Failed to mention hymnal
by Thomas Lehman, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Christine Longhurst makes some good points in her article "The Words We Sing" (December 2011). However, her analysis has two shortcomings. The first one is that, after acknowledging a scarcity of hymns that refer to the trinitarian nature of God, she then wonders if it matters that "a majority of the songs we sing are directed toward only one or another of the Trinity." Given the scarcity of hymns that refer to the Trinity, the hymns we sing could hardly be otherwise.
The glaring shortcoming is her failure to make any mention of our 1992 Hymnal: A Worship Book. How well does this book meet her criteria? That’s what she should be reporting to Mennonites. Those of us who choose hymns for worship have several factors to balance on a given Sunday, and the best we can do is trust our hymnal to offer excellent choices.
Associated Issue: Mary, model and mother - December 2011
Associated Article: The words we sing
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