Customer Reviews

United Methodist Hymnal Book of United Methodist Worship: Pew Bright Red

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This hymnal contains roughly 679 hymns proper, organized theologically rather then by season (there is a section called "Particular Times of Worship" for seasonal hymns and carols). They include old favorites like "O, For A Thousand Tongues To Sing", and newer songs like "Come Sunday", and translations of patristic and medieval hymns. Collects, canticles, and bits of sacred poetry are scattered throughout the hymnal alongside hymns expressing similar sentiments- the Psalter contains only the Psalms.

In addition, the Hymmnal contains the United Methodist liturgies for the usual morning service, Baptism, Communion(with musical settings), marriages, and funerals. There are also orders for weekday Morning and Evening Prayer and Praise, which is as far as I know unprecedented in Methodism.

One slight deficiency- the UM Hymnal contains no church calendar or lectionary at all. This is unfortunate, especially as the Hymnal is otherwise so complete.

I used the hymnal often in my sunday school class as a source of prayers to share in unison reading. Since we weren't singers we also read the text of hymns. The variety of sources in one volume was very useful. My class was elderly women and none objected to the new Hymnal. Despite its inclusion of "new" material I don't feel it will outdate as quickly as many of the faddish hymnals of the 70's

This is easily one of the best hymnals that I own. It has a few attributes that make it such a solid book:

1) It is extremely comprehensive, containing the "old standards" (such as "Praise to the Lord"), newer hymns and songs (like "Let There Be Peace on Earth"), ecumenical hymns, and even Taize chants (such as "Eat This Bread" and, I believe, "Jesus, Remember Me")!
2) The service outlines in the front are unparalleled. They go into incredible detail about the elements of the service, going so far as to including multiple service music selections.
3) The layout is aesthetically pleasing. It's very hard to pinpoint exactly why the pages are so nice to look at, but the layout and print really come together.

If you are a musician or parishoner of any denomination, this book is a must.

I thought I had already reviewed this item. I have enjoyed it since received it.

This is one of the best hymnals available, if you can get past the inclusive language. Its wide range of selections and worship resources will appeal to all Christians.

The responsive readings in this hymnal are from the book of Psalms. In the 1960's version, responsive readings came from both the old and new testiments. This is how many people learned the Bible. I would like to see a return to a mix of responsive readings. The songs in the hynmal have been updated and the prayers included with the hymns are great.

Once you get past the unnecessary inclusive language ("God of the Ages" instead of "God of Our Fathers"), it really is a good resource for Christians of every denomination and is one of the better hymnals available.

Rather than taking a copy of the Church hymnal home for my own use, I decided to buy a copy. The order was quick and the quality was fresh and new. I am very pleased with the service.