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Singing a New Song

Have you taken a look at the new purple hymnals? You may have seen Celebration Committee members lending them out to others in Family Hour, or you may have taken the time to attend one of our sing-along sessions after Celebration. We have been in ongoing discussion, both in Session and Celebration Committee, and in the wider congregation, for more than a year now; we have copied some of its songs to sample in our worship, and we have read various articles which speak about the diverse theology included in the songs in the hymnal (you can find them here: http://presbyterianhymnalproject.com/resources.html). It seems to be a blessedly non-controversial decision, with a wide range of people expressing interest and enthusiasm, and some so enthusiastic that they have (anonymously and spontaneously) pledged the entire cost will be covered! Session will consider the hymnals at their next meeting, so we ask you to bring any additional comments and thoughts to staff or session members this week.

The process of considering the hymnals started early last year. I first got my hands on one at a Presbyterian Church Educators conference in San Jose, where the PCOCS (pronounced “peacocks” – the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song) presented the brand-new hymnals and led us in singing from them. My mother’s congregation ordered theirs right away – they decided to buy it even before it had been published – and so they started singing from them early on. I texted my mom a few weeks into the process asking whether her congregation liked them so far, and she texted back “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!!” Given that my mother has a simple phone and usually texts without even using punctuation, her use of capitalization made a serious impression on me. But as I continued to look at the new hymnal, I came to love it too. It’s more diverse, more exhaustive, and more inclusive, and it has some really fun “oldies” in the mix. I’m happy to talk with anyone about what the new hymnal would mean for us, as I think it will truly enrich and enliven our music in many ways over the next decade or two. But I would like to take a moment first to talk about what it would NOT mean for us, and perhaps alleviate some fears, or dash some false hopes – so please bear with me.

  • Getting a new hymnal does not mean we will stop singing anyone’s favorite hymns. We found that almost all of our favorites are included in the new hymnal, but we can also photocopy any that didn’t make the cut.
  • Getting a new hymnal does not mean we are making a change in our musical philosophy. We are always striving to find the right mix of songs, and Ben, Kim, Marcia and I work together with the Celebration Committee to build services that are meaningful, beautiful, and fun.
  • Getting a new hymnal doesn’t mean we will stop using non-hymnal songs. We hope it will reduce the frequency with which we photocopy outside songs, but our expansive style will not be contained in any one book, no matter how many pages it has. I’d especially like to appreciate Kim and the work she does to bring us sacred music from other faith traditions, and tunes from the holy liturgies of Broadway musicals and folk song.
  • Getting a new hymnal will never solve our problems of disagreement about musical styles. Some of us love Bach, and some love Taizé; some of us are feeling groovy with Simon & Garfunkel while others rock out to OneDirection. Every once in a while, each one of us has to grit our teeth to get through someone else’s favorite song; this gracious forbearance is part of who we are as a diverse congregation.
  • Finally, getting a new hymnal will not save us… nor will it ruin us. The hymnal question is small potatoes when you compare it to the work we need to do as a church, to feed the hungry, to welcome the stranger, to stand for justice, and to be the community God has called us to be. I hope we can all keep it in perspective as we seek to be God’s people together.

Every Blessing,
Talitha