Paddling by the Shore. Kim Fabricius

In this exciting collection of hymns, Kim Fabricius not only skillfully guides us through the Christian year–from Advent and Christmas, through Lent, to Easter and Pentecost–he also imaginatively explores the church's perennial themes: the mystery of God, creation and providence, suffering and death, worship and prayer. He writes for disciples seeking an intelligent faith that, eschewing cant and banality, boldly addresses the contested issues of war and peace, wealth and poverty, gender and sexuality, race and immigration, evolution and ecology. With an eye for the striking image and an ear for the unusual rhyme, Kim writes in a colloquial style that, while often poetically playful, is always theologically serious. Here are hymns that Christians can sing with heart and mind, in joy and sorrow, as passionate expressions of gratitude to God and commitment to the New World coming.