Interesting Article on the New Baptist Hymnal

Bob Allen at EthicsDaily.com wrote an interesting article entitled Omitted Titles in New Baptist Hymnal Reflect Theological Shift.

The article demonstrates the fact that, given that much theological and ethical teaching comes through our hymns, a church should take care in choosing a new hymnal.

Everybody has their favorites, of course. As for me, the editors of this new hymnal have committed an almost unforgiveable sin in leaving out Low in the Grave He Lay (my favorite Easter hymn) and Because I Have Been Given Much (a tremendous reminder of one of the reasons that we should gladly give of our bounty and thus a great offertory hymn).

I'll be interested to see what the Celebrating Grace Hymnal, to be published by Mercer University Press in 2010, looks like.

It seems to me that "main-line" or "traditional" or "moderate" Baptist churches should wait until they can examine both hymnals and decide which one suits them best.