The Sanctuary Choir, Worship Committee, pastoral staff and minister of music have all been very busy preparing and planning for the dedication services for Glory to God: the Presbyterian Hymnal (2013). Workers have been stamping, placing dedication and memorial plates in many books, as well as removing the current hymnals to make room for the new one.
Many folk have purchased dedications that will appear on the inside front cover of each book. For this reason, please do not borrow a hymnal and please do not move one from where it has been placed. Every book has been placed purposely placed in a specific place–we need your help to see that each continues to “live” in that place. Unlike in the past, almost every book has been dedicated and if it ends up in someone’s home, that dedication is lost.
We are not selling any new books, however you can purchase one online www.presbyterianhymnal.org
The current (1990) hymnal will be on sale at $5.00 per book following services on November 17th.
Please plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to each service. The prelude will be sung by the choir and features arrangements of hymns in this new book.
This event is important enough in the life of a church to warrant making a special effort to attend one of the services next Sunday. I am excited and looking forward to making use of this wonderful resource: in worship; devotionals; private devotions; Sunday School classes; church-wide dinners; retreats; and just about any other event centered around the life of the congregation.
The music for the services on the 17th will be a virtual trip round the world as we sing our way through the magnificent tapestry of the Christian Church. Both familiar hymns and new hymns and songs will be sung. We will sing music from Germany, Africa, Early America, the contemporary Christian genre, gospel hymnody, modern American hymnody, France/Taizé, Genevan metrical psalmody, Canada, Scotland, Wales and England.
Please honor us with your presence and open your mouth and sing, sing, sing! Make a joyful noise to the Lord!
. . . Mark Scott, November 2013