Songs and Hymns for Lent 5A (April 10, 2011)

Ezekiel 37:1-14
*Traditional Ezekiel connected them dry bones (Dem Bones) (Traditional) Would be great for the kid’s song. BUCkets of Love could sing it (at BUC). Here's the Delta Rhythm Boys
*WoV658 / ELW506 The word of God is source and seed "The Word of God is breath and life; It comes to heal and wake and save. So let the Spirit touch and mend and rouse your dry bones from their grave". There's a very helpful commentary including the lyrics of the hymn here.
*TiS 181 / AoV2-032 / GC(II)497 / CP589 Come O God of all the earth / Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen). Another big favourite. Sheet music, lyrics. Sound sample.
*TiS 409 / AHB 322 / CH595 / UMH543 / VU202 / StJ / Cha250 O Breath of life come sweeping through us (Elizabeth Porter Head) A fairly traditional tune, with good words of revival. Some hymnals have quite old style lyrics, others more modern. Lyrics.
*AoV2-061 / ATE 249 As a dream receive your hist'ry (Tanner) A big favourite by a South Australian guy. There are actions too! I think this would work well with this reading because of its focus on rising up from nothing. Lyrics
*TiS 419 / AHB 596 / NCH270 / CH592 / UMH544 / VU205 / WoV685 / ELW403 / HPP222 / PH314 / CP635 / CP(E) 185 / W&R327 Like the murmur of the dove's song Excellent words and a simple tune. Each verse ends with "Come holy spirit, come". Lyrics and organ sample.

Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you O Lord
*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 particular 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).
*TiS 683 / WoV735 / ELW603 / W&R416 God when human bonds are broken (Kaan) These words pick up an unusual theme, and fit really well with this reading. There are a couple of possible tunes, none of which are immediately familiar, but they are not difficult either.
*SFFS 2136 / NCH554 / GA227 / VU611 / G(II)636 / GC877 Out of the Depths O God we call to you (Duck) FENNVILLE A simple and honest hymn, which sings this Psalm from the perspective of a community trying to work out its faith together. Excellent words and the tune is quite straightforward. Lyrics and sheet music sample. Video with lyrics (click on "more info" near the Subscribe button for the lyrics).*
*Taize / CH276 / VU22 / ELW262 / GA283 / G(II)256 / GC332 / GC(II)340 / CP094 / W&R166 Wait for the Lord (Berthier) Wait for the Lord whose day is near, wait for the lord, keep watch, take heart. A lovely simple Taize chant. Sheet music, translations and sound samples.
*AoVK-58 We wait in hope for the Lord (Ford) Simple a cappella round; also good for kids "We wait in hope for the Lord, God is our help and our shield. And so our hearts rejoice, for we trust in God's holy name"
Online resource Out of the Depths (Harding) A simple four part arrangement which would be nice if you have a choir or quartet that could sing this. Available for purchase, and you can view a sample PDF here. Note that the sound sample is for a different song, so that's a bit confusing, really.
G(II)112 / GC126 Out of the depths / If You O God Laid Bare Our Guilt (Foley) A cantored Psalm with a simple reponse "If you O God laid bare our guilt, who could endure it, who could endure it". Sound sample and sheet music here (search for "If you O God laid bare").
NCH472 / UMH474 / VU670 / R297 / ELW875 / HPP434 / HPSS404 / G(II)637 / GC874 / GC(II)847 / CP509 / W&R500 Precious Lord take my hand A classic gospel song.
TiS 667 / G(II)415 / GC591 How shall I sing to God (Wren) The words are excellent, but neither the tune in TiS or Gather hymnals is straightforward because of the difficult meter; this might be a good song for your musicians to present to start teaching the congregation so they can remember it in more difficult times. All lyrics and sheet music sample of the Gather hymnal melody (HOPE) here.

The next 3 are all variations of the same Gelineau (cantored) Psalm, but with different responses. They are all pretty good, so I'm listing them all! There is just one change needed to make the Psalm incluisve (just change "his word" to "God's word" and it will be fine).
GC128 Out of the depths / I place all my trust in you O God (Gelineau) The original response from Gelineau. Very simple. Words to the response are "I place all my trust in you O God, all my hope is in your saving word". Sound sample and sheet music here (search for "I place all my trust"). Note this one also has a (non-inclusve) Trinitarian formula at the end.
G(II)113 / GC127 Out of the Depths / With the Lord There Is Mercy (Gelineau / Haugen) This response is also quite simple, but a slightly different emphasis. "With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption". Sound sample and sheet music here (search for "With the Lord there is mercy").
*TiS 81 Out of the depths / With the Lord there is Mercy (Gelineau / Carroll) Simple response is "With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption". We have used this at Brunswick Uniting and it went quite well.

Romans 8:6-11
flesh vs. spirit
*Tune In: Spirit of the Father / Alive in me Catchy song about God’s spirit living in us. Lyrics and sound sample here.
*TiS 410 / AHB 323 / LBW523 / ELW582 / NCH59 / CP655 / 82Hml-511 Holy Spirit, ever dwelling I like these words, but prefer to sing it to NETTLETON (TiS 392). Lyrics and sound sample.
VU379 / LBW459 / ELW786 / SFFS 2121 O Holy Spirit root of life Good words from Hildegard of Bingen. Simple known tune. You can see the sheet music here (doesn't always work)
*TiS 421 Where the Spirit is there's freedom (Harling) Fun and good. Lyrics.
*NCH060 O Spirit of God (Niedling) Good words of the many facets of the Spirit. The first verse is particularly appropriate for times when there seems to be more suffering in the world than usual. The tune (O HELIGER GEIST - TiS 401) is quite simple and familiar. This is a new translation of the hymn "O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God".

John 11:1-45
Healing of Lazarus
**Tune In: See our God with the tear-streaked face / Our God who weeps (Kate Scull) Very simple folk tune and challenging and hopeful lyrics. Sound sample, lyrics and songbook.
*NCH192 / VU146 / SFFS 2106 / HPP183 / PH312 / Cha199 / 82Hml-715 When Jesus wept (Billings) I like this simple round. Partly because it's by a Sacred Harp composer - William Billings! It's also very restful and beautiful. I quite like this video sound sample. This might be a good song for the musicians to sing during the offering, or in a prayer of confession.
FFS09 Christ of the sad face (Murray) Christ weeps for the city, the earth. A longing for peace.
VU471 / W&R692 / URW122 Eat this bread and never hunger (Damon) Very simple tune. The third verse refers to this passage. Particularly good if you are celebrating communion this week, but will be fine if you are not.
*TiS 382 / AoV2-131 / ATN 15 / NCH238 / CH417 / UMH311 / VU186 / LBW148 / ELW570 / GA364 / HPP210 / G(II)318 / GC444 / GC(II)456 / CP237 / CP(E) 153 / W&R311 / Cha230 / 82Hml-204 Now the green blade riseth (Crum) This is a beautiful song to a familiar folk tune. Especially nice if you have a flute or recorder and guitar... Lyrics and FAST sound sample.
*TiS 210 / AHB 141 / NCH42 / CH352 / UMH57 / VU326 / LBW42 / ELW295 / HPP74 / HPSS466 / CP306 / 82Hml-493 O for a thousand tongues to sing A classic. I particularly love NATIVITY for these words. They are so jubilant. In the AHB, Christ is masculine, but I think that's okay. Lyrics and one possible tune.
*WoV658 / ELW506 The word of God is source and seed "The Word of God is flesh and grace, Who comes to sing, to laugh and cry. So dare to be as Jesus was, Who came to live and love and die.". This song also fits with the Ezekiel reading. There's a very helpful commentary including the lyrics of the hymn here.
*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").
*TiS 682 / ATW 490 / GA236 / AA151 When human voices cannot sing (Murray) Lovely words of healing in the face of grief. I prefer this sung to ST COLUMBA, which is the tune in GA and TiS. Lyrics (loads a word document)
*Tune In: You in all our worries / All will finish well (Brown) “In this world where injustice reigns, you are in the midst of pain”. Excellent words of reassurance in a difficult world. Sound sample, lyrics and songbook.

Exclusive BUC code: *, we've sung it in the last 5 years; *, we haven't, but it suits us well.