Hymnal Supplements

[Birkholz]

When I arrived we had LW and HS98.  I found the supplements difficult to use logistically, as many people had a hard time juggling a bulletin, a hymnal, and a supplement.  My first attempt to solve this was to try doing a service completely out of the supplement every once in a while, but this was difficult to pull off due to the limited hymn selection.  We ended up just printing up anything from the supplement that we wanted to use, but this was still unwieldy.

We currently have LSB, and it has been very well received.  We typically use the hymnal itself for all the liturgy and hymns.  We have Lutheran Service Builder, but we only print the entire service for holidays.

If a supplement were to be produced in any form, I don't think we need another setting of the Divine Service.  Frankly, I think five is a bit much.  I can understand how we got to this point, but I think the fewer the better.  The one place where I could see a helpful supplement to the liturgy is the "Service of Prayer and Preaching."  I've found this quite awkward to use, particularly with the canticles.  It would be helpful to have another option for a catechetical service.

As far as the hymns, I'm always happy to consider adding new hymns to the repertoire.  The simplest thing would be an electronic supplement, but I realize that those that are not printed in the hymnal are not likely to be used.  I do use the electronic/accompaniment volume only hymns in LSB from time to time, but this is usually with a hymn that I already know.

As a pastor, what would be most useful to me is the anticipated companion volume, "LSB Desk Edition:Liturgy" referenced in the Altar Book, but still unavailable.

[Dan Fienen]

I use the Service of Prayer and Preaching, LSB often but I'm afraid, I cheat.  I occasionally use the canticles that come with the service but more often substitute hymns appropriate to the Sunday or season.  I still occasionally use the Service of Prayer and Preaching III from the old Hymnal Supplement (pre-LW) that I have found is a good service.

[Steven Tibbetts]

Does anyone have any thoughts about ELW?  If my congregation wanted to buy new hymnals ELW would be the natural choice, but I'd be concerned that they might only last us 10 years before a new hymnal came out.

If the ELWs in neighboring congregations are any indication, you'll be thinking about new hymnals in 10 years anyway.

Zip+

[Brian Stoffregen]

Does anyone have any thoughts about ELW?  If my congregation wanted to buy new hymnals ELW would be the natural choice, but I'd be concerned that they might only last us 10 years before a new hymnal came out.

Since I've printed everything in bulletins for a number of years - and pay for the proper licenses, I haven't recommended buying the hymnal. However, both my present and previous congregations had them. I offer a qualified "They are great" critique.


I think that the wide variety of hymns available are great. Nearly all the hymns I use come from ELW even though I have numerous other resources, GIA, John Ylvisaker, Dakota Road, Ray Makeever, etc. I can find appropriate hymns for the themes (and mood) I'm planning for each worship service.


I also have all ten volumes of the alternate introductions and accompaniments for piano. (There's also a series for organ.) I often look at them. A few I use, some I adapt, and many I ignore. There's also a guitar accompaniment book. I have it, but don't use it. I think that I usually create a better guitar accompaniment for my style.


The Ten Communion liturgies are OK. I don't find anything great nor horrible about the musical settings, except that settings 3-10 cannot really be used from the hymnal. They should be reprinted in a bulletin or projected. There is enough variety that just about every congregation should find one that fits their situation and abilities.


I will be using the hymnals tonight for our midweek Lenten Service for hymns and for Responsive Prayer. It saves me from printing them and it also shows that what we are doing is part of something larger than just our congregation.

[DCharlton]

Does anyone have any thoughts about ELW?  If my congregation wanted to buy new hymnals ELW would be the natural choice, but I'd be concerned that they might only last us 10 years before a new hymnal came out.

Since I've printed everything in bulletins for a number of years - and pay for the proper licenses, I haven't recommended buying the hymnal. However, both my present and previous congregations had them. I offer a qualified "They are great" critique.

I think that the wide variety of hymns available are great. Nearly all the hymns I use come from ELW even though I have numerous other resources, GIA, John Ylvisaker, Dakota Road, Ray Makeever, etc. I can find appropriate hymns for the themes (and mood) I'm planning for each worship service.


I also have all ten volumes of the alternate introductions and accompaniments for piano. (There's also a series for organ.) I often look at them. A few I use, some I adapt, and many I ignore. There's also a guitar accompaniment book. I have it, but don't use it. I think that I usually create a better guitar accompaniment for my style.

The Ten Communion liturgies are OK. I don't find anything great nor horrible about the musical settings, except that settings 3-10 cannot really be used from the hymnal. They should be reprinted in a bulletin or projected. There is enough variety that just about every congregation should find one that fits their situation and abilities.

I will be using the hymnals tonight for our midweek Lenten Service for hymns and for Responsive Prayer. It saves me from printing them and it also shows that what we are doing is part of something larger than just our congregation.

I definitely use ELW as a resource.  There are  many parts of it that are usable.  Hymns and liturgical music in particular.

However, my question was about the life expectancy of ELW.  Is it likely to be replaced after 20 years?  If so, it mike make more sense to wait another 10 years and buy the next one that comes out. 

[Richard Johnson]

However, my question was about the life expectancy of ELW.  Is it likely to be replaced after 20 years?  If so, it mike make more sense to wait another 10 years and buy the next one that comes out.

For my money, given the trajectory from LBW to ELW, I'm not sure it makes any sense at all to buy the next one that comes out.

[peterm]

Does anyone have any thoughts about ELW?  If my congregation wanted to buy new hymnals ELW would be the natural choice, but I'd be concerned that they might only last us 10 years before a new hymnal came out.

ELW contains all the things in LBW, WOV and This Far By Faith...as well as some additional things that were constructed specifically for that hymnal (Setting 10)  It also contains all the psalms and the Small Catechism.  Some of the more familiar and "traditional" harmonies from some hymns have been changed, and there is much more unison singing.  We don't own any ELW but do subscribe to Sundays and Seasons which allows us to mix and match, and also avoids flipping pages in the front since the Brief Order of Confession is not included in the front of every liturgy as it is in the LBW.  I might quibble with some of the changes they made, but over all it is not too bad.

[DCharlton]

However, my question was about the life expectancy of ELW.  Is it likely to be replaced after 20 years?  If so, it mike make more sense to wait another 10 years and buy the next one that comes out.

For my money, given the trajectory from LBW to ELW, I'm not sure it makes any sense at all to buy the next one that comes out.

 

[DCharlton]

Does anyone have any thoughts about ELW?  If my congregation wanted to buy new hymnals ELW would be the natural choice, but I'd be concerned that they might only last us 10 years before a new hymnal came out.

ELW contains all the things in LBW, WOV and This Far By Faith...as well as some additional things that were constructed specifically for that hymnal (Setting 10)  It also contains all the psalms and the Small Catechism.  Some of the more familiar and "traditional" harmonies from some hymns have been changed, and there is much more unison singing.  We don't own any ELW but do subscribe to Sundays and Seasons which allows us to mix and match, and also avoids flipping pages in the front since the Brief Order of Confession is not included in the front of every liturgy as it is in the LBW.  I might quibble with some of the changes they made, but over all it is not too bad.

I used to subscribe to Sundays and Seasons, but since I always had to edit the liturgical texts in favor of LBW Prayers of the Day, Psalms, Proper Prefaces and Eucharistic Prayers, it was easier to do it myself.  (We have an Augsburg Fortress liturgies license that is quite a bit cheaper than Sundays and Seasons.)  So I'm considering ELW strictly as a hymn book.