Psalms and Hymns to the Living God | Spiral Edition
This book of psalms and hymns is an attempt to collect some of the best congregational songs available in the English language. Our selection of hymns has been based on the central criterion of fidelity to biblical truth. What a church sings has often more impact upon the theology, devotion, and behavior of its members than the churchÕs doctrinal confession or even what a pastor preaches. It is therefore important that a church sings only what is biblically true. This is the primary reason we have placed an emphasis on Scripture-based hymns in this collection.
\nWith this expanded edition of Hymns to the Living God (2017), we have selected some of the best settings of English versified psalms and paired them with fitting tunes. We have attempted to include psalm settings that faithfully capture both the theological depth and poetic richness of the inspired psalms, while also prioritizing those that are intelligible and singable for modern Christians. Again, our sources for these translations range in both time and location, including historic settings from seventeenth-century English and Scottish Psalters and more recent contributions. Our Lord fulfilled the Psalms, sang the Psalms with his disciples, and through his apostles he clearly commanded us to sing psalms. We believe psalm singing is an important way to conserve biblical worship in Christian congregations.
\nNo hymnal is perfect or adequate on its own. Yet it is our prayer that this revised and expanded collection of psalms and hymns will give honor to the living God and aid His people in singing His praises.