Author: Tim Challies

I have come to realize that I probably felt a little skeptical about the new Sing! Hymnal from Getty Music. I wasn’t aware of this, but I suppose I hear of so many big product launches—and experience so many that end up being a mite disappointing—that I am prone to be a bit jaded. But I realize now that I should not have been, because this hymnal delivers. The Sing! Hymnal Getty Music (Affiliate links) It forced me to ask the question: What makes a good hymnal? Obviously, song selection is at the very top of the list and is the most important factor. A hymnal cannot be good if it is full of bad songs, and it’s hard for it to be truly bad if it’s full of good songs. Beyond the quality of the songs is the variety—the variety of songwriters, subjects, time periods, and even the inclusion (or lack of inclusion) of Psalms. Simply, a good hymnal must be a collection of good songs. With the massive variety of songs available in the English language, we could perhaps go a bit farther and say that it must be a collection of great songs. A second factor is the additional material such as Scripture readings, creeds, liturgical elements, snippets of catechisms, and so on. Many of the best hymnals go beyond merely printing hymns and offer other material that can be used for personal or corporate worship. A third factor is the structure. While it would be possible to simply arrange each of…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (Crossway)20 Hymns To Sing With Your Family This SummerWhat We Gained When We Lost Our Hymnals