Top 10 favorite hymns from 'Hymnal: A Worship Book.'

At Annual Conference in July, Brethren Press sponsored a hymn sing celebrating the 20th anniversary of “Hymnal: A Worship Book.” Nancy Faus-Mullen, who chaired the committee that put together the hymnal on behalf of Brethren Press and the Mennonite publishing house, led the event. In preparation, she and a team that included Haley Goodwin and Douglas Archer surveyed a number of Brethren to find out what hymns from the 1992 hymnal are most loved by those who sing from it in worship. Although it was not a scientific survey, the results are interesting. More survey findings and the group’s reflection on the survey may appear in a future issue of “Messenger” magazine. 
 
Top 10 favorite hymns from the 1992 “Hymnal: A Worship Book”:

1. “In the Bulb There Is a Flower,” #614
2. “Amazing Grace,” #143
3. “Blessed Assurance,” #332
4. “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” #327
5. “Here I Am, Lord,” #395
6. “When Peace Like a River,” #336
7. “Praise God from Whom,” #118
8. “Move in Our Midst,” #418
9. “Here in This Place,” #6
10. “Wonderful Grace of Jesus,” #150

Of the top 10 hymns, one (#418) is totally a Brethren hymn, written by a Brethren text writer, Kenneth Morse, and a Brethren tune writer, Perry Huffaker.

Five of the hymns are in a hymnal produced by the Church of the Brethren for the first time: #614, #395, #118, #6, #150. Of these five, three have been written since 1980 (#614, #395, and #6).

The oldest hymn of the top 10 is #143.

Two of the top 10 are in “The Brethren Hymnal” of 1901 (#332 and #336).

Two are in “Hymnal Church of the Brethren” of 1925 (#332 and #336).

Four are in “The Brethren Hymnal” of 1951 (#143,  #332, #327, #336).

-- Prepared and compiled by Nancy Faus-Mullen, Haley Goodwin, and Douglas Archer.

Source:9/6/2012 Newsline