Center for Church Music

“Marching in the Light”

“See, the darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light.” (Isaiah 60:2-3a)

As we enter another new year, it’s difficult to remember a time when there was so much darkness in the world. Suffering, despair, loud lying, fear, gloom, and protests seem to permeate every part of our existence. It deeply affects our sense of personal wellbeing and our relationships with others. We long for places of relief and hope. These are our sanctuaries.

But we also stay in the midst of the mess of this world. Christians, too, have a message to emphatically declare and it’s GOOD NEWS.

And take care to avoid the darkness.

“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
(1 John 1:5-7)

So, share and sing boldly and go about your holy calling with great confidence and a profound hope. God is still present in our world; the brightness of his shekinah ultimately triumphs over all the darkness.

“We are marching in the Light of God…
…we are dancing…
…we are praying…
…we are singing…

[South African hymn]

Barry Bobb
Director

Resource Room

• Books, magazines, recordings, the Schalk American Lutheran Hymnal Collection (541 volumes) and the ever-expanding archives of the original manuscripts of great American Lutheran composers & hymn writers.
• Liturgical Choir Music Library

Digital Initiative

• All of the volumes in the hymnal collection can be perused online at www.hymnary.org or from this website. See "Hymnal Collection Index."
• Many of the original manuscripts are accessible online at the Center’s website (including Manz, Schalk, Hillert, Pelz, Thoms, Busarow, Bouman and others...) See "Composer Manuscript Indices".

Website

• Devotions, interviews, profiles, essays, forums, ideas, an arts registry

Print publications

• Books and monographs in the Shaping American Lutheran Church Music series available through Amazon and Fortress Press

Encouragement of the next generation

• Hillert Award in Student Composition---open to any undergrad or graduate student at a Lutheran university or seminary in the United States
• Schalk Scholars
  • Creates awareness and access to current research in the areas of music and the arts
  • Provides stipends for research as well as publication and venues for presentations for these emerging scholars
  • Arts Registry
  • Contact information and samples from composers, visual artists, writers, designers, media artists.