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[Historically, in church music] Lutherans sang hymns from the beginnings of the Reformation. Calvinists, though, in their zeal to use nothing but the Bible in worship, tended to restrict their singing to biblical psalms. Though they might have chanted them—a musical style that makes possible the singing of prose just as it is written without alteration, straight from the Bible—instead they made metrical translations, complete with regular rhythms and rhymes. In practice, these metrical psalms were closer in some ways to vernacular hymns than to the text of the Bible. Such psalm singing is still the practice in some conservative Reformed churches today, and it was the norm for early English Protestantism. Then came Isaac Watts

There are numerous historical figures who gave their gifts to Lutheranism and hymnody as a whole. Their contributions to Christianity give us amazing ways to praise God and all that He has given us. One who stands out is Johann Walter, who published the first collection of Lutheran choral music. Read more about his work with Martin Luther, hymn publication, and three hymns that appeared in his book of choral music with an excerpt from Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns below.

Beloved Lutheran hymnals have a long history, dating all the way back to 1524 in Germany. Each variation has been used for different purposes, such as a home devotional that eventually led to a worship hymnal. Learn more about the beauty of Lutheran hymnals from the very first edition to Lutheran Service Book today with this excerpt from Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns.

Every spring, Easter comes around in the Church Year as a celebration of the battle Christ has won for believers everywhere. He has conquered the devil, died for your sins, and defeated death by rising to life again! He has won! This joyous occasion is coupled with beautiful music ringing out from every musical ensemble in your church. Need something to play that won’t take much rehearsal time? Try these five different options from the CPH Music Subscription. There’s no waiting to order them—just download, print, and play in minutes.

Lent is a reflective and beautiful time in the Church Year. As we prepare to enter this season, you may notice some children are more familiar with this time as one to “take a break” from something they enjoy. Many choose things such as limiting their phone time. Or, for young adults, less dependency on caffeine. But Lent holds so much more meaning than simply a time of withdrawal from something we desire. It’s filled with rich history, ceremony, and faithful hymns. For a deeper understanding of what this season holds for believers, let’s look to the hymns in One and All Rejoice. 

Planning the music for Lenten services can be a monumental task. Not only are there Sunday services but midweek and Holy Week services too. Open up your options with digital music that you can preview, download, and print instantly. These five hand-picked selections are perfect for the Lenten season and Holy Week to share with your church.

It’s that time of year: the weather has gotten colder, the lights have gone up, and the Christmas music has been playing for some time now. It’s a season of celebration, especially the celebration of the birth of Christ, our Savior come to earth. At this point, your children or students are antsy for the festivities to begin and to open their presents. But before that, take this time to remind them of the greatest gift we have ever received, the gift of God’s Son, born for us. Here are our top children’s hymns for Christmas from One and All Rejoice to encourage the children in your life in their worship of Jesus.

The celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, is fast approaching, and with it comes an abundance of music. It’s easy to bypass Advent and skip ahead to Christmas. But Advent is a crucial time of reflection inwardly as we prepare for the Prince of Peace and what His birth means for believers. Music is just one of the many ways in which you can share about Jesus and reflect on why Advent is an important part of our Church Year. Here are our top children’s hymns for Advent to add to the mix of music your children or students will hear.

Why have certain hymns grown to be synonymous with the Reformation? With these excerpts from Eternal Anthems and Companion to the Hymns, you’re invited to journey through the contexts of some of these Reformation favorites. 

The historic church used to partake in a set of daily services called the Daily Office. This kept people connected to God and in community with His Word throughout their working lives. While most churches do not observe these Daily Offices today, we still retain their settings, and they are certainly beneficial to incorporate into the life of the church, devotions with family, or other settings. Today, we look at the order of Vespers and some appropriate hymns to accompany it. The following has been adapted from Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Services and Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns.