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2025 ADVENT DEVOTIONAL WRITTEN BY TERI MCDOWELL OTT
LIGHTING THE ADVENT PATH WITH HOPE, PEACE, JOY AND LOVE
THE PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK
EDITO R ’ S
Music that meets us where we are
6 NEWS IN BRIEF
Unification Commission sets priorities for new structure
Leaders outline five priorities and four work areas to guide the PC(USA) forward.
8 BOOKMARK The Tears of Things Prophetic Wisdom For An Age of Outrage By
Richard Rohr
8 FROM THE ARCHIVES
22 years ago, Jan. 6, 2003
“Rock star Bono brings appeal for Africa to PC(USA) headquarters”
9 PODCAST REVIEW
Theology of Hip-Hop Baddest Chaplain
40 BOOKS IN REVIEW
• K ingdom Racial Change Overcoming Inequality, Injustice, and Indifference
• The Disturbing Profane Hop-hop, Blackness, and the Sacred
• Dearly Beloved Prince Spirituality, & This Thing Called Life
Where do you think hip-hop is going?
Poetry set to beats reminds listeners of their purpose and self.
By John Molina-Moore
Glittery and prophetic
Dolly Parton is the rhinestoneclad prophet we need in our polarized times. By
Lindy Vogado
20 A reluctant voice of a generation Bob Dylan wanted to keep things simple. His fans wanted more.
By Luke Esteban
in worship is “like a heartbeat ” Tunes and lyrics are necessary elements during a time of praise
Patrice Gaines
a
ABOUT THIS ISSUE:
About 10 years ago, the documentary “Alive Inside” showed how music can reach dementia patients, drawing stories and joy from people previously unresponsive, and reminding us of music’s healing properties. God’s power and love often speak through music in ways more profound than words. A hymn or song – whether in the pews, in the car, or simply in one’s mind – can open spaces for the Spirit to enter or allow us to give witness to God and the world around us. Music also unites communities, giving us one voice in praise or lament. In this issue of the Presbyterian Outlook, we examine how God uses music to speak to and through us. ◆
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ISSN: 0032-7565 VOL. 207-10 | NOVEMBER 2025
THE PRESBYTERIAN OUTLOOK (ISSN 0032-7565). Periodical postage paid in Richmond, VA, and additional mailing offices. Published by the Presbyterian Outlook Foundation 11 times a year — once a month, with the exception of July and August, which will share an issue. The Presbyterian Outlook is an independent, nonprofit publication with no financial or editorial ties to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Presbyterian Outlook, 1 N. 5th St., Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219-2231.
For this issue of the Outlook, we asked readers to send us their answer to this question: What music are you listening to and why?
I struggled to find one answer to this question. Music serves me in so many ways.
When I’m at the gym, pushing to finish a tough workout, nothing beats Europe’s 1986 hit, “The Final Countdown,” to get me to the end of AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible).
A comforting nostalgia washes over me every time I hear Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” remembering my college roommate and me driving around campus with the windows down, singing at the top of our lungs.
My husband, a tenor, won my heart with a serenade under my dorm window in seminary. He trained for opera, but I prefer it when he woos me with Air Supply’s “Now and Forever.”
After dropping our oldest off at college this past August, I couldn’t hold back my tears and listened to Brandi Carlile’s “The Mother” on the lonely drive home.
When I’m seeking inspiration for resistance, songs like Jon Batiste’s “Freedom,” Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” and Stevie Wonder’s defiant “They Won’t Go When I Go” make my playlist.
The power of music, like all art, is that it meets us where we are and takes us somewhere new. Whether I am grieving a loss, buoyed by a gesture of love, or caught in the tedium of a long commute, the world is never so silent that I can’t find a soundtrack. Sometimes, the perfect song emerges as if conjured by the Holy Spirit herself, making me feel, for a moment, less alone, less adrift, less at odds with the universe.
But music isn’t just a private consolation; it also serves as the connective tissue of our shared lives.
This past August, I joined about 100 people in the pews of Seattle’s Wallingford Presbyterian Church for a combined worship service of three small congregations — Wallingford, Northminster Presbyterian, and Woodland Park Presbyterian. These small churches have been collaborating and supporting each other’s ministries in a part of the
country where being referred to as a Christian isn’t a compliment. After I preached, I settled into the front pew to enjoy the rest of the service. During the offering, the pianist began playing “Finlandia,” the tune to “Be Still My Soul.” I don’t know who started the humming, but it felt natural to join, the musical vibration gathering us one by one, growing and lifting us all in the wave of a well-known melody.
Something happens when a room full of people suddenly, naturally, without being asked, begins to hum along. As I sat there in the Wallingford church, my voice woven into the larger sound –made stronger and less distinct at the same time – I forgot about the pressures of the world, the anxiety and division and heartache we all feel, but assume is our unique burden to bear. For a moment, I was one small part of a very old song, hummed for reasons none of us could probably articulate, but that made sense on a level close to the soul — made sense because it was what we all needed in that moment.
How beautiful it is that I can fly from Richmond, Virginia, to Seattle, Washington and find myself in a pew with people I’ve just met, all humming the same hymn, one that connects us not just to each other in the moment, but to the generations who first sang it back in 1899, and all those who have carried it forward since.
Perhaps this is what music does best: it reminds us that none of us sings alone. Our voices –cracked or strong, hesitant or bold – become part of something larger, older, and more enduring than any of us could ever carry on our own. In that shared sound, we find courage. We find consolation. And sometimes, if we’re listening closely, we even catch a note or two of God’s eternal song, binding us together, steadying our hearts, calling us home. ◆
Unification Commission sets priorities for new structure
Leaders outline five priorities and four work areas to guide the PC(USA) forward.
With just a few months left before a new organizational structure for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is to be in place, the Unification Commission on Thursday approved five priorities for the yet-to-be-named mission agency as well as four primary work areas.
“I believe this will help us to be nimble and responsive,” said Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of the denomination’s General Assembly and executive director of the Interim Unified Agency.
“This new approach will better position us to address the church’s present and future needs,” she said in an email to denominational leaders. “A lot of work lies ahead as we move toward this new normal.”
The denomination decided in 2022 to combine its two separate agencies: The Presbyterian Mission Agency, which oversaw the work and mission of the church; and the Office of the General Assembly, which was responsible for the governance and ecclesiastical duties, each with its own board of directors.
Since then, the denomination has been working on bringing the new, unified agencies together under one umbrella. The Interim Unified Agency was created in 2024 as a bridge between the two structures.
The decisions on priorities and work areas were made during a lengthy closed session and reported in open session once it concluded.
The new unified agency will be “relationship-centered,” Oh said in her email, with four primary areas of work. They are:
■ Denominational Life & Witness, covering “who we are together as Presbyterians. It holds our connectional identity and keeps us grounded in faith, giving us a shared voice as a communion.”
■ Partnerships Within the PC(USA), focusing on synods and presbyteries and how they are governing the church in their geographic area, leading and guiding the witness of its congregations and new worshiping communities, and nurturing the
covenant community of disciples of Christ, with a goal is of “walking alongside them as partners in ministry for the strengthening of their life and witness.”
■ Partnerships Beyond the PC(USA), connecting the denomination with the broader world to “live out companionship, advocacy, and mutual mission alongside global, ecumenical, and interreligious partners.”
■ Organizational Planning & Operations, supporting ministries with resources. “This area makes sure every ministry has the resources and support it needs.”
The priorities will be:
▶ Thriving synods and presbyteries.
▶ Disciple formation and leader development.
▶ Life of the denomination.
▶ Restorative justice and witness.
▶ Unifying.
Some commission members expressed concerns about the tight timeline for implementation of the new structure. Cynthia Ganote, change manager in the Unification Management Office, acknowledged there is “very profound change fatigue on the part of staff,” but said the timeline was an important signal that the changes are going to happen, and it’s not going to be “business as usual.”
“We are paying very close attention to the personnel piece,” she said.
During the closed session, the commission also approved leadership and managerial employment levels for the unified agency. Additional employment classifications for individual contributor and administrative support roles will be reported at the commission’s December 2025 meeting.
— John A. Bolt for the Outlook
In other news
Visit pres-outlook.org for more stories about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Gen Z’s complicated return to faith — and what Presbyterians are seeing: Recent research points to younger adults’ increased interest in faith as they seek community and meaning.
The future of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.): Decline, renewal and shifting trends: Reporter Gregg Brekke digs into the statistical trends of the PC(USA) so you don't have to.
How a small New Jersey church connects with migrant workers:
Hammonton Presbyterians join with local partners to put their faith in action. — Dia Griffiths
As nation mourns rash of recent shootings, the Office of Public Witness condemns lax gun control measures: The PC(USA) Office of Public Witness calls for action against gun violence, urging prayer, advocacy and policies that honor Christ’s call to peace. — Office of Public Witness
Our fork in the road: On the end of the Presbyterian Mission Agency:
The PC(USA)'s mission theology and management methods stand in urgent need of critical analysis, writes scholar and former mission co-worker Stanley Skreslet.
REVIEWED BY THE REV. AMY PAGLIARELLA, the Outlook’s book review editor and a PC(USA) pastor with Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois.
The Tears of Things
Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage
Richard Rohr
Convergent Books, 196 pages, Published March 4, 2025
Iwrite in the wake of recent political violence; its impact is unclear. Will we further ratchet up the tension, or will we temper our discourse?
For now, anyone who ventures onto social media knows we’re firmly planted in an age of outrage. Colleagues who posted benign statements encouraging peaceful restraint found themselves under siege, both by those who sought martyrdom for the deceased and by those defending their right to condemn him in the harshest terms.
We need help. Fast. Enter Franciscan friar and contemplative teacher Richard Rohr, who looks to the biblical prophets. Rage is the instigator, but we move toward grief and then grace. This movement – from tears to action – likely produces more productive results than if we remained righteously angry. Particularly helpful is Rohr’s discussion of “unfinished” prophets like Jonah or even John the Baptist, who remain in anger rather than evolve. We see the spoiled fruits of rage-filled prophets today, and we are reminded that the work of a true prophet bears good fruit. So we are called to follow mature prophets in the tradition of Isaiah (and Job, who Rohr compellingly includes in this camp) toward the “unconditional divine love (that) is the fruit and result of this work of God in the soul.”
Rohr’s book is immensely practical — I easily incorporated it into an adult education class, as well as a short series of talks for my church’s online ministry, and it’s ideal for small-group study. Or read it solo and lean into the sensation of your lowered internal temperature. You’ll be inspired to follow the prophets’ path forward. ◆
FROM THE OUTLOOK ARCHIVES
22 YEARS AGO, JAN. 6, 2003, VOLUME 185-01 “Rock star Bono brings appeal for Africa to PC(USA) headquarters”
Louisville — It was a fine conjunction of forces: more than a thousand people, standing in a long chilly line under a sweet sliver of a moon, drawn to the parking lot of a conservative church in the Louisville suburbs by the prospect of listening to a rock star – Bono of U2 – who admits that he’s not too comfortable in churches and that on this tour “the wheels are falling off the wagon a little bit – having no sleep and I drink too much.”
... The premise of this “Heart of America” tour ... was that politicians in Washington don’t think the people in the middle of America care that 6,500 people are dying every day of AIDS in Africa. Bono thinks they’re wrong.
... Many Africans can’t afford the dollar a day it costs for medicine, so they’re dying “for the stupidest of reasons – money,” Bono said in the chapel of the national offices of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.),
speaking to the denomination’s synod and presbytery moderators.
... “This is going to get down to equality — you know that, don’t you?” Bono told the crowd at Northeast Christian Church. Equality, “what an amazing radical idea. It comes out of the Scriptures We have to accept that our brothers and sisters who live in Africa are equal to us. They are equal before God’s eyes ... ”
… “It sounds like I’m preaching to the converted, really,” Bono said after listening to a part of a presentation on PC(USA) involvement in Africa. “ I wish every church was feeling this passion.” ...
“History will judge us by three things. The internet. The war on terror. And how we let an entire continent burst into flames and stood around with watering cans — or not.”
— Leslie Scanlon
Theology of Hip-Hop
BaddestChaplain
If you watched the 2025 Super Bowl, you know the cultural impact of hip-hop is undeniable. However, the profound meaning and spirituality behind many of the lyrics from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Lauryn Hill, and Tupac, among others, can often be overlooked.
But Chris Burton, a.k.a. Di Baddest Chaplain in the digital world, knows that God is in everything, including all the forms of music that provide a soundtrack for a time, a movement, or a life. Burton’s original podcast, BaddestChaplain, holds a cadre of his sermons, interviews and commentary, and is an invitation to apply God’s love while working toward a just, caring society. Burton, the director of Union Presbyterian Seminary’s Leadership Institute, poses thoughtful questions to his guests, who are experts in their fields and leaders in their communities. You don’t know how many questions a society can ask of itself until you listen to Burton.
But there’s a special joy and purpose in Burton’s voice when he talks about hip-hop and faith. So when he reached out to the Presbyterian Outlook in hopes of partnering in a new podcast to explore this intersection, we jumped.
“Theology of Hip-Hop” debuts this month. Each Wednesday, the Outlook will post a new podcast hosted by Burton that takes a deep look at the theology addressed in the lyrics. He explores the thoughts presented by artists such as DMX, Glorilla, Ka, and Hill, as well as groups like Clipse. He invites listeners to hear words that are often overlooked but inspire, comfort, and address life and social issues through the lens of faith and justice. Delightfully, he also sometimes interviews his parents about their responses to the music young Chris wanted to buy (probably the response many parents had at first — NO).
Burton reminds us that music captures a place and a time, and while it’s often a mirror for us, it’s also a message that extends outward. We see you. In particular, however, God sees you. Hip-hop has undoubtedly brought unmitigated joy to millions. It’s the bus-ride-home soundtrack of a lifetime for many (ok, for me). The more faith-intensive lyrics remind us that God is a constant presence, and God invites the very essence of our being into God’s presence. And hip-hop is as honest as it is powerful. When DMX famously begged God for a sign, the confidence that the sign would come burst out as forcefully as the plea. When Clipse (brothers Pusha T and Malice/Non Malice) reunited this summer and, in a collab with Pharrell Williams, intoned about the “devil tapping your shoulders,” they weren’t speaking about an abstract concept. If you’ve had to decide between the easy way and a different way, much as Jesus did as the devil tempted him, you understand. If you know who and what helped bring you back from the brink, you understand.
I’ve seen empires crumble and fall
I’ve seen it all. They missed this wall.
By the grace of God.
You may be well-versed in hip-hop culture, or you may not be familiar with the genre. Wherever you are on the spectrum of this musical phenomenon, we invite you to take a journey with Burton and the Outlook and learn how God’s love and the lyricists’ faith work together to deliver a message.
“The way that we view God can tell on us,” Burton said in a BaddestChaplain podcast. “The way we talk about God, and our articulation about who God is, says a lot about who we are — and our worldview.”
Listen to “Theology of Hip-Hop” on the Presbyterian Outlook website or on our Spotify channel. Listen to or watch BaddestChaplain on Substack or YouTube. You can also hear BaddestChaplain on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Some of Burton's writings on Substack are behind a paywall, but the $5 a month is worth forgoing a pumpkin spice latte at the coffee shop. ◆
REVIEWED BY DARTINIA HULL the Outlook’s managing editor.
Poetry set to beats reminds listeners of their purpose and self
Rapper as Psalmist
John Molina-Moore
HHip-hop is a human art form created by human hands that reflects all the beauty and complexity of what it means to be human.
ip-hop has been around since the 1970s. It began with Black and Latino teenagers in the South Bronx who wanted to extend the drum breaks of their parents’ disco records. This part of the song was the section that all their peers loved dancing to. (This phenomenon is also where the term “breakdancing” comes from.) Using two separate turntables, these music lovers were able to play the drum break repeatedly, extending a 20-second section of a song into a never-ending party soundtrack.
Eventually, other partygoers grabbed a microphone and started “rapping” (a vernacular term that means “talking”) over the music –telling stories, reciting poetry and being the MC (master of ceremonies) – for the party. Today, hip-hop has reached every corner of the globe and is performed in almost every spoken language.
Whether you are a connoisseur of the genre or a relatively recent convert – thanks, perhaps, to the musical “Hamilton” – I have a couple of basic things to share up front. By and large, rappers are regular human beings sharing the same complicated story about the human condition that we all know so well. As listeners, we can see ourselves in the songs precisely because these storytellers have emotions, make mistakes and at times wish they had done things differently. And while a fundamentally universal
element often underlies many of these lyrics, the most talented rappers excel because they are telling stories from their unique vantage point.
Hip-hop is a human art form created by human hands that reflects all the beauty and complexity of what it means to be human. Many critics of hip-hop, from accredited to armchair, have expressed a level of disapproval of this art form that is disproportionate, far greater than the critique of any other art form, like film or literature. Yes, plenty of criticism is warranted. Misogyny, homophobia and the proliferation of violence can still be found in hip-hop, but these poisonous elements fester in almost every corner of American life and culture. As one
Many biblical scholars believe that all the Psalms were originally set to music, which means that rhythm, cadence and tempo were essential to their original creation.
would expect, just as prophets and activists educate and fight against these oppressive ideologies in the broader culture, many within the hip-hop community are also naming and fighting these poisonous elements from within.
When asked “Where do you think hip-hop is going?” rapper Mos Def (now Yasiin Bey) famously responded in his 1999 “Fear Not of Man” track: “I tell em, ‘You know what’s gonna happen with hip-hop? / Whatever's happening with us.’”
RAPPERS AS PROPHETS
Fans of hip-hop have compared modern artists to prophets, saying their voices remind people of who they
are and the great good they are called to live into. This comparison is true. Think of voices like Kendrick Lamar, who has unified a generation and given it anthems to sing; these voices address a wide range of modern-day challenges, including policy brutality, love, friendship, mental health and yes, even faith.
I’d like to expand on the role that hip-hop artists can play in our shared faith. Not only are they prophets addressing social ills and injustice — they are our modern-day psalmists, writing hymns to give voice to the human experience and our relationship with God.
Many biblical scholars believe that all the Psalms were originally set to
music, which means that rhythm, cadence and tempo were essential to their original creation. These elements are also essential to hip-hop. Most of the Book of Psalms can be categorized into three sections:
1. Hymns: Songs of praise for God’s providence, faithfulness and love.
2. Laments from the community and the psalmist as an individual: crying to God in the midst of suffering and uncertainty, often wondering where God is.
3. Thanksgiving: Songs praising God for all the great things that the psalmists have seen in their own lives and in their communities.
All these themes are explored
in hip-hop today. In fact, themes of faith throughout hip-hop aren’t new. Since the art form’s inception, hip-hop artists have woven their faith into their music and lyrics. DMX (Earl Simmons) integrated his Christology throughout his music, famously reprising the Lord’s Prayer in “Prayer II / Ready to Meet Him.” 2Pac (Tupac Shakur) regularly employed themes of God’s judgment and liberation; and 20 years ago Ye (Kanye West) won a Grammy for his debut album, which included the song “Jesus Walks” and introduced a new generation of listeners to a way of seeing the day-to-day power and ministry of Jesus.
To my mind, the artist who currently embodies rapper-as-psalmist is Doechii (Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon). In February 2025, she won a Grammy for Best Rap Album for “Alligator Bites Never Heal” (which is really, in her own words, a “mixtape”). This Grammy has been given to just two solo female rappers since the category’s introduction in 1996. Without exception, Doechii explores all the major categories found in the ancient collection of Psalms. The mixtape is filled with stories of lament for herself and her community — the pain of what it means to be a Black woman in America, as well as the joy she has
... themes of faith throughout hip-hop aren’t new. Since the art form’s inception, hip-hop artists have woven their faith into their music and lyrics.
found in her faith in God and in fully living into her beautiful and unique identity, blemishes and all.
This combination is best captured in her song “wait,” which I argue is the most underrated song on the album. It sounds and feels like Psalm 40. Here’s how the first verse opens: “What do you think would happen? You wait on it like a laxative / Life is just like a settlement, waiting for you to cash on it.” Doechii isn’t afraid to let her expression of faith be just as complicated as life itself, leading from a place of vulnerability in hopes that her story and her encounter with the Divine will encourage others to own their truth and be cobearers witnessing to the love of God.
Doechii has followed in the footsteps of the original psalmists, who similarly used the foundations of their faith to build new expressions. They honored the relationship their ancestors had created with God and then crafted updated language to express the new relationship they found themselves in — taking the faithfulness that God provided for the people before them and casting it onto and into their own reality and future. God has been faithful before, God will be faithful to us now, and God will be faithful to us in the future.
Like the psalmists, modern-day rappers are giving us fresh expressions of our faith that do not exclude what has come before but rather make room for what God is doing today.
REBUILDING A UNIQUE FAITH
Explicit discussion of faith in the artists is nothing new. What is new: the artists are rebuilding a faith that is unique to them. Some are shedding the skin of the meaningful yet problematic theology of their upbringing to create a new theology that helps them move through the world they inhabit.
Kendrick Lamar did this wonderfully on his 2022 album “Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers” (which also won Best Rap Album at that year’s Grammys), specifically in the song “Auntie Diaries.” The song tells the years-long saga of his trans uncle’s transition. The culmination of the song happens on a Sunday morning in church: "Mr. Preacherman, should we love thy neighbor? / The laws of the land or the heart, what's greater?”
This work honors the legacies that the psalmists themselves inherited. Like the psalmists, modern-day rappers are giving us fresh expressions of our faith that do not exclude what has come before but rather make room for what God is doing today. Doechii and Lamar are not the only ones continuing in this lineage. This year, three of the most successful albums fully align with this tradition.
The first album is titled “Let God Sort Em Out” by Clipse, a hip-hop duo that has been making music since the early 2000s. The group of two brothers – Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton and Gene “Malice” Thornton (Malice left the industry for a while to become a pastor) – have never been shy about encouraging an authentic faith through their music. The cover of their debut album, “Lord Willin’,” shows Jesus riding alongside them through the streets in the neighborhood of their upbringing.
We live in a time when people, even some closest to us, are turning to places other than the church to explore their faith and spirituality.
The second of this year’s great albums is “God Does Like Ugly” by JID (Destin Choice Route), with tracks like “Glory” and “Like Blue” that fully showcase JID as a psalmist for today. JID isn’t shy about letting the light of God shine on some of the most complicated and painful parts of his life, as well as fully basking in the joys of life with God.
A third successful album in 2025 is “STAR LINE” by Chance the Rapper. If you’re new to hip-hop, I highly recommend you start here. In the track “Letter,” Chance challenges the work the church is doing versus what it is called to do; and Chance magnifies the holiness found in water in “Just a Drop.” The entire album is a spiritual journey about what it means to be part of the family of God in today’s world. All three albums will play on repeat on speakers around the world this year. All will probably be nominated for multiple awards. All will be studied for years to come. All will give listeners new language and courage to explore their faith without having to hide parts of their identity because culture or even religion might have portrayed them as ungodly.
FILLING IN THE GAPS THROUGH HIP-HOP
We live in a time when people, even some closest to us, are turning to places other than the church to explore their faith and spirituality. These rappers and voices like theirs are helping people make sense of the complicated world we live in. Such
voices are giving them the courage to build an authentic faith and relationship with a Christ who is still active in the world.
From firsthand experience, we do more damage by trying to reject this spiritual art than if we just embrace it. For the past 30 or so years, hip-hop has broadened my own spirituality. It has filled in the gaps that church, youth group, summer camp, seminary and vocation could not fill. It gave value to my lived experience and perspective. Because in hip-hop I was able to hear people who look and sound like me speak about God in ways that resonate with me, I was able to see God anew and in all things. Hip-hop saved my faith.
So may we welcome more additions to the diverse tapestry of how we tell the story of God moving through the world. Through today’s hymns, laments and thanksgivings, let us also hear the truth of our continued connection to our God through the people of God.
THE REV. JOHN MOLINA-MOORE is the general presbyter of National Capital Presbytery, serving 102 Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations in the greater Washington, D.C. area. He graduated from Sterling College in 2005 and completed his master of divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary in 2011, where he won the Gerald R. Johnson Award in Speech Communication in Ministry.
Glittery. Down-home. Prophetic.
Lindy Vogado
The author argues that Dolly Parton, who grounds her music in her faith, is the rhinestone-clad voice we need in our polarized times.
When I was in my early 20s, I got in a fight defending the honor of Dolly Parton.
It happened in seminary, of all places. I was sitting outside class with a group of friends when an Old Testament professor who had just joined the faculty came over to introduce himself. After we exchanged basic pleasantries, one of my friends explained that I had grown up “outside of Dollywood,” and I cheerfully offered up my delight that Dolly Parton had just been announced as a Kennedy Center honoree.
The unsuspecting new professor casually mused – I believe these were his exact words –“Isn’t that a bit much?”
In his defense, this happened in the early 2000s, long before NPR podcasts and indepth essays had made the case for why liberal intellectuals should take Parton seriously. For many people at the time, Dolly Parton was best known for her big hair and her well-endowed anatomy.
But I wasn’t many people. I was an East Tennessean. And East Tennesseans defend Dolly as if she were their mother.
I stood up, and the professor sat down. Then, in a raised voice, I taught him a few things about Tennessee’s favorite daughter.
While I felt justified in the moment, I later apologized to the professor, as I do not typically yell at strangers. Not only did he accept my apology, but several years late, he invited me to join his family on a trip to Dollywood. It was an experience that he described as “magical.”
In some ways, that this Old Testament professor would appreciate Parton’s contributions is unsurprising. After all, she is a modern-day prophet.
PARTON’S CHILDHOOD
Dolly Rebecca Parton was born on January 19, 1946, the fourth of 12 children, to Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton. As she recalls in her 1994
autobiography, Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business, Parton’s father did not have the money to pay for her birth, so he gave the doctor a sack of cornmeal. (Parton often quips that she’s “been raking in the dough ever since.”) Parton’s father was a mountain sharecropper who eventually owned his own land, but the family was always poor, which profoundly shaped Parton’s experience of growing up.
The day after she graduated from high school, Parton moved to Nashville, eventually leaving behind both the mountains and the poverty of her childhood. No matter how successful she became, however, she carried her memories of home as she sought to further her musical career.
Parton’s songs about growing up poor in Appalachia extend from the deeply personal to the more broadly systemic, and she anchors her reflections in her Christian beliefs. In one of her most famous songs, “Coat of Many Colors” (1971), Parton recalls how her mother made her a winter coat from cloth scraps and compares it to the coat that Joseph wore in the Old Testament. While other children teased Parton about her coat, she drew strength from the dignity and love of her mother: “Although we had no money I was rich as I could be / In my coat of many colors my mama made for me.”
Parton’s songs about growing up poor in Appalachia extend from the deeply personal to the more broadly systemic, and she anchors her reflections in her Christian beliefs.
GROWING UP IN APPALACHIA
In the 1994 song “Smoky Mountain Memories,” Parton describes how the men she knew growing up often had to leave the mountains to work in factories up North in order to make enough money to support their families. She names the
homesickness and disillusionment that came from the experience, ending the song with an affirmation that God, “the Father,” would help sustain them during such trials. I suspect I am not the only Tennessean who has listened to that song on repeat when far away from home, missing both family and the mountains.
While her music often touches on the challenges of growing up in difficult circumstances, there are also songs like “My Tennessee Mountain Home” (1973) that celebrate the gifts of such an upbringing — from the beauty of the natural world to the closeness of family and friends. For people unfamiliar with the joys and challenges of Appalachia, Parton’s songs share a nuanced understanding of life in the mountains. For those whose lives mirror Parton’s experience, her words help to nurture dignity and pride in their background and heritage. As she explains in “Tennessee Homesick Blues” (1984), “It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.”
TAKING ON WOMEN’S CONCERNS AND GENDER DYNAMICS
Along with giving voice to the people of Appalachia, Dolly Parton also elevates the experiences of women in her music, particularly those in the rural South. While much of Parton’s music echoes the influence of mountain ballads, her songs center on experiences of women in the stories that unfold — focusing on common song topics like devoted love or heartbreak as well as more sensitive issues like unplanned pregnancy, violence against women, substance use disorders and divorce in middle age.
For example, in her 1968 album “Just Because I’m a Woman,” Parton includes the song “The Bridge,” about a young woman who falls in love with a young man standing on a bridge. The song ends with her standing on the same bridge alone and pregnant, planning to die by suicide after the man has abandoned her. While this song is considered one of the most depressing of Parton’s self-described “sad-ass songs,” it also highlights how women often bear the harshest consequences
for sexual and reproductive choices. The title track of the same album, “Just Because I’m a Woman,” articulates the perspective of a woman in a relationship with a man who is uncomfortable that she is sexually experienced. She reflects on the double standard of men who want to be sexually active but also want to marry virgins. The refrain explains, “My mistakes are no worse than yours / Just because I’m a woman.”
Along with giving voice to the people of Appalachia, Dolly Parton also elevates the experiences of women in her music, particularly those in the rural South.
Some of Parton’s best-known songs explore gender dynamics. Female political candidates have used her song “9 to 5” (1980) as entrance music at campaign rallies. The upbeat tune can almost cause a listener to miss the anger in the lyrics, which highlight how women’s professional contributions are often exploited in the workplace. And while her song “I Will Always Love You” (1974) is often interpreted as a romantic ballad, Parton actually wrote the song to her former boss and collaborator, Porter Wagoner, as she made the professional decision to leave his show to pursue opportunities as a solo artist. By almost all measures, she became far more successful after venturing out on her own. While she wrapped the sentiment in poetic terms, the song articulates a strategic professional move.
ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN
Parton also uses her music to call attention to the vulnerabilities of children. Her only song possibly sadder than “The Bridge” is “Me and Little Andy” (1977). The song tells the story of an abused and neglected girl and her dog who show up on
a stranger’s doorstep because the girl’s parents, struggling with substance abuse, have abandoned them. If listeners hope for a positive resolution to the storyline, they are disappointed — both the little girl and the dog die in their sleep.
Parton’s musical advocacy for children isn’t always so depressing, though. In 2017, she released an album of children’s music that explores the depth of children’s experiences, with songs helping children delve into complex emotions and affirming their self-worth and personal courage.
PARTON’S COMMERCIAL SUCCESS AND PHILANTHROPIC WORK
Of course, other parts of Parton’s canon are just fun songs. Her songbook includes enough popular hits to have made her a commercial success for decades. Songs like “Jolene,” “Here You Come Again,” “Two Doors Down,” “Think About Love,” and “Why’d You Come in Here Looking Like That” have cemented her place among America’s greatest songwriters and country music’s greatest superstars.
In true prophetic fashion, Parton has spent the profits of her success on significant humanitarian work. In the early 1980s, as Parton’s career expanded beyond music into television and film, she also began a project that seemed far-fetched.
In true prophetic fashion, Parton has spent the profits of her success on significant humanitarian work.
In a 1982 interview with Barbara Walters, Parton explained that she hoped to venture into a business opportunity in her hometown: a theme park in and about the Smoky Mountains. Many years later, Parton conceded in an ABC News interview with Robin Roberts that many of her advisers had thought she was crazy. But she said that, once Dollywood became a success, she fired all of those advisers and hired new ones who believed in her
dreams. Dollywood is not simply a light-hearted tourist trap. The now multifaceted enterprise, comprising theme parks, entertainment venues and hotels, has brought significant economic opportunities to the underserved community. According to a 2024 article from the Knoxville News Sentinel, 3.5 million people now visit Dollywood each year; and according to Nashville’s WKRN News in 2022, the tourism department reported that Dollywood brings $1.8 billion to the region annually.
This commercial success has enabled Parton to make generous donations to a wide range of philanthropic projects, guided by the Dollywood Foundation she founded in 1988. The foundation initially focused locally on improving high school graduation rates and offering college scholarships. In 1995, the foundation also began sending free books to young children in Sevier County, Tennessee. Parton said she created the book program because her father, whom she deeply admired, didn’t know how to read, and she saw how that inability limited his opportunities.
[Her] commercial success has enabled Parton to make generous donations to a wide range of philanthropic projects, guided by the Dollywood Foundation she founded in 1988.
Now, 30 years later, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library operates in all 50 states plus five countries and has given away more than 200 million books. The organization estimates that 14% of children under the age of five in the U.S. receive a book each month through the program. When Parton won the prestigious David M. Rubenstein Prize from the Library of Congress, Dollywood Foundation President Jeff Conyers said in a television interview, “There is no doubt Dolly
treasures being called ‘The Book Lady’ more than just about anything.”
Parton has also made significant contributions to health care in the state of Tennessee. Her fundraising efforts helped build the LeConte Medical Center in 2010; the hospital now boasts the Dolly Parton Center for Women’s Services and the Dolly Parton Birthing Unit. After her children’s album came out in 2017, she donated $1 million to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, another $1 million in 2020 to help fund COVID-19 research and still another $1 million in 2022 for pediatric infectious disease research.
She also helped to support her hometown community during natural disasters. After wildfires caused significant damage in Eastern Tennessee, she organized a telethon for what she called her My People Fund, raising $13 million for survivors. When Hurricane Helene devastated East Tennessee and western North Carolina, Parton personally donated $1 million to relief efforts and another $1 million from her East Tennessee businesses. Throughout her artistic life, Parton has focused on improving the experiences of Appalachia, women and children — and her humanitarian work reflects these commitments.
LGBTQ+ ADVOCACY
Another notable piece of Parton’s prophetic identity is her long-time advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. As I was growing up in East Tennessee in the 1990s, Parton was one of the first people I recall articulating their acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. Certainly, other celebrities were proLGBTQ+ at the time — but they often lived in big cities and seemed far removed from people I knew. Parton, however, was from the South and spoke frequently of her faith, and her life reflected those values. The fact that she also loved and embraced LGBTQ+ people made a real impression on me as a child. She wrote in her 1994 autobiography, “I believe in ‘human rights’ and the Scripture, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged.’ I have many gay friends I love dearly. I have also lost some very special
friends to AIDS. I believe that being gay is something you are, not something you do.”
As an adult, I now more fully appreciate the radical position she took as a country music star with a conservative fan base in the early 1990s, especially when such an opinion was far from mainstream. Parton has developed a significant following among the gay community for decades, serving as the inspiration for many drag queens. Many years ago, Parton famously entered a Dolly Parton look-alike contest with many drag queen competitors ... and lost. Parton has also shared her perspective on substantive issues related to gay rights, including speaking out in favor of gay marriage and against bathroom bans that especially affect trans and nonbinary members of the LGBTQ+ community.
A PROPHETIC RECORDING ARTIST
Although Parton is well known for her reluctance to engage in most political conversations – a reluctance that has frustrated some on all sides – she has also emerged as a unique figure in our polarized times. She is admired by people across the political and socioeconomic spectrums. Her fan base includes conservative church ladies, LGBTQ+ young adults, rural mountain men and urban hipsters. This collection of people rarely shares much in common, but they do share a love for Dolly Parton.
This reality speaks to the essence of Parton’s most prophetic quality. In an era when so many people are quick to demonize those who seem different, Parton communicates a sense of dignity and worth to all people. Her willingness to be unapologetically who she is gives other people permission to do the same, and her sense of selfworth seems to nurture others’ self-worth. When people feel such acceptance and understanding, they are often able to extend such respect to other people too.
In her own way, Dolly Parton, through her life and work, inspires us to be better versions of ourselves.
Just like any good prophet would do.
In an era when so many people are quick to demonize those who seem different, Parton communicates a sense of dignity and worth to all people.
THE REV. LINDY VOGADO, a native of East Tennessee, is associate pastor for belonging and outreach at Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she lives with her husband and their two young children.
Bob Dylan wanted to keep things simple. His fans wanted – and saw – more.
A reluctant voice of a generation
Luke Esteban
Describing his song “Blowin’ in the Wind” in a June 1962 interview for Sing Out!, Bob Dylan explained,
“There ain’t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind. It ain’t in no book or movie or T.V. show or discussion group. Man, it’s in the wind — and it’s blowing in the wind. Too many of these hip people are telling me where the answer is but, oh, I won’t believe that. I still say it’s in the wind and just like a restless piece of paper it’s got to come down some time ... But the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know it ... and then it flies away again ... I still say that some of the biggest criminals are those that turn their heads away when they see wrong and know it’s wrong. I’m only 21 years old and I know that there’s been too many wars. ... You people over 21, you’re older and smarter.”
“Blowin' in the Wind" is one of Dylan's best-known compositions. According to his website, he has performed the song live more than 1,000 times, not to mention the countless versions covered by other artists over the years. In 1962, however, the song was hardly known outside New York City, and the name of Bob Dylan had yet to gain widespread recognition beyond Greenwich Village.
Dylan’s own thoughts on “Blowin’ in the Wind” remain an enigma. Later interviews seldom provided insight into what the song was about. Over his lengthy career, his music has attracted polarizing reception and discourse. Among both fans and detractors, a frequent topic is “Why did he write that?” The most intriguing part of the 1962 interview quoted above is the end of the paragraph, where Dylan seemed to claim, somewhat sarcastically, that
While it was far from Dylan’s first expedition into songwriting, “Blowin’ in the Wind” was one of his first and most enduring examples of a message song.
DYLAN AS A WRITER OF MESSAGE SONGS
While it was far from Dylan’s first expedition into songwriting, “Blowin’ in the Wind” was one of his first and most enduring examples of a message song. This song in particular has resonated with such a large number of people because of what I’d call a double simplicity. That is, the music itself is simple enough to sing along with, but the lyrics – while ambiguous and somewhat perplexing – convey a message or lesson that the listener can ponder once the song is over. Which message do listeners take from this song specifically? Although Dylan offers a message of his own in his description, the lyrics are vague enough for each person to draw conclusions — possibly one reason this song remains popular more than 60 years later. Through songs like this, Dylan attained the mythical status of a prophet, as many of his fans found much to discuss in subsequent years when it came to what he said and sang about.
the people who were older than him (over 21, at the time) knew more and were smarter. On the contrary, in many of his earlier, more politically oriented songs, age is a frequent recurring theme in the lyrics.
Shortly after “Blowin’ in the Wind,” Dylan penned the song “Masters of War,” which serves as a much harsher critique of war practices than the previous song. In the sixth stanza of the song, the narrator says,
But there’s one thing I know, That even Jesus would never forgive what you do.
Here, Dylan seems to cast aside his own age and voice for a much more foreboding and angry tone. The song is littered with proclamations about morality, with the speaker criticizing the titular “masters of war” for profiting from violent conflicts. Once again, the song is vague; part of its long-lasting appeal is that it can apply to many wars throughout history. Despite being written and recorded before the Vietnam War started, “Masters of War” was cited
by many who protested against the war later in the 1960s. The song also introduces religion into Dylan’s own compositions, with Jesus serving the narrator somewhat as a moral compass who scoffs at those who profit from warfare. This song and several like it (“With God on Our Side,” “Oxford Town” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’” — just to name a few) appeared on Dylan’s second and third albums: “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” (1963) and “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” (1964). This type of songwriting brought Dylan much larger fame and the title of “voice of his generation” — a role that he quickly tired of playing.
RESISTING THE “VOICE OF HIS GENERATION” LABEL
When asked in a 2004 NPR interview why being called a “voice of his generation” bothered him, Dylan replied, “I think that was just a term that can create problems for somebody, especially if someone just wants to keep it simple and write songs and play them. Having these colossal accolades and titles “get in the way.”
Indeed, throughout his career, Dylan would be plagued by the enthusiasm and eventual anger of those who called themselves his fans. These clusters of people tried desperately to hold on to the image of the singer-songwriter they had in their minds — only to assert that Dylan’s rapidly changing artistic direction was better on the album released before the one in question (whichever one that was). This happened almost immediately with the record that followed “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” roughly 40 years before the NPR interview: “Another Side of Bob Dylan,” released later in 1964. This fourth record still contains many elements found in his previous albums, but it certainly
delivers what its title promises. Gone is the topical songwriting that made him famous within the Greenwich Village folk community. Rather than being socially conscious, for which he was mostly known at that point in his career, seemingly overnight Dylan became more self-conscious. Several of the album’s songs are confessional in nature, albeit with a good number of surrealistic lyrics to muddy any definitive conclusions.
folk and protest communities became upset with the change in direction. Many were frustrated with his sudden and apparent disregard for the social issues that he had sung about not too long before, especially with Dylan refusing to give a coherent reason for this change. He seemed to no longer want to be the prophet that many had made him out to be. The topical songs that many fans fell in love with disappeared completely from his live
... throughout his career, Dylan would be plagued by the enthusiasm and eventual anger of those who called themselves his fans.
“My Back Pages,” for instance, dives into Dylan’s thoughts about the impact his career had already made on so many people, even though he had only turned 23 in May 1964, just weeks before this album was recorded. Dylan frames this analysis of his socially conscious days via the song’s repeating refrain:
Ah, but I was so much older then I’m younger than that now.
Like “Masters of War,” age is still a prominent theme within “My Back Pages.” Where this song differs, however, is that here Dylan seems more honest about his age and who he is, rather than making almost omniscient proclamations about Jesus and forgiveness. This newfound youthfulness can also be found in his slightly changed singing voice on the album. On his earlier albums, Dylan sounds like a kid trying to sound like an older man, but on “Another Side,” he sounds much more in line with his age of 23.
As he alluded in the 2004 NPR interview, many of Dylan’s fans within
shows by the middle of 1965. By this time, when his fanbase was already so divided, he managed to divide them even more by finding an entirely new mainstream audience.
MY INTRODUCTION TO DYLAN
Before my junior year in high school, I didn’t care or know much about Dylan. My knowledge consisted of knowing his more popular hits (“Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Mr. Tambourine Man”) and the song with the goofy police siren (“Highway 61 Revisited”). My opinions about Dylan were minimal — but at the time, I found him somewhat pretentious and overrated.
This impression changed when my history teacher cited examples of revolutions throughout history, pointing to Dylan’s electric debut at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island as a “musical revolution.” Although the event is today considered a pivotal moment in music history, much of the crowd in the footage sounds derisive and maybe even hostile
toward what they are witnessing. Dylan, of course, played his then fiveday-old single “Like a Rolling Stone” — a song that I was fairly acquainted with, thanks to my father. In footage reposted on YouTube, some audience members can be heard booing even before the band starts playing. This confusing animosity piqued my interest; before long, I listened to the entirety of “Highway 61 Revisited,” (his sixth album, released in August 1965).
Many fans today cite the Newport performance as a large departure for Dylan. But after exploring more of his catalog, I came to the shocking realization that not much had changed overall. Dylan’s vastly interpretable surrealism can be traced back to as early as his second album, which includes songs like “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” He was no stranger to electric instruments either; his very first single, “Mixed-Up Confusion,” featured a full band backing him.
Dylan’s vastly interpretable surrealism can be traced back to as early as his second album, which includes songs like “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.”
But because these aspects of Dylan’s career had not yet been in the forefront of his music, Newport in 1965 must have felt like whiplash to many. The fans booing at this concert were perhaps more upset about what they were seeing rather than what they were hearing.
For these people, Dylan was a prophet. He sermonized about causes they cared about, like a racist judicial system (“The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll”), ignorance of people older than him (“The Times They Are A-Changin’ ”) and the need for decreased violence (“Blowin’ in the Wind”). The new Dylan in the leather jacket, however, only sang of a “mystery tramp” and “Napoleon in rags” in “Like a Rolling Stone.” In the eyes of those who had once looked up to him, he was now a complete unknown.
Sixty years have passed since that fateful day in Newport. During the intervening time, Dylan has been called everything from a “Judas” to a “genius.” He has released albums such as the widely panned “Self Portrait” (1970), the successful (yet divorceforeshadowing) “Blood on the Tracks” (1975), a trilogy of born-again Christian albums (1979-1981), the Grammywinning “Time Out of Mind” (1997) and even a Christmas album (2009). He famously won the Nobel Prize in literature in 2016, becoming the first and so far only musician to do so.
I finally got to see an 84-year-old Dylan perform live on Aug. 2, 2025, and the experience was surreal. He was undoubtedly the oddball of Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Festival, with the crowd mostly going silent whenever he began a song. The cameras were only allowed to film him and his band from a distance, which added to his overall mysteriousness. Unlike all other acts of the festival, he said absolutely nothing throughout the entire performance. He appeared, sang his songs and quietly disappeared. No one was booing him based on what he did or did not play; most were just happy to see him at all.
DYLAN, A PROPHET?
So is Dylan a prophet? The answer varies from person to person. While I doubt most fans in those Outlaw Festival seats viewed Dylan with a level of admiration and devotion reserved for religious figures, many likely still looked to him to comment on the world we live in today. One thing for certain, however, is that it doesn’t take a prophet, a traitor or even a Bob Dylan to find a singular answer. All we need to do is look at what is “blowin’ in the wind.”
LUKE ESTABAN is a student at Lafayette College and an enthusiastic fan of Bob Dylan. Growing up, Luke was greatly influenced by the music of The Beatles, Nirvana and The Police.
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Music in worship is “like a heartbeat”
The tunes and lyrics chosen are necessary parts of a time of praise
Patrice Gaines
At Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Asheville, North Carolina, they sometimes write their own songs for the worship service. In the summer of 2024, in anticipation of the fall elections, Ray Landis, director of music ministries at the church, wrote a song called “We the People.”
But that September, Hurricane Helene devastated the Asheville area, causing fatalities, leaving people homeless and destroying businesses. The congregation converted its sanctuary into a distribution center for food, supplies, and other items that neighbors might need.
“‘We the People’ became such a healing and nurturing song,” said Landis.
Generally, the church sings a theme song for a month; they sang “We the People” for several months.
“This song became like medicine for us and the community,” said Marcia Mount Shoop, pastor of Grace Covenant. “We sang it every Sunday. Everyone memorized it. We sang it in rounds, added drums, built on it.
“It was like a heartbeat for us.”
‘A NECESSARY PARTICIPANT’
The Bible instructs Christians to use music in worship to express praise and adoration to God, specifically mentioning psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. In the early years, Presbyterian church music was primarily shaped by the exclusive use of Psalms. Today, the repertoire is broader, and services may include traditional hymns, anthems and psalms, as well as other genres, such as contemporary Christian music. In general, the emphasis in worship is on having everyone in the congregation participate in singing.
The process for selecting worship music typically involves discussion between the pastor and a music director, with the goal of offering music that aligns with the pastor’s sermon in some way.
“I see music as a necessary participant in the liturgy. It does not sit outside the liturgy,” said Tony McNeill, affiliate professor of worship and seminary music at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. “I’m not a slot filler who randomly picks music.
“Some of the first questions I ask when I make a decision are: What do we want people to know at the end of this worship service? What do we want them to do as a result of coming to this service? What new habits do we want to encourage people to take on or consider as part of their Christian life?”
The type of music consistently chosen by a church helps create the culture of its Sabbath worship. And some congregations offer multiple services, each featuring a distinct musical style.
At Myers Park Presbyterian Church in
Charlotte, North Carolina, there are two 10 a.m. services: worship in the church’s Oxford Hall, which features more contemporary music, and worship in the sanctuary, where music is considered more traditional.
Josh Richard, the church’s communications director, regularly attends the Oxford Hall service, which he describes as more casual and a place where his young children can wander.
"In Oxford Hall, the music is led by a band, while in the sanctuary it's led by the choir and organ. One has my children dancing around, the other has them awe-struck by the big pipe organ,” said Richard. “Those expressions of worship
look different, but for us it’s one congregation worshiping the same God through the same scripture and the same message."
When it comes to types of music, the lines can sometimes be blurred because genres evolve. Today, Myers Park is grappling with how to define the distinction between the music offered at its two services more clearly.
On the worship page of its website, the church proclaims, “One body, many ways to worship.”
Today, there are generally three people who decide what music will be played at Myers Park: Cameron Moore, coordinator of contemporary worship and arts; Mark Kemp, director of worship
A young boy who attends First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Nebraska, finds the perfect spot to listen to the choir and congregation sing during worship earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Phil Odom.
arts, and Joe Clifford, the church’s pastor. All of the clergy and full-time music staff – seven pastors, two musicians – and Richard go on a worship planning retreat once a year and use a calendar of Sunday themes for sermons in the coming year to help them make decisions.
“The retreat gets us on the same page,” Clifford said.
“We each come and bring the best we have in our different realms together and in conversation,” Kemp explained. “Joe (Clifford) counts on me to know what best hymns and choral music fit. I count on Joe to help me know where Scripture is leading us in conversation. We count on Cameron to know what music from his genre is best.
“I think we can tell in worship when (the music) works. You can feel it.”
“Then we let God work through all of that to inform us what God is revealing to us that day.”
Kemp said sometimes the Scripture makes the musical elements obvious.
“This past Sunday, we were in Jonah, and I thought we needed to start worship conveying the power of God and creation, so we started with the hymn ‘The Mighty God of Power Speaks’ and then Tom, our organist, took that conversation and his introduction with the organ started with a big ascending riff. The people two pews in front of me jumped. It startled them into the moment. Then we all had a big grin as we sang of God’s power and creation and how God rules over all things.
“There are so many different ways to do this,” Kemp said. “That is where we depend upon the Spirit to guide us. All of these things are just music and noise when we don’t do it in the spirit of God and God’s guideship.”
Clifford said a good worship service was one where “the worship service had integrity and was cohesive and was successful in proclaiming the word from God that needed to be proclaimed. I think we can tell in worship when (the music) works. You can feel it.”
There is a contemporary and a traditional service at Bayside Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where Chi Yi Chen Wolbrink serves as director of music ministry.
Chi Yi, who sings and plays drums and keyboards, was once a choral associate at Princeton Seminary, where she worked alongside 25 international pastors and conducted a touring choir that visited different churches of various cultures every Sunday. This experience is part of the reason she is committed to including worship songs from around the globe in the service at Bayside.
“Also, I feel I’m really blessed because I’m teaching at Norfolk State University, and there is a lot of spiritual Negro music at the institution. We are blending that into our music too,” she said.
Raised in Taiwan, Chi Yi was also a member of the committee that selected the music included in “Glory to God,” the official Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) hymnal released in 2013, which gathers over 800 hymns, Psalms and spiritual songs from diverse traditions and musical styles.
When she’s choosing worship music for her own church, she asks the pastors questions such as, “Do you want to be quiet first, rejoice first? What is your flow? What music would help with better communication with the congregation?”
At Bayside, she said, “We are also very good with intergenerational involvement. We have children playing chimes and adults playing handbells.”
The church has a children’s choir, which Chi Yi views as one way to train children to participate in worship.
At White Memorial Presbyterian Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, the 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.services feature traditional music, accompanied by a choir, typically supported by organ and piano. At 10:45 a.m., there is the OnPoint@1704 service, described on the church’s website as “where music leadership is provided by our OnPoint@1704 Band. Acoustic instrumentation includes guitar, banjo, violin, Celtic whistles and more.” Eric Nanz, associate director of music and worship arts at White Memorial, said he tries to choose songs he believes people will enjoy singing.
“I feel like intentionally finding songs that are easy to learn and sing makes a big difference in congregational participation. Participation is so much better when you have singable songs,” said Nanz.
UNDERGIRDING THE WHOLE OF WORSHIP
The style of the music should not be the priority, said McNeill of Columbia Theological Seminary.
“The style for me should take a backseat to the theology,” McNeill said. “There are some contemporary songs with bad theology. There are also some traditional hymns with bad theology. Once you get past the style, what is it saying about God? As music directors, we are charged with the task of providing good theology before style.”
At Grace Covenant Presbyterian, where worship may begin with a drumming circle, there is intentionality about using global music to help shape their community.
“Our music at Grace Covenant is kind of a unique feature of the way we do worship, because we are focusing on decolonizing worship,” said Shoop.
Ray Landis, director of music ministries at Grace, said he tries to help the church create a culture where the music is not centered “on the western music traditions” where “language has become very patriarchal.”
Landis sometimes replaces words or composes new songs for service. In addition to drumming, rhythm instruments are sometimes passed out for anyone interested in using them. Lyrics are usually projected on a screen.
“We have noticed when people are not holding hymn books, they are more engaged with the music,” said Landis.
At Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, congregants stand, wave their hands and clap to the music in a very “un-Presbyterian way,” said Dot Killian, interim associate pastor at the church.
Killian also refers to the service as “very blended,” due to the merger of a predominantly Black congregation and a White congregation.
“Caldwell is a very emotive church,” she said. “It has a gospel choir, and they do a lot, along with hymns.”
But Killian has also brought in saxophonist Carl Ratliff from nearby Rock Hill, South Carolina, to play during service.
“I love jazz and found a lot of church folk do too,” Killian said. “I believe the music can undergird the sermon. It softens the heart. It opens a different door, and that’s what I’m aiming for.”
PATRICE GAINES is an elder at Allison Creek Presbyterian Church in York, South Carolina, where she occasionally preaches. She attended Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. Patrice is an author and former Washington Post reporter.
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What Outlook readers are listening to
We love a playlist here at the Outlook! So for this issue, we asked our readers to tell us what you’re listening to, and why. Here are some of your responses. Be sure to check out the playlist on Spotify by scanning this QR code:
All Things Shall Be Well
Words: Julian of Norwich; Music: Ken Jacobsen
WHY: This is one of many songs given to Ken in response to questions, challenges or grief. Simple, deep, reassuring they cut right to the soul, stengthen my faith and always give me the deep peace and uplift I need. As a pastor, I sing them for comfort and encouragement in rehab or hospice and at the gravesite. They are integrated into our liturgy for deepening the meaning of communion, and joyful celebration of birthdays and other passages. — Ela J. Robertson
Morning Has Broken Words:
Eleanor Farjeon; Recorded by Cat Stevens
WHY: I like songs that allow me to dream of a fair and caring world where “justice will roll like the waters and righteousness like a river that never fails,” as the Prophet Amos said. In good and not-so-good days, these songs speak to me in praise, petitions and prayers. One in particular is “Morning Has Broken.” It assures me that the Creator of the universe is still in charge, and reminds me that whether I wake up to a cloudy, rainy or sunny day, it is a new day that God created for me, just as he intended, morning, afternoon and night. — Neiva Rodrigues
One Day Song
Sung by 3,000 people (Muslim, Christian, Jewish and more from many countries)
WHY: We shared it during our online daily devotion this morning at Columbia Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia. — Tom Hagood
Unseen Song by Samara Jade
WHY: Samara Jade is a contemporary singer-songwriter based in the Appalachians near Asheville, North Carolina, who considers herself a folk troubadour. I first heard “Unseen Song” in an online session of chants led by Simon de Voil, an interfaith Scottish minister and musician who lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Its lyrics speak of “listening to the silence until it was no longer silence, but was filled with birdsong that had been there all along”; of “looking at the sunset until it was no longer sunset, but the sky grew darker and filled up with
stars that had been there all along.” She calls this the underlying unseen song. It speaks to me of hope — the beauty of the birdsong and the stars that are there even when we cannot see them. I love listening to the birds, and looking up at the stars at night, and it is hopeful to know that they are there even when not seen or heard. In our difficult times in this world, so many are or feel unseen. To think of each one as a song offers me hope. — Barbara Chaapel
My morning playlist:
What a Wonderful World, Imagine, Sound of Silence, At Last
WHY: The first three keep me grounded in what’s important outside the home. The fourth keeps me grounded in my marriage. — James Cruickshank
Artists: Brian Eno, Hollway, Matisyahu and Bruce Cockburn
WHY: I was a 21-year-old tentmaking missionary in Wuhan, China, when the CCP crushed student protests in 1989. Sent home early, I eagerly returned to find the oppressive pall of government crackdown. At home today, masked agents who disappear people into a gulag flanked by armed soldiers feels eerily similar. Every day anxiety rides high.
That’s why I listen to Brian Eno, Hollway, Matisyahu and Bruce Cockburn. These spiritually-minded artists connect with the unease deep in my bones and create uplifting sounds that speak to eternal truths.
— Kirk Baker
Sister Tilly by Natalie Merchant
WHY: The song is a celebration of strong, radical, young women of the ’60s and ’70s, including her mother and friends with a dedication to activist Joan Didion. It honors freedom of thought and spirit and is an inspiration for a reaction to the current political environment. — Susan Sheridan
Ripple by The Grateful Dead
WHY: Its words – “There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night” – speak to our
fractured time. The call to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God is never simple when division and the hatred of “the other” define so much of our politics. Yet the song holds out a vision of hope: “If I knew the way, I would take you home.” That line reminds me that even when the way forward is unclear, God still calls us to live by kingdom values of compassion, dignity and peace.
— Alan Constant
Light of a Clear Blue Morning
by Dolly Parton, Conspirare, Craig Hella Johnson
Doxecology an album by Resound Worship
WHY: While planning during this season of creation, I was introduced to this album of creation hymns. They are not only perfect reminders of whose we are (“God the Maker of the Heavens”) but also a call to action for each of us (“If the Fields are Parched”). I love finding songs that speak directly to my heart and encourage me to keep moving forward in my eco-justice work.
— Amy Remaklus
Hard Fought Hallelujah and Sevens by
Brandon Lake
— Anne HK Apple
WHY: When Hurricane Helene severed Western North Carolina from the world, we didn't know that our friend Elizabeth had been faithfully sending daily songs and hymns, trying to reach us through the silence. Her messages sat waiting in a digital limbo while we struggled without power or connection. The moment we found a signal to the outside world, her texts, like prayer, appeared like a lifeline — and there at the top was Dolly Parton's “Light of a Clear Blue Morning.” The song became a key, unlocking grief we'd been holding back from witnessing such unanticipated devastation. Elizabeth understood what we needed most — not just comfort, but music’s ability to dawn a remarkable sense of hope.
Sweet
Bunch by Andy C. Jenkins, featuring Matthew E. White
WHY: Several years ago, my husband introduced me to the music of Richmond, Virginia, artist Andy Jenkins. The title track of his 2018 album “Sweet Bunch” is a tribute to his friends, what he’s called an “anthem” for appreciating the people around him. Every time I hear it, I feel buoyed. These days, with so much difficult news and a constant sense of uncertainty, I often feel overwhelmed by how little control I have over the wider world. So I try to focus on what’s close to home, where perhaps I can make a difference. I think about my friends: the women I walk with in the early mornings, the ones I share wine and far too much cheese with at book club, the parents who show up at PTA meetings, and the neighbors who take the time to get involved in our church and neighborhood and city. When I think of them, I think of this song (the whole album, really), and it lifts me.
My, my, the girls are strong They’re strong as the sea Strong as the sea flows.
— Elizabeth N.H. Link
WHY: I remember hearing “Gratitude” by Brandon Lake during a time when I was questioning my purpose in my congregation. It really spoke to me about who is most important in the mission of the church and why we gather to worship. So I invested in listening to more of his songs. His new album came out earlier this year, and the songs above have been my mantra to fight any challenges I face with praise and hopeful expectations that my Lord will deliver on his promises. It’s times like these we are living in that we need to be reminded that it’s not always easy to follow Jesus (Luke 14:25-33), but in the end it is worth it.
— Briana Mayfield
On the Way by Hollow Coves
WHY: Last fall, I took a road trip with my sons. Of course, we made a playlist and as we headed West under that great big sky, we cranked up this tune and sang along, “I'll find my feet on the way.” The world feels messy and discouraging right now, but I am determined to find my feet on the way toward something better. Most of the lyrics really resonate with me: “Set my eyes on the wild and won't look back. I will follow where my heart reacts.” Maybe this is how we change the world. — Rev. Laura Bachmann
I Love You More Today by Spiral Starecase
All of
Me
by Willie Nelson
WHY: "I Love You More" is a prophetic proclamation about the love of God. And "All of Me" is a line for on-your-knees. — Harry Ogde
Holly Holy by Neil Diamond
WHY: I’m looking forward to seeing “A Beautiful Noise” when the Broadway show travels to Pittsburgh telling the story of Neil Diamond’s life. The song isn’t specifically
religious, but it resonates with my own spiritual journey. Like the steady bass line, spiritual growth often comes slowly, carried by the faithful rhythms of prayer, Scripture study, worship, and silence. There is hope that in the dead of night, we can call the sun — like Neil, and like all those who watch for the morning (Psalm 130:6).
I listen to contemporary Christian music which is relative to Scripture and life. One of my favorite songs is KING & COUNTRY — “What Are We Waiting For?”
It not only speaks to service, but why are we waiting to live our lives for Jesus.
— Donna Rahmann
Ordinary by
Alex Warren
WHY: From the simple opening guitar to the percussion to the vocals to the building anthem, whether I’m at my desk in my office or top-down motoring in the country, “Ordinary” tugs me heaven-ward. Warren has openingly shared this was written about his love for his wife, but his deeply-rooted faith blurs the lines Song of Songs-style. The longer I am in ministry, the more I hear God calling us to share the holy in the ordinary: the Celtic way of prayer in sweeping and housekeeping, how we witness God in acute presence when we notice a flower petal’s design or light breaking through clouds. Don’t miss it — even the mundane is a masterpiece.
— Jess Scholten
Oceans
by Hillsong United / Judith Bendersky
Holding on to You by
Twenty One Pilots
gives me hope for the journey we’re on together and “Heavy Foot,” debuted in July on the Grand Ole Opry Stage, issues a call for social justice and peace. If you listen to Mon Rovía, you’ll soon be singing along. — Matt Rich
If We Could Be Brave by Matt
Black
WHY: Matt Black finds beautiful and honest ways to sing stories about community and faith and life. His music reminds me deep in my soul that I’m not alone out here.
— Colleen Earp
Everything is Terrible and No One is Ok
by Matt Black
WHY: It reminds me that even though the world is hard and total depravity is real, there's still the possibility of joy and love when we do the work together. My favorite line is “love is real. We can prove it.” — abby mohaupt
Good Day by Flamy Grant
WHY: Her determination to claim God’s love in the face of so much crowd opposition is inspiring. She gives permission to sit or stand (or dance!) in the front pew, no matter what others say. It’s life-giving and a new family karaoke favorite. — Heather Wenzel Colletto
Artist Crystal Kay (クリスタル ケイ)
WHY: I recently went to her 25th anniversary tour concert with a friend. J-pop has been a musical love since high school. It was what my friend Misono bonded over as fellow Japanese Americans living in Virginia. — Crystal Varner Parker
Doo-ba-Zoo from the Bluey Dance Mode album
— Brent Gaines
WHY: I have been an avid Twenty One Pilots for over a decade now and I was introduced to the band shortly after my full conversion to Christianity. Even though they aren’t a “traditional” Christian band a lot of their music does reflect on faith in God and mental illness in a way that feels extremely genuine to me. I have a 13-year-old daughter who has grown up listening to them, and it has also been a great bonding experience for us listening to their music in the car together. This song has reminded me to always keep pushing through tough experiences while holding on to God for support.
Crooked the Road and Heavy Foot
by Mon Rovía
WHY: My daughter first introduced me to Mon Rovía. Born in Liberia during the country’s civil war, he lived as a refugee before being adopted by Christian missionaries and growing up in Tennessee. His music combines moving lyrics, warm vocals, and a contagious acoustic blend of indie-folk, AfroAppalachia, and “shoegaze” pop stylings. “Crooked the Road”
WHY: Being the parent of two kids means a lot of my time is spent listening to their choice of music. “Doo-ba-Zoo” is from an episode of “Bluey” called Housework, where the family is trying to complete some weekend chore, but the parents are distracted by the antics of their 4- and 7-year-old pups. Whether at home or in the back seat of the car, my kids LOVE acting out this episode. They nail it every time, and it cracks me up. In a world that feels so heavy, the light beats and bounces in this song lift me up; and the joy and laughter that bubbles up in my household from this song is a glimpse of the hope of the Divine in an otherwise “trifficult” time. — Jesy Littlejohn
Rapper as Psalmist (p.10)
John Molina-Moore
QUESTIONS:
1. What has been your experience with rap or hip-hop culture and music?
2. If you recognize any of the hip-hop artists named in the article, which one speaks most clearly to you as a psalmist or prophet?
3. If hip-hop music is an unfamiliar genre of music for you, to whom might you reach out to learn more?
4. How do you respond to the author’s assertion that hip-hop artists today play a role similar to that of the biblical prophets and psalmists?
5. Reread the section of the article titled “Filling in the gaps through hip-hop.” What are your thoughts about what the author writes? What is a question you would like to ask the author?
Glittery. Downhome. Prophetic (p.14)
Lindy Vogado
QUESTIONS:
1. Before reading this article, what were some of your impressions of Dolly Parton?
2. If you have listened to or downloaded songs by Dolly Parton, which ones are your favorites? What are the messages in those songs that resonate with you?
3. In the introduction and conclusion of the article, the author affirms that Dolly Parton “is a modern-day prophet.” To what extent do you agree with the author’s statement?
Or would you challenge that assertion?
4. Of the many humanitarian outreach efforts of Dolly Parton described in the article, which do you see as being the most impactful? How do those efforts reflect her character as a prophet?
5. The author describes the diversity of Dolly Parton’s fan base. What do you think it is about her character and her commitments that invite such a diverse audience to admire and follow her?
A reluctant voice of a generation (p.20)
Luke Esteban
QUESTIONS:
1. The article is introduced with quotes from a 1962 interview with Bob Dylan, featuring his song “Blowin' in the Wind.” If that song is familiar to you, what are some memories you have regarding the song? In what ways is that song an example of prophetic proclamation?
2. Also, related to “Blowin’ in the Wind,” what are some biblical passages you can think of that are reflected in that song?
3. The author writes of “‘Blowin’ in the Wind,’ ... the lyrics are vague enough for each person to draw conclusions — possibly one reason this song remains popular more than 60 years later.” What do you see as the value of persons being inspired to draw their own conclusions? How is this like interpreting Jesus’ parables?
4. What words of other songs by Bob Dylan could you see as prophetic proclamations?
5. What do you think it was about Bob Dylan’s career that led to him being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016?
Music in worship is “like a heartbeat” (p.26)
Patrice Gaines
QUESTIONS:
1. How would you describe the role of choirs, hymns, and musical instruments in the church where you worship? What do you like most and least in the music and worship of your church?
2. Of the several examples of churches’ worship services presented by the author, which one intrigues you the most? About which one would you like to know more?
3. How important is it for you that the hymns, anthems and special music selections be supportive of the biblical text for the sermon and/or the theme of the service?
4. The author quotes Joe Clifford, “A good worship service is where the worship service had integrity and was cohesive and was successful in proclaiming what word from God that needed to be proclaimed.” What thoughts and suggestions are prompted by that statement?
5. What are some worship practices described in the article that you think could be incorporated in your church’s worship as an experiment?
THE REV. DR. DONALD L. GRIGGS, a PC(USA) pastor, has served as associate minister for several congregations and is a former professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He has written many books featuring Christian education and Bible studies. His latest book is Growing in Faith and Practice, his memoirs of 65 years of educational ministry.
Kingdom
Racial Change
Overcoming Inequality, Injustice, and Indifference
By Michael A. Evans, David L. McFadden and Michael O. Emerson
Eerdmans, 184 pages
Published June 10, 2025
(T)he authors invite the possibility of changes at personal and collective levels, ranging from the individual (spiritual lives, close friendships and family ties) to the collective (repentance, reparations and repair), covering the importance of joining and creating social networks, organizations and social movements.”
BOOK IN REVIEW
Whena pastor, an academic and a medical doctor come together, it isn’t the opening of a joke — it’s to envision a radically different future where all God’s people can flourish. In Kingdom Racial Change, each man shares individual snippets from childhood, educational experiences and careers, before jointly drawing conclusions and offering guidance to help readers realign society with God’s desires.
“Kingdom Racial Change is the sum total of the processes that must occur for us to get back into biblical, godly alignment across racial groups,” they write, acknowledging that this is not for the faint of heart. Yet they come to the work from deep personal relationships and convictions. Michael Evans, a pastor, grew up between Detroit and Chicago’s southside, where he met his friend and co-author David McFadden, now a doctor practicing in Illinois. Together, they founded the Unity Men’s Group of Chicago, where they create opportunities for men from different racial and cultural backgrounds to become friends and eradicate “divisiveness and racism.”
The third author, Michael Emerson, brings his research interests as the Baker Institute’s Chavanne Fellow in Religion and Public Policy to bear on his personal narrative. While McFadden and Evans, both Black men, vulnerably offer stories of unfair treatment and systemic barriers to entry, Emerson, a White man, shares the story of his family's flight from Detroit into nearby suburbs and eventually to rural Minnesota. Following their stories, the authors invite the possibility of changes at personal and collective levels, ranging from the individual (spiritual lives, close friendships and family ties) to the collective (repentance, reparations and repair), covering the importance of joining and creating social networks, organizations and social movements.
The authors’ first-person narratives are a highlight, yet their reflections are, at times, heavy-handed. They write as if uncertain they are making their point clearly enough; the result of this anxiety is that readers already familiar with systemic racism will not find many new nuggets in Kingdom Racial Change. In my experience with predominately White, mainline churches, discussion of structural racism has been in the forefront over the last decade. While the authors do not offer remarkably new insights, they do share compelling narratives that may change the stony-hearted—those who have yet to recognize God’s hope of unity in the church.
Admittedly, the authors come from a more conservative theological tradition than my own, yet I would have been heartened by more theologically rich language about how Whiteness has been embedded in American Christianity. There are nods to the “Religion of Whiteness,” but the shout outs to these diseased theologies do not mine the depths of the problems within churches or political systems. The authors’ lack of engagement with the rich work of Willie James Jennings, Kelly Brown Douglas, Chicagoland’s own Brian Bantum is surprising. Despite these shortcomings, Kingdom Racial Change would be a strong starting point for church staff or small groups who have yet to encounter the entanglements of religion, race and policy. ◆
REVIEWED BY:
MADDIE GOLD, a
Ph.D. student at Loyola University Chicago in Integrated Studies in Ethics and Theology and a postulant pursuing priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago.
BOOK IN REVIEW
Hip-hop is a sacred practice. Full stop. Its sacredness lies in its ability to “tell it like it is.” Artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Clipse, JID, Doechii, and so many more have continued to cultivate the garden that is hip-hop in a world that often rejects and commodifies the genre. To call hip-hop sacred is not to place it in a church pew, but to recognize that it carries the weight of memory, survival and expression that has long defined Black cultural production.
As a Duke professor of religious studies and African and African American studies, Joseph R. Winters tries to situate the genre within the broader discourse of Black studies and critical religious thought, and in doing so, he blurs the lines between the sacred and the profane. Winters argues that traditional understandings of “the sacred” are wound up in the world of religion — meaningmaking that stems from a single group and often elevates itself over and against another. To be sacred is to be holy and pure, free from any blemish — and, implicitly, White. To be profane is the antithesis — a degraded category that one must avoid and be rescued from: Blackness. These categories reinforce one another, protecting a notion of holiness that depends on the exclusion of Black flesh.
Indebted to Charles Long (scholar of Black religion), Winters uses this world of signifying and significations to parse out a different existence that resists relegating Black flesh into profanity. Instead of identifying with the aforementioned dichotomy of sacred versus profane, he argues that the very existence of hip-hop disturbs the binary, just as Black flesh has. Winters begins with W.E.B. Du Bois and the sorrow songs of the enslaved. These songs did not function purely as simple religious order, but instead they gave the enslaved “a sound to keep alive, and re-express experiences of torment and loss; through dance, song, and surreptitious gatherings.” This expression and re-expression finds itself in gospel music, jazz, blues, art, prose, and – for the present work –hip-hop, with lyrics that ritualize “pouring out liquor in remembrance of the dead, calling out a deceased friend or family member, shouting-out loved ones who have been imprisoned, reenacting the death of those no longer present ... ”
While many in the field of Black religious studies speak only to the academy, Winters skillfully counteracts that tradition with language accessible to a broader audience. He speaks to the hip-hop head who wants to appreciate rappers’ deeper meanings and double entendres, and he broadens the perspective of churchgoers seeking the Divine in all areas of life. His work offers something for everyone – or at least for those who are willing to be disturbed by it.
In the end, Winters offers more than literary criticism or cultural analysis: he invites readers to reconsider where we locate the sacred and why certain lives and practices are labeled as profane. Hip-hop is not a threat to holiness but a witness to survival, grief and joy. It is a sacred practice precisely because it refuses to be contained. ◆
REVIEWED BY:
The Disturbing Profane
Hip-Hop, Blackness, and the Sacred
By Joseph R. Winters
Duke University Press, 208 pages
Published August 12, 2025
Instead of identifying with the aforementioned dichotomy of sacred vs. profane, he argues that the very existence of hip-hop disturbs the binary, just as Black flesh has.
JORDAN BURTON, a preacher, writer and theologian exploring the intersections of Black religion, critical theory and public life. He holds a B.A. from Wheaton College and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary and operates from a deep concern for how faith shapes identity, memory and liberation.
Dearly Beloved Prince, Spirituality & This Thing Called Life
By Pamela Ayo Yetunde
Broadleaf Books, 269 pages
Published April 22, 2025
Her colorful and imaginative writing draws on the language of the crucible and the cross, interrogating the way Prince’s lyrics not only define this “thing called life” but also how he guides his listeners to get through those same lives.
BOOK IN REVIEW
Members of the Prince reign-dom – critics, artists, theologians, and curious saints alike – will find themselves drawn to Dearly Beloved. Pamela Ayo Yetunde cleverly combines her deep knowledge of clinical therapy with Christian theology to explore the power of Prince’s music. Her colorful and imaginative writing draws on the language of the crucible and the cross, interrogating the way Prince’s lyrics not only define this “thing called life” but also how he guides his listeners to get through those same lives.
Yetunde’s writing comes with a warning: “This book is for grown folks who are open-minded and open-hearted for a body of artistic work dedicated to helping Prince art consumers resolve, simply put, the tensions between good and bad, God and Satan, intrapsychically and socially, politically and spiritually.” And so she begins to address these tensions in Prince’s work, exploring how his theology is expressed through his music, as any artist expresses themselves through their medium. Yetunde beautifully curates this body of work as if moving chronologically and methodically through a hallway of Prince’s life, drawing on her love of his music and the work she cultivated from her time at United Theological Seminary, where she founded the Theology of Prince project.
Yetunde asks us to reflect on the ways this “preacher” guides us in accepting that we are truly God’s “dearly beloveds,” and how to become “the best manifestation of us being Dearly Beloved.” Particularly intriguing is the way the author explores her concept of Prince as the priest and preacher of the boudoir, challenging our views of sexuality vs. sanctity. In his sanctuary, Prince as preacher teaches his devotees to learn to love themselves and to consider all forms of love –physical, mental and spiritual – as we aim for the ultimate achievement of agape love, or God’s total and unconditional love for us.
It is in this final point that Yetunde’s multidisciplinary approach is particularly effective. She speaks first from her personal experience of Prince’s music as a college student, builds on her clinical knowledge as a therapist, and draws parallels between the healing that is an outcome of her work and Prince’s message. She relates Prince’s activism in the Black community to her personal experiences as a Black woman, making great use of the intersection between her life experiences and the theological critique of Prince’s body of work. And she tells us of Prince’s past, and how he rises above hurts and pains with his writing, music-making and performance of his art.
Yetunde’s belief that we, too, can find support for our healing in Prince’s music is supported by the spiritual practices that fill her work. She offers questions that turn over the soil of mental state, encouraging us to reflect on these questions and to find in Prince’s lyrics ways to reconcile ourselves with God. She invites us to be transported through our “controversies” and baptized in the “Purple Rain” as we travel across “Graffiti Bridge” – all to get through this “thing called life” and find ourselves “Dearly Beloved” in the presence of God. Reading Dearly Beloved – and listening to Prince’s soundtrack along the way – is a life-giving opportunity to reflect upon Prince’s lyrics and artistry as we work toward our own healing and belovedness. ◆
REVIEWED BY: THE REV. LLEWELLYN DIXON, an ELCA pastor at Jubilee! Faith Community Church. He lives in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and enjoys preaching, teaching and woodworking.
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Finding resilience, joy and our identity in Jesus Christ
LESSON 4: Luke 15:11-32: The Prodigal Child, the Eldest Child and the Devoted Parent
It was an ordinary class about the Gospel of Luke. We were in Chapter 15, where we encountered the three parables about lost things: a sheep, a coin and a child. When we read the Parable of the Prodigal Son, some class members were incensed, making comments like:
“It isn’t fair that the reprobate child gets a party. Where is the justice here?”
“The younger child doesn’t seem repentant. He only wants a way out of his poverty.”
“The father is playing favorites. The son is just a spoiled brat!”
The story taps into the sibling rivalry that often exists in our own families. We may have harbored resentments about siblings. We may have known being valued differently by our parents. The funny child or the studious child may have had first place in our parents’ evaluations. The quiet child might have been overlooked.
I identified with the prodigal child. In college, it was not that I was a party animal. Nor was I promiscuous and running through money quickly. But after graduation, I felt lost. What was I to do with my life? Did I matter? What did God want with me? I was working in a cheese shop, stocking and learning the differences between Parmesan, Camembert and Gouda. I read during the slow times and thought that there must be more to life than this.
One Sunday morning, the text was Luke 15:11-32, and the sermon engrossed me. When the preacher reached the part where the father ran out to greet the returning son, the pastor came down from the pulpit and rushed into the pews. At that moment, I felt claimed by God’s love. It changed my life.
The context for the parable is found in Luke 15:1. The religious leaders were probably raised with the proverbs, “Birds of a feather flock together” or, “You shall be known
by the company you keep.” The leaders were shocked that Jesus would have disreputable people among those to whom he taught and with whom he ate. Jesus responds with the parable about the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost child. The lost are those separated from those to whom they belong. The sheep is far from the seeking shepherd. The coin is separated from the searching woman. The child is removed from the parents’ love. The parables use three images for the God figure: a shepherd, a woman and a parent. The response to finding that which is lost is joy in heaven. Jesus tells us that there is much rejoicing over even one sinner who repents.
In Luke: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, Fred Craddock writes, “Finding and restoring the lost gives pleasure to God as well as to all who are about God’s business. But this joy is also the offense of the gospel ... Throwing a party for a reprobate? Would it not be better for him, a better witness to the neighbors, a better demonstration of the righteousness of God if he were taught a lesson he would never forget?”
The older child no doubt has the same feelings about justice. But he is just as lost as his brother and cannot see his parents’ love for him. When the inheritance was divided to give a third to the younger sibling and twothirds to the older, as was customary, the parent was bestowing abundance. As the parent runs out to greet the wayward child, so too does the parent go out to the elder.
We tend to make the parable about who is worthy to be loved by the parents. But it is rather about the lavish goodness of God, who rejoices when the lost are found and embraced as family. When we are invited to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus invites us to come as we are, not having earned a place at the table but simply welcomed by God’s abundant love ◆
THE REV. ROSALIND BANBURY has served in small, medium and large congregations, and she has a heart for faith formation. She is now retired.
CLASSIFIEDS
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
National Presbyterian Church (Washington, D.C.) seeks an Associate Pastor for discipleship and Christian formation (Stated Supply.) The Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Christian Formation serves to glorify God by leading and shaping the church’s efforts in spiritual growth and Christian formation across all ages and life stages. This pastoral role provides vision, leadership, and care through a wide range of ministries – including small groups, adult education, family and youth programming, and leadership development – designed to cultivate deeper discipleship and integrate faith into daily life.
Reporting to the head of staff and working closely with various church committees, this position supervises key ministry staff, oversees curriculum and formation initiatives, and regularly engages in preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and worship leadership.
Submit applications – inclusive of a resume, statement of faith, references, URLs of sermons, and a signed copy of the Biblical Standards for Christian Leadership – to npcassociatepastor@gmail. com. Questions can be submitted to the same address. Learn more at nationalpres.org/jobs
FULL TIME SOLO PASTOR
Presbyterian Kirk in the Pines, located in the gated community of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, seeks a Full-time Solo Pastor to serve a vibrant congregation of 170 members. Caring, nurturing, and welcoming, the Kirk is characterized
by joyful worship, Christ-centered community outreach, loving fellowship, growthful educational opportunities of varying kinds, and an acclaimed music program.
Hot Springs Village, situated 20 miles from the city of Hot Springs and 40 miles from the state capital of Little Rock, offers an extraordinary array of recreational and service opportunities to its primarily retired residents. It’s often said that if one wishes to initiate an activity in the Village, all he or she has to do is ask for volunteers.
We seek a dynamic, outreachoriented leader with strong pastoral skills. A commitment to engaging other faith leaders in the broader community is desired, as we believe there is ample opportunity to light the way for others in the Village. Information about this position can be found at bit.ly/KirkPastor. For additional information, please visit our website, kirkinthepines. org, or contact Randy Toney, PNC Chair, at 225-573-6493.
FULL-TIME ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Few re searching for a FullTime Associate Pastor in the respected, vibrant Chicago suburb of Deerfield, Illinois. Join an experienced ministry team in leading a church that is ready to celebrate 150 years of faithfulness and service. We are searching for a collaborative leader, drawn by Christ, who is excited about the Church becoming and will help fulfill the promise of this new position. A strong, joyful, and theologically progressive congregation is ready to enthusiastically welcome you. Apply to: TAPNC@firstpresdf.org
INSTALLED PASTOR(S) — preferred OR INTERIM OR
STATED SUPPLY PASTOR will also be considered First Presbyterian Church of Barre, Vermont, is a Matthew 25 congregation searching for a Full-time, Solo Pastor or Clergy Couple. We are looking for someone who will shepherd our dedicated and loving congregation of around 94 members. We seek the minister whom God has chosen to lead us. As a church, we are characterized by our outreach, openness, inclusiveness, and our justice-focused activities. Barre is known for its granite industry, panoramic mountain views, bucolic natural scenery, and great residential neighborhoods. We are located in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont, near to many outdoor recreation facilities. Barre is just seven miles from the state capital and 45 minutes via interstate from Burlington, the state’s largest city, which has an international airport. We seek (a) dynamic, visionary minister(s) with strong pastoral skills. Our future pastor(s) must be willing to engage in the life of our congregation and community. We offer a competitive salary and benefits. Our MDP can be found on the CLC website: clc.pcusa.org/ mdp/11532/view/. For additional information, please visit our website, fpcbarre.org or contact Diane Nichols-Fleming, PNC Chair, at 802-371-8350.
FULL-TIME SOLO PASTOR
First Presbyterian Church Durango is hiring a welcoming church in the beauty of the Rocky Mountains of Southwest Colorado we seek to
know Jesus, live in the Spirit and join in the Father’s work. Learn more about us at fpcdurango.org. Send inquires to admin@fpcdurango.org
PASTOR
Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, Silver Spring, Maryland. We are seeking a Pastor to shepherd our multicultural congregation located in the suburbs of our nation’s capital. We are accustomed to scripturally based sermons. It’s a great area to live! Join us in ministry! Please view our MDF at clc.pcusa.org
FULL-TIME PASTOR/ HEAD OF STAFF
The congregation of First Presbyterian Church, Jefferson City, Missouri, defines our church as a family of faith together, animated by a breath of fresh air all around, headed in the right direction, joyful in worship, and passionate about mission. Our most distinguishing characteristic is an emphasis on mission: with four international mission projects, a strong and diverse preschool, a Sunday Night Live Worship Service and meal for the community, and involvement with shared missions in downtown Jefferson City, which is exhilarating and enlivening. We think you might be caught up in the vibrancy of the church and want to join us in moving forward in the hope to be God’s blessing in our community. See our MDP on the CLC site; see us@fpcjcmo.org; inquiries and resumes welcome.
INSTALLED PASTOR
Bandon is a small, rural coastal town on the beautiful southern coast of Oregon. Many people who have moved here do so after visiting Bandon and decide this is a great place to live.
FPC is a small (approximately 50) active congregation. The majority of our members are retired. FPC is an active, mission-oriented congregation. Some of our mission activities include: hunger, survival kits, chemotherapy bags, and more. Detailed job description; MDP #12545 on the CLC site. Please send inquiries and resumes to marjenem@frontier.com Bandon COC - bandon.com/
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
United Presbyterian Church is seeking an Associate Pastor to lead intergenerational missional outreach and focused ministry with middle and high school youth and young adults. We are a multigenerational, inclusive community. Flexibility, collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurial leadership and a sense of call (or demonstrated experience working) with youth and young adults preferred. For more information, view our MDP at bit.ly/UPCAssociate
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF VERO BEACH,
FLORIDA is seeking an ordained Associate Pastor with 2-5 years of experience. This person will be generalist in supporting the senior pastor with all aspects of ministry within our church including but not limited to preaching, small groups, Bible studies, supporting the Deacons, fellowship gatherings, congregational care and committee meetings as well as other church activities as needed. First Presbyterian of Vero Beach is a strong community church with our vision statement of ... Building Faith, Changing Lives, and Sharing Christ. For further information please see church website: firstpresvero.org Resume submission contact: ginnyb@firstpresvero.org. c/o APNC
BENEDICTORY
A song of prophetic hope
Alex Evangelista
THE REV. ALEX EVANGELISTA (he/ him) pastors Pine Shores Presbyterian Church in Sarasota, Florida, equipping disciples for joyful, collaborative, and justice-seeking ministry. A Salvadoran Latinx pastor, he is pursuing a D.Min. at Columbia Theological Seminary, focused on the effectiveness of anti-racism policies in Matthew 25 Presbyteries.
There’s a song that has always lived in our bones.
A song like Miriam’s, who danced beside liberation’s waters. A song like Hannah’s, whose voice rang out when power was overturned. A song like Mary’s, whose Magnificat shook empires and made space for the lowly. A song like the Psalmist’s, lamenting, protesting, hoping, blessing.
This is the tradition in which today’s music prophets sing. From Bob Dylan’s weary warning floating in the wind to Dolly Parton’s twang carrying the ache and hope of the working poor, from Doechii’s fierce authenticity as a rebellion against a suppressing world, To Kendrick Lamar’s defiant trust that if God got us, we gon’ be alright.
They sing against silence. They sing against erasure. They sing to say, We are still here. To say, This world is not yet what it should be, but God is still at work.
Howard Thurman once wrote, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive … Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Music does that — it makes you come alive.
In moments when power tries to co-opt culture, when truth is twisted and marginalized voices are told to stay quiet, we remember that music cannot be muzzled. We recall that the psalms were not just lullabies; they were protests.
They were the deep wails of grief and the foot-stomping shout of praise. They were the whole range of human emotions held by the face of God.
The same is true now.
Modern-day music prophets are not just artists. They are witnesses. They carry the ministry of melody: truth-telling through bass lines, grief in rhythm, liberation in lyrics.
They remind us that art is not a luxury, but a testimony.
So as you go, go listening.
Let your spirit be stirred by the songs around you, and let them move you toward mercy.
Let them agitate you toward justice.
Let them comfort you when the world is heavy.
And may the God who sang the stars into existence, the Christ whose birth was announced in Mary’s protest song, and the Spirit who still hums in the voices of the unheard, go with you, sustain you, and teach you to sing.
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