Songs and Hymns for Weddings and Commitment Ceremonies

As promised, here are few suggestions for Weddings or other Commitment Ceremonies, including same-sex commitments. I have focused on songs that don't demand the production of children or a heterosexual union, simply because I prefer to err on the side of inclusion, and these are the sort of songs I would have been happy to sing at my own wedding.

GA221 / AA25 / CP287 / W&R609 / Come to a wedding (Murray) Good wedding words that are not heterosexist, and simply celebrate love. Sung to BUNESSAN (Morning has broken), so easy for congregations that include lots of non-church-goers. Lyrics and sound sample.
AoV2-086 If I speak in words of wisdom / Love Is The Greatest Gift Of All (Marshall Good) This is not exclusively a wedding song, but is very good for weddings, especially if 1 Corithians 13 is part of the service.
G(II)633 GC870 GC(II)859 RS 941 May God bless you hold and keep you (A Nuptial Blessing) Excellent words with a very community-focused view of marriage. I wish I had known about this when I got married! Simple tune. Lyrics, sheet music and sound sample (search for "nuptial).
G(II)630 / GC867 / GC(II)860 Wherever You Go (Haas) Good words based on Song of Songs / Song of Solomon and Ruth. Needs a cantor. Sound, lyric and sheet music (refrain only) sample here (search for "Wherever you go (Haas)")
TiS 678 / Iona (Love From Below) / CH699 God beyond glory (Bell) Good words and a very straightforward tune. Can only be used for a heterosexual partnership, but is less exclusive than others.
NCH364 God today bless this new marriage (Post) Good simple words celebrating a union of love and service to the tune of "Brother, Sister, Let me serve you". Lyrics and sound sample.
Iona (LFB) / CP288 Lord and lover of creation WESTMINSTER ABBEY Good and sung to a very familiar tune (WESTMINSTER ABBEY). Can be used for any romantic union commitment ceremony. Lyrics here.
TiS 603 / AHB 526 / UMH645 / VU491 / LBW287 / HPP290 / HPSS533 / CP(E) 343 / W&R610 O perfect Love all human thought transcending (Gurney) Sources vary in how old-fashioned the language is. Although this hymn is very old, it is still very relevant and beautiful today. Lyrics (older style) and tune sample.
TiS 654 / NCH362 / UMH643 / VU489 / WoV749 / G(II)628 / GC865 / GC(II)856 / G(3)966  / W&R612 / Cha499 / Lau416 When love is found and hope comes home (Wren) Lovely words to the tune O WALY WALY; wouldn't quite fit for a same-sex union, but it's not far from the mark. Lyrics.
CH696 We come dear Lord to celebrate (Bell) A lovely joyful wedding song, to the familiar tune REPTON. Celebrating love, asking for God's blessings on the new family.
CH697 / AA86 Let’s praise the Creator (Murray) Joyous wedding song. Not appropriate for same-sex unions as the words "husband and wife" make up a critical rhyme, but the words are so lovely, I wanted to list it. "The love that we wish them, the love that we pray for is stronger than storms and more gentle than breath, endures every trouble, is selfless and faithful, more precious than life and more lasting than death".
ATW 507 Where you tread (Beavis) A very simple and beautiful song based on Ruth's commitment to Naomi. A congregation would pick this up very quickly.
VU490 Our God creation's loving source (Patterson) Lovely words celebrating God's love and love for each other sung to the familiar tune O WALY WALY. Lyrics.
MV035 Holy one O Holy one (Farquharson) Gentle blessing song for a marriage or commitment service. Probably not immediately easy for a congregation to join in.

Songs for International Day of Peace (September 21st)

International Day of Peace is held every year on September 21st. It was instigated by the United Nations. There are many churches and organisations of other faiths that take this opportunity to pray for peace. Events all around the world are listed here.
Many groups have prepared resources for study, prayer and conversation including the World Council of Churches, Pace e Bene, the South Australian Council of Churches. So, now it's my turn...
In May/June this year, you may also like to acknowledge World Week for Peace in Palestine / Israel.

Tune In Peace In Our Time (Brown) Groovy song seeking peace for all. Lyrics, sound sample, songbook.
FFS07 Bring peace to us (John Murray) A simple chant with two possible tunes. Both are good. The first is a round. "Bring peace to us, bring peace through us, O God bring peace"
FFS09 Christ of the sad face (Murray) Christ weeps for the city, the earth. A longing for peace.
Iona (SBL) / CH275 / VU34 / R101 / ELW247 / SFFS 2232 / CP588 / W&R157 Come now O Prince of peace / O-So-So (Lee) A lovely simple song, praying for the coming of the one who will bring all peace. Inclusive language for God and people. One of very few songs from Asia in Western hymnals.
Iona (LFB) / G(II)407 / GC583 God give us peace that lasts (Bell) Lovely words and a simple hymn tune. Prayer for peace, hope and love. This can also be sung to LOVE UNKNOWN. "God give us peace that lasts, not through the fear of might, but through the force of love, and love of life and right. Where costly wars and weapons lure, Show us our Lord among the poor". Lyrics, sound sample and sheet music (search for "Gifts that Last")
AoV2-040 In Labor All Creation Groans. Excellent words of creation's longing for peace and an end to violence. Lyrics.
NCYC09 For my brother I pray peace / Understanding through you Lord (Price) Excellent song for intercessions. Not easy the first time through, but catchy once you know it. Needs quite a good vocal range, and a good keyboardist or (better) a guitarist because it's written in a fairly tricky key.
GC(II)722 Jesus give us your peace (Mahler) Gospel song. It kind of merges personal peace with global peace. "Jesus bring us your peace, bring us together, let all the fighting cease…" Lyrics, sound sample and sheet music (search for "Give us your peace")
Online Resource Peace, Salaam, Shalom (Humphries) A beautiful and simple chant with two cantor lines over the top. The congregation could easily sing the basic round even without the cantor lines as a meditative focus. Free sheet music.
Recorded Music Salaam (Sheva) (an awesome world-folk-rock Israeli-Palestininan group). Their song, Salaam, couples Jewish and Muslim prayers for peace. It was also arranged for a cappella choir by the late Melanie Shanahan, and has been recorded by Living out Loud, and Brunswick Women’s Choir.
AoV1-091 / AoVK-68 / StS016 / G(II)527 / GC(II)720 Peace before us peace behind us (Haas) love this one. Reflective. Careful not too get too schmaltzy because it's long. Less is more. Lyrics, sound sample, and melody line sheet music here (search for "prayer of peace").
Tune In: All will finish well “You, in all our worries, you offer peace... In this world where injustice reigns, you are in the midst of pain”. Lyrics and sound sample
NCH581 / HPP310 / G(II)523 / GC(II)718 Lead us from death to life / World Peace Prayer (Kumar / Haugen) This Anthem for peace has a really simple and stirring chorus, which would be excellent on its own, and for kids. Verses could be sung by a soloist or the whole congregation if you want to use them. Lyrics, sample sheet music and quite slow sound sample (search for World Peace Prayer).
AoV1-190 / UMH431 / HPP308 / G(II)529 / GC731 / GC(II)723 / W&R614 / Cha677 Let There Be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me (Miller/Jackson) Well known, and great for older kids. AoV changes "Brothers all are we, let me walk with my brother" to "We are family. Let us walk with each other".
TiS 607 / AoV2-126 / ATN 95 / CH528 / VU684 / StJ / SFFS 2171 / HPP406 / G(II)524 / GC726 / GC(II)721 / CP(E) 519 / W&R587 Make me a channel of your peace (Temple) An oldy but a very very goody.
CH527 Lord make us servants of your peace (Quinn) A nice alternative to "make me a channel of your peace". This is sung to the very familiar tune "O Waly Waly". It is also sung in the plural (us and we rather than Me and I), which is nice too. Lyrics can be found here.
CH786 May the God of peace go with us (Jamieson) A lovely benediction to a traditional Scottish tune. "May the God of peace go with us as we travel from this place; may the love of Jesus keep us firm in hope and full of grace".
UMH729 / VU682 / LBW161 / WoV762 / ELW627 / HPSS450 / CP573 / W&R539 / Cha711 O day of peace that dimly shines (Daw) A song of Biblical and hoped-for peace. The tune in Chalice hymnal is really nice (CANDLER). Other sources use JERUSALEM, which is a bit too militaristic for me. Lyrics and tune.
MV149 Peace for our children (Lankshear-Smith) A simple and quite repetitive (in a nice way) song that prays for peace for children, women, men, families, nations… and the soul.
AoV2-135 Sing a song for peace and justice (Murray/Hughes)
CP(E) 611 We bring you Lord our prayer and praise (Dudley-Smith) Good, stirring words.
GGives2 What does peace look like to you (Dyson) A really nice simple song for kids about peace. Lots of questions about what peace might mean from images of nature, to an end to war. The last verse talks about a "bridge from God to man" which could be changed to "bridge from God to us".
Seeds of Faith Peace Be With You (Bruxvoort-Colligan) A very simple kids song about peace, and sharing peace. Sound sample and lyrics.

VU526 Weep for the dead (Wren) This song would be very appropriate for Peace Day, but also for Memorial Day / ANZAC day / Services of Remembrance. Lyrics here (along with many others for Remembrance Day)

Refugee and Migrant Sunday - August 30, 2009

The ideal of course, would be to ask a recent refugee in your community to share some music from their home country or tradition... don't forget this possibility!

MV 145 Draw the circle wide. A great song about welcoming all people. “Let the dreams we dream be larger than we’ve ever dreamed before; let the dream of Christ be in us, open every door”.
FFS60 Stranger standing at my door Amazing words, but a tricky tune. Would be good if you have a good soloist in your congregation who would sing this and the congregation listen to the very meaningful words. Last verse is "I am fearful of your claim, yet I cannot turn away. Stranger with a foreign name, are you angel here to stay? You are messenger and guest, you the Christ I can't ignore, you my own compassion's test, stranger standing at my door; you the Christ I can't ignore."
FFS78 Who are these strangers? (Gibson) Good words of questioning faith; quite sad and challenging. The tune is new, but it quite intuitive. "Who are these strangers? Why do they throng, crowding the place where we belong? Why do they haunt us with their pain, eyes that have seen so many slain? We do not know them, yet we kneel and bring them to this holy place, where bread is broken, wine is shared, suffering met by love and grace".
AoV2-102 / GA509 Who Will Speak if we don't (Haugen) Excellent challenging words. Listen to a sound sample here (search for "who will speak")
TiS 690 / CH259 / StS115 Beauty for brokenness, hope for despair / God Of The Poor (Kendrick) “Refuge from cruel wars, havens from fear, cities for sanctuary, freedoms to share, peace to the killing-fields, scorched earth to green; Christ for the bitterness, his cross for the pain”. Excellent words and very straight forward to sing. Excellent chorus too. Lyrics here.
FFS34 I am standing waiting (Murray) Good words of justice for children of poor nations to the well known French melody AU CLAIR DE LA LUNE. "I am standing waiting, waiting at your door, one of hunger's children from a billion poor" Lyrics can be found here (loads a pdf)
TiS 421 Where the Spirit is there's freedom (Harling) Fun and good. Can be sung with the congregation in two halves singing each part, which is not too hard once they have the hang of singing it in unison.
Here in this place Come and share this land (Wiltshire) A terrific song to help us learn that sharing our country and freedom is a great thing to be able to do. I think this would be Good for kids sung to ORIENTIS PARTIBUS, but maybe there is a more appealing tune for kids out there? Free sheet music.