Episcopalians have long been justifiably proud of their hymnal. Last week Episcopalians got an even better one: the Joint Commission on the Revision of the Hymnal, appointed in 1937, produced the fruits of six years' labors.
Of the revised Hymnal's nearly 600 hymns (an increase of about 40) 201 are new. Some hymns have been dropped. Most of these, like Tarry With Me, O My Saviour, were on the egocentric side. The current trend is toward theocentric hymns. Two surprising deletions: Julia Ward Howe's Battle Hymn of the Republic, Tennyson's Crossing the Bar....
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