To The Pastor

God has called you to be a worship leader. You are a preacher, administrator, educator and counselor. But all of those tasks merge into one when you stand before your flock to lead them into God’s presence. Worship is the highest calling, and guiding a congregation through worship is one of our greatest privileges. What happens in corporate worship is a foretaste of and preparation for eternity as we join with all the saints surrounding the Lamb’s throne to sing his glory!

You will find Trinity Hymnalto be a helpful guide in equipping God’s people for worship. You would do well to become familiar with the contents of this volume so you can make good use of the rich texts and tunes available. Note the topical arrangement of hymns and how it follows the order of doctrines in the Westminster Confession of Faith. Acquaint yourself with the seven indexes. The index of Scripture references and the detailed index of topics will be of particular help to you.

Get to know the hymns themselves—spending time learning new ones as well as reviewing those whose familiarity may keep you from looking closely at the truths they proclaim. Research the background of the hymns, getting to know the godly people, events and themes that flow through the selections. And use the hymnal in private worship, singing in the study in preparation for singing from the pulpit.

Your preparation will have its fruit in the worship service. When it comes time to sing, you might tell the worshipers about the hymn’s origin, theme and appropriateness for the service. The way you sing (your attitude, posture, facial expression) will guide the congregation. Seek to enable worshipers to catch the excitement of singing “the wonders of God’s grace.”