There's something exciting about opening a new book. Christian Worship: Supplement contains worship treasures from the past, but you'll also find much that is new. Between the covers of this book you'll find the full text of Martin Luther's famous Easter hymn, Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands, wedded to a newly-composed tune, NORTHRIDGE. One WELS poet borrowed themes from the prophet Isaiah's servant songs and a WELS composer set the poem to music. Together they created a new hymn for the season of Lent, What Grace Is This. Along with two new settings of the liturgy, there are new rites, new devotions, new canticles, and new musical settings for psalms newly added to a supplemental lectionary.

While we hope that the new songs and settings of this book will find an enduring place in the worship life of God's people, we are confident that you will find one "new song" inside this book that Christ's church will never stop singing.

The first note of that new song was sung when the Lord promised Adam and Eve a Savior who would crush Satan's head. The prophets of the Old Testament sang it when they spoke of God's promised Messiah. Angels from heaven sang it on the night of Jesus' birth and on the morning of his resurrection. The apostles sang it into the hearts of people around the world, and we're still singing it today. God's new song is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

By that new song the Lord raises those spiritually dead to life in his name. By that same song he lifts the voices of his children to new heights, high above our foolish songs of pride and our guilt-laden dirges of despair, to true worship and proclamation of all that our Savior has done to redeem us from sin.

As you explore all that is new in Christian Worship: Supplement, keep your eyes and ears open to the new song the Lord has permanently inscribed into the worship plan of his Church. Then, with the strength and joy that God gives, sing, pray, and proclaim his praises, now and forever.

"Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things" (Psalm 98:1).