LSB Core Hymnody (Kernlieder)

A variety of factors over the past few years have made me all the more aware of the importance of hymnody in the Christian faith and life, for catechesis and confession, prayer and proclamation. I've gradually become convinced that a core body of significant hymns, sung with deliberate repetition at intervals throughout the church year, and from one year to the next, is a most salutary way of instilling these sung poetic confessions of the Word of God into the hearts and minds of God's people. So, for the past year, I've been working to develop such a solid core of hymns, and to determine how best to ensure their regular usage in the liturgical rhythm of the Church's life.

Taking the Lutheran Service Book as the pool of hymns from which to draw, I've identified hymns of historic significance, as well as some of the more promising recent hymns, in arriving at a total of sixty core hymns. A big part of the process included a survey of pastors, musicians, adults, youth and children, family and friends, in an effort to discover those hymns that have proven to be most affective in the hearts and minds of those who sing them. I know that the Word of God is the real power of any Christian hymn, but there is also a subjective, artistic element that contributes to the way a hymn engages the singer.

The end result of my efforts is the following list of sixty hymns altogether, distributed in four tiers of importance. The first tier I have determined to sing at least six times each year; the second tier, at least five times; the third tier, at least four times; and the fourth tier, at least three times. Obviously, any of these hymns may be used more often. And of course, these are not the only hymns that are going to be sung in the course of the year. But my aim has been to make sure that these hymns are used with at least this much repetition, year-in, year-out, so that members of my congregation will gradually learn them by heart and retain them.

I've also done the painstaking work, for myself, of figuring out when each of these hymns will be used each year; although I sense that it will be an ongoing process of fine-tuning and adjustment to work out the kinks here and there over the long haul. There are such a huge number of factors that come into play, including the weekly Hymn of the Day, the catechetical hymn of the week, the observance of feasts and festivals throughout the year, Advent and Lenten Vespers, etc. It is a somewhat daunting and time-consuming task, admittedly, but I believe it is well worth it. Not only for my own awareness and knowledge of these hymns, but for the sake of the people. Over the past decade, I have noted that my congregation has grown in its appreciation and enthusiasm for hymns that were once unfamiliar and more difficult in this place. The sturdier hymns, exemplified by the Lutheran chorales and the medieval chants, such as many of the following are, have both a substance and a staying power that make them a good investment.

First Tier (at least six times per year)

Savior of the Nations, Come (LSB 332)
O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright (LSB 395)
A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth (LSB 438)
Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying (LSB 516)
Salvation unto Us Has Come (LSB 555)
Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice (LSB 556)
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (LSB 656)
Lord, Thee I Love with All My Heart (LSB 708)

Second Tier (at least five times per year)

Of the Father’s Love Begotten (LSB 384)
To Jordan Came the Christ, Our Lord (LSB 406)
My Song Is Love Unknown (LSB 430)
Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands (LSB 458)
Triune God, Be Thou Our Stay (LSB 505)
O Love, How Deep (LSB 544)
Lord Jesus Christ, with Us Abide (LSB 585)
O Lord, We Praise Thee (LSB 617)
At the Lamb’s High Feast We Sing (LSB 633)
Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word (LSB 655)
Lord of Our Life (LSB 659)
Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me (LSB 683)
I Walk in Danger All the Way (LSB 716)
To God the Holy Spirit Let Us Pray (LSB 768)
Praise the Almighty (LSB 797)
May God Bestow on Us His Grace (LSB 823)

Third Tier (at least four times per year)

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You (LSB 334)
Jesus, Grant That Balm and Healing (LSB 421)
Sing, My Tongue, the Glorious Battle (LSB 454)
Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord (LSB 497)
In the Shattered Bliss of Eden (LSB 572)
Thy Strong Word (LSB 578)
These Are the Holy Ten Commands (LSB 581)
God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It (LSB 594)
All Christians Who Have Been Baptized (LSB 596)
All Who Believe and Are Baptized (LSB 601)
From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee (LSB 607)
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence (LSB 621)
Wide Open Stand the Gates (LSB 639)
Sing with All the Saints in Glory (LSB 671)
O God, My Faithful God (LSB 696)
From God Can Nothing Move Me (LSB 713)
Evening and Morning (LSB 726)
Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing (LSB 737)
Jesus, Priceless Treasure (LSB 743)
In the Very Midst of Life (LSB 755)
Our Father, Who from Heaven Above (LSB 766)
Sing Praise to God, the Highest Good (LSB 819)
O God, O Lord of Heaven and Earth (LSB 834)
We All Believe in One True God (LSB 954)
Isaiah, Mighty Seer in Days of Old (LSB 960)

Fourth Tier (at least three times per year)

All My Heart Again Rejoices (LSB 360)
Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain (LSB 487)
Come, Holy Ghost, Creator Blest (LSB 498)
Father Most Holy (LSB 504)
Christ Sits at God’s Right Hand (LSB 564)
Now, My Tongue, the Mystery Telling (LSB 630)
Behold a Host, Arrayed in White (LSB 676)
For All the Saints (LSB 677)
Entrust Your Days and Burdens (LSB 754)
Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me (LSB 756)
Kyrie! God, Father (LSB 942)