Celebrating the Hymns in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal

In two recent columns, I celebrated the joint URCNA / OPC publication of the Trinity Psalter Hymnal (TPH). First, I looked at how significant this cooperative effort is from missional, ecumenical, and confessional standpoints. Then in the subsequent column, I dug deeper into the Psalm collection in particular, seeing how the new psalter reflected a broader swath of the Reformed psalm-singing tradition.

In this column, I want to look a little more closely at the hymn collection, and then offer some practical suggestions about we might harvest the fruit of this project. The caveat from my last column remains in force: I’m no musicologist, and my analysis is based on a very cursory exam, mostly based on the tables of contents of the two collections. Caveat lector. 

Hymn Collection By the Numbers

The first thing to grasp about the hymn section of the TPH is that it is much larger than what many URC members may be accustomed to in the Blue Psalter Hymnal (BPH). The BPH contained 183 hymn settings in addition to 310 psalm settings, for a total of 493 songs. The TPH, in contrast, has 428 hymn settings to go along with 279 psalm settings, for a grand total — and I mean grand — of 707 songs. Put differently, the TPH has over twice as many hymns as the BPH, and 43 percent more songs total.

Parenthetically, this expanded song section — and the great space it occupied — was one reason why it was necessary to publish a separate book for the URC-specific liturgical forms that comprise the back section of the BPH. While all of our confessional documents are included in the TPH (Ecumenical Creeds, Westminster Standards, and Three Forms of Unity), a separate volume of liturgical forms and prayers is being published for URCNA churches. This volume will also contain the Ecumenical Creeds and Reformed Confessions. 

The good news for those who may be apprehensive about adopting a new songbook is that a healthy majority of the BPH hymn collection has found its way into the TPH. My very cursory examination suggests that of the 183 BPH hymn settings, at least 132 (or 72%) are in the TPH. The actual number may be a bit higher, as some songs come over with slightly different titles.

What are we to say of the 51 or so hymns from the BPH we are leaving behind when we adopt the new hymnal? No doubt, some of my readers might have a favorite song or two on that list. And that is precisely why I am so grateful for the labors of the Psalter-Hymnal committee, wrestling for years with the worship practices of our church, providing for an open selection process, and welcoming feedback. They are to be commended for this decades-long effort.

However, in any collection of 183 songs, there are songs that don’t rise to the top. We wouldn’t expect every single song to be retained in a new collection — whether their musical beauty doesn’t prove to be timeless, or their lyrics speak to the concerns of an earlier age. Furthermore, it seems as though the songs that were cut were not frequently sung in our churches; many of their names are relatively unfamiliar. 

Do We Need This Many Hymns?

On a typical Sunday at Christ Reformed in Washington, we sing one or two hymns. Most of those hymns we sing at least a couple of times a year. So on average, we sing maybe fifty different hymns a year. Even if we committed to singing our way through the hymn collection in the TPH — we probably won’t — it would take us six to eight years to do so. If we only sang hymns, it would still take us over two years to sing them all even if we only sang each one once. 

Do we need this many hymns?

Probably not. There is a school of thought that it is better for a congregation to really master the singing of about one hundred songs — more if you include psalms — rather than singing 200 – 300 less-familiar songs infrequently. I think there is a lot of truth to that. 

Arguably, we have gotten by with only 183 hymn settings in the URCNA in part because of our prioritization of singing Psalms. We frankly don’t need 428 hymns, given the role of Psalms in our worship. A collection this large is probably more reflective of a tradition where singing a majority of psalms is not the norm.

The advantage, however, of the size of this collection is that it serves to bridge and unify diverse worship traditions. I am more than willing to embrace a larger song collection for the sake of drawing Presbyterian and Reformed churches into closer relation. Members move between Presbyterian and Reformed churches more frequently in our day, and there is a real benefit to making us feel more at home in a new sister church.

One benefit of a larger collection is that there is a greater likelihood of finding songs our whole church is familiar with. Take, for example, Christmas songs related to Advent and Birth of Christ. A Christmas “Lessons and Carols” service has become a favorite tradition in our young church. While the BPH had approximately 15 songs in this category — many of which were less common — the TPH has 33. A partial list of those found in our new hymnal and missing from our old includes: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence; Angels We Have Heard on High; As With Gladness Men of Old; God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen; Good Christian Men, Rejoice; Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming; O Little Town of Bethlehem; Once in Royal David’s City; Savior of the Nations, Come; and What Child is This?

There are some profound and beautiful Christmas songs on this list. While we couldn’t have sung our Lessons and Carols from the BPH, we can easily do it from this new collection The expansion of this section alone will enrich our congregational singing at this season of the year. 

How Should We Celebrate the TPH?

God has given the OPC and URCNA a great gift in the TPH. However, like all of God’s good gifts, it is necessary for us to make the proper use of them. Here are a few practical suggestions to help ensure that we take advantage of this gift that we have been given.

First, let’s sing together. I would encourage URC and OPC churches who adopt the TPH to seek out neighboring congregations for ecumenical hymn sings. This is a very simple suggestion, but it could take some real effort and sacrifice to execute well. Let’s find a way to make it work, if not in our churches, then on a smaller scale in our homes.

Second, our churches should strive to adopt the book. This is of course not a mandate, but it may well be a matter of gospel wisdom. Granted, investing in new hymnals may not make sense for every congregation, financially or otherwise. Perhaps our Presbyteries and Classes could remove financial obstacles to adoption by offering subsidies for congregations that want to adopt it but can’t afford to do so. 

Third, I believe we should work hard to produce a state-of-the-art electronic version of the TPH. Here I’m openly advocating for a position that is pending before our 2018 Synod. However, I think it is undeniable that we can drastically extend the reach of this publishing effort by making them available in a format that is readily accessible both in our homes and on mission fields. We should have these hymns — along with musical accompaniment — in the pockets of as many members of our churches as possible. Also, many churches no longer interested in print hymnals would be able to benefit and use electronic resources, so it broadens the potential impact of the TPH outside the URC and OPC. Electronic publishing or mobile app development may require us to get out of our comfort zone and invest in web technology and development in a way that we haven’t done before, perhaps even creating subscription or sale sites. However, this is well worth the investment. 

Finally, let’s give thanks to God for this gift he has given the church, for the many hours of faithful labor that have been invested in this day. I can’t wait to get to Synod in Wheaton and sing with our OPC brothers and sisters, especially songs of thanksgiving for this great gift he has given us to sing of his many glorious works. Praise God.