When I think about the making music by man in his home, his school, or his church, I inevitably find my thoughts wandering to the other great, mysterious creatures of God’s world who also make music, music which is continuous and which is great. The music of the angels, we are told, is devoted to the […]
This is the first half of a chapter in Sing a New Song, a new book that covers the topics of psalm singing in history, psalm singing in Scripture, and psalm singing and the twenty-first-century church. Among the contributors are W. Robert Godfrey (foreword), Joel R. Beeke, Terry Johnson, D. G. Hart, Derek Thomas, and […]
This is the second half of a chapter in Sing a New Song, a new book that covers the topics of psalm singing in history, psalm singing in Scripture, and psalm singing and the twenty-first-century church. Among the contributors are W. Robert Godfrey (foreword), Joel R. Beeke, Terry Johnson, D. G. Hart, Derek Thomas, and […]
In 1999, the Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee formed in 1997 was given the mandate to work on a new URCNA hymnal. Finally, after thirteen years, the Hymn Proposal [HP] was presented by the committee for approval by the 2010 Synod. The preface states: “While the final collection of songs will be Psalms and hymns, this […]
Christians do not believe in change just for the sake of change. We accept change when it is beneficial, but do not make it our goal. We believe in God. He is the eternal unchanging God Who is forever faithful to His Word, to His children and especially to His church. Therefore, we must be […]
In this third article of the series analyzing the Hymn Proposal [HP], I will look at some of the hymns of the blue Psalter [PH] that have been drastically changed in the HP. The title of the cover page of the HP is: “The Hymn Proposal presented by The Psalter Hymnal Revision Committee of the […]
There are a lot of questions swirling around URC circles about the new songbook and the committee’s work on the hymnal. The proposed new hymnal is intended to be just that: a new hymnal! We understand that some might wish this to be a replicated Blue Psalter Hymnal. The committee, however, is working from the […]
November 3, 2011. It is day three of three. The room is dark. The west-facing windows pull hard to draw in the first rays of morning light. The aroma of fresh coffee fills the room. The only hint that the early morning hostess has already been there is the baking she has set out to […]
What do you think of the OPC and URCNA’s proposed Psalter Hymnal? As the URCNA synod faces the final vote on a nearly twenty-year-long project, across our federation it seems as though the jury is still out. Many ministers, musicians, and members are optimistic that a new book will bring new life to singing in […]