LCMS Worship Institute

The Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music is a multiday worship conference, presented by LCMS Worship, designed for musicians, pastors, teachers, artists, and Christians of all vocations engaged in the unique sphere of Lutheran worship. Thoughtful speakers draw us into the Scriptures and their proclamation. A barrage of presentations and workshops on wide ranging topics, some fresh, some perennial, help us grow in knowledge and hone our craft. Above all, we experience the inestimable value of gathering with fellow Christians for inspiring, Christ-centered worship, proclaiming the Gospel in Word and song. This podcast brings home selected recordings of the presentations, workshops and services from LCMS Worship Institutes so the Church can get a taste of the experience, benefit from excellent teaching and look forward to future Institutes. The Worship Institute gives a glimpse of what we don’t see: the One, holy, catholic and apostolic congregation that can’t fit into a single balcony or church. That vision always inspires us, and the Word of God in all its richness prompts us to bring our excellence and our effort to bear. We do it for the sake of the increase of faith and love which His Word bestows. But God’s Mission is where you live and work with your people. It happens when you invite a child to sit on the organ bench next to you, when you help the short boy reach the taper to the tall candle, when you show a young child how to fold the linen, when your preaching is directed at hearts that are known, by the bedside and in the pulpit, and whenever you gather to sing. That’s where the Word of Christ dwells richly among you as you teach and admonish one another, singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs.

  1. AUG 22

    S1Ep22. The Propers and the Psalter – Jonathan Wessler

    The Propers draw deep theological connections in the hearts and minds of the faithful. By placing individual verses from the Psalter into a liturgical context, the Propers enhance the liturgy with profound commentary on the readings. The relatively lengthy historic Gregorian chant melodies facilitate this contemplation, as they stretch out the Proper texts to provide adequate space for meditation. The complete role and function of the Propers is under-appreciated by many Lutheran pastors, musicians and parishioners, and all will benefit from a deep dive into the purpose of these texts and melodies.  Bio: Jonathan Wessler serves as the kantor at the First Lutheran Church of Boston. He holds degrees in organ performance and sacred music from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the University of Notre Dame and the Eastman School of Music, and is a member of the Lutheran Missal Project’s editorial committee. He conducts research in liturgy, sacred music and the Lutheran use of Gregorian chant.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1 hr
  2. AUG 22

    S1Ep21. Improving Church Choir Tone: A Marathon, Not a Sprint – Kurt von Kampen

    Improving the quality of singing doesn’t happen overnight. This session will give practical and simple techniques that should, over time, improve the sound of your church choir. Basic concepts of breathing, support, projection, balance and tone will be addressed. Bio: Kurt von Kampen is the fourth conductor in the 87-year history of the University A Cappella Choir at Concordia University, Nebraska (CUNE), Seward, Neb. He previously served as head of the choral program at Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA), Ann Arbor, Mich., and as director of music at Lutheran high schools in the Detroit area. Von Kampen holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from CUNE, a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Oakland University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Music from the University of Nebraska. In 2007, von Kampen received Concordia’s Outstanding Teacher Award and in November 2012 was named the Nebraska Choral Directors Association Outstanding Choral Director of the Year.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1h 4m
  3. AUG 22

    S1Ep20. Creating New Liturgical Music for the Divine Service: You Can Do It! – Kile Smith

    Join Grammy-nominated composer Kile Smith to look at introits, psalms, alleluias and canticles that he has composed for non-professionals to offer at weekly services. Designed to serve the musical resources of a cantor, a small to medium choir and the congregation, these settings provide flexible options for churches large and small. Attendees will have fun learning and singing through each setting and will discuss technical issues of text-setting, singability, practicality, and the more general issues of liturgical appropriateness, working with the pastor, meeting people where they are, and involving and uplifting them.  Bio: The music of three-time Grammy-nominated composer Kile Smith is hailed internationally for its beauty and “profoundly direct emotional appeal.” He has composed anthems, hymns, sacred vocal and service music his entire career; many of his anthems are published. Four of Kile’s hymns were accepted into the new Anglican hymnal, Sing Unto the Lord. Professional, university, church and community choirs commission him; major works of his are heard throughout the U.S. and in Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand and Latvia. He and his wife — the singer, organist and conductor Jacqueline Smith — live outside Philadelphia.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1h 3m
  4. AUG 22

    S1Ep19. Music Learning Theory for Your Parish Music Program – Miguel Ruiz

    How does music pedagogy serve the spiritual purposes of the church? Do cognitive psychology and the processes of language acquisition offer any insight into teaching music in churches? This interactive lecture will explore ideas popularized by music psychologist Edwin Gordon and the resulting pedagogies of his more influential students, and explore how they provide a sensible, practical and research-supported framework for the transmission of musical knowledge through the work of a church musician or teacher. The tenets of Music Learning Theory will be summarized. Practical examples will be given on how it can inform teaching strategies in the church’s many musical mediums.  Bio: Miguel Ruiz is the cantor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Keller, Texas. He serves as the organist, directs choir and handbells, teaches three choirs in the K–8 school and teaches early childhood music in the preschool. He earned his Director of Parish Music certification through Concordia University, St. Paul (CSP), St. Paul, Minn., and a Master of Music Education from Westminster Choir College, where he studied choral music and pedagogy with James Jordan, Tom Shelton and Frank Abrahams. He enjoys learning about the history of Lutheran sacred music and helping his wife, Ei, chase five children around their Fort Worth home.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1h 10m
  5. AUG 22

    S1Ep18. Reading Session – Organ – Jonathan Rudy

    Excerpts from currently available repertoire for organ, presented by Jonathan Rudy.  Bio: Jonathan Rudy, a native of Batavia, Ill., is proud to follow a sacred music vocation. He regularly appears in locations across the United States, including at the American Guild of Organists (AGO) National Convention in Houston, the 2017 Association of Lutheran Church Musicians (ALCM) National Conference, as well as with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra and Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Rudy was awarded First and Audience Prizes in the 2014 National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance. He has also received awards and recognitions in the National Organ Playing Competition in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the Regional Competition for Young Organists in 2011, amongst others. Dr. Rudy received his Doctorate in Organ and Sacred Music at Indiana University, studying with Janette Fishell and Bruce Neswick. His prior degrees are from Indiana and Valparaiso Universities (studying with Lorraine Brugh and Karel Paukert). He studied in high school with Karl Bruhn and his mother, Melinda J. Rudy. Jonathan D. Rudy currently serves as cantor/director of music at Grace Lutheran Church, Clarksville, Tenn., where he leads the congregation and musical ensembles in song, and where he lives with his beautiful wife, Katie, and their two children. This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1h 2m
  6. AUG 22

    S1Ep17. Bach Teaches the Psalms – Matt Rivers

    The church cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach are a rich treasury of theological commentary. Bach rightly uses Holy Scripture to musically interpret Scripture, allowing listeners to gain insight and clarity to the text. In this presentation, we will examine multiple examples of Bach’s treatment of the Psalms in his compositions. This will enable attendees to improve their understanding of Bach’s theological and catechetical intent and provide a new way of examining Bach’s music.  Bio: A member of Faith Lutheran Church, Plano, Texas, Mr. Rivers earned a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College (Trombone) and a Master of Music from the University of Maryland, College Park. He has taught music theory, hymn writing and a seminar on Bach’s choral works at Faith Lutheran High School and has presented on these topics at the Consortium of Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE). Mr. Rivers is a Bach scholar and is currently authoring a Lutheran listener’s guide to the St. Matthew Passion and a commentary on Bach’s church cantatas.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    48 min
  7. AUG 22

    S1Ep16. Sacred Art and the Sanctuary – Edward Riojas

    Sacred art is a distant cousin of sacred music, but why is it often neglected in church sanctuaries? There is a strong argument to be made for including artwork in the house of the Lord. In spite of resistance against its presence, artwork is often the first to confess upon entering a sanctuary, is sometimes the loudest when confessing and is occasionally as beautiful in its confession as the strains of our most beloved hymns. Attendees will be led through a selection of ancient and modern imagery that both edifies and confesses, and will be given a peek into the world of a confessional Lutheran artist who creates work for Lutheran collectors, sanctuaries and institutions.  Bio: Edward Riojas received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Mich., graduating summa cum laude with a major in drawing and a minor in printmaking. He spent nearly 31 years in the newspaper industry. Riojas has since returned to his fine art roots and works as a full-time artist, creating sacred art for commissions and collaborations with various Lutheran entities. His work can be found in sanctuaries, institutions, private collections and markets throughout the U.S. and across the globe.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    54 min
  8. AUG 22

    S1Ep15. The Altar Prayers for Pastors (and for You) – Christopher Nuttelman

    The traditional prayers said by a pastor in between the parts of the liturgy (e.g., while washing his hands for Communion) are generally drawn from the Psalms. These portions of psalms, and their context, are instructive and serve to shed light on the significance of each part of the service. Considering these prayers, and the Psalms from which they are drawn, gives the pastor a firmer and richer hold on what he is doing as he serves at the altar. Laity would also be well served in learning these prayers and letting God’s Word teach them richer worship.  Bio: Baptized and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Kearney, Neb., Christopher Nuttelman was ordained in 2015 and has served churches in San Antonio, Texas, and Grand Rapids, Mich. He, his wife and their three little girls live in midtown Grand Rapids.  This session recording is from the 2024 LCMS Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music held July 9–12, 2024 in Seward, Neb. For more information on the Institute, please visit https://resources.lcms.org/worship-planning/2024-institute-on-liturgy-preaching-and-church-music-resources.  Morning Prayer Venite from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission. Setting by Paul Soulek. The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Worship ministry aims to nurture a culture of confessional faithfulness, artistic excellence and integrity in the presentation, distribution and reception of God’s life-giving gifts in Word and Sacraments. This ministry seeks to develop and deepen an understanding and love for the Lutheran heritage in Christian worship, and promotes the Lutheran Service Book as the core worship resource for the LCMS while also identifying and encouraging the many musical treasures and gifts that the Holy Spirit continues to pour upon the church. For more information: lcms.org/worship/institutes; lcms.org/worship. Learn more about LCMS National Mission lcms.org/nationalmission. Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

    1h 3m

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Institute on Liturgy, Preaching and Church Music is a multiday worship conference, presented by LCMS Worship, designed for musicians, pastors, teachers, artists, and Christians of all vocations engaged in the unique sphere of Lutheran worship. Thoughtful speakers draw us into the Scriptures and their proclamation. A barrage of presentations and workshops on wide ranging topics, some fresh, some perennial, help us grow in knowledge and hone our craft. Above all, we experience the inestimable value of gathering with fellow Christians for inspiring, Christ-centered worship, proclaiming the Gospel in Word and song. This podcast brings home selected recordings of the presentations, workshops and services from LCMS Worship Institutes so the Church can get a taste of the experience, benefit from excellent teaching and look forward to future Institutes. The Worship Institute gives a glimpse of what we don’t see: the One, holy, catholic and apostolic congregation that can’t fit into a single balcony or church. That vision always inspires us, and the Word of God in all its richness prompts us to bring our excellence and our effort to bear. We do it for the sake of the increase of faith and love which His Word bestows. But God’s Mission is where you live and work with your people. It happens when you invite a child to sit on the organ bench next to you, when you help the short boy reach the taper to the tall candle, when you show a young child how to fold the linen, when your preaching is directed at hearts that are known, by the bedside and in the pulpit, and whenever you gather to sing. That’s where the Word of Christ dwells richly among you as you teach and admonish one another, singing songs and hymns and spiritual songs.

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