The New Song
In Psalm 96, David emphasized, through various poetic devices, the necessity of singing confidently about the Lord’s reign, even though it is not yet a… Read More »The New Song
Articles on Hymnody
Parallelism in Psalm 96
Last week we looked at several aspects of how various poetic devices were used in Psalm 96 to shape the content and form the singer… Read More »Parallelism in Psalm 96
May a Baptist (or any other Protestant) sing Catholic hymns?
A critic recently approached me about our hymnal and rebuked us for (among other things) including hymns written by Catholics in our hymnal. It is… Read More »May a Baptist (or any other Protestant) sing Catholic hymns?
How Singing Forms Us
We have seen thus far that good hymns help us to express the affections of our hearts in response to God’s character and works, which… Read More »How Singing Forms Us
Singing as a Response and Witness
Psalm 96 is a call to sing, and it gives us clear explanation of why we are supposed to sing. As we have already seen,… Read More »Singing as a Response and Witness
Singing: Response to Who God Is and What He Has Done
We are studying Psalm 96 in an attempt to answer the question, Why sing? Last week we saw that the unique power of singing is… Read More »Singing: Response to Who God Is and What He Has Done
Two Views on Christ’s Invitation
Below are two works of Christian imagination. Both attempt to depict what it means for Christ to invite sinners to Himself, and how sinners should… Read More »Two Views on Christ’s Invitation
An Enthronement Psalm
Psalm 96 was placed by the editors of the psalms in a series that are unified by a common poetic genre and theme. Psalms 93–100… Read More »An Enthronement Psalm
Sing to the Lord a New Song
It has always been a characteristic of God’s people that they are a singing people. This was Paul’s admonition when he commanded Christians in Colossians… Read More »Sing to the Lord a New Song
What is a “traditional hymn”?
A friend recently asked how I would define a “traditional hymn” in contrast to a “contemporary worship song,” so I thought I’d post my response… Read More »What is a “traditional hymn”?
Aus Tiefer Not – “Out of the Depths”
For most of church history, singing songs of repentance was part of regular, weekly corporate worship, a practice with precedent in Psalms like Psalm 130.… Read More »Aus Tiefer Not – “Out of the Depths”
The Tradition of Singing Songs of Repentance
We are coming to the end of our study of Psalm 130. Last week we saw that when you’re living in a state of unconfessed… Read More »The Tradition of Singing Songs of Repentance
A plea for singing hymns in family worship
It’s no secret that people sing much less than they used to. Generally, as a culture, we listen to a lot of music, but make very little.… Read More »A plea for singing hymns in family worship
Why We Sing Repentance
Psalm 130, a corporate song of repentance, has shown us the power of art to both tell us what true repentance should be like and… Read More »Why We Sing Repentance
Introducing the New Church Pew Edition of Hymns to the Living God
Religious Affections Ministries is pleased to announce the new Church Pew Edition of our new hymnal, Hymns to the Living God. This hymnal is the… Read More »Introducing the New Church Pew Edition of Hymns to the Living God
Twelfth Hymn of Christmas: Behold, the Great Creator
“Behold, the Great Creator,” written by Thomas Pestel in 1539, juxtaposes the mystery of the Creator of all who made himself “a house of clay.”… Read More »Twelfth Hymn of Christmas: Behold, the Great Creator
Eleventh Hymn of Christmas: Christians, Awake!
A lesser known Christmas hymn, “Christians, Awake!” retells the Luke 2 story in a powerful and vivid way. Medical doctor John Byrom wrote this text… Read More »Eleventh Hymn of Christmas: Christians, Awake!
Tenth Hymn of Christmas: See Amid the Winter’s Snow
Like Rosetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter,” Edward Caswall metaphorically connects the cold of winter to the condition of the earth at Jesus’s birth. He wrote… Read More »Tenth Hymn of Christmas: See Amid the Winter’s Snow
Ninth Hymn of Christmas: All My Heart This Night Rejoices
Written by German pastor Johann Gerhardt in 1653 and translated into English in 1858 by Catherine Winkworth, “All My Heart This Night Rejoices” explores the… Read More »Ninth Hymn of Christmas: All My Heart This Night Rejoices
Eighth Hymn of Christmas: In the Bleak Midwinter
In “In the Bleak Midwinter,” Christina Rosetti poetically pictures the cold, dark, hard condition of the earth when Jesus came to save us. This recognition… Read More »Eighth Hymn of Christmas: In the Bleak Midwinter