Featured SongHymns for Private and Family Worship
Home » Blog » GeneralPosted by David L. Ward on May 12th, 2009
Back in the fall of 2008, our church self-published a little hymnal for our own use. I'd like to share the contents of that hymnal to kick off a series of articles on the importance of family worship. Here is the preface to our little hymnal titled "Hymns for Private and Family Worship" with the general contents (not the lyrics to each song) at the end.
Preface
About Hymns
What is a hymn? The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a religious song of praise, especially a Christian song in praise of God. In the proper sense of the term, all songs that we sing to or about God should be called hymns. In modern parlance, however, we often use the term hymn to refer to a strophic song (every verse uses the same tune) with a common rhyming scheme (called meter) normally set to traditional (non-syncopated) tunes. Hymn texts and tunes can either be historic or modern. They typically contain numerous verses (each of which contains several lines) therefore develop theological concepts and devotional thoughts more deeply than other forms of modern praise songs.
Apart from Scripture itself, hymns should be among our most treasured possessions. In previous generations it was common for Christians to carry a small book of hymns along with their Bible for use in private and family worship. These hymnals were filled with more than 1,000 choice hymn texts covering a range of topics so that Christians would have songs to express their love and gratitude for God in every circumstance. Because songs lend themselves to memory better than text alone, the singing of them is a wonderful way to teach one another the great truths of God’s character and works.
About this Book
So why publish this little book of hymns? It is our hope that our church family will take the task of learning some of the best hymns seriously and will, over time, commit all of these to memory. These hymns have been chosen according to their lyrical integrity, poetic and theological depth, variety of subject matter, and common usage. We suggest that you work on one hymn a week (#1 during the first week of the year, etc.) in private and family worship. Feel free to sing the hymns “O Sacred Head Now Wounded,” “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” in the weeks immediately preceding Easter. As a church we will make every effort to sing each week’s hymn in public worship so that you and your family, especially non-readers, will be better prepared to sing. To help you keep track of the week number the church prints a yearly bookmark that is available in the worship resources section on the Redeemer book table.
A Note on Tunes and Arrangements
Throughout the history of hymnody new tunes have been written for existing texts. This is due in part to the relationship of music to culture. The effectiveness of a tune is rooted in its cultural and historical context. When we set a hymn text to a modern tune that better fits the musical language of today, we are better able to “feel” what we are saying. This is why we use many new tunes for old texts. At the same time, we should not neglect the practical benefits of training our melodic sensibilities by using widely known and loved hymn tunes of the past, even if they seem lifeless at first. In doing so we will gain a greater appreciation for our heritage as well as the ability to more easily sing with other Christians when we travel.
In this volume you will find a wide variety in the age of the hymn texts as well as the age and style of the hymn tunes. There are a few topics for which it was difficult to find good, widely known historic hymns, in particular the Holy Spirit, the Sacraments, and Church Membership. To cover those topics more fully, the editor has included a few of his own adaptations or original works. We are excited to see many other modern songwriters adapting historic texts by adding a chorus or even writing new music altogether. Where Redeemer sings or plans to sing one of these adaptations, we have included it in this volume. (Check the notes after each hymn to find out more about the text and tune authors.)
Guide to the Bible Readings
Each of the 52 general hymns is followed by three different collections of Bible readings:
1) Readings for family worship. These readings represent a subset of the Bible and seek to present as complete a picture of the Bible’s story as possible while focusing on representative narrative portions. Since there are normally fewer readings than days in the week, feel free to read a passage and explain it on more than one day.
2) Readings from the Psalms. These should be used in family and private worship. Again, there will normally be fewer Psalms than days of the week. It may be good to break apart a Psalm or to read the same Psalm on more than one day.
3) Readings for private worship. By following these readings each week you will read through the entire Bible chronologically with as much correlation to the family readings as possible.
The Need for Private and Family Worship
The disciplines of private and family worship are all but gone from today’s Evangelical culture. Quiet moments where we reflect on God’s Word, sing our praises to Him, and cast our cares on Him both individually and as a family have been crowded out by the din of children’s music and sports activities, vacations, leisure time and even church life. How are we to grow in godliness without a regular intake of God’s Word? How will our affection for Jesus grow without spending regular special time with Him? How are we to teach our little ones to treasure God’s Word and to have meaningful times of worship without showing them? May we be a church family that fights to recover the historic practice of daily private and family worship. Let us heed the words of our church confession of faith (the London Baptist Confession of 1689):
God is to be worshiped everywhere, in spirit and truth; as, in private families daily, and in secret, each one by himself; so, more solemnly in the public assemblies, which are not carelessly or willfully to be neglected, or forsaken, when God, by his word or providence, calls thereto.
Instructions for Private Worship
Private Worship is not simply a time to check off a Bible reading chart. During our times of quiet devotions we should strive to encounter the living God through His Word and respond in prayer and song. In our time with the Lord we should humbly ask Him to make His Word come alive in our hearts, read and meditate on Scripture, and spend time confessing our sin, praising God for who He is and what He has done, and casting our cares and anxieties on Him. Clear your schedule so that you can spend enough time with God (aim for 30 minutes) to allow the Holy Spirit to soften your heart and move you to praise. An often neglected component of private worship is singing. Don’t be afraid to sing alone, with or without a recording or instrument. God is more interested in the disposition of your heart than the accuracy of your tune.
Instructions for Family Worship
Family worship is the gathering of a household to turn their attention to encountering and responding to God together. Ideally, anyone who lives in the home should participate, and the family worship time should be open to guests and visitors. If a household has a father, he bears the primary responsibility by God to lead his family in worship. If the father is unwilling or unable to lead, another family member should lead in his place. Flexibility with scheduling is extremely important if you are to make worship a lasting habit. Don’t be overly ambitious with the length of your worship time; small children may only be able to last 5 or 10 minutes. If you are extremely pressed for time, remember that even 2 minutes of a quick Psalm reading is better than nothing. Don’t neglect singing just because no one plays an instrument; you can either sing without music or to a recording. To help non-readers participate, consider reading lyrics aloud before singing. Bring your Bible and hymnal with you on vacation, thus demonstrating to your family that you cannot afford to “take a vacation from God.”
Contents
Occasional Readings
Calls to Worship [at the beginning of worship time]
God the Creator
The Character of God
Longing for God
Pleas for Forgiveness
Promises of Pardon
Benedictions [at the end of worship time]
Occasional Hymns
A Family Worship Hymn
B Doxology
C Gloria Patri
D Heav’nly Father, Grand Your Blessing
E Praise God Who Gave this Day to Me
F Abide with Me
Creeds & Prayers
G The Lord’s Prayer
H The Apostle’s Creed
I A General Confession
General Hymns
45 Abide with Me
31 Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed
41 All Creatures of Our God and King
16 Amazing Grace
12 And Can It Be that I Should Gain
3 Baptism Hymn (Hast Thou Said, Exalted Jesus)
43 Be Still, My Soul
26 Blest Be the Tie that Binds
13 Breathe on Me, Breath of God
10 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
15 The Church's One Foundation
28 Come, Thou Almighty King
38 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
36 Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Wretched
23 Covenant Song
44 Crown Him with Many Crowns
17 Glory Is Certain (My Rest Is in Heaven)
47 Great Is Thy Faithfulness
32 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
50 Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
46 Holy, Holy, Holy
30 How Firm a Foundation
20 How Sweet (and Awesome Is the Place)
21 I Sing the Mighty Power of God
25 Immortal, Invisible
27 It Is Well with My Soul
4 Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners
6 Join All the Glorious Names
49 Joy to the World!
40 Just as I Am
19 Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
37 The Love of God (O Love of God, how Strong and True)
35 A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
1 My Jesus, I Love Thee
18 Not What My Hands Have Done
51 O Come, All Ye Faithful
48 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
11 O God the Holy Spirit
52 O God, Our Help in Ages Past
8 O Sacred Head Now Wounded
7 O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
42 O Word of God Incarnate
34 On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand
2 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
39 Rejoice, the Lord Is King
33 Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me
14 So Send I You
29 The Solid Rock (My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less)
24 Take My Life and Let it Be
5 Thine Be the Glory
22 This Is My Father's World
9 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Index by Subject
God the Father
His Character: 25, 28, 46
His Creation: 21, 22, 41
His Care: 2, 21, 47, 52
His Love: 7, 37, 38
Jesus
His Deity & Incarnation: 6, 48, 49, 50, 51
His Sufferings & Death: 1, 6, 8, 9, 12, 31
His Resurrection: 5, 10
His Second Coming & Judgment: 19
His Kingly Reign: 19, 39, 44, 49, 50, 51
The Holy Spirit: 11, 13
The Holy Scriptures: 30, 32, 42
The Way of Grace
The Means of Salvation: 6, 12, 18, 33
Coming to Christ: 12, 36, 40
Living by Grace: 4, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 29, 33, 38
Missions: 20, 14
The Church
Fellowship: 15, 23, 26
The Sacraments: 3, 20
Unity and Perseverance: 15
The Christian Life
Communion with Jesus: 1, 4, 36
Desires for Holiness: 1, 9, 24, 27
Guidance: 4, 32
Perseverance: 16, 22, 30, 35, 38
Prayer in Affliction & Temptation: 4, 17, 27, 29, 30,43
Death: 16, 27, 29, 32, 33, 43, 45
Heaven: 1, 16, 17, 34
The book doesn't list any particular Psalms, but rather takes you through all 150 Psalms in the year. Here's a quick list of Psalms that might be particularly good for family worship: 1,22,45,48,78,89,100,102,135,145,146,150
I love the concepts presented here. I would love to have such a book for the families in our church.
Where can we get Hymns for Private and Family Worship? It's not in your store.
Wally, Gloucester, Ma
Wally,
It's a book printed just for our local church, but I just attached the PDF to this post.
David,
Thank you! Thank you! The PDF is muchly appreciated.
I have to add that your mp3 songs are changing my life and that of many of my family and friends! Your music keeps the major doctrines of our faith beautifully and accurately before us daily. So much Christian music today is just repetition with out much substance.
[...] gute Anleitung mit vielen Anregungen, Liedern etc. (leider nur in Englisch) ist hier zu finden. Auf derselben Seite (hier) existiert auch eine Artikelreihe über [...]
I am a "retired" Monk, and have the joy of taking Services in the local Hyde and Denton (UK) Methodist Circuit, and BROTHER, Can they SING....To God be the Glory!!!!
Your little Hymn book looks fantastic, and contains a number of hymns with which I am not familiar. Is it possible to have your help, with Hymns listed showing the tunes that you use. I may be old, but with God's help. I am not too old to learn new things.
PS. I do not know what a PDF is, nor how one would use it, but I know some young people who would instruct me!
God Bless you in your Ministry.
In His Service...Tony
Anthony,
Thank you for taking the time to look at the hymn book. The tune information is listed at the bottom of each hymn page, and for some of the recommended modern tunes you'll probably need to look it up by recording rather than trying to find sheet or printed music in a hymnal.