REFORM WORSHIP
Kauflin and Man are old pros. Ryan
Flanigan is not, but I’m guessing we’re going
to be hearing a lot more from this up-and-coming songwriter (“Christ Is Exalted,”
Vineyard Music) and worship leader (River
Valley Church, Mishawauka, Ind.). Flanigan
calls his site Reform Worship, which alludes to both his theological bent and his
desire to see worship reinvigorated by and
for the body of Christ. Flanigan has a lot
to say to the Church, and his posts (and
those of occasional co-contributor Sean
Carter) are rich, honest, and thought provoking. Here’s hoping he and his site continue to grow.
REFORMWORSHIP.COM
SOME THINGS BORROWED
(and when you’re done with them, I’d like them back)
Three Timeless Worship CDs
I am becoming more and more convinced that humility is one of the worship leader’s greatest gifts to the Church.
From a congregant’s point of view, Robin
Mark embodies this well, and Revival in
Belfast (Integrity Music, 1999) finds him
in good form, encouraging robust congregational singing and deferring the
accolades heavenward. Most of
the songs are contemporary classics—“Revival,” “You’re the Lion
of Judah,” “Days of Elijah”—and
many are done here in that infectious Celtic style. (Discussion
point: What features of Mark’s
gracious invitation to seekers at
the end of “All for Jesus” might
translate well to a Sunday morning ser-
vice?)
Psalm-singing has been explored
more and more by worship leaders looking for ways to keep their sets fresh. A
great place to start is Psalms for the Church
Year (GIA Music, 2002), the inaugural
offering in the now- 10 CD series that got
its start in the mid-80s, at a focal point
in Catholicism’s worship renewal movement. Veteran liturgists Marty Haugen
and David Haas set 24 psalms here, utilizing a myriad of styles across the spectrum (e.g., “Let Us Rejoice,” Ps. 118, exuberant; “If Today You Hear His Voice,”
Ps. 95, reflective). (Discussion point:
How might Protestant congregations that
still recoil at all things Catholic be encouraged to set aside those concerns to
p articipateinanactivitythatisnotonlya activitythatisnotonlya
weekly staple of the Mass but also one of
the earliest forms of congregational singing known to the Church?)
Okay. Take off your cynic’s hat for just
a minute and consider this. Long before
continued on page 86
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