Paul Westermeyer

Dr. Paul Westermeyer is emeritus professor of church music at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he taught, served as the cantor, and directed the Master of Sacred Music degree program with St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Prior to coming to Luther Seminary he was professor of music at Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Ilinois, where he chaired the Music Department, directed the college choir and oratorio chorus, and taught courses in church music, hymnody, and worship. Westermeyer is an ordained Lutheran pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a graduate of Elmhurst College, Lancaster Theological Seminary (BD), the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York (MSM), and the University of Chicago (MA, PhD).

Last Updated: September 11, 2025

Resources by Paul Westermeyer

Worshiping God As We Are

God's Glory Jesus Christ as High Priest Priesthood of Believers

December 3, 2003

Isn’t it self-evident that we worship God with who we are? Not really. In the medieval period priests and singers performed before silent spectators. And at the Reformation Ulrich Zwingli “conducted a monologue in the presence of a completely silent congregation” (Howard Hageman, Pulpit and Table, p. 120). There’s not much difference between those two practices. The people could watch or listen, but who they were was omitted.

Read The Article

Paul Westermeyer

Resources by Paul Westermeyer

Worshiping God As We Are

Reformed Worship Resources in Your Inbox