Music has long been part of worship, a mainstay in the quest to bring worshippers closer to God. Now publishers are tapping into the history of that music and its practitioners in a number of new books.
First is an homage to the era of great spiritual revivals. The Billy Graham Crusades played a huge role in shaping evangelical culture through its music, revealed in Songs I Love to Sing: The Billy Graham Crusades and the Shaping of Modern Worship (Eerdmans, Aug.) by Edith Blumhofer. She is considered a “giant in the field of American religious history,” according to acquisitions editor Lisa Ann Cockrel. Blumhofer's book offers the back stories of some of the most beloved hymns in modern Christianity—How Great Thou Art, Just As I Am, and more. These were made popular by the musicians Graham always included in his crusades — baritone George Beverly Shea, and conductor Clifford Barrows.
“Blumhofer provides a fascinating look at how the lives of three men, savvy worship design, new technologies, and the sheer emotional power of communal singing converged to make the crusades a worldwide phenomenon that deeply shaped evangelical culture and worship practices today,” said Cockrel.
Focusing on individual churches, Lexham Press takes a deep look at music’s role in helping a church and its pastor care for the congregation. Church Music: For the Care of Souls by Phillip Magness (Oct.) is the seventh book in the Lexham Ministry Guides series edited by Harold Senkbeil, which address not only preaching and teaching but also “the everyday, nitty-gritty tasks of the pastor” including music as a pastoral care tool.
Moving from church to culture, the queen of country music, Loretta Lynn, loved God and music, a combination showcased in A Song and a Prayer: 30 Devotions Inspired by My Favorite Songs (Worthy Books, out now). Written by Lynn and Kim McLean, a fellow songwriter and ordained minister, the book was completed before Lynn's death in October. The devotions are combined with lyrics from well-known songs such as A Song and a Prayer, Amazing Grace, and I’d Rather Have Jesus.
“This book is an extremely intimate and personal conversation between Loretta and her audience,” said Jeana Ledbetter, senior director and associate publisher for Worthy Editorial. “She saw it as a way for her to pray with each reader and give them the hope she found in her walk of faith. As her publisher, we have been honored to execute her vision for this legacy project.”
And looking forward to the holiday season, music journalist Annie Zeleski tells the stories behind the carols and tunes that ring out every December in This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits (Running Press, Oct.). She included hits such as Irving Berlin's White Christmas, made famous by Bing Crosby, and Feliz Navidad, written and sung by Jose Feliciano, and more, with illustrations by artist Darling Clementine.
