Frank Ezinga

Kelly Mooney wrote an Easter text on Cohen's well-known song "Hallelujah." A rendition by two Ontario sisters went viral on the Internet in the last few days. Is this a great way to share the gospel of the Resurrection? I have some thoughts. Stanza 1 says, "Soon all the world would feel the loss of Christ the King." Although Jesus' followers were mourning Jesus' death, there is no indication that "all the world" would feel the loss of Jesus. This is a dramatization of events ...not found in Scripture. Stanza 3 mentions the soldier who had used his sword to pierce the body of our Lord as saying, "Truly, this was Jesus Christ our Savior." However, the Centurion said these words after Jesus gave up his spirit. The soldiers came much later. And the comment that the soldier "turned to face his Christ and Lord fell to his knee" is based on imagination as Scripture does not share these details. The fourth stanza says, "He died to save us from ourselves," but Scripture says that Jesus saved us from God's wrath (Rom 5.) If we are saved just from ourselves, Christ's sacrifice loses all of its significance. A great attempt to give Cohens beautiful tune a meaningful text. However, I would like to see some revisions.

A musical journey starting at the cross on Good Friday and ending at the open grave on Easter morning. With Hannah VanderHorst, Soprano Dr. Martin Grypma, Trumpet Frank Ezinga, Organ. ... This 50 minute program features the following music: 1. Jesus, unser Trost und Leben (J.S. Bach) - with Trumpet 2. Pie Jesu (From the Requiem by G. Faure) - with Soprano 3. Improvisation on Luke 23 (Frank Ezinga) 4. The Old Rugged Cross - with Trumpet 5. He was despised (From the Messiah by G.F. Handel) - with Soprano 6. Love Divine - with Trumpet 7. A Toi la Gloire (G.F. Handel) - with Soprano 8. He is Lord - with Trumpet 9. Christ is Lord - with Trumpet

In this video I identify patterns in the tune of Psalm 57. This Psalm is not often sung and therefore less familiar. I hope that this video will allow you to recognize the building blocks of the tune.

In the margin of a commentary on the Bible, at 2 Chronicles 5:13, J.S. Bach wrote: "Where there is devotional music, God with his grace is always present." This is not some modern progressive thought that God (or whatever you believe in) is always present in any or all devotional music. Bach’s remark was not progressive but doctrinal. Bach considered this Old Testament text the "shadow." Bach's note points to the traditional Lutheran understanding of the "substance" that at a rendering of devotional music, the presence of God's grace inhabits the hearts of Christian believers.

How normal was going to church, almost mundane. Week after week we went through the liturgy, where prayer, scripture reading, sermon, and singing alternated. We sang song after song together, joining our voices, creating a now-unforgettable experience. The younger voices blending with the older ones, the strong voices helping the weaker ones. Youngsters singing without words and others singing only in their hearts. Singing that touches hearts and makes our eyes wet, while be...ing carried by the singing of the congregation. As with one voice we continually offered up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name (Hebr. 13.) While we continue to pray for return to Sunday worship together, we know our only comfort in life and death. You may sing along :-)