Songs and Hymns for Proper 18C / Ordinary 23C / Pentecost +15 (September 5th 2010)

Jeremiah 18:1-11
God as the potter who can break down Israel; it's quite a threatening image. Repentence called for.
Tune In / NCYC '07: Forgive us now (Brown). “As we forgive may we be healed, as we reach out….” An excellent ballad seeking forgiveness in a sinful world. Lyrics and sound sample.
Brunswick UCA New Songs: Broken (Loukes) This simple song would fit well this week as it talks about being broken (like that pot!) and leads into communion, which we'll be celebrating. It's probably not too hard to be sung the first time, particularly if the congregation are just invited to join in the chorus.
Online Resource We are clay (Harding) A simple chorus which could be used prayerfully or in an upbeat style. Sound sample and PDF for download.
NCH263 / UMH539 O Spirit of the living God (Tweedy) Excellent words of hope for a church that needs to turn to God and do things right. The tune in NCH (ST MATTHEW) is not one I'm familiar with, but it's pretty straightforward. UMH uses FOREST GREEN which is much better konwn. Lyrics and sound sample.
Iona (Sent By the Lord) / MV066 Senzenina? / What have we done? (South African) This beautiful chant from South Africa asks the question that we often ask when things go wrong beyond belief. It's important to know what the song means when singing it. If you have some part-singers in your congregation, this would be particularly good. It's good to let people ask this question. It is also on the soundtrack for "The Power of One" so you could also play the recorded music if appropriate. Free sheet music (loads a pdf).
ATOK 354 / ELW801 / W&R373 / ZSS178 / Srce95 Change my heart O God (Espinosa) An old and familiar slightly mushy favourite. I'm not really sure that it goes with the emotion of the Jeremiah reading, but it's an image you may want to work with. Lyrics and chords.
CH252 / VU578 / GA481 / SFFS 2237 / G(II)471 / GC663 / GC(II)643 / W&R551 As a Fire Is Meant for Burning (Duck) Excellent lyrics of unity across all nations set to the familiar tune BEACH SPRING. Lyrics.

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
God's intimate knowledge of us
AoV2-031 / ATW 424 / CH97 / GC(II)509 O God, you search me and you know me (Farrell). My favourite version of this Psalm. The tune flows effortlessly and it has a nice little hook at the end of each verse. Sample music and lyrics here.
NCH Psalter has a very simple refrain for this Psalm from Jane Marshall, which is worth a look.
TIS 605 I am alone, yet not alone. This hymn has very beautiful words, but is not very well known. The traditional style tune is not hard, but will probably need to be taught as the metre is unusual.
TiS 87 / VU862 / HPPS248 You are before me, Lord, you are behind. A beautiful chant setting to this psalm; sung to SURSUM CORDA. The words are directly from the Psalm and are very beautiful. lyrics.
ATOK 320 / NCH351 / VU645 / StJ / WoV770 / ELW732 / SFFS 2051 / HPP516 I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry. A song of God’s presence in all stages of life. Very simple tune to sing. Lyrics, and a nice (slow) sound sample.
Worldmaking.net God of My Breathing (Bruxvoort-Colligan). Excellent words to a well-known hymn tune. Sample and lyrics.
MV 131 You, Creator God, have searched me (Mulrain) Get out the maracas for this one! This joyous calypso chorus for this Psalm is so refreshing. I think it’s really good fun, and very catchy!
ATW 487 Make your home in me A simple beautiful invitation. Written by Melbourne songwriter and teacher, Fay White. “If you fly to the point of the day’s sunrise or westward across the sea, if you travel to the uttermost ends of the earth, there I will be; Make your home in me as I make my home in you. I am everywhere that you can be. Make your home in me”. This is quite different to the Vineyard / Josh Young version you can find all over the internet. I can't find a sample of this one, unfortunately.
ATW 423 Examine my heart, explore my mind (Mann). This is a bit tricky, but if familiar to your congregation would be great to sing. Lyrics.
Linnea Good: Psalm 139: Where Can I Go? “Where can I hide from your Spirit? Where can I run from your presence? Where can I go, when you are always there?” A simple refrain.
TiS 725 / ATE 275 / TiS 725 / AoV2-167 / ATE 275 / StJ / GA538 / G(II)553 / GC763 / In our darkness there is no darkness in your sight, the deepest night is clear as the daylight. (La tenebre). Also translated as "Our darkness is never darkness"). Sample music and lyrics.
VU384 / SFFS 2052 / HPP229 / HPSS320 The Lone Wild Bird in lofty flight (Haugen / PROSPECT) Familiar tune and excellent words. First 3 verses and tune sample.
NCH274 / SFFS 2046 / CP390 Womb of Life and source of being (Duck / LADUE CHAPEL) Excellent words. The tune is unlikely to be familiar, and is just a little bit tricky.
AoV2-079 / GA081 How Rich Are The Depths (Willcock) A good Cantor and refrain version of the Psalm.
ATFG511 There are lots of things that I can do / I'm the only one like me (Kirkland) OK. Adults think this is stupid. Little kids like it a lot. So it's a good song if you want to teach something to your sunday school class.

Philemon 1:1-21
Paul's words of greetings and words on Onesimus' return, no longer a slave.
TiS 670 / AoVK-138 / ATE 258 / CH692 Jesus put this song into our hearts (Kendrick) A fun Yiddish tune that gets even more fun if you get faster and faster as you go. Try teaching your congregation a simple side to side “dance” step. Great for kids, too. "Jesus taught us how to be a family..."
CH348 / StS001 / LBW196 / ELW544 / CP397 / W&R93 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness (Edwards) Good words of Christ's ministry to all. Can be sung to the familiar tune NETTLETON, or the less familiar and very lovely tune JOEL. Lyrics.
AoV1-130 / NCH444 / SFFS 2223 / HPP495 / G(II)533 / GC735 / GC(II)728 / We are one in the Spirit / They’ll know we are Christians by our love A classic 60's song of unity and being an example to others. It's still pretty groovy, I reckon. We often syncopate it a bit at Brunswick. Lyrics and chords here.
AoVK-21 Weave one heart (Haugen) Excellent song, with call and response verses "many colours woven into one"

Luke 14:25-33
In case you didn't hear him the first time, the gospel writer is reminding you that Jesus told his followers to give up their possessions.
NCH590 / CH621 Spirit of Jesus, if I love my neighbour. Challenging words of offering help from a position of privilege and seeking to be set free from the entrapment of possessions “If I am hugging safety or possessions, uncurl my spirit as your love prevails, to join my neighbours, work for liberation, and find my freedom at the mark of nails”. Could also be sung to the tune PERFECT LOVE if your congregation would have trouble with the newer tune.
Taize / TiS 739 / AoV2-041 / ATOK 404 / VU290 / GA269 / SFFS 2054 / G(II)451 / GC639 / GC(II)626 / CP568 / W&R421 / URW388 Nothing Can Trouble / Nada te turbe (Berthier) Excellent and quite well known Taize chant. Spanish lyrics are not too hard for non-Spanish speakers. Sheet music, sound samples, lyrics and translations.
NCH562 / AA127 / Cha381 Take my gifts and let me love you (Murray) Good words about giving God ourselves, our goods, our money. Can be sung either to the set tune by Colin Gibson (TALAVERA TERRACE) which is quite straightforward, or the more well known tune HOLY MANNA. A good offering song. Lyrics.
TiS 583 / AHB 496 / NCH204 / CH402 / UMH415 / VU561 / LBW398 / ELW667 / PH393 / GC698 / GC(II)690 / CP431 / CP(E) 582 / W&R351 Take up thy cross the Savior said (Everest) I don't actually like this hymn, mainly because I don't know it very well, but lots of other people do. Some versions are quite masculine in their language, but TiS, NCH, Gather hymnals and others are OK. Lyrics with one of many possible tunes (not the TiS tune).
NCYC ’95 We will love / We will walk with you at the edges. This is a good little rock number “We will walk with you at the edges, we will die with you at the cross roads, we will risk with you taking chances, we will love”. Or something like that.
ATOK 413 / Iona (HSNW) / CH533 / VU567 / StS039 / R276 / ELW798 / GA502 / SFFS 2130 / HPP317 / G(II)510 / GC700 / GC(II)687 / CP430 / CP(E) 622 / W&R350 Will you come and follow me / The Summons (Iona / KELVINGROVE) A classic, but it has been overdone sometimes. Don't sing it too slowly or it really drags and takes forever!