Center for Church Music

“From Desert Places”

Christ, we come from desert places,

   deepest thirst unsatisfied,

Lead us to the waters flowing

   from the cross on which you died.

Jesus, Source of living water,

   may we drink of you and live!

(St. 4 of “As the Deer Runs to the River” – Hermann Stuempfle [Wondrous Love Has Called Us! #45, copyright © 2006, GIA Publications, Inc. Used by permission.)

As church musicians we know something of “desert places.” Even in all the joyous times of our vocation, still there are moments and even seasons of dryness---emotional, spiritual, and physical dehydration..

We don’t always see the growth that is quietly happening; our efforts seem barren, yielding little fruit. Things can get a bit lonely and our passion for ministry shrivels just a little. It may even get to the point of us wondering about God’s presence. “Where is that ‘life in all its fullness’ You promised, Lord?”

It is always this way, even for God’s people. The psalmist speaks of a “deer panting for streams of water”, Isaiah prophesied in parched times, and Moses, surrounded by quarreling, sought water (and calm) at Meribah.

Our God provides! In our life and work He guides us to the refreshing waters, to Jesus, the Source of living water, renewing our spirit. His Spirit does this through His Word and sacraments, through the work He gives us to do, through all the people He surrounds us with—volunteer musicians, children, parishioners, and colleagues.

May this Lenten season truly be a “spring” for each of you, as you lead the Church’s song, uplifting and sustaining God’s people. Drink and live!

Barry L. Bobb

Director, Center for Church Music

Resource Room

• Books, magazines, recordings, the Schalk American Lutheran Hymnal Collection (541 volumes) and the ever-expanding archives of the original manuscripts of great American Lutheran composers & hymn writers.
• Liturgical Choir Music Library

Digital Initiative

• All of the volumes in the hymnal collection can be perused online at www.hymnary.org or from this website. See "Hymnal Collection Index."
• Many of the original manuscripts are accessible online at the Center’s website (including Manz, Schalk, Hillert, Pelz, Thoms, Busarow, Bouman and others...) See "Composer Manuscript Indices".

Website

• Devotions, interviews, profiles, essays, forums, ideas, an arts registry

Print publications

• Books and monographs in the Shaping American Lutheran Church Music series available through Amazon and Fortress Press

Encouragement of the next generation

• Hillert Award in Student Composition---open to any undergrad or graduate student at a Lutheran university or seminary in the United States
• Schalk Scholars
  • Creates awareness and access to current research in the areas of music and the arts
  • Provides stipends for research as well as publication and venues for presentations for these emerging scholars
  • Arts Registry
  • Contact information and samples from composers, visual artists, writers, designers, media artists.