I want to report to you a recent decision made by the Music Committee and our Deacons with the concurrence of the Church Council.

After about 15 years of having two hymnals in the pews, we will be removing the Pilgrim Hymnal. They have made this decision for several reasons. First, the congregation has gradually become more comfortable with the resources included in the New Century Hymnal. We have come to know and love some of the new hymns, and are familiar with the special services such as baptism. Second, the vast majority of hymns in the old hymnal are included in the new one. Of those not included, about half are ones that, as far as we can tell, have not been sung in our worship, most of which are completely unfamiliar to the congregation, some of which are dated. We will keep our copies of the old hymnal in storage so that we can legally make copies for the bulletin when we want to use hymns from the old hymnal – and be assured that we will still occasionally use them, especially around Christmas time. Third, the old hymnals are showing the effects of years and years of use. Pages are torn and bindings are deteriorating. A few are just falling apart.

I am fully in support of this decision by the Music Committee, Deacons, and Church Council. The time has come to concentrate on the New Century Hymnal. We have been using more of the newer hymns from the new hymnal, if we can still call it ‘new’ after fifteen years of use, in response to the desire indicated in the results of the Worship and Music Task Force Survey for more variety in our worship music. Annabeth and the choir will be using some of the unfamiliar hymns for the Introit and for the Offertory music. Some of these are hymns written in recent years; others are old but unfamiliar hymns.

Annabeth and I continue to solicit your feedback and suggestions as we introduce new hymns. Let us know which you like best and why. And please remember that it takes singing them a few times to begin to learn and appreciate them. Some are immediately appealing, while others have to grow on you.

Change is often difficult and sometimes unsettling. We are attempting to strike a balance between the old and the new.

Peace and Blessings