How's Your LSB? Part III: The Conversation Continues

Kantor Magness is back in action over at Fine Tuning, and he picked up where the conversation left off on the Lutheran Service Book.  For those of you new to the discussion, Part I is here, Part II is here, and the latest edition, Part III, is here.  There is a lot of room for discussion, so head on over there and weigh in.

How's Your LSB? Part II

Over at Fine Tuning, the Part Two of the Lutheran Service Book self-evaluation is going on.

They are asking for opinions on new texts set to existing tunes.

Offer your opinion on...

• Personal Favorite
• Most Beneficial for Your Congregation's Piety
• Hymn that Most Effectively Catechizes
• Best Fit for an Old Tune
• Text that Helped You Use an Older Tune
• Congregational Favorite

This conversation gets way better when more than two people are involved, so even if you tackle two or three of the six options, it will be a nice springboard!

Of note, Kantor Stephen R. Johnson has a new tune and setting on deck for LSB 521, "Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken."  I am excited because the tune Fortunatus New works exceedingly well with this text, but is a stumbling block for my choir (and therefore my congregation).  It's good to have options.  Put me down for 10 copies.

How's Your LSB?

It has been around 3 years since Lutheran Service Book (LSB) first hit the pews.

Kantor Phil Magness has a good discussion going on at Fine Tuning that includes a "self-diagnostic tool."

Chime in on how it's going in your congregation in the following areas:

• A Hymn that Is Proving to Be As Good As First Thought
• A Hymn that Hasn't Met Expectations
• A Hymn that Worked Surprisingly Well
• A Hymn We Haven't Sung Yet, But Will

Read more on the post, but as a preview I chose the following for the above categories:

• ...As Good As First Thought: 411, "I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light"
• ...Hasn't Met Expectations: 521, "Christ, the Lord of Hosts, Unshaken" (love the text, the tune is not catching on in my parish) 
• ...Works Surprisingly Well: Nunc Dimittis (Page 211 and Hymn 937)
• ...Haven't Sung Yet, but Will: 957, "Our Father Who Art In Heaven."