We lift up the psalms to God as our prayers. We borrow the language of these ancient texts, and they become our works. We are not secondhand recipients of God’s word but communicants actively in conversation with God. What seems to set the Psalms apart from the rest of Scripture is their sacramental nature, their unique ability to mold and transform the believer. The Psalter for Christian Worship reclaims the Psalms for congregational worship with new texts set to familiar hymnal tunes. Thi...
The Christian practice of hymn singing, says renowned biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann, is a countercultural act. It marks the Christian community as different from an unforgiving and often ungrateful culture. It is also, he adds, an "absurd enterprise” in the midst of the hyper-busy, market-driven society that surrounds us. In this helpful and engaging volume, Brueggemann discusses both why we sing and what we sing. The first part of the book examines the Psalms and what they can teach us ab...
Despite the presence of many beautiful Advent songs in many of our hymnals, most of us would prefer to skip right to singing our favorite Christmas carols. But in our rush to get to the joy of Christmas, we forget what Advent is all about-watching and waiting for the coming of a promised king.It is not about shopping, partying, gift wrapping, and vacationing. It is about resting, trusting, praying, and seeking. Through the words of moving Advent hymns and the powerful words of Scr...
This collection contains sixty-two psalm settings and eighteen canticles selected from The Psalter: Psalms and Canticles for Singing, published by Westminster/John Knox Press in 1993, that may be easily sung by a choir. Most of the settings are for SATB voices,although unison settings that may be effectively sung by a choir are also included.This choir edition makes it possible for more churches to use the Psalter. It provides an important resource for singing the psalms and is an a...
Few can argue with the power of music to touch the heart. Voices shared in worshipful song allow us to honor God in a truly beautiful way. In Hymns for Today, renowned hymn writer Brian Wren helps us understand why this is so. Wren surveyed hundreds of hymns written since the 1960s to compile this discussion of forty hymn poems and to share the insights they provide for Christian faith. These contemporary hymns are analyzed for how they express Christian faith and traditional themes ...
This book contains texts for forty-five contemporary hymns on a wide variety of topics--biblical stories, the church, and seasons and special occasions in the church year. Well-known hymn tunes are suggested for each hymn and a brief commentary section provides interesting background. The volume contains a full range of indexes, making it usable in a variety of settings.
In this in depth look at hymns, Brian Wren explores the theological significance of congregational song, asks how music has meaning for its singers, and considers the importance of contemporary worship music. He argues that a hymn is a complex art form, deserving of recognition and study for its contributions to worship, education, and pastoral care.
A Singing Faith is a book of inspiring hymns composed by renowned hymn writter Jane Parker Huber. It includes an introduction in which Huber discusses her songwriting process, commentaries on the hymns, and a topical index.
