A couple of weeks ago I watched a beautiful video of Joni Erickson Tada discussing her newest book Songs of Suffering. It didn’t take me long to share it with several friends who are living through some pretty horrible life situations.

I love hymns. I grew up in a church that sang old hymns and while I didn’t appreciate them at the time, I’ve grown to rely on them. Their rich doctrine helps remind me of the goodness of God no matter what my circumstances. Because we sang some of them so often, the words are seared in my memory (which is much better than some of those old 70s and 80s songs that rear their ugly heads when I hear them in restaurants and stores – ugh!).

I got the book and I have to tell you, it’s just beautiful. And not only the content. The cover, the photos, the print … everything about it is really quite remarkable. There are several old favorites but there are also some hymns that are completely new to me – I’m eager to try them. Each hymn is printed out (with music – yay!) and includes a devotional by Joni. The hymns are broken out into three sections: Songs of Comfort, Songs of Strength, and Songs of Hope.

I’d say this would be a great coffee table book but there’s so much benefit to having it at your piano or on your nightstand, it seems kind of a “waste” to just leave on the table to look pretty. But, it also would be a great book for someone to look through while you’re in the kitchen making coffee for them … So maybe get two copies?

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crossway, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Buy this book at Crossway.com (click)