I visited the Province II website today.
There I was reminded that The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music (SCLM) has invited input and comments about a possible revision of The Hymnal 1982.
Dr. Ruth Meyers, chairperson of SCLM, explains that:
“We have established this survey as part of The Episcopal Church’s ongoing work with liturgical materials and in compliance to Resolution B004 as approved at General Convention 2009. This is important work in the life of our church and we are grateful for participation as our church embraces this task.”
The purpose of the survey is to determine if The Hymnal and other music resources meet the worship needs of the Church. If not, is a new hymnal the answer to our current needs?
The survey was published last December, and the announced deadline for responses was January 31st. The good news is that when I visited the survey webpage today, the version for congregational members appears to still be active.
I encourage everyone who believes that music is an important part of worship to participate in the survey. There are a lot of questions, including ones regarding music resources that might not be familiar to your parish. And be prepared with the titles or tune names of three of your favorite hymns.
After answering the survey questions, I realized that I am mostly satisfied with The Hymnal 1982 and other music resources available for use in The Episcopal Church. My answers definitely come down on the side of no revision needed.
This conclusion surprised me. It was not the outcome that I expected when I started the survey.
Take the survey and see if you are surprised, as well.
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