Presenting the Global Lutheran Songbook in a workshop during the Kirchentag in Hanover: (from left) Victor Alcántara, Uwe Steinmetz, Janne Mark, and Allison Werner Hoenen. Photo: LWF/A. Weyermüller
Discovering the contemporary diversity of song in Lutheran churches across the world
(LWI) - “Singing brings people together; music builds bridges between them,” said Oberkirchenrat Michael Martin, a member of The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Council, when he welcomed visitors to the concert “A Singing Communion” at the Kirchentag in Hanover, Germany, last week.
The Global Lutheran Songbook Collective, comprising a band, choir with about 15 guests from Sweden, and soloists, presented pieces from the LWF’s Global Lutheran Songbook. Following the three themes of Pilgrimage, Freedom, and Belonging, the collective, led by Dr. Uwe Steinmetz, one of the curators of the Songbook, delighted their audience with songs from across the seven regions of the LWF: India, Namibia, Sweden, Estonia, the USA, Brazil, and others.
In the full church, the audience readily took up the spirit of the songs and joined in. This participation culminated in singing the new German translation of the song “Et hus at komme til” (English: A house to come home to; German: Ein Haus zur Zuflucht da), which was presented to the public for the first time.
The song originally comes from Denmark. Janne Mark composed it in 2009 in the context of a church asylum that police had forcefully terminated. Now, there is a strong possibility that it will be included in the new hymnal being developed for the churches in Germany.
Workshop and experimenting
“Lutheran faith sounds different in every part of the world – and the LWF’s Global Songbook aims to reflect this and make these diverse expressions of faith accessible to communities in other regions,” said Rev. Allison Werner Hoenen, LWF's Liturgical Studies Coordinator at the workshop titled “Around the world in 90 minutes with the Global Songbook – Discovering liturgies and songs from the Lutheran World Federation”.
Lutheran faith sounds different in every part of the world.
Rev. Allison Werner Hoenen, LWF's Liturgical Studies Coordinator
Taking a “Litany prayer for healing of creation” developed by the Lutheran Communion in Southern Africa (LUCSA) as an example, workshop participants were invited to discover how elements of the Global Lutheran Songbook can enrich worship.
“We cross bridges between places, but also cultures, cultural traditions, and denominational differences, and reach out to God through prayers and songs seeking a connection between us and the divine,” Uwe Steinmetz explained the approach.
As the Songbook is currently in the test phase, Steinmetz encouraged participants to use the material in their congregations and provide feedback on their experiences.
“When we compiled the Songbook, we decided on a clear notation of the music, including chords,” said Steinmetz. “The idea is that the songs can be played by one person with a guitar or piano, but also in more elaborate formations such as a band and choir.”
The Global Lutheran Songbook was launched to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s first hymnal, the Achtliederbuch (Book of Eight Songs). It is an online collection of contemporary hymns and songs sung among LWF member churches across the world. It will be published and accessible to the public in 2026.
