Singing the Faith

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Singing the Faith is the current authorised hymnbook of the Methodist Church of Great Britain, first published in 2011. [1]

Contents

Background

Singing the Faith is the latest in a line of hymnbooks going back to A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists [2] (1779) by John Wesley and Charles Wesley. [3]

The decision to produce a 21st-century hymnbook was taken at the Methodist Conference of 2009. Since the publication of the previous authorised hymnbook, Hymns and Psalms , in 1983, many new hymns and contemporary worship songs had appeared, reflecting current concerns and forms of expression. The objective was to produce a book that represented both modern and traditional hymnody while reflecting the doctrines, beliefs and emphases of Methodism in the 21st century. The opportunity was taken to remove non-inclusive language, especially by using gender-neutral language as far as possible. The new hymn collection was authorised by the Methodist Conference in 2010. [4]

Contents

Out of the 748 hymns and songs in the collection, 89 were written by Charles Wesley (1707–88), one of the founders of Methodism. The most represented hymnwriter of the 20th and 21st centuries is John L. Bell (b. 1949), who has 43 hymns included. [5]

Singing the Faith Plus

Singing the Faith Plus is an electronic hymn resource "designed to support and complement" the published book. [6] As well as a comprehensive index of hymns and songs, it allows members to submit their own works.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Charles Wesley was an English Anglican cleric and a principal leader of the Methodist movement. Wesley was a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. His works include "And Can It Be", "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing", "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today", "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling", the carol "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", and "Lo! He Comes With Clouds Descending".

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<i>Hymns and Psalms</i> 1983 Methodisthymnal

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wesleyan theology</span> Protestant Christian theological tradition

Wesleyan theology, otherwise known as Wesleyan–Arminian theology, or Methodist theology, is a theological tradition in Protestant Christianity based upon the ministry of the 18th-century evangelical reformer brothers John Wesley and Charles Wesley. More broadly it refers to the theological system inferred from the various sermons, theological treatises, letters, journals, diaries, hymns, and other spiritual writings of the Wesleys and their contemporary coadjutors such as John William Fletcher, Methodism's systematic theologian.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come, O thou Traveller unknown</span> 18th-century Christian hymn by Charles Wesley

"Wrestling Jacob", also known by its incipit, "Come, O thou Traveller unknown", is a Christian hymn written by Methodist hymn writer Charles Wesley. It is based on the biblical account of Jacob wrestling with an angel, from Genesis 32:24-32, with Wesley interpreting this as an analogy for Christian conversion. First published in 1742, it has been included in every Methodist hymnbook since 1780. In its original form, it had fourteen stanzas, but it is rarely sung in its entirety. The hymn is commonly described as one of Charles Wesley's greatest compositions, with the hymn writer Isaac Watts quoted as saying that "that single poem, Wrestling Jacob, was worth all the verses he himself had written".

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">And Can It Be</span> Christian hymn written by Charles Wesley

"And Can It Be That I Should Gain?" is a Christian hymn written by Charles Wesley in 1738 to celebrate his conversion, which he regarded as having taken place on 21 May of that year. The hymn celebrates personal salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and is one of the most popular Methodist hymns today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Charge to Keep I Have</span> Christian hymn text by Charles Wesley

"A Charge to Keep I Have" is a hymn written by Charles Wesley. It was first published in 1762 in Wesley's Short Hymns on Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures. The words are based on Leviticus 8:35. It is most commonly sung to the hymn tune Boylston by Lowell Mason.

References

  1. Singing the Faith (Words ed.). Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes. 2011. ISBN   9781848250680 via Hymns Ancient and Modern.
  2. Wesley, John (1779). A Collection of Hymns for the Use of The People Called Methodists. London: John Mason.
  3. Moffatt, James (1927). Handbook to the Church Hymnary. Oxford University Press. p. 404.
  4. "Singing the Faith". The Methodist Church.
  5. "Tunes / First Line / Author" (PDF). www.singingthefaithplus.org.uk. Singing the Faith Plus. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  6. "About StF+". Singing the Faith Plus. Retrieved 28 March 2017.