The Power of Using the Right Gifts in the Right Way

In one of his books, Charles Stanley tells a story about a young woman named Sammi. More than one person who knew Sammi said to her, "Sammi, you ...

Bees Give an Example of How to Approach Popular Culture

The 4th century church leader Basil offered a unique image for how Christians today can approach popular culture. Basil was referring to "secular ...

John Coltrane Learns Music Through Practice and Apprenticeship

According to theologian Steven R. Guthrie, John Coltrane is one of a handful of musicians (including other greats like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, ...

South African Church Offers Praise in the Midst of Tragedy

In his talk entitled "The Sense of an Ending," Jeremy Begbie tells a story about attending a worship service in a poor South African township. ...

How Singing Together Shapes a Community

As a freshman at the University of Michigan I sang the Michigan fight song along with my fellow students—at football games, in the student lounge, ...

A Lesson from the Life of the "Tone-Deaf Diva"

Florence Foster Jenkins, a soprano, loved to sing—especially the great operatic classics. She inherited money when she was in her 50s, which funded ...

Finding God in Iraq

In 1993, Lt. Col. Gary Morsch joined the Army Reserves as a doctor to care not only for U.S. soldiers, but also for wounded civilians and prisoners of ...

The Important Relationship Between Music and Memory

Most of us would agree that singing worship songs in our gatherings is important. But do we realize just how important those songs are to our growth as ...

Valuing the Contributions of Those Around You

Improvisation is the willingness to live within the bounds of the past and yet search for the future at the same time. Improvisation is the desire to ...

Experiences of Beauty Serve as Signposts

What is the most beautiful thing you have experienced this week?

Maybe something you heard. Maybe some beautiful music—perhaps in church, or in the ...