Music and Spirituality: The Role of Music in Christian Liturgy and Worship

Class Description

First Church Seattle presents Music and Spirituality: The Role of Music in Christian Liturgy and Worship, a four-session interactive course. Led by Janet and Don Crawley, you’ll examine where our Christian musical traditions come from, along with music’s role in contemporary worship. You’ll explore the ways the church responds to changing musical tastes. You’ll delve into the impact of social issues on church music programming, and you’ll even get a quick lesson on singing in harmony.

When you complete this course, you should have a more thorough understanding of how and why musical choices are made. Additionally, you’ll have a deeper understanding of Christian musical traditions and a more global view of music’s role in worship.

Join us Sunday morning from July 16 through August 6 in room 301 at First Church Seattle.

Class Outline

Class 1 (July 16) John Wesley and His Views on Music in the Church (with Don)

1. Background on John Wesley
2. Wesley’s Theological Foundations
3. Wesley’s Views on Church Music
4. Impact of Wesley’s Views on Music

Class 2 (July 23) Charles Wesley and his 6500 Hymns (with Don)

1. Background on Charles Wesley
2. Charles Wesley’s Theology of Hymnody
3. The Hymns of Charles Wesley
4. The Influence of Charles Wesley’s Hymns
5. Singing Hymns in Harmony

Class 3 (July 30) The Great Composers and Christian Music (with Don and Janet)

1. Chant
2. European Composers
3. North American Composers
4. South American Composers
5. African Composers
6. Asian Composers
7. Russian Composers

Class 4 (August 6) Making a Joyful Noise in the 21st Century (with Janet and Don)

1. The Biblical Foundation of Music in Worship
2. Traditional Music in the 21st-Century Church
3. Contemporary Music in the 21st-Century Church
4. Balancing Tradition and Innovation
5. Music and Cancel Culture
6. Cultivating a Vibrant Music Ministry