In recent years we have been witnessing in many parts of the world the rise of authoritarianism and the increasing enactment of policies that disadvantage those who live on the margins of society, including the poor, immigrants, women, and racial and sexual minorities. Psalm 146 is a song of praise to the God who is greater than any human ruler and who shows special concern for those who are marginalized and devalued: the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the lowly, the stranger, the widow, and the orphan.
The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada is conducting a competition for one or more theologically rich hymn or song texts for congregational singing that paraphrases or is based on Psalm 146, emphasizing God’s sovereignty (vss 3-6) in relation to God’s justice and favor for the marginalized (vss 7-9), and that includes opening and concluding expressions of praise (vss 1-2, 10). This search is inspired in part by the invitation of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship to join this year in “dwelling in the Psalms.”
The search is for a text, whether written for an existing or a new musical setting. The writer of the winning entry will receive a $500 prize. Second and third place prizes of $250 may be awarded to other writers if there are additional outstanding entries. Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2026.
Guidelines
1. The text should be written in an accessible poetic style that lends itself to singing. It should be contemporary and inclusive and avoid the use of binary language, especially with respect to gender. The text should be appropriate for ecumenical, and if possible, interfaith settings. The total length of the text should not exceed four stanzas.
2. If the text is written in a traditional hymnic meter, a suggested tune should be indicated. Melodies of both existing and new tunes must be within the singing capabilities of an average congregation.
3. A new musical setting may be in either a traditional hymnic style or in a contemporary musical idiom using a verse, chorus, and optional bridge structure and suitable for accompaniment by piano, guitar, drum, and bass (or comparable instrumentation).
4. There is no limit to the number of entries that may be submitted by each writer. Each entry must be submitted through the online submission form found below. There is a $7.00 USD fee for each entry that can be paid here by credit card or by electronic withdrawal from your bank account (ACH).
5. Each text (and music) should be submitted as a PDF document that can be printed on 8.5″ x 11″ paper and uploaded through the submission form. Texts intended for setting to traditional hymn tunes need to be submitted only in words. Texts with a new tune in a traditional hymnic style may be submitted either with the text interlined or printed in block form. Those involving musical settings in a contemporary idiom need to be submitted in two forms: (a) the words and music provided to the congregation and (b) the words and music provided to the musicians.
6. Engraved manuscripts are not required, but hand-notated manuscripts must be clean and legible. Illegible entries will not be considered.
7. To preserve anonymity, the name of author and/or composer should not appear on the PDF submitted for judging.
8. Recordings will not be accepted.
9. The text (and music), entry form, and appropriate fees must be received no later than April 30, 2026, in order to be considered.
10. All entries must be previously unpublished and should not be simultaneously submitted for consideration in any other contest or for publication in any collection. All entries are to remain solely in the hands of The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada until August 1, 2026.
11. The Hymn Society will offer a prize of $500 for the winning entry and may also offer a prize of $250 for second and third place entries. The authors/composers of the winning entries may choose (1) to accept the prize money and transfer the copyright for the words and/or music to The Hymn Society, or (2) decline the prize money and continue to own the copyright to the words and/or music.
12. If different persons have created the text and the musical setting, the prize will be divided evenly between the author and the composer.
13. The Hymn Society reserves the right not to award a prize if no entry is deemed meritorious and to award a prize to a submitted text without doing so for the tune submitted with it.
14. The winning entry will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Congregational Song.
2026 Hymn Search: Psalm 146
Entries for the 2026 Hymn Search