New songs for modern missional worship, rich in Christian teaching and contextualized in modern culture. Contemporary hymns, psalms, songs of lament and praise written by members of the Louisville, KY-based Sojourn Community.

I attended a conference at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship last year, during which time author Laura Winner, addressing the attendees from the stage, said "When do non-Christians sing?" It's really something, if you think about it.  Christianity is a singing faith.  At least once a week, Christians generally gather and sing outloud together.  In this age of iPods with ear phones, of everyone having their own car and driving separately, of privacy fences, small porches and declining ... Continue reading »

O Christ, Savior, like the seed fallen to the ground, you suffered death. United to you, our lives will bear much fruit. We praise you, Lord. O Christ, you went down to the lowest point of the human condition; you remain close to all who are abandoned. We praise you, Lord. In your love you took upon yourself our sins; innocent, you accepted death to free us from death. We praise you, Lord. By your love you conquered evil and ... Continue reading »

I've written before about Nadus Films, a company founded and operated by Sojourn member Coury Deeb to document the struggles and rebuilding efforts of the Sudan and to make people aware of the conditions facing Sudanese children. Now on their website, you can view four very short films Nadus has created, each focusing on a different aspect of the rebuilding effort: water, medical, education and church development.  Astonish Entertainment ... Continue reading »

"In an age increasingly suspicious of (linear) thought, there is much more respect for the 'feeling' of things -- whether a film or a church service.  It is disturbingly easy to plot surveys of people, especially young people, drifting from a church of excellent preaching and teaching to one with excellent music because, it is alleged, there is "better worship" there.  But we need to think carefully about this matter." -- ... Continue reading »

On her Blending Worship blog, worship leader Mandy Thompson presents an interesting question on "singability: do you sing your best when leading?"  It's an interesting question for worship leaders -- we've all witnessed or heard about churches where the the worship team or choir puts on such a dazzling display of vocal pyrotechnics that the congregation goes from "participants" to "spectators," either awed by the talent or frustrated by the fact that ... Continue reading »

Noted Christian author and Professor in the School of Philosophy at the University of Southern California Dallas Willard recently spoke at the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship's Symposium 2008.  Calvin has archived the audio of his lecture, "Worship as the fine texture of real life."  I encourage you to listen to it.  Dallas Willard is the author of such modern classics as The Divine Conspiracy, Renovation of the ... Continue reading »

Just hours ago we completed the first leg of the journey towards a brand new Sojourn CD, using a process similar to the early stages of 2007's Before the Throne.  Occasionally someone asks how Sojourn gets original material for our CDs from songwriters within the congregation.  Here is how it works:  Sojourn Worship Arts Pastor Mike Cosper sends me an email outlining his vision for a recording project, along with the deadline. ... Continue reading »

"Lent is the forty-day period leading up to Easter.  In the Bible, we see many significant periods that lasted forty days -- Moses on Mt. Sinai, Elijah on Mt. Horeb, and most notably, Jesus in the wilderness.   As we prepare for Easter, we want to remember Christ's suffering.  In the world around us, we see pain, suffering, and death.  Lent is a time when we symbolically journey with Jesus into ... Continue reading »

The following is an old joke that has made the rounds over the last few years, but it does, in its caricature of hymns and praise choruses, point to some actual differences of technique as well as perception.  One wonders if there would have been a phase in contemporary Church history known as "the worship wars" if we could all laugh at ourselves and our own stylistic preferences, admitting that they are just that ... Continue reading »

Sojourn's administrative assistant, Laura Roberts, just posted this, regarding the devastation caused by the tornadoes that ripped through Jackson, Tennessee on Tuesday and hit Union University, the site of a worship conference that was to be held next week, featuring Sojourn Worship Arts Pastor Mike Cosper and Teaching Pastor Daniel Montgomery, as well as other speakers: "Hey all, I just spoke to Betty Bedsoll (an administrative assistant at Union) ... Continue reading »