One of God's greatest gifts to us, his creation, was the gift of song. In words and music, our ancestors in faith—Moses, David, Deborah, Paul —have taught us how to revel in God's infinite love, proclaim his glory, give thanks for his abounding generosity, and plead for mercy and forgiveness.
“Thus, it was not without reason that the fathers and prophets wanted nothing else to be associated as closely with the Word of God as music. Therefore, we have so many hymns and Psalms where message and music join to move the listener's soul [...] After all, the gift of language combined with the gift of song was only given to man to let him know that he should praise God with both word and music, namely, by proclaiming the Word of God through music and by providing sweet melodies with words.”
Martin Luther, Preface to Georg Rhau' s Symphoniae iucundae (1538)
Music Ministry at St. John incorporates vocal and instrumental music of all kinds and the ministry is open to all. It is composed of those who have the desire to sing and worship the Lord. If you sing or play a musical instrument and would like to use your talent for the Lord, St. John has a place for you. The Music Ministry provides an avenue through which individuals may share their gifts and be an integral part of the worship.
St. John Music Ministers work first, to support the congregation’s singing. We endeavor to include music from the Renaissance to the present day with a varied instrumentation and vocal settings.
Music is undoubtedly the most powerful of the nonverbal components of worship. It gives an emotional tonality to the parts and the whole. As the seasons pass from fast to festival, and as moments with the liturgy are interpreted by hymns, we are made aware of affective meanings through the power of music.
For more information about the Music Ministry at St. John please contact our Music Director, Ty Henderson ty@stjohnlutherannola.com
Check out the calendar for our upcoming rehearsal schedule.
Cantor |
The Cantor is one who sings and leads people in prayer. The primary work of the Cantor is to intone the psalms, responses, and acclamations. |
Instrumentalists |
Instrumentalists support the sung prayer of the congregation and add variety, interest, and energy to the music. In addition to solo instrumentalists, our ensemble groups include: St. John Brass Choir and St. John Handbell Choir. |
Keyboardist |
The organ and piano are used to lead sung prayer. The keyboard is also used to enhance times of meditation without singing. |
Choir |
Choral music is the primary music of the church. A choir has the unique power to speak directly to the heart in a way that no other music can. The functions of our choir are: |
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ”
1 Corinthians 12:12
