The Sing! Hymnal, created by Keith and Kristyn Getty, was published by Crossway this September. Several other editors, including Douglas O’Donnell, were involved in creating the hymnal. Courier staff writer Mary Margaret Flook interviewed O’Donnell about the background of the hymnal and about how to think theologically about hymns.
Tell us about yourself (family, where you’re from, work, hobbies, etc.).
Douglas O’Donnell
I’m married to Emily. We have five children — Sean (and his wife, Jess), Lily (and her husband, Clark), Evelyn, Simeon, and Charlotte. Except for three years in Australia, I have lived my whole life in Chicagoland. I have served as a local pastor (17 years), seminary professor (three years), and senior vice president of Bible Editorial and Church Resources at Crossway (five years). I enjoy walks with my wife, bike rides (on my own), watching Notre Dame football, and writing. I have authored more than 20 books, including commentaries, Bible studies, devotionals, and a children’s Bible and curriculum.
How did you get involved with “The Sing! Hymnal”? Whose idea was it?
In 2019, I received an email from Dane Ortlund, who was then serving as chief publishing officer at Crossway. He invited me to meet with Crossway’s executives to discuss a hymnal. In the meeting, Lane and Ebeth Dennis expressed their desire to publish a hymnal for the next generation and invited me to brainstorm with them, serve as the general editor, and draft a proposal. I was thrilled and honored to do so. Shortly thereafter, we learned that Keith and Kristyn Getty shared our desire to publish a hymnal and wanted to work with us. So, when I transitioned to work at Crossway, we thought it best that the Gettys serve as general editors, and I serve as a liaison of sorts between Crossway and Getty Music, as well as the prayers and liturgies editor.
What was your team’s driving purpose in creating the hymnal?
Here are a few of the key emphases:
- The hymnal is a curated, trustworthy selection of hymns (classic and contemporary) chosen for theological depth, poetic beauty, and endurance rather than merely trendiness or novelty.
- It seeks to help shape the life of the congregation, the life of the family, and the individual’s devotion — not just Sunday corporate worship but the whole rhythm of Christian living.
- It aims to connect generations — the hymns of the past, the hymns of our day, and the future of the church — so that the singing of God’s people becomes a kind of intergenerational legacy.
- It aspires to help the church move from mere “songs we happen to sing because we like them” to a singing life formed by rich doctrine, biblical truth, and the fullness of the gospel.
In short, the purpose is to revive and resource the church’s singing with a hymnal that is faithful, beautiful, comprehensive, and designed for the long haul — not just the moment.
What’s your favorite hymn found in it, and why?
My favorite is “Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted.” Here are five reasons why. First, it is biblically saturated. The hymn does not merely allude to Isaiah 53 — it inhabits it. Second, it is theologically exact. The lyrics teach clearly and beautifully the doctrine of penal substitution. Third, it is poetry with backbone. Strong images. Strong verbs. Strong structure. Fourth, it is pastorally potent. It humbles the proud, heartens the weary, and reminds the whole church that our only hope is Christ crucified. Fifth, it is confronting and convicting (“Ye who think of sin but lightly”).
In your opinion, what’s the difference between a hymn and a contemporary worship song? What’s unique about hymns?
A hymn is the church’s theological poetry set to music. It’s the well-crafted, biblically dense, doctrinally rich stanza that has been kneaded and shaped by centuries of Christian reflection. Hymns tend to follow stable poetic forms — metered lines, regular rhyming patterns, multiple stanzas that stand on their own even without accompaniment. They are designed to teach as much as they are to stir the heart.
A contemporary worship song, on the other hand, is the church’s present-tense praise. It often has a simpler structure — verse, chorus, maybe a bridge — and aims for emotional immediacy and congregational accessibility. These songs lean toward expression — toward helping the congregation articulate longing, gratitude, repentance, or joy in the language and musical style of the moment.
Now, here’s where the caricatures fail, and the conversation gets interesting: The best hymns sing like they were written yesterday, and the best contemporary worship songs will, Lord willing, still be sung a hundred years from now. Both forms — old and new, sturdy and simple — are gifts to the church.
Why should believers value singing?
Because God wants us to! From Genesis to Revelation, the people of God are a singing people. Before Israel had a king, they had a song — the song of Moses by the sea. Before the church had buildings, budgets, or bulletins, it had psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Singing is not an optional add-on to discipleship; it’s one of the chief ways God shapes our souls.
Singing reinforces God’s truth. A sermon may explain and apply God’s Word, but a song helps us remember it. Singing knits us together. When believers lift one voice — young and old, strong and weak — we practice the unity we proclaim. Singing awakens affection. The Lord commands us to love Him with heart, soul, mind, and strength. Singing engages the mind with truth, the heart with beauty, the soul with wonder, and the body with breath and voice. It is whole-person praise to a whole-worthy God. Finally, singing prepares us for heaven. The Bible ends with a choir from every tribe, tongue, and nation singing the song of the Lamb. Every Sunday, we rehearse for that day.
Was there any particular reason the hymnal was named ‘The Sing! Hymnal’? Were there any other titles you considered?
This was an easy decision. “Sing!” is the name of Getty Music’s annual conference. We also liked that it is God’s command. Nearly 40 times in the Bible, we are called to “sing”!
What makes a good hymn? Are there components that you find necessary? How were the hymns selected?
First, a good hymn is biblical. It doesn’t merely sprinkle Bible words like seasoning — it grows from the soil of God’s Word. Every stanza should echo the prophets, the Psalms, the teaching of Christ, the cross, the resurrection, and the hope of glory.
Second, a good hymn is theologically rich. It says something worth singing. It teaches. It lifts our thoughts to the Triune God and helps us confess what Christians have always confessed — God’s holiness, humanity’s need, Christ’s saving work, the Spirit’s sanctifying presence, and the hope of the new creation.
Third, a good hymn is poetically beautiful. It is crafted like a piece of fine furniture, with joints that fit and grain that runs clean, lines that linger in the mind, images that open the heart, rhymes that are earned, not cheap.
Fourth, a good hymn is singable. The meter is manageable, the melody memorable, the range comfortable for average voices. A hymn is not a performance piece; it’s an invitation for the whole church — children to seniors, weak voices and strong — to lift one sound.
Fifth, a good hymn is emotionally honest. It gives voice to joy, yes, but also to sorrow, repentance, longing, and hope. The Psalms do this brilliantly. Good hymns help the church sing its way through the whole spectrum of the Christian life.
Sixth, a good hymn is enduring. You can sing it today, and your grandchildren can sing it, and it still feels fresh for both generations and for generations to come. It’s not tied to a passing moment or musical fad.
These qualities, woven together — Scripture, theology, poetry, melody, honesty, and longevity — were the type of hymns we selected.
If you had to choose one hymn to sing every day the rest of your life, which would it be and why?
The Doxology. Why? Because it is beautiful, simple, memorable, and gives our Triune God the glory due His holy name.
(Photo taken from Crossway.com)