Good Music

God has blessed our church with an incredible wealth of classically trained musicians who give their talents to serve the Lord instead of their own egos. Most of what we sing each Sunday consists of old hymns, but which have often been set to new settings or melodies. Our church band, the Good Shepherd Band, has put out a new EP (Extended Play) called "Glorious Things" which you can download for free here!  

Speaking of music worth listening to, if you aren't familiar with Judy Rogers' CDs, check these out too! Mrs. Rogers is a pastor's wife with an amazing gift of setting to music biblically rich texts on topics from the Children's Catechism (Why Can't I See God) to her newest recording about the Beatitudes. We've been listening to Mrs. Rogers' music for a long time, but I recently received Blessed in one of my review batches, and I have renewed my love for her work.  Mrs. Rogers began writing music in the 1980s when her own children were young so she could give them “songs that would be distinctively biblical, thought provoking, and melodically addicting!” And that they are!

Though Mrs. Rogers' music can be enjoyed by the whole family, some of her albums are tailored for young children (such as Why Can't I See God and Go to the Ant) while others are written primarily with teens (Walkin' Wise and Stand Up) or adults in mind.

The more I have listen to Blessed, the more I've grown to love this CD which is the first Mrs. Rogers has released in over ten years. Inspired both by sermons on the Beatitudes her husband gave and from reading  Puritan pastor Thomas Watson, Mrs. Rogers created ten songs which do far more than scratch the surface of this well-known text. “Those who Mourn” talks about mourning over sin, and “Peacemakers” differentiates between peace at any price with true peace, both with God and with man. Musically, Blessed also excels, incorporating a harp, ullieann pipes, and an Irish flute in addition to the more standard guitar and keyboard. Several songs take on a Celtic flavor, including the final two songs, “The Hammer of Hell” and “Yours is the Kingdom” which both address faithfulness in persecution.

You can hear samples of every Judy Rogers' song at the online shopping area of her website.