July 2021
Music Ministry

Editor's Letter August 2021

Dear Friends,

Music is often front and center when we consider transformative experiences that bring us closer to God, that have the power to heal and to open our hearts and minds to new ways of imagining, being and exploring together. In this issue, our authors bring us wisdom on the depth of meditation, creativity, and the powerful spiritual upliftment that music ministry can bring.

Music has the power to heal pain, lift us from deep sorrow and carry us to a place where there is comfort and joy. In Music Brings Hope and Healing, Bernadette Williams shares experiences that reveal how music is one our greatest gifts from God.

A sound bath is a meditative practice that harnesses the healing potential of sound using both instruments and vocals. In Evensong Meets Healing Sound, Steven Paulikas describes how a unique and creative partnership has become a means for inviting strangers and friends into the love of Christ at his church.

In Enjoying Music Again, Ellis Montes describes the concept of HIP, or historically informed performance, and how it is much more interpretative and freeing than one might imagine. In his piece, Ellis shares HIP techniques that allow classically trained musicians to explore new ways of bringing music to life. This article is available in English and Spanish.

In A Musician’s Journey, Ronald Braman, charts his life from a spiritual teen who loved music to Director of Music at Good Shephard Episcopal Church in the Shoshone-Bannock Fort Hall Indian Reservation in southeastern Idaho, describing how music will never be “high” or “low” and how all musical traditions can enrich worship.

I am delighted to announce the launch of our new Episcopal Church Foundation (ECF) logo and website: www.ecf.org

This new brand is the result of a thoughtful, prayerful and strategic process of assessing our past contributions and accomplishments, and more importantly discerning the future needs of the church. Given the incredible challenges of the pandemic and other critical issues facing our world, this process will only continue. At ECF we constantly learn, listen, innovate, and plan. Yet at this juncture, we feel that this rebranding and our rearticulation of who we are reflects our vision for a hopeful future.

To learn more about ECF and our vision, please visit our new website.

Faithfully,

Charis Bhagianathan
Editor, ECF Vital Practices

This article is part of the July 2021 Vestry Papers issue on Music Ministry