Christmas 2C and Epiphany (Christmas 2, Year C) - January 4, 2010

Jeremiah 31:7-14
God gathers the chosen people, they rejoice and are comforted
AoV1-071 / GC(II)742 Gather Your People (Hurd) Excellent words and eucharistic theology. Lyrics, sheet music and sound sample.
TiS 647 / AoV2-012 / ATN 25 Comfort comfort all my people (Mann) This is one of my all time favourite songs. Easy to sing, beautiful lyrics. Chorus is“Comfort, comfort all my people, with the comfort of my word. Speak ye tender to my people, all your sins are taken away”. It’s largely a paraphrase of this passage and well worth looking at if you are not familiar with it. Lyrics and mp3.
AoVK-125 / ATW 489 Turn our sadness upside down (Leigh Newton) Good for kids, and adults too. Simple tune, but not so simple that it’s boring. Lyrics (search in the page for "sadness").

Psalm 147:12-20
God of peace and interesting weather
Taize / AoV2-142 / SFFS 2013 / HPSS224 / GC(II)576 / CP360 Bless the Lord, my soul (Berthier) Sound samples and sheet music.
TiS 181 / AoV2-032 / GC(II)497 / CP589 Come O God of all the earth / Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen). A big favourite of our congregation. Sheet music, lyrics and a nice sound sample.
VU888 / LBW558 / ELW731 / HPSS458 / RS681 / CP358 Earth and All Stars (Dexter) Fun words of cosmic praise. An easy hymn-like tune. I really like the "loud boiling test tubes" bit, although this verse is not in all hymnals. Sheet music, lyrics and a keyboard tune sample (search for Ritual Song 681)

Ephesians 1:3-14
Adopted children with the inheritance of forgiveness
See also last week's suggestions for the Galatians reading here.
ATE 284 / VU395 Come in come in and sit down A good welcoming song for kids.
TiS 465 / AHB 399 / Iona (SBL) / CH116 Father in heaven (Loving Creator) grant to your children I really like this hymn, especially the Philippino folk melody to which its set. Newer versions of the hymn from the Christian Conferenc of Asia have altered the lyrics to "Our God in heaven / Creator God" in the first verse.
TiS 163 / AHB 112 / NCH556 / UMH150 / LBW463 / ELW771 / HPSS268 God who stretched the spangled heavens There are many possible tunes to these excellent words. I like HOLY MANNA best (NCH 376). A particularly good hymn for the start of a new year, too. “May our dreams prove rich with promise, each endeavour, well begun: great Creator, give us guidance till our goals and yours are one”. Lyrics and midi sample of HOLY MANNA.
TiS 428 / AHB 340 Help us O Lord to learn Great challenging (but quite formal) words about being committed to learning the faith. Good for a New Year message. Boring tune though. I would sing it to ST THOMAS (TiS 271 / AHB 198) Lyrics (with thees and thys, which are not in TiS).
TiS 164 / AHB 105 / CH358 The great love of God A simple creedal song from the Christian Conference of Asia. Particularly good for the Christmas season. The tune is really beautiful.
TiS 653 / NCH417 / CH526 / UMH383 / GC(II)453 This is a day of new beginnings. Excellent words of reconciliation from Brian Wren. A good New Year's Day hymn. There are two possible tunes. I prefer the more simple hymn-like Carlton Young tune which is in most resources (including TiS). There is an optional final verse that can be used for Communion. "This is a day of new beginnings, time to remember and move on, time to believe what love is bringing, laying to rest the pain that's gone." Lyrics.

John 1:1-9(10-18)
In the beginning was the Word…. Jesus, the light and the word
Well, of course you can sing lots of Christmas carols and I won't list them because you probably have your favourites, but here's a good old one in case you're really stuck for ideas.
TiS 304 / AHB 228 / AoV1-167 / NCH135 / CH306 / UMH234 / VU60 / R247 / ELW722 / HPP100 / HPSS041 / GC341 / GC(II)357 / CP118 O come, all ye faithful
TiS 166 / AHB 102 / StB 35 Sing a new song sing a new song (McAuley) Excellent inclusive words. Cosmic praise.
TiS 156 / AHB 91 / AoV1-135 / ATA 123 / CH212 / UMH145 / VU409 / ELW556 / HPP267 / HPSS469 / G(II)546 / GC756 / GC(II)748 / CP003 Morning has broken
TiS 447 / AHB 61 God your almighty word chaos and darkness heard. 2nd verse is about the coming of Chirst to give healing and sight. An excellent hymn tune too. Lyrics. Some books have "Lord, your almighty word, chaos and darkness heard".
TiS 477 / Iona (LFB, Common Ground) / CH510 / StJ Jesus calls us here to meet him. Good words and a rollicking or gentle Celtic tune (depending on how you play it!). Lyrics. 4th verse (not in TiS, but in Iona sources) leads to communion.
G(II)445 / GC629 / GC(II)608 God Is Love and all who live in love live in God (Haas) This is a nice cantor and refrain piece. The refrain is very simple and the cantor part is inclusive. The words are really good. Sound sample, but it's pretty achingly slow and schmaltzy.
TiS 666 / AoV2-113 / AoVK-126 / ATOK 409 / NCH526 / Iona (Common Ground, Freedom is Coming) / CH516 / VU646/647 / WoV650 / ELW866 / SFFS 2235 / HPP153 / G(II)357 / GC513 / GC(II)516 We are marching in the light of God / Siyahamba / Caminando
Iona / CH317 / CP621 Before the world began (Bell/Maule) Excellent words from John Bell.
AoV2-060 / SFFS 2172 / HPP307 / G(II)518 / GC718 / GC(II)710 Come live in the light / We Are Called (Haas) Joyful song of mission. I love this. Lyrics, sheet music sample and painfully slow sound sample here. I would double the speed of this (almost).
VU886 / SFFS 2005 Arise Shine for your light has come (Smith) A simple call and response. Good for an intro to worship. This would be great for the whole Christmas season.

Epiphany - Matthew 2:1-12
The wise men! Of course, there are many Christmas carols you can sing for this and I'm not going to list them all, but here's one in case you are desperate....
TiS 307 / AHB 232 / CH300 / VU73 / SFFS 2098 / G(II)264 / GC345 / GC(II)378 The Virgin Mary had a baby boy
GC(II)386 Every nation sees the glory (O'Brien) BEACH SPRING (TiS 493) Beautiful words and very familiar tune. “Every nation sees the glory of a star that pierced the night. As we tell the wondrous story we are bathed in radiant light. Star sent forth from highest heaven, dancing light of God’s design, Shine upon the gift that’s given; Word made flesh now born in time.” Highly recommended! Lyrics, sample sheet music and nice sound sample.
TiS 281 / AHB 214 When God Almighty came to be one of us This is a great Christmas and Epiphany song. It’s also set to a very easy (and fun) tune to sing (URQUHART). I especially love verse 3 "Wise men, they called them, earnest astrologers, watching for meaning in the moving stars, science or fancy, learned or laughable, theirs was a vision that was brought to pass. Sing all you wise men, dance all the scientists whether your theories are false or true. God uses knowledge, God uses ignorance. God at his coming had a need of you".

A few Christmas Eve and Christmas Day suggestions (updated for 2010)

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