In the 30 years since the publication of the blue hymnal, there has been an explosion of hymn-writing across the globe. Thirteen percent of the hymnal’s contents originate from musical traditions whose songs were not available to the compilers of prior Presbyterian collections. In fact, music from six continents is represented in the book; texts and tunes from Asia, Africa, Australasia, and Latin America now complement the hymns and carols we have long loved to sing from the United States and Europe.
Of course, it depends on what it is, but most likely it is. The two most-loved hymns currently in the US, Blessed Assurance and Amazing Grace are there. So are How Great Thou Art, Fairest Lord Jesus, This is My Father’s World, Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee, and Holy, Holy, Holy. In fact, two-thirds of the contents of the blue book are also in Glory to God.
In any hymn about God, our PCUSA Statement on Language reminds us, we are attempting to sing of “the one whose ways and thoughts are as beyond human speech as the heaven is higher than the earth (Isa. 55:8).” Hence none of our words— whether an author’s originals or a committee’s alterations—can ever be fully adequate. Yet drawing on God’s revelation in Scripture to test the spirits of any human creation or re-creation, we do our best to sing boldly and faithfully. Glory to God!
Ultimately, one of the most important reasons for producing new hymnals is to provide access to ongoing inspiration. We worship with new sounds, instruments, and rhythms. The gospel has taken root in cultures that embrace different musical practices. Much of the global church’s song is a single-line melody and is not accompanied by piano, organ, or praise band. Singing in unison unifies and strengthens our voice. Using appropriate indigenous instruments such as African drums, beaded gourds, maracas, flutes, tambourines, or finger cymbals adds new dimensions to our sound.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed at the plight of the earth, immobilized in the face of environmental disaster, powerless in the grip of immense economic and ecological forces. Jesus counsels us not to be consumed with worry but to “strive first for the kingdom of God” (Matt. 6:33). In this same passage (Matt. 6:25–33), Jesus cites the examples of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, on earth as in heaven which are kept always in God’s loving care.
Contemporary hymns and songs affirm this abiding hope while also giving voice to our calling to serve God’s purpose for creation; some of these in Glory to God include “Today We All Are Called to Be Disciples” (#757), “For the Troubles and the Sufferings” (#764), and “For Everyone Born” (#769). Trusting that our future—and the future of the whole creation—is held in God’s hands, we seek to be faithful in small things, always looking with hope and joy for the coming of the day when God makes all things new.
Anyone who would like to take one home may do so. The hymnal is a wonderful resource for the home, providing an abundance of devotional materials, prayers, hymns, and songs. The Worship, Music, and Arts committee is planning to distribute some to churches, nursing homes, and retirement centers that could use them.
