Posts by Greg Wilbur

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The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (Part 3)

Greg Wilbur
Dec 24, 2018
As we bring this short series on the Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (see part 1 and part 2 ) to an end, the following are a few more carols and songs with often overlooked verses or Gospel imagery. In the first example, O Holy Night, the difference I want to highlight is between the...

The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas (Part 2)

Greg Wilbur
Dec 18, 2018
In the previous post , we began to consider the gospel content of some Christmas carols. Again, it is important to remember that some of the best Christmas carols not only speak of Jesus as the child in the manger, but also the gospel reason for why the Christ had to come—the presence of sin...

The Whole Gospel in the Songs of Christmas

Greg Wilbur
Dec 3, 2018
The season leading to Christmas is a wonderful time to draw attention some of the all-too-familiar lyrics of some Christmas carols. Some of the best Christmas carols not only speak of Jesus as the child in the manger, but also the gospel reason for why the Christ had to come—the presence of...

Critiquing Art and Music

Greg Wilbur
Aug 6, 2018
In Art and the Bible , Francis Schaeffer offered four necessary categories that we need to consider if we are seeking to adequately critique a work of art. He wrote: "What kind of judgment does one apply, then, to a work of art? I believe that there are four basic standards: (1) technical...

Guidelines of Worship

Greg Wilbur
Jun 20, 2018
The concept the confessional worship creates an unfamiliar category that challenges the better known ideas of contemporary or traditional. Practically speaking, what is called contemporary or traditional can be very subjective depending on time and place. As such, confessional worship offers a...

Songs of Pentecost

Greg Wilbur
May 17, 2018
Pentecost marks the end of the season of Easter as the promised Spirit is poured out on the Church. This is the seal of the New Covenant—the presence of the Lord descends on His people just as the pillar of fire descended on the tabernacle and the temple on the Holist of Holies. With the veil...

Ascension Hymns

Greg Wilbur
May 9, 2018
The season of Easter draws to a close with the Ascension and Pentecost—the final days of the earthly ministry of Christ and the birthday of the church. There’s a very real sense in which the work of the resurrection is not complete until the ascension of Christ when he returns to the...

The Slow Miracle of the Lord's Day

Greg Wilbur
Feb 14, 2018
Whenever I get the opportunity to speak about worship in either a Sunday School series or an Inquirers class, I try to work in the following thought from Hart and Muether's With Reverence and Awe : “God’s intention was to bless his people through the constant and conscientious...

The Origins of a Great Christmas Hymn

Greg Wilbur
Dec 19, 2017
One of my favorite hymns of the Advent and Christmas season is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel because of its rich use of biblical imagery to recount the prophetic references to the coming Christ. The Latin text for this hymn is found in a 1710 German publication but its roots go back to the early days of...

The Father of Hymnody

Greg Wilbur
Dec 7, 2017
On December 7, 374, Ambrose became bishop of Milan and thereby became a staunch defender of the Faith against the Arians. Ambrose was born into a prominent Christian Roman family around 340 in Trier (which is in modern Germany). His father was the prefect of the region, but when he died about 14...

A Reformation Hymn

Greg Wilbur
Oct 31, 2017
In peace and joy I now depart At God's disposing; For full of comfort is my heart, Soft reposing. So the Lord hath promised me, And death is but a slumber. 'Tis Christ that wrought this work for me, My faithful Savior, Whom Thou hast made mine eyes to see By Thy favor. Now I know He is my...

Singing in Parts

Greg Wilbur
Sep 21, 2017
I love plainsong chant and the power of unison singing. This type of singing fulfills particular roles in worship that part-singing cannot. However, I would suggest that the current status of congregational singing is not lacking in unison options but is in fact neglecting the benefits of singing...

The Aesthetics of Worship

Greg Wilbur
Jul 5, 2017
In my last post , I set out a series of questions--including the following--regarding the content of music in worship: Is there (or should there be) a palpable difference between the aesthetics of worship and other opportunities for singing together? Does the context of a coffee house, campfire,...

Beyond Hymnals and Screens

Greg Wilbur
Jun 1, 2017
There has been a recent series of posts, blogs, and articles about the use of hymnals, the loss of hymnals, what we gain with screens, what we lose with screens, etc. Behind these posts is an assumption that whether it is printed or pixelated on a screen denotes two different types of music. As...

Singing from the Same Page

Greg Wilbur
Mar 22, 2017
From the earliest days of the Church, the singing of hymns expressed doctrinal truth. With the ease of memorizing text with music, Christians could carry the truth in their hearts and minds—even if they could not read. St. Ambrose famously taught his parishioners Psalms and hymns in the midst...

The Gospel-Centered Flow of Worship

Greg Wilbur
Jul 8, 2015
" True worship, then, will be odd and perhaps even weird to the watching world…Christian worship is, in fact, a bold political act. It subverts the world’s values by assigning glory and praise to the one whom the world despises. And as weak as the church at worship might appear to...