Review: Hymns to the Living God

Religious Affections Ministries, 2017

"Why another hymnal?" ask the editors of Hymns to the Living God, a new hymnal published by Religious Affections Ministries. Is another hymnal necessary or relevant, given the large numbers of print hymnals published and the advent of digital resources? According to the hymnal editors, there is no greater time of need for a hymnal to return to one of its most basic functions: a compact library of the church's canon in a given time.

Hymns to the Living God does not seek to be the new, flashy hymnal with the latest songs. Instead, it is a thoughtful compilation of the church's greatest songs through its heritage. The editors have deemed these 294 hymns to be the best of congregational singing and span across the centuries and continents. With a total of 350 items, this hymnal is thin and, to some, too light. But Religious Affections intentionally chose this smaller number due to the number of songs a congregation is able to sustain and sing over time.

This is a fantastic hymnal that provides a window into the best of Christian hymnody. The size is just right, with clear printing and easy searching with many indices. This would serve as a good primer to congregational song or hymns for the beginner or person who wants to "slim down" a larger hymnal. A printed pew edition and a spiral edition for accompaniments are available for a reasonable price online. And a digital PDF of the entire hymnal and individual scans are available for FREE download on their website and on Hymnary.

Check it out

(My thanks are given to Religious Affections Ministries for providing a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review.)

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