The new Hymnal of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia has been published. It was nearly 20 years in the making. On 19 September, the launch celebration of the new Hymnal took place at Riga Cathedral.
The Hymnal includes 656 hymns (the currently used Hymnal has 585 hymns), with a length of 1120 pages (the one published in 1992 has 951 pages), and a size of 12.5 x 19 cm (14 x 21.8). So the new book is slightly smaller in dimensions and slightly thicker. But in terms of content, the Hymnal differs substantially from the one currently in use, and its content is very rich.
A new section is the prayers with litanies, a version of the Way of the Cross, and various prayers for everyday life – for mealtimes, before a journey, in times of difficulty, and on other occasions.
The Hymnal also has a Teaching section, which includes the Small Catechism, the confessions of faith, and a section written by the bishops – on keeping the Sabbath, the reading of Holy Scripture, holy Baptism, the Holy Supper, the church, marriage, death and eternal life, and so on.
More detailed information on the portal www.focus.lv
Source: www.focus.lv
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