The New Century Hymnal

Deserving of high praise as a collection of hymns of the United Church of Christ. Gender-sensitive and ethnic-sensitive throughout. Contains valuable ORDERS OF WORSHIP, HYMNS of Praise, for the Christian Year, for the Faith and Order of the Church, for the Life and Order of the Church, PSALMS and CANTICLES, SERVICE MUSIC, WORSHIP RESOURCES, and valuable index helps of Author, Composer, and Source, Metrical Index, Tune Index, Scriptural Index, Lectionary Index, Topical Index, First Line Index, Descant Index. As a member of the UCC, I am grateful to have my own copy of this excellent hymnal available as a valuable resource at any time during the week.

A long time in coming, this UCC hymnal is what the title says, a hymnal for the new, that is 21st, century. The book presents all of the best loved hymns of the past, a fine collection of them. It also provides a remarkable sampling of the best of the hymn explosion of the second half of the 20th century. What a great way to live into God's future, by singing the songs of the faithful past and by sharing the ongoing growth of the Gospel in song! Some highlights herein that congregations will not want to miss include one of the best songs anywhere about the Day of Pentecost: #265 "Come, O Spirit, With Your Sound!" Sung to the Early American hymn tune BOUNDLESS MERCY, it captures all the wonder and awe of the event of Acts Chapter Two and is scrupulously faithful to scripture. Also in this hymnal is a great hymn relating to ecology and care for the world around us, #586 "Come to Tend God's Garden!" sung to that majestic tune, KINGS WESTON. There is so much more to enjoy in this hymnal. For every committee in every UCC congregation who is contemplating a new hymnal, my recommendation would be this hymnal. No doubt some will be pushing that you pick a hymnal by some unaffiliated publishing house, but be careful. If you want your potential members from other places to feel at home, then this is one way to do it, have in your pew racks the hymnal that says "We are UCC". If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

If you are interested in a hymnal that is thoughtful and inclusive of all God's children, this is the one. I am often brought to tears by the new inspired lyrics that affirm every one, male and female, all colors, all nations.

What is remarkable in the controversy centering on this hymnal is that its theology is, for the most part, traditional and christocentric--"evangelical" (of the Gospel) in the original sense of the word. While some revisions into contemporary English may be irritating, for the most part the poetry is expressive and sometimes elegant. I would disagree with Michael Montgomery that this essentially is a "free church" hymnal in the tradition of the old "Pilgrim Hymnal." A comparison of the two shows the obvious difference. The New Century Hymnal fully embodies the 20th-century liturgical movement which has restored historic Christian worship to many Protestant churches: it carefully follows the historic Church Year (centered on the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany and Lent-Easter-Pentecost cycles), includes a rich selection of hymns for eucharistic worship, provides a section of responsorial psalms pointed for chant with antiphons, and is the only hymnal I know that includes a complete index of hymns for each Sunday and holy day in the three-year Revised Common Lectionary. It is very much an "ecumenical" hymnal.Its sources are varied. Many of the old hymns beloved in the evangelical and African American traditions are here, plus the great repertory of the German and English hymn traditions. Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, Hispanic and even Hungarian hymns are also well represented. The result is a satisfying diversity not only of musical but also theological styles. But one surprising feature is the rediscovery of the old Latin hymns of the fourth through thirteenth centuries with fresh translations from the original texts into contemporary English. The theology is balanced and orthodox. Hymns faithfully express both the divine and human natures of Christ. God exists both within and beyond human history. God is companion, lover and savior; but also creator, ruler and judge. There is emphasis on social justice, but also on a personal relationship with Jesus. One side-effect of the search for inclusive language--which has resulted in a substantial reduction of masculine images of God in this hymnal--is the reappearance of neglected biblical metaphors for God.

At last, hymns that I can sing with wincing. If I could have only one hymnal, the New Century Hymnal would be it. The accompaniments are very musical and the selection is wide-ranging. I especially appreciate the inclusion of Spanish-language hymns and hymns from other countries. People who need to sing "thy" and "thou" in the 21st Century aren't going to like this hymnal; and people who don't really think about the text of what they are singing won't like the changes to the language. But, for everyone else the changes are enjoyable and enlightening: a breath of fresh air.