10 of those

A Song for the Ages

"Redemption Song: A Primer On Singing for the People of God" is precisely the kind of resource the church needs today. In less than 70 pages (not counting the appendices), Sean Demars develops a series of successive insights on the nature of singing as a function of Christian discipleship, each of them building on one another to challenge the reader, no matter what stage of life or level of maturity. A grade schooler could read this and be ministered to just as well as a seasoned worship leader, because the insights are simultaneously simple and profound. Beginning with the most self-evident insight, that God's people are a singing people, Sean takes the needed time to lay a foundation that considers why we sing and to what end, before inviting us to contemplate the content and the context, the object and the attitude of our singing. Ultimately, this accessible and unintimidating book treats every facet of singing for the Christian as a discipleship opportunity. Eschewing culturally specific prescriptions and personal preferences, this helpful "Primer", as the subtitle would have it, is a call to engage with greater intentionality, meaning, understanding, purpose, affection, and fascination. My recommendation is to buy 10 copies and lead your music ministry team through one chapter each week. For whatever it's worth, that's what I intend to do!

Seth