A Closer Walk: Meditating on Hymns for Year A / Awake, My Soul! Meditating on Hymns for Year B

A Closer Walk: Meditating on Hymns for Year A. By Nancy Roth. New York: Church Publishing Incorporated, 1999. 284 pp. $12.95 (paper).

Awake, My Soul! Meditating on Hymns for Year B. By Nancy Roth. New York: Church Publishing Incorporated, 1999. 262 pp. $12.95 (paper).

Church musicians, clergy, and all who cherish the hymns of our Church would be well advised to take note of both of the books considered in this review. The Reverend Nancy Roth explores the text of one recommended hymn for each Sunday of Church Years A and B, using a format which provides historical background followed by her own meditation based on the text or a portion of the text. This is not The Hymnal Companion, nor does it make any attempt to be. While she does credit the companion in her bibliographies, her sources are many and include some of the most renowned hymnologists in the Church.

These books acknowledge The Hymnal 1982 as a collection of poetry, and, while many may recognize a hymn simply by its tune name or its first line, the essence of its content is rarely found there. Roth discusses the relation between texts and scripture without overstating the obvious; she assumes that anyone reading these books has a basic knowledge of and interest in hymns. She writes of what these authors were going through in their everyday lives, leaving the reader with a renewed respect for hymn writers, translators, and all who put prose texts into poetic strophic form. I had to keep in mind that reactions to hymns are very subjective-like theater. Taking some of her points out of context might make them sound simplistic. And, like theater, it is hard to do these books justice in a review.

It is important to recognize that some words or phrases in hymn texts have a different meaning in theological vocabulary, or had another meaning at the time they were written, and I found Roth's testimony to that particularly helpful. While I understand that most readers will be at their desks with easy access to a hymnal, I would have liked to see each text printed in the book for quick reference. I don't know the date of publication for a book on Year C, but the Year B book refers to passages in the Year A book, so a complete set is almost a necessity to take full advantage of this resource. In each volume, both the historical background sections and the meditations are well written and edited; neither seems too "worked on."

I was prepared to enjoy the historical sections more than the meditations: not so. I'm embarrassed to admit that past misuses of the word meditation made me a bit wary. Would this be "Chicken Soup for the Hymn Lover's Soul?" Would it be like when a friend wants to tell you the dream she had last night? (It's seldom interesting unless you played a major role!) Because I began this project with that negative mindset, I went from being nonplussed to being moved to tears by some of her anecdotal illustrations. Roth's meditations are thought provoking and I was grateful for the fact that she is never preachy. She in unashamed to ask the reader difficult, even harsh questions, and she doesn't try to provide answers. Neither does she shy away from bold statements that we've all had in the backs of our minds for years. She reminds us that questioning is a big part of what's wonderful about being an Episcopalian.

And the fact is that stories behind hymns can bring them to life-hymns that I may have foolishly considered ordinary. I'd be willing to bet that 90% of the sermons I actually remember included a personal story, so the same concept applies here. Almost everyone will identify with some statement in the meditations. Personally, I appreciated Roth's thoughts on the hymn text, Alleluia, sing to Jesus! "Although I am basically an introvert, I have enough of the extrovert in me that I love to move down the aisle singling `Alleluia!' to a rousing tune" (A Closer Walk, p. 139).

Her attention to the lives and personalities of the writers made for especially good reading. So many of those credited with texts in the hymnal were not just good writers-they were extraordinarily good people. But be prepared to have theologians and writers you may have idolized, humanized. For instance, maybe I didn't want to know that Isaac Watts, author of "O God our help in ages past," and over a dozen other hymns in The Hymnal 1982, "had an annoying habit of rhyming even everyday conversation" (A Closer Walk, p. 233).

Aside from their obvious usefulness for church musicians, these books are commendable for sermon preparation, for the planning of liturgies, and for group study. I would recommend reading these books at a leisurely pace with a hymnal nearby, looking seriously at each hymn, taking the time to consider the connection made between the texts and Roth's meditations. Both books would be a welcome addition to any hymn lover's library. I anticipate the forthcoming publication of Nancy Roth's book based on hymns for Year C with great interest.

MARJORIE JOHNSTON

St. Michael's Episcopal Church