Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, is pleased to announce the 2008 winner in the Pamela Anne Prevallet Memorial Fund Annual Hymn Competition. The competition was created in June 2000 by Mr. and Mrs. Donald E. Prevallet in remembrance of their daughter. It serves to foster the creation of new liturgical hymns of the highest caliber for the church.

Seminarian Matthew Priem, the winner of the competition, wrote the hymn “What Life Is This.” The winning hymn is available on the Concordia Seminary Web site at www.csl.edu.

Commenting on his hymn, Priem said, “By means of Law and Gospel, I hope to redefine death and life for both singers and hearers and lead them to confident hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. This theme is ideally associated with Lent, although parts, especially the final verses, may be borrowed for funerals throughout the year.”

The annual hymn competition is open to students of Concordia Seminary who are serving their vicarage as part of their preparation to serve in the pastoral ministry. “It is good to foster hymn writing as a pastoral activity already when pastors are being formed,” commented Dr. James Brauer, professor and chairman of practical theology and dean of the chapel at Concordia Seminary. “It could yield some good, new resources for ministry over the years.”

The Pamela Anne Prevallet Memorial Fund at Concordia Seminary holds the copyright to the texts of the winning hymns. The use of these hymns in congregations is encouraged.

For more information about the Pamela Anne Prevallet Memorial Fund Annual Hymn Competition or this year’s winning hymn, contact Communications, Concordia Seminary, 801 Seminary Place, St. Louis, MO 63105; 314-505-7374; or e-mail [email protected].