The Sing! Hymnal: Renewing the Church’s Song
1. What Is the Sing! Hymnal?
The Sing! Hymnal is a comprehensive new hymnal created by Getty Music, the team behind the Sing! Conference. Its purpose is to provide churches, schools, and families with a resource that unites timeless hymns of the past with biblically rich songs of today. Unlike many modern worship songbooks that lean heavily on current trends, the Sing! Hymnal seeks to anchor the church’s worship in a strong biblical, theological, and musical foundation.
The hymnal includes historic classics like “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” alongside contemporary compositions such as “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.” Its layout is designed for accessibility, so that churches with choirs, praise bands, or even just a single pianist and a congregation of voices can sing together faithfully and fruitfully.
2. Why Hymnals Still Matter
Some may wonder if hymnals have become outdated in a digital age dominated by screens and projectors. Yet hymnals offer benefits that go beyond convenience.
Durability: A hymnal can be handed down for generations, carrying the memory of shared worship.
Formation: Hymns embed theology into memory. Singing “Holy, Holy, Holy” shapes the mind as well as the heart.
Unity: A hymnal unites congregations across time and space, reminding us that the church’s song is not bound to one generation or culture.
Depth: Hymnals encourage engagement with lyrics rich in biblical truth rather than songs that are merely catchy or repetitive.
The church’s worship has always been at the heart of its mission. To sing truthfully is to confess the Gospel in community. For this reason, hymnals remain vital tools for discipleship.
3. The Sing! Hymnal and the Gospel
At its heart, the Sing! Hymnal is not just about music—it is about proclaiming the Gospel. The songs within it tell the story of Christ: his incarnation, his death, his resurrection, and his reign as King. Each hymn participates in the larger story of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.
This focus ties directly into Anthony Delgado’s view of the Gospel as bigger than individual salvation. When the church sings hymns of Christ’s kingship, it declares the reign of God that reshapes every corner of life. Singing about the cross is not only remembering Christ’s sacrifice but entering into the covenantal reality that Christ’s death and resurrection renew creation and reconcile humanity to God.
The hymnal, therefore, becomes a tool of kingdom proclamation. Each song joins believers to the heavenly chorus described in Revelation 5, where every tribe and tongue sings praise to the Lamb who was slain.
4. How the Sing! Hymnal Balances Old and New
The editors of the hymnal made deliberate choices to weave together past and present. The result is a resource that both honors tradition and equips for modern mission.
Old Hymns Preserved: Beloved songs like “Be Thou My Vision” and “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” remind worshipers of God’s faithfulness through history.
New Hymns Added: Recent compositions provide theological clarity for contemporary challenges, such as “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me.”
Global Voices Included: The collection highlights hymns from cultures beyond the West, reflecting the worldwide scope of Christ’s church.
Liturgical Range: The hymnal provides songs for every season of the church calendar—Advent, Easter, Pentecost, and beyond—allowing worship to flow naturally through the story of redemption.
This balance reflects the conviction that the church is one people across time. In Christ, the faith of Abraham, the psalms of David, the creeds of the fathers, and the songs of today all harmonize.
5. Theological Significance of Singing
Why is singing so central to Christian worship? The Bible consistently portrays song as a response to God’s mighty acts. Israel sang after the Exodus (Exodus 15), David sang throughout his reign, and the early church continued the pattern by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16).
Singing is not optional—it is part of discipleship. Songs train the imagination, stir affections, and engrain the truths of the faith. They teach doctrine to children, sustain the elderly in suffering, and unify diverse congregations in a single voice.
Through singing, believers anticipate the eschatological future. The hymns of the church today foreshadow the eternal praise of the saints gathered around the throne. Every chorus becomes an echo of the heavenly liturgy.
6. The Sing! Hymnal in Mission
The Sing! Hymnal is more than an internal resource for the church; it also serves as a tool for mission. When believers sing clearly of Christ’s cross, resurrection, and reign, they bear witness to a world in need.
Evangelistic Impact: Visitors who hear a congregation singing deeply biblical hymns encounter the Gospel through song.
Cultural Witness: In an age of fragmented voices, the unified voice of the church testifies to the reality of God’s kingdom.
Generational Discipleship: Children raised on hymns filled with Scripture are prepared to carry the faith into the future.
The hymnal reminds us that worship is not a performance but a proclamation. It is the gathered church announcing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11).
7. Fitting Worship for God’s Glory
Ultimately, the Sing! Hymnal calls the church to worship soli Deo gloria—to the glory of God alone. Every page directs attention not to the singers themselves but to the God who redeems, sustains, and reigns.
When the church sings in truth, it participates in God’s mission. The hymnal’s vision is that churches today would not settle for shallow expressions of worship but would embrace the depth and joy of Christ-centered song. In doing so, they not only honor God but prepare the people of God for the coming kingdom, when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Bible Verses about Singing and Hymns
“Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!” (Psalm 105:2)
“I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.” (Psalm 104:33)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.” (Ephesians 5:19)
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” (Psalm 95:1)
“Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth.” (Isaiah 12:5)
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” (James 5:13)
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30)
“Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly!” (Psalm 149:1)
“And they were singing a new song before the throne… for they had been redeemed from the earth.” (Revelation 14:3)
