Publisher Releases First of its Kind, Pan-Wesleyan Collection
Media Contact: Kaylyn Mehlhaff
Publisher releases first of its kind, pan-Wesleyan collection
Seedbed’s Our Great Redeemer’s Praise fills need for updated Wesleyan hymnal
FRANKLIN, TN., FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—For generations, hymnals were the primary tool of worship for churches across denominations. Every few decades, a leadership body would undertake the task of updating their tradition’s hymnal, containing in it not just hymns to be sung during worship services, but also liturgical readings, sacramental rites, and common prayers. In our modern, and increasingly digital, way of doing church, hymnals have become outdated and fallen into disrepair—considered by some to be too outmoded for use by many churches today.
Contrary to that belief system, the traditional hymnal is still an invaluable resource and testimony to the gospel and our longing as humans to be in communion with the triune God. A hymnal that’s true to its name is able to serve congregations in a number of ways that no app, bumper video, or welcome packet ever could—by providing a lasting canon of worship, a rich devotional resource, additional worship aids, and structure for the church year and liturgical calendar.
For these reasons and more Seedbed Publishing has created a first of its kind pan-Wesleyan hymnal meant to fill the need for an updated collection of hymns. Our Great Redeemer’s Praise: A Hymnal for All People is an 800-page, comprehensive collection of hymns, prayers, liturgical rituals, and service music for various occasions that incorporates numerous original hymns by John and Charles Wesley—more than any other hymnal in the last century.
As study after study suggests, church bodies are hungry for touchstones like a return to traditional hymnals that ground congregants in the unchanging story of the gospel in the midst of an ever-changing world. Our Great Redeemer’s Praise will fill that need for Wesleyans across all worship traditions, serving not simply as an updated look at Methodism today, but also as a bridge to our past history and everything that is to come.
Seedbed’s editors acknowledge that changes in worship styles have moved many congregations away from a fixed-hymnal type of singing, we still fervently believe that a hymnal that contains the core hymns of our tradition provides the vibrant life-blood for Christian worship in the Wesleyan tradition.
—excerpted from Seedbed’s A Pan-Wesleyan Hymnal Development Plan
Media Contact: Kaylyn Mehlhaff
OUR GREAT REDEEMER’S PRAISE HYMNAL FAQ’S
Hymnal Contents:
Contains over 675 hymns
- Hymnal is the first-ever collection of hymns reflecting the worship traditions of the 12 major North American denominations which trace their heritage to Wesleyan revival
- Includes responsive readings, selected metrical psalter, liturgies including baptism and Holy Communion which are based on the same traditional Anglican rituals that are used in most familiar hymnals in the Wesleyan tribe
- Includes the Wesleyan Covenant Service in updated language for today’s use
- The arrangement of hymns is uniquely organized around the twelve articles of the Apostles’ Creed.
- Incorporates nearly 100 hymns by Charles and John Wesley—more than any hymnal released in the last century
- Restores traditional language to many hymns which have been edited for theological reasons
Contains 675 hymns including:
- Hymns for the entire church year
- Nearly 100 hymns by Charles and John Wesley
- Emphasizes Wesleyan themes of prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace
- Organized around the 12 articles of the Apostles’ Creed
- Includes classic favorite hymns and contemporary selections across the breadth of the church
- First-ever hymnal incorporating all major Wesleyan traditions in the U.S.
Liturgical elements include:
- Baptism and Holy Communion rituals
- Wesley Covenant Service in updated language
- Service music for various occasions
- Rich collection of creeds, prayers, and benedictions
- Metrical psalter hymns suitable for singing
Wesleyan-related worship traditions incorporated in the collection:
The Wesleyan Church, Church of the Nazarene, The United Methodist Church, AME, AMEZ, CME, Church of God in Christ, Free Methodist Church, Church of God-Cleveland, Church of God-Anderson, the Salvation Army, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Anglican.