I discovered NPR’s Tiny Desk series on YouTube a few years ago when I was obsessed with Snarky Puppy and striving to become a jazz musician. Live, unpolished performances without autotune or much prep time are the true test of accomplished artists. That is why when I chanced upon Maverick City Music’s Tiny Desk Concert,…
“I don’t think we should use that song. In fact, I don’t think we should ever use that song again.” Strong words for a leaders’ meeting to decide on youth worship repertoire, but I meant them. I had just named a favourite song being sung in countless churches. It was full of engaging musical features:…
Spring rains and there are wide puddles in the park. I head towards the primary school to collect my youngest, glad for the fenders on my bicycle, directing the splashes away from me, and glad for my raincoat, too. It’s a wet month but that doesn’t change family routines. The school bell rings at 3:15…
I sing in church; that is what I do. The churches I currently sing at are Willowdale CRC in north Toronto and St Peter’s Catholic Parish in downtown Toronto. In both places I sing at the mic, by myself, to support and lead the congregation. From what I hear back, people appreciate my singing, and…
In his concise, relevant and encouraging personal essay, author Alan Noble asserts that everyone experiences mental suffering at one point or another in their lives. Noble’s subject matter is broad, but he doesn’t attempt to cover every mental illness. He believes that his essay will speak to almost everyone who has suffered some mental anguish…
At the end of July, I was able to attend the joint American Scientific Affiliation and Canadian Scientific Christian Affiliation annual conference. The meeting was held at the Mississauga campus of the University of Toronto, as it was the 50th anniversary of the CSCA. Hearing talks and sharing our faith with other Christian scientists was…
Justice, reconciliation and building relationships were at the heart of the Christian Reformed Church’s (CRC) Canadian National Gathering held in Ottawa in May. The four-day conference was an opportunity to hear from Christian indigenous leaders and elders who shared their stories and challenged the largely white audience to sit, listen and learn. Most of the…
The ground is sturdy, until it’s not. Until it’s pulled out beneath you like a rug. The aftershocks of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in southeastern Turkey have hit the globe, but most especially those in the city of Gazientap. Over 50,000 deaths in Turkey and Syria have been confirmed so far, while others continue to…
Less commercially successful than his former dctalk bandmates TobyMac and Michael Tait (now of Newsboys fame), Kevin Max has always been a black sheep in the Christian music industry. Recently in the headlines for identifying as an “exvangelical,” Max has been using his distinct voice and eclectic style to make some of the most interesting…
“The Lord is God. He watches over all the lands, and we are put together, from the earth, by His hands,” sang Don Amero, a Cree musician and member of a Winnipeg CRC church. They are the opening lyrics to a song Amero wrote for the Canadian Indigenous Ministry Committee (CIMC). The committee’s focus for…
When I say the word “worship,” what pops in your head? You might hear an organ playing a familiar tune or remember your mother clutching her hymn book, harmonizing to “Come, Thou Fount.” Alternatively, you may envision a full band on a stage, with colourful lights and a bass so heavy you can feel it…
Wendy is the person in our church who takes care of the details. She is the one who sorts through the candles after the Christmas Eve service, taking out the ones that burned too low, cleaning the ones that are discolored from the smoke. Wendy irons the drapes we hang on the front wall. She…
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