Music that is faithful to the lectionary helps everyone respond to God's Word fully and deeply. Find Hymn of the Day listings, hymnal comparisons, and musical leadership guidance here.

Help your congregation realize the power of song. We have made the full text of the following chapters from Leading the Church's Song available online.

Throughout history, art, especially music, has played a vital role in the rituals of humankind. There is evidence of this in every culture, in every religious community. Most often, though not always, worship is a community event. Music, through its intimate connection with human emotion, on one hand helps heighten individual responses, and on the other nurtures community in the deepest sense. Music, by nature, usually requires some sort of community. It does not and cannot exist in a vacuum. Certain elements are necessary for music to take place. Like theater and dance it is an art "active in time."
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The music of Christian song is, as we shall see, a grand and richly varied world. Each locale within that world has its own vocabulary and syntax: we sing and lead each in different ways which will be treated under "Performance Practice" in each chapter. Yet all these styles of song are united in important ways. They help people to speak the faith. They are true to themselves and to the Word. And because their language is that of music, they possess basic elements that don't change from one style to another. It is those common aspects of leading congregational song that are addressed in this chapter.
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	Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW)	With One Voice (WOV)	Renewing Worship: New Hymns and Songs	This Far by Faith	Libro de Liturgia y Cántico	Service Book & Hymnal
Intended as a primary worship book		–	–
Publication date	1978	1995	2003	1999	1998	1958
Supported by Sundays & Seasons						–
Wide variety of hymn styles	–					–
Published for a specific ethnicity / language	–	–	–			–
Number of hymns	548	177	200	250	350	602