August 15 event features David Gambrell, Mel Bringle and Chris Shelton
by Jerry Van Marter, Presbyterian Writers Guild | Special to Presbyterian News Service
Photo by Kati Hoehl via Unsplash
LOUISVILLE — As congregations — and congregational singing — return to in-person worship, the Presbyterian Writers Guild is sponsoring a one-hour panel presentation on hymn-writing featuring three renowned Presbyterian hymn composers.
The Zoom event — scheduled for Sunday, August 15 from 5-6 p.m. Eastern Time — is entitled “When in Our Music God Is Glorified: A Panel on Hymn-writing.”
“The gathering we have planned calls to mind a quote attributed to Augustine of Hippo, the great theologian of the early church, who purportedly said, ‘Those who sing pray twice,’” said the Rev. Emily Enders Odom, president of the Presbyterian Writers Guild.
The three Presbyterian hymn-writers who will be sharing their insights into composing hymns are:
the Rev. Dr. David Gambrell
- The Rev. Dr. David Gambrell, the associate for Worship in the PC(USA)’s Office of Theology and Worship, the principal writer of the Church’s 2018 “Book of Common Worship” and the author of several hymns in the Glory to God hymnal.
the Rev. Dr. Mel Bringle
- The Rev. Dr. Mary Louise (Mel) Bringle, chair of the Glory to God hymnal committee and the author of several hymns in the book.
the Rev. Chris Shelton
- The Rev. Chris Shelton, pastor of Broadway Presbyterian Church in New York City and the author of the brand-new book, “Sing No Empty Alleluias.”
“We give thanks for the gifts of David, Mel, Chris and all of today’s hymn writers,” Odom said, “whose gifts offer us a fresh vocabulary with which to praise and honor God — perhaps even twofold — when we sing.”
Dr. Anita Coleman
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Anita Coleman, a writer and former professor currently serving as vice president of the Presbyterian Writers Guild.
The panelists will talk about their sources of inspiration, their favorite hymns, the changing contexts in church and society and how they affect hymn-writing, how increasing diversity is reflected in their hymn-writing, and the impact of “praise music” on hymn-writing. Each panelist will also share their favorite compositions.
The event will be live on Zoom. On Aug. 15, find the link here. For more information, visit the Presbyterian Writers Guild website by going here.
You may freely reuse and distribute this article in its entirety for non-commercial purposes in any medium. Please include author attribution, photography credits, and a link to the original article. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDeratives 4.0 International License.
Categories: Communication, Faith & Worship
Tags: "sing no empty alleluias", anita coleman, faith and worship, glory to god, jerry van marter, office of theology and worship, presbyterian writers guild, rev. chris shelton, rev. dr. david gambrell, rev. dr. mel bringle, webinar, When in Our Music God Is Glorified: A Panel on Hymn-writing
Ministries: Call to Worship: Liturgy, Music, Preaching, and the Arts, Worship, Theology and Worship