Hymns

Our Lutheran Hymnody

Singing with One Voice

We sing the Faith together, lifting up our voices as one. This is the heart and spirit of Lutheran hymn singing. We repeat the pattern of sound words from Scripture with musical accompaniment or a capella, but either way, this is one of the most important ways we speak “to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

Lutheran Service Book

The latest version of an English hymnal and service book designed for Lutheran churches was released by Concordia Publishing House in 2006, and it is a fine resource for liturgical services that includes many helpful tools, including suggested prayers and collects, Psalms and psalm tones for singing the Psalter, hymns and biblical canticles. Every household should have at least one copy of this in their home, as it also contains a plan for reading the Scriptures systematically and provides many catechetical helps including the entire text of Luther’s Small Catechism and the ecumenical creeds from the early church.

Catechetical Hymns

Teaching the Faith is a big part of why we sing hymns, whether at home or in services of public worship. There are certain hymns that have a long and important history in our churches as they convey the truths taught in the Luther’s Small Catechism in a memorable way for the collective body of Christ.