Continue reading
Category Archives: Hymns
God’s Own Child
Filed under Books to Purchase, Hymns
Hymn Writing Opportunity
Ok, poets and poetesses. A hymn writing opportunity is as common as a Sunday and as rare as a blue moon. Thankfully, I’ve learned of a symposium for LCMS hymn writers and translators: Fresh Hymns of Thankful Praise Arise. And, if you are not a hymn writer, rejoice that the LCMS cares about them enough to have this get together!
Filed under Hymns
Useful Hymns
Filed under Books to Purchase, Hymns, Poetry
Reformation Hymn Winner
Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Lutheran Reformation Hymn Competition has been announced, and the piece is well worth hearing. Below is a link complete with a video of the song sung. Congratulations, Rev. Dr. Wilfred L. Karsten, 2016 Reformation hymn winner!
Filed under Hymns
Living Lutheran Poets & Hymnists
It’s April! National Poetry Month! So now I can debut my list of Living Lutheran Poets & Hymnists for my expanding living Lutheran author page. Please let me know additional names or places to purchase (a few of these seem to have books out of print). Here they are: Living Lutheran Poets & Hymnists!
Means of Grace
I’ve worked up three possible entries for the hymn contest (six days left!). While part of me liked the idea of playing around with the famous Reformation phrases and expressions, you know, like by grace through faith and justification, what I turned out really emphasized the means of grace.
Since we are nearing the end of this writing exercise—It’s increasingly clear to me that that’s what this is for me, rather than a seriously competitive entry!—it’s been pretty good. It’s been a rather devotional experience with a nicely theological depth to it. How do we confess our faith, and how do we do it with others? What elements of Scriptural imagery and vocabulary leap quickest to our tongues (and typing)? Are there things we avoid, or things that prove extra tricky? For me, lately, I kept returning, again and again, to the means of grace. Continue reading
Hymn Example
Seven days left for the hymn contest! To encourage you, I asked a hymn-writer if he could offer us a glimpse into something he’s written: a hymn example for our consideration with a little of his thinking behind it. Rev. Mark Preus, who writes Lutheran poetry especially in its hymnic form at Revive Lutheran Hymns, kindly responded with the following. Would any more of you hymn-writers like to share and so encourage? Just let me know!
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns
Getting into Hymn-Writing
Getting into hymn writing is obviously a personalized road, so I asked one of the most creative people I (cyber-) know, Kelly Klages, artist extraordinaire, about her own experience. Now, before we read her compelling narrative, I’d like to remind you that there are eight days left for the 2016 Reformation hymn contest. To further encourage you to write for it, this blog will focus more or less on hymn-writing for the next week before returning to our regularly scheduled, semi-random, writing-related variety. For your contemplation . . . Continue reading
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns, Theological reflection, Writer's Life
Doxologies
One of the tricky things about writing hymns these days is that we are as likely as ever to be well-versed in hymns from before us. And, I don’t know, how many Doxologies can exist without repeating other hymns?
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns
Saying Too Much
They say editing is an art, and, whether you’re editing yourself or someone else, I believe it. Saying too much can come so easily, written or spoken, that it affects just about every genre! Though writing dialogue can be hard, I guess the dialogue between writer and audience bears some of the same challenges.
Filed under As Theological Writers, Hymns, Writer Troubles, Writing Exercises