Cooper and Sarah
We have always loved church music: we first met in a church choir, and during the years of our marriage have spent a good deal of our time together participating in choirs, singing through old hymnals, or (for Cooper) working as a church music director.
In 2013, we decided to begin writing hymns together in an effort to add to the range of musical options that speak to the realities, complexities, and challenges for many modern-day Christians. To begin this new endeavor, Sarah sought to write a song text each week that was based on the lectionary readings and the sermons given by their pastors. Cooper, in turn, selected the song texts that caught his imagination and worked to write a fitting melody within a musical style he felt matched the content of the words.
Our congregation is also part of our story. Its involvement in social justice issues and in many ministries that center on care of creation – a focus made more salient due to our location in the Pacific Northwest—have influenced our writing. In turn, our hymns include strong references to the beauty and wonder of creation and to our call to live boldly in a manner that strives to reflect Christ’s teachings and example.