Sing For Joy

Sacred Music and Commentary Radio Program produced at St. Olaf College Accomplished members of the St. College Pastor Bruce Benson is writer and host.
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Heard by thousands of listeners over 150 communities nationwide, Sing For Joy has a simple mission: to provide music and commentary that will support the church in evangelism and worship. Through sacred choral music and thoughtful commentary, the program prepares listeners for worship and reinforces their worship experience. A defining trait of Sing For Joy is basing each week's music on the scrip

tural lessons specified in the common lectionary. This three-year cycle of readings has become the basis for worship in the services that a majority of churchgoers in America attend. The musical performances eloquently "do the talking," while the host's concise comments illuminate the meaning of the texts. Olaf College community share chief responsibility for Sing For Joy's content. Professor of Music John Ferguson and Producer and Music Director Jeff O'Donnell oversee the selection of music. Together, this team continues the tradition and mission of Sing For Joy first established over 50 years ago.

10/31/2024

Natalie Sleeth’s lovely “Hymn of Promise” is the perfect antidote to sadness you may feel over the ending of a good season, be it in the year or in life. Rev. Alexandra Jacob’s reflection on this hymn and the changing of the liturgical year is in the November newsletter - link in profile.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-11

10/29/2024

Singing “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” while enjoying a brew may just be the best way to close out the month of October! Tune in to this week’s program for Reformation Sunday music — link in profile. [Photo courtesy of Rev. Alexandra and Andy Jacob, who know first-hand the joy of a solid beer and hymn pairing.]

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-10-27

10/07/2024

A perfect pairing: listening to this week’s SFJ program while reading Rev. Alexandra Jacob’s host letter in the October newsletter. Both explore Psalm 8 and celebrate the gifts of God’s good creation. You hit the trifecta if you listen to sfj and read the newsletter while camping! 🏕️ 🎵 📖 Link to the October newsletter in profile.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-10

09/16/2024

Hear these words by Sylvia Dunstan set to music by John Ferguson on this week’s Sing For Joy program. Rev. Alexandra Jacob also reflects on the hymnody of Sylvia Dunstan in the September newsletter — link in profile.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-09

08/26/2024

Hear the old American hymn “Blessed Assurance” (and more!) this week on SFJ. Boe Chapel is home to many students who are heading to campus to continue, or start, their own stories on the Hill! Good luck to everyone transitioning to the school-year routine in the weeks ahead. Link to this week’s program in profile.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-08-25

08/02/2024

The Sing For Joy August newsletter is live! This month Rev. Alexandra Jacob reflects on her time at a church conference in the mountains of North Carolina, and how the theme “Lead Us Homeward” resonates with her — and perhaps will resonate with you as well! (Spoiler alert: “Blessed Assurance” is on her list! What’s on yours?)
🔗 Link to newsletter in our profile.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-08

07/15/2024

As SFJ Music Director Andrew Jacob shares in the July newsletter, there are two very different musical settings of the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” on this week’s program. Each one colors the text in a different way. Which one do you prefer?
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-07-14

07/02/2024

Tune in to Sing For Joy this week for some comforting and familiar hymns, like "Children of the Heavenly Father" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." Sunday may be past, but on SFJ we listen to good sacred choral music all week long!

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-06-30

06/27/2024

How do the host and music director of SFJ spend their summer? Why, traveling to Montreat, NC for the Worship and Music Conference, held by the Presbyterian Association of Musicians, of course!

Rev. Alexandra Jacob says, "It’s been fun for us to meet Sing For Joy listeners from all over the country and the world. A favorite moment was meeting a listener who lives in Taiwan!"

We hope your summers are also filled with adventure, community and of course, MUSIC!

06/09/2024

June 9, 2024: Time After Pentecost — Lectionary 10 (Year B)
Join us on SFJ as we hear musical expressions of Psalm 130, including a haunting cello in John Rutter’s “Requiem: Out of the Deep,” and other music for this week in the church year.
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-06-09

06/04/2024

The Sing For Joy June Newsletter is now live! Come read Rev. Alexandra Jacob's reflection on parables and learn about a seminary exercise that might inspire you to find your own "parable moments" as we head into the summer months!
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-06

06/02/2024

This Sunday, churches will hear a story of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. Join us this week for Sing For Joy, where we'll hear music for that story and other scripture texts for the week.

https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-06-02

05/29/2024

This week in Christian churches, worshipers celebrate Trinity Sunday, affirming the doctrine of one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This week at SFJ we are also celebrating Rev. Alexandra and Andrew Jacob, as Trinity Sunday marks two full years since they joined the SFJ team as host and music director.

If you have not donated to SFJ yet this spring, now is the perfect time to give! We are in our final week of our spring fund drive and in need of your support!

https://stolaf.alumniq.com/giving/to/singforjoy

Photo credit: Saint Paul Area Synod, ELCA

05/18/2024

Hello Sing For Joy listeners, from all of us at the Sing For Joy visioning meeting this past week where we had in-depth conversation about how we can continue to bring you the best in sacred choral music and reflection each week of the church year in a way that is accessible, welcoming and inspiring.

We are halfway through the spring fund drive and haven't yet made it halfway to our goal of $12,000. If you have the means to give this spring, it would mean a lot to us -- and listeners everywhere -- so that we can continue doing this important work. Our spring drive runs through May 31.
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/donate/drives.html

05/08/2024

Did you know, when you give $30 or more to Sing For Joy during the month of May we will send you a SFJ sticker that is perfect for water bottles and laptop covers? Here's a peek inside Rev. Alexandra Jacob's office where she can be found sporting her new stickers! Tag us in your photos so we can see your stickers in action! We hope this small token of appreciation will remind you of all the Sing For Joy music and messages that stick with you throughout the entire year.
https://stolaf.alumniq.com/giving/to/singforjoy

05/02/2024

Have you ever listened to a great sacred choral piece on Sing For Joy and found yourself thinking about it later in the week or year? What is it about sacred choral music that sticks with us long after the voices fade? There is something enduring in music, much like the flowers of spring that feed our spirit through the winter, and that is precisely why we continue to do the work of bringing Sing For Joy to your ears year round.
.. and why we need your support today! It's the start of our spring fund drive, and to show our gratitude for your gifts, we will send a water bottle / laptop cover sticker to everyone who gives $30 or more during the month of May!

https://stolaf.alumniq.com/giving/to/singforjoy

04/27/2024

The Sing For Joy May Newsletter is now live! Come read about one of Rev. Alexandra's favorite quotes in all of hymnody, which is part of a fourth-century canticle, the Te Deum Laudamus, sometimes associated with Trinity Sunday:
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/read/letter/2024-05

04/20/2024

April 21, 2024
Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." So begins the well-loved twenty-third psalm, the focus of this week's Sing For Joy program. Join us to hear musical settings of the psalm and more.
https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2024-04-21

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http://singforjoy.org/

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Videos

April 9, 2023, Resurrection of Our Lord — Easter Day (Year A) "This week on Sing For Joy, we will finally celebrate the joyful day of Easter! Join us for music that leads us into this season of new life." -Rev. Alexandra Jacob https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2023-04-09

April 7, 2023, Good Friday (Year A) "On this week's special Good Friday episode of Sing For Joy, we join Christians across the world in remembering the day of Jesus' death on the cross. Join us as we hear music for this day in the life of the Church." -Rev. Alexandra Jacob https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2023-04-07

April 2, 2023, Sunday of the Passion — Palm Sunday (Year A) "This week, Christian congregations across the globe will celebrate Palm Sunday, the day of Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the start of Holy Week. Join us on Sing For Joy as we hear music for this important day in the life of the Church year." -Rev. Alexandra Jacob https://www.stolaf.edu/singforjoy/listen/2023-04-02