What the heck are we singing anyways?

Making sure the songs we sing actually reflect what we believe. Plus, writing songs!

Does the music we’re singing in our churches, youth groups or other gatherings match up with our values and our theology? Too often…not so much. Authors Brian McLaren and Bryan Sirchio began writing several years ago about the need for music that gives expression to a more generous and just theology. Sirchio’s book, The 6 Marks of Progressive Christian Worship Music laid out some helpful principals to follow. This workshop is a powerful addition to their work and will help people think about what they're hearing and singing in worship and can help folks consider how they could begin to sing more music that gives expression to what they truly believe. We will also introduce some new resources for music, explore strategies for writing new music and give examples of how to use music in liturgies that reflect God’s concern for justice, equity, and inclusion, and that open up space for faith as well as doubt, lament as well as praise. 

This workshop can be held in two parts: the first focused on discussion, and the second with a deeper dive for songwriters where we will actually write some new songs for worship together. The songwriting portion will be co-led by the main songwriters of The Many: Hannah Rand, award-winner songwriter and a graduate of Belmont University’s acclaimed songwriting program who writes most of the tunes for The Many; Lenora Rand, who’s been writing songs, poems, blog posts, sermons and more for over 25 years and writes most of the lyrics for the band; and Gary Rand, who co-writes and produces the band and holds a doctorate in music composition from Northwestern University, and an Master of Theological Studies from Garrett Seminary, and has been writing songs for worship for the past couple decades.