We are building a new building and we are needing songbooks. My husband is one of the song leaders. I would like to know which book you would recommend to us. We are strictly a New Testament church. No musical instruments and no praise teams.<\/p>\n
Also, I need to know where to go to check on colors and leather books. Any ideas?<\/p>\n\t
The best songbooks currently published are:<\/p>\n
All three have a good selection of songs, both old and new.<\/p>\n
An older book that is commonly used is:<\/p>\n
The number of songs is fewer and the editor was heavy-handed in modifying songs. In many cases, it was justified in making the songs more scripturally accurate, but in a lot of cases, it appears he was attempting to make the song less offensive to people with chips on their shoulders.<\/p>\n
I’ve become more aware of how songs are being shortened over the years so that there is more room to get more songs into the book. One of the things I particularly like about Praise for the Lord<\/em> is that it will often include more verses than you will find in other books (Songs, Hymns, and Spiritual<\/em> Songs does as well). Still, it too has its faults. Let me illustrate. In many songbooks you will find:<\/p>\n Precious Memories<\/strong><\/p>\nPrecious mem’ries, unseen angels It is a pretty song of remembrance, but exactly what is being remembered is expressed vaguely. The original is very different. It speaks of memories of the faith seen in parents being carried into the future.<\/p>\n Precious Memories<\/strong><\/p>\nPrecious mem’ries, unseen angels In other words, the original song is an expression of “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it<\/em>” (Proverbs 22:6). Sadly, that message is lost in editing.<\/p>\n I don’t like\u00a0Songs of Faith and Praise<\/em> by Taylor Publications. The emphasis in this book is on fancy rhythms and often the music is hard to follow because of this. In addition, many of the songs are just plain empty of content. They are more repetitions of catchphrases without any thought of teaching. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord<\/em>” (Colossians 3:16).<\/p>\n As far as sources for these books, see:<\/p>\n Question: We are building a new building and we are needing songbooks. My husband is one of the song leaders. I would like to know which book you would recommend to us. We are strictly a New Testament church. No musical instruments and no praise teams. Also, I need to know where to go to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[520],"class_list":["post-14609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":50030,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-i-get-a-hold-of-hymns-written-by-members-of-the-churches-of-christ\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":0},"title":"How do I get a hold of hymns written by members of the churches of Christ?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 27, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Do you know of any way to get a hold of a collection of hymns written by members of the churches of Christ? I very recently joined the church and have been wondering why we sing songs that were written by unsaved people? I actually love these old hymns\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34752,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-of-psalms-hymns-and-spiritual-songs-praise-for-the-lord-and-songs-for-worship-praise\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":1},"title":"What do you think of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs, Praise for the Lord, and Songs for Worship & Praise?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 12, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I read your excellent review of the\u00a0Jeffcoat\u00a0Sacred Songs of the Church songbook. Our congregation is considering changing books and we are considering several of the more traditionally focused books. Have you had the opportunity to review and consider the\u00a0Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs\u00a0by Sumphonia? We are also considering the\u00a0Praise\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":86059,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/psalms-hymns-and-spiritual-songs\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":2},"title":"Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne S. Walker via\u00a0Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 1, January 2015 We know from the New Testament and can infer from later writings of church leaders that Christians of the first century did sing in their worship, but we do not know precisely what songs they sang or exactly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":28218,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-of-songs-of-faith-and-praise\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":3},"title":"What do you think of Songs of Faith and Praise?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 28, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I am writing to you because I came across a blog you had on your website concerning your review of the Songs for Worship and Praise\u00a0hymnal. \u00a0I have owned the hymnal for a\u00a0couple\u00a0of months and also own\u00a0Songs of Faith and Praise\u00a0and\u00a0Praise for the Lord. \u00a0I am trying to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":59338,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/a-review-of-the-hymnbooks\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":4},"title":"A Review of the Hymnbooks","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 16, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne S. Walker Originally published in Torch, October 1988 Please understand that my review is of necessity going to be biased by my own view of what constitutes a good hymn selection. With that in mind, I shall begin by saying that I grew up using the old \"brown\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34759,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/review-of-songs-for-worship-and-praise\/","url_meta":{"origin":14609,"position":5},"title":"Review of Songs for Worship and Praise","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wayne S. Walker The newest general hymnbook published for use among churches of Christ is\u00a0Songs for Worship and Praise, edited by Robert J. 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\nSent from somewhere to my soul
\nHow they linger, ever near me
\nAnd the sacred past unfold.\nIn the stillness of the midnight
\nEchoes from the past I hear
\nOld-time singing, gladness bringing
\nFrom that lovely land somewhere.\nAs I travel on life’s pathway
\nKnow not what the years may hold
\nAs I ponder, hope grows fonder
\nPrecious mem’ries flood my soul.\nCHORUS:
\nPrecious mem’ries, how they linger
\nHow they ever flood my soul
\nIn the stillness of the midnight
\nPrecious, sacred scenes unfold.<\/blockquote>\n
\nSent from somewhere to my soul
\nHow they linger, ever near me
\nAnd the sacred past unfold.\nPrecious father, loving mother
\nFly across the lonely years
\nAnd old home scenes of my childhood
\nIn fond memory appear.\nIn the stillness of the midnight
\nEchoes from the past I hear
\nOld-time singing, gladness bringing
\nFrom that lovely land somewhere.\nI remember mother praying
\nFather, too, on bended knee
\nSun is sinking, shadows falling
\nBut their pray’rs still follow me.\nAs I travel on life’s pathway
\nKnow not what the years may hold
\nAs I ponder, hope grows fonder
\nPrecious mem’ries flood my soul.\nCHORUS:
\nPrecious mem’ries, how they linger
\nHow they ever flood my soul
\nIn the stillness of the midnight
\nPrecious, sacred scenes unfold.<\/blockquote>\n\n