

Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!  read more…

Make a joyful noise! All the earth, make a joyful noise!

Easter is the season to make some noise. Not just any noise, but a joyful noise.

The energy of the resurrection is gaining momentum as we move toward Pentecost, and the joyful noise is echoing through these weeks. read more…

This week’s Easter Psalm is number 31, which reminds us of God’s stability: the Lord is a rock of refuge and a strong fortress. Martin Luther based his “mighty fortress” hymn on Psalm 46, but the themes in Psalm 31 echo and remind us of Luther’s composition. Written in about 1530, the hymn caught the imagination and voices of the early reformation across Europe, and was translated into English as early as 1539. In 1723, J. S. Bach incorporated the tune and lyric into his cantata for Reformation Day. Playlist #111 features works that include (but maybe disguise!) this familiar tune. Can you find it?   read more…

The 23rd Psalm is the familiarity of promises that we can sink into. The dark valley is never the end of the story, for a table awaits, along with the goodness and mercy that calls us to life everlasting. Our Easter journey this week leads us beside still waters and through enemy territory. But our future is secure because He is Risen. He is risen indeed! Hallelujah. read more…