Bruce Springsteen confesses: “I made it all up. … I’ve never held an honest job in my entire life. I’ve never done any hard labor. I’ve never worked nine to five. … I come from a boardwalk town that is…
Maybe there’s a hidden message in Fall Out Boy’s cover of ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’
Fans are offering mixed reviews of pop-punk band Fall Out Boy’s new cover of Billy Joel’s song “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” which dropped last Wednesday. Originally released in September 1989, Joel’s song offers a chronological crash course of notable…
Learning from the political worship songs of our American past
The American Civil War was “a war with a musical soundtrack,” according to Christian McWhirter. And that soundtrack continues to echo through the American church today, illustrating the different life experiences of Black and white Christians in particular, once again…
Hymn stories: ‘There is a balm in Gilead’
There is a balm in Gilead, To make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead, To heal the sin-sick soul. Healing is a word saturating our culture from the media promoting products to heal or relieve a myriad…
Making God smile through music
During the recent Advent season, I challenged my congregation to savor the music of the holidays, and to listen with fresh ears to both the lyrics and melodies which carry our deepest longings and joys. As usual, in attempting to…