A Celebration of Music, Ministry, and the Miraculous

Every year, our Christmas Concert helps us experience the joy and meaning of Christmas through music. It brings to life the angel’s message—“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace”—in new and profound ways. This year’s concert did exactly that. The powerful voices, the blend of choir and instruments, and the carefully chosen music all came together beautifully, a testament not only to musical excellence but also to spiritual care and creative vision.

At the center of all of this stands Matt, whose gifts go far beyond being a gifted musician. As our Director of Music and Arts, he leads the Sanctuary Choir, Chamber Chorale, Vesper Bells, Quad City Youth Choir, and the Justice Choir of the Midwest. He also guides our Performing Arts Series and helps shape one of the most vibrant and active church music ministries in our region.

But what makes Matt’s leadership deeply pastoral and profoundly theological is why he does what he does.

Music is, of course, an art form. But in the context of our shared life in Christ, it becomes something even more holy. It is a form of prayer. It is a means by which our hearts are shaped and transformed. It is a language of lament and of praise—often in the same breath. It carries the weight of sorrow and yet the lightness of hope. In this way, our Christmas Concert becomes more than a performance: it becomes a sacrament of sound, an offering of beauty that points us to the divine mystery we proclaim at Christmas.

Matt leads with this theology at the core. His belief that music is not merely entertainment, but a vehicle of grace is evident in every rehearsal he leads with patient care, every detail he refines with servant heart, and every invitation he extends to people to join the First Pres community to lift voices in praise. Through his work, the arts become a place where spiritual presence is felt, where the community gathers, and where the good news of Christ’s birth is proclaimed not just with words, but with beauty that opens the soul.

In a season that can feel loud and overwhelming, Matt helped create space for quiet reflection, joyful praise, and a renewed sense of the wonder of Emmanuel—God with us. His dedication to excellence, collaboration, and inclusivity in our music ministry echoes the gospel’s call to welcome all God’s people into safe and sacred space.

So today, as the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church of Davenport, I celebrate Matt Bishop—not only for the hours of preparation and artistic direction he invested in the Christmas Concert—but for the spiritual depth he brings to our church’s life. His work reminds us that when we lift our voices together, we participate in a tradition that stretches across time and space: the faithful chorus of all creation, singing Gloria in Excelsis Deo.

Thank you, Matt, for leading us once again in song, in worship, and in wonder.