Authors: Tammy-Jo Mortensen


July 24, 2025

In this issue, we are exploring how worship gets planned and reviewed, along with best practices. Like me, you have probably experienced worship planning and evaluation in many different ways. How worship comes together, including the music, depends on context. How large is the pastoral charge? How big is the...

Author(s)
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Blog
February 15, 2025

“Those who sing, pray twice.” This phrase is often attributed to St. Augustine, and the sentiment is a good one! As we birth a new hymnal in The United Church of Canada and celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary, I have been reflecting on congregational song in the past century. Hymn...

Author(s)
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Blog
January 21, 2025

For years, the music leaders’ edition of Voices United has been out of print. Some of the most helpful material in that edition included the performance suggestions and the history of the music or text. Now, we are entering all that information into GatheringWorship.ca! You will be able to search...

Author(s)
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Blog
October 24, 2024

This year in Gathering, we are pleased to be celebrating the milestone 100th anniversary of The United Church of Canada with many special articles, prayers, pieces of music, and texts! The United Church of Canada has been on the cutting edge of many things over its lifetime—including wonderful hymn writing...

Author(s)
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Blog
August 28, 2024

Like Susan Lukey’s favourite word ("Favourite Liturgical Words", Gathering, Pentecost 2, 2024) — asperges, not to be confused with asparagus—my favourite word also seems food-like: the word is macaronic and should not be confused with macaroni! While not specifically liturgical, the word macaronic is associated with music in the church...

Author(s)
Tammy-Jo Mortensen
Blog