Thoughts on Congregational Worship Music

Thanks to Harold Best, Carl "Chip" Stam, and Mike Cosper for these round table discussions.

In this first discussion, they talk about congregational singing. You’ll see Best, Stam and Cosper discussing:

• The power of music to either complement or distract from the song lyrics
• Preferences in musical style and instrumentation
• The idea of “traditionalism” as opposed to tradition
• Trends in modern worship/music ministry

PART 1

Mike Cosper, Harold Best, Chip Stam - Worship Discussion 1 from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 2

In this video you’ll see Best, Stam and Cosper discussing:

• the power of putting a small element in the right place
• claiming “music is for God’s glory” as an excuse for evil
• the trouble with letting our art take control of us
• dangers in giving in to a congregation’s desire for heightened emotional experiences
• can music “usher us in” to the Holy of Holies?

Cosper, Best and Stam -- session two from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 3

In Part 3 you’ll see Best, Stam and Cosper talking about:

• The legitimacy of offering our emotions to Christ in worship
• The trouble with equating good music with a moving of the Holy Spirit
• “Music” as servant to the Word
• A secret that Harold Best has learned for appreciating music that sounds foreign or distasteful to you, and more.

Cosper, Best and Stam - session three on worship from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 4
In this 10-minute video you’ll see Best, Stam and Cosper talking about:

• The nature of beauty
• What the Bible means by the “beauty of holiness”
• The place for arts in the church
• The drive for “excellence” in music ministry

Cosper, Best and Stam - Session Four from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 5

Cosper, Best and Stam - Episode Five from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 6

Cosper, Best and Stam -- episode six from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 7

Cosper, Best, Stam: Episode Seven from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.

PART 8

Cosper, Stam and Best - session eight from Sojourn/The 930 Art Center on Vimeo.