It's still Christmas, so you may like to sing Christmas carols.
It's also nearly Epiphany, so you may like to sing of the wise men.
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Gathering the flock of Israel, redeeming them, and the celebration afterwards
Wisdom, from the beginning.
God who grants peace and controls the wind and snow and rain
Wisdom, rescuer of the Israelites.
God as our loving adoptive parent and our new inheritance, of forgiveness
The Word made flesh.
Again, Christmas Carols and Epiphany songs would fit well for this.
Gathering the flock of Israel, redeeming them, and the celebration afterwards
- TiS474 / AoV1-012 / ATAR595 / CH623 / SFFS 2236 / HPP553 / A&M363 / GtG401 / G(II)539 / GC839 / GC(II)743 / G(3)848 / CP465 / W&R649 / Cha284 / SP175 / URW054 / Lau475 Here in this place new light is streaming / Gather us in (Marty Haugen). Excellent words, very well known. “Nourish us well and teach us to fashion lives that are holy and hearts that are true”. Lyrics, sound samples, sheet music.
- AoV2-139 / GA525 / SP&P045 Gather us O God Body spirit soul and mind (Monica Brown) Very simple song. Would work well as a gathering chant "Gather us O God, Body, spirit, soul and mind. Gather us, O God, One in union now with you. Also works at the end of the service "Send us out O God.... Lyrics & sound sample.
- MV007 Gather us in ground us in you (David Hann) A simple chant which would be great for an invitation to worship. Lyrics & sheet music sample.
- AoV1-071 / GA530 / GC(II)742 / G(3)837 / Lau462 Gather Your People (Bob Hurd) Excellent eucharistic theology. Sound sample. Lyric and sheet music sample.
- TiS 647 / AoV2-012 / ATN 25 Comfort, comfort all my people (Robin Mann) 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”. Note that most sources only list 2 verses, but there are two additional (more challenging) verses you may wish to consider using written for the Christmas Bowl in 1988; thanks to Simon for alerting me to them. Lyrics (including additional verses), mp3 sample.
- AoVK-125 / ATW 489Turn 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"). Sheet music.
- Iona (There is one among us) Lord you can turn all mourning into dancing (John Bell) An excellent simple refrain “Lord you can turn all mourning into dancing, evenings of grief to mornings of great joy”. Sheet music sample (part of a large PDF with many other good songs).
- Tune In / Online Resource You in all our worries / All will finish well (Dave Brown) “In this world where injustice reigns, you are in the midst of pain”. Excellent words of reassurance in a difficult world. Free downloadable songbook.
- TiS 670 / SiS569 / AoVK-138 / ATE 258 / CH692 / Srce385 / MP376 Jesus put this song into our hearts (Graham 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. If you teach them and make it clear that it’s okay, you’ll be surprised how many people will join in. Good for kids. Youtube.
- MV221 I am walking a path of peace (Janet Tissandier) A simple song for the end of the service; words can be altered to paths of love, grace, hope, joy etc. Lyrics Good for kids
Wisdom, from the beginning.
- ACS971 / MV010 / GtG174 / URW099 / VF060 Come and seek the ways of wisdom (Ruth Duck) This song is more about the personification of Wisdom, but would work very well as a gathering song in the context of this reading. The tune in ACS, MV and GtG is a joyful 6/8 tune, but not familiar, so if it seems difficult, you could sing the same words to PICARDY (TiS 497). VF has a more challenging tune, which may be a bit tricky for a congregation. Lyrics.
- CH604 Holy wisdom lamp of learning (Ruth Duck) Great words seeking wisdom, judgement, and celebrating a searching faith. Sung to a good joyful and easy hymn tune (IN BABILONE). Could also be sung to BEACH SPRING. Sample music and lyrics.
- URW206 In her house there is a table / Wisdom's Table (Doug Gay) Sung to BEACH SPRING, this song has great words of being welcomed by Wisdom at her table through times of trouble.
- MV063 / StJ / GC(II)500 / G(3)583 Long before my journey’s start / Wisdom my road (Steven Warner) Song for Wisdom. Pretty straightforward.
- HiOS156 Wisdom be our guide
(Shirley Murray) Inspiring lyrics of peace and being grounded and
inspired by Wisdom. The tune is quite simple, and the chorus will be
easy to follow. Lyrics.
- TiS 418 / AoV2-075 / Iona (EoA, Common Ground) / CH593 / GA372 / A&M259 / Cha255 / SP94 / URW165 / Lau305 She sits like a bird brooding on the waters (John Bell) Beautiful words and very easy to sing, provided it is not played too quickly The Iona recordings are generally very quick, but there are a lot of words to fit in, so keep it elegantly moderate in speed! Lyrics and sound sample.
- MV027 Creator God you gave us life (Judith Snowdon) “through the mist of time and space, we search for that which makes us whole…. our spirits soar beyond the veil to touch the very face of God”. A soaring tune that hits the “weepy” button for me, though I don’t know why. Easy to sing after a brief introduction, I think.
- Songs for a Hopeful Church Now Wisdom's feast continues
(Elizabeth Smith) Excellent words about God as Wisdom, and all of the
many ways she meets us and guides us in our faith. Sung to the familiar
tune ELLACOMBE. I really like these words. New words to old tunes.
God who grants peace and controls the wind and snow and rain
- ATE 216 / Iona (SBL) / CH126 / VU241 / StJ / ELW555 / GtG637 / PH472 / G(II)365 / GC527 / RS 671O sing to the Lord / Cantai ao Senhor / Cantad al Señor (Traditional Brazilian) A good, fun and simple song that is easy to learn in Portuguese or Spanish too. Some versions also have multiple verses (e.g. CH). Sound sample (click on the play button).
- *TiS 706 / Taize / AoV2-142 / A&M600 / SFFS 2013 / GtG544 / PH224 / GC(II)576 / G(3)620 / CP360 / PfAS103C / SP194 / Src79 / URW377 / Lau813 Bless the Lord my soul (Batastini / Taize) A beautiful and very well known Taize chant. Sound samples, sheet music.Good for kids.
- TiS 181 / AoV2-032 / GC(II)497 / G(3)577 / CP589 Come O God of all the earth / Sing Out Earth and Skies (Haugen) A very joyful song for cantor and congregation, or small group and congregation; this is a big favourite in our church. Sheet music, lyrics and sound sample.
- CH753 / SFFS 2078 / GtG589 / GC(II)271 / G(3)338 / PfAS147A Alleluia alleluia (Honduras) Simple and fun Alleluia that works well as a refrain for a reading of this Psalm. You could also use a different Alleluia.
- AoVK-24 / Iona (T1AU) / CH756 Bless the Lord / My sisters (Kenyan) Simple and fun Kenyan call and response. "Bless the Lord there is no other God" Kids would really enjoy this, and with some African drumming, it would really be excellent. Good for kids.
- MV037 Each blade of grass / Circle of God (Wehlander) Lovely words set to a familiar-feeling folk tune. Lyrics
- Iona (SBL) / CH140 / MV181 / WoV727 / ELW554 / G(II)341 / GC495 / STB178 Lord Your Hands Have Formed This World / The Earth is the Lord's (Oliano) Good words of creation to a lovely, and not too difficult, Philippino melody. This would be a nice song for a children's choir or for the offering. Lyrics and sample sheet music.
- VU888 / LBW558 / ELW731 / GtG026 / PH458 / RS681 / CP358 / W&R642 Earth and All Stars Fun words of cosmic praise. An easy hymn-like tune. I really like the "boiling test tubes" bit, although this verse is not in all hymnals. Lead sheet. Sound sample.
- MV095 How deep the peace (Bauman / Good) Simple song. Would work particularly well as words of assurance after the prayers of confession. Lyrics (a very short slide show)
- CH753 / SFFS 2078 / GtG589 / GC(II)271 / G(3)338 / PfAS147A Alleluia alleluia (Honduras) Simple and fun Alleluia that works well as a refrain for a reading of this Psalm. Good for kids.
Wisdom, rescuer of the Israelites.
- MV010 / GtG174 / URW099 Come and seek the ways of wisdom (Duck) This song is about the personification of Wisdom, and would work very well as a gathering song in the context of this reading. Tune is joyful, but not familiar, so if it seems difficult, you could sing the same words to PICARDY (TiS 497). Lyrics.
- CH604 Holy wisdom lamp of learning (Duck) Great words seeking wisdom, judgement, and celebrating a searching faith. Sung to a good joyful and easy hymn tune (IN BABILONE). Could also be sung to BEACH SPRING. Sample music and lyrics.
- URW206 In her house there is a table / Wisdom's Table (Gay) Sung to BEACH SPRING, this song has great words of being welcomed by Wisdom at her table through times of trouble.
- MV063 / StJ / GC(II)500 / G(3)583 Long before my journey’s start / Wisdom my road (Warner) Song for Wisdom. Pretty straightforward.
- HiOS156 Wisdom be our guide (Murray) Inspiring lyrics of peace and being grounded and inspired by Wisdom. The tune is quite simple, and the chorus will be easy to follow.
- Online Resource Hear the message we now are proclaiming / El mensaje que hoy proclamamos. This jubilant Colombian song of liberty and new life for the poor and suffering would fit well with God's care for the Israelites. Free sheet music
- MV187 / ELW682 We give our thanks / Re a mo leboga (Traditional Botswana) A great song to sing for the offering. Older style version. More upbeat version. Amazing video with a newer version. Good for kids.
God as our loving adoptive parent and our new inheritance, of forgiveness
- BUC New Songs Sing sing with me (Julia Potter) This lovely new song from a member of our congregation is great fun, and includes the phrase "Jesus calls us, let's go see what we can be, as God's family" Good for kids.
- TiS 417 / AoV2-133 / ATW 448 / VU387 / StJ / WoV683 / ELW397 / AA94 / HPP237 / GtG293 / PH323 / CP657 / W&R135 / Cha244 / URW203 / StB220 / VF051 / LUYH793 Loving Spirit, Loving Spirit (Shirley Murray). There are about a zillion tunes set for this. I prefer FELICITY (by Colin Gibson TiS 417), but also like RESTORATION and OMNI DIE. Lyrics & sound sample. New words to old tunes (if that's what you choose)
- Online resource Children of God (Bruce Harding) A simple two part chant. Will need to be taught. Sheet music sample.
- AoVK-119 We're God's family God's children (Trish Watts / Monica O'Brien) Good words. Catchy tune. Good for kids.
- AoV2-037 Children Of God in one family (Christopher Walker) Great for kids. Sometimes we mess up, but God forgives. Sound sample and lyrics. Good for kids.
- TiS 465 / AHB 399 / ATA 115 / NCH279 / A&M271 / Iona (SBL) / CH116 / GA381 / Lau313 / StF004 Our God in heaven / Father in heaven / Loving Creator grant to your children
(Elena Maquiso / Daniel Niles) I really like this hymn, especially the Philippino
folk melody to which it's set. Newer versions of the hymn from the
Christian Conference of Asia have altered the lyrics to "Our God in
heaven / Creator God" in the first verse. Other versions, such as CH4
have "Loving Creator / Parent and God". History.
- TiS 163 / AHB 112 / NCH556 / UMH150 / LBW463 / ELW771 / GtG024 / PH268 / W&R644 / Cha651 / URW084 / 82Hml-580 God who stretched the spangled heavens (Catherine Cameron) Good words of creation of nature and cities and creative possibilities for the future. AHB has a Father and old language, but it works okay; TiS and other sources are better. There are many possible tunes. I like it best to HOLY MANNA as in the link. Lyrics and sound sample. New words to old tunes.
- MV157 I am a child of God (Bruce Harding) A simple song with powerful words. Good for kids and adults alike. Very easy to learn. Sheet music and sound sample. Good for kids (just the first verse probably).
- TiS 180 / UMH105 / W&R58 / Cha013 God of many names (Brian Wren) If this is new it will need to be taught to your congregation as the tune is not intuitive, but it is worth knowing. The chorus is particularly appealing to kids. Lyrics
- NCH072 / UMH552 / VU362 / ELW530 / GtG311 / PH465 / CP534 / W&R597 / Cha278 / STB242 Here O Lord Your Servants Gather / Sekai no Tomo (Tokuo Yamaguchi) Beautiful song about being a community of faith seeking strength and courage. Lovely simple Japanese tune. Sound sample (piano only). Lyrics.
- TiS 428 / AHB 340 Help us O Lord to learn (William Watkins Reid) 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). New words to old tunes.
- Online Resource / Tune In Community (Dave Brown) A great and very easy-to-sing contemporary song about being welcomed and part of a community. Free downloadable songbook, lyrics and sound samples.
The Word made flesh.
Again, Christmas Carols and Epiphany songs would fit well for this.
- NCH164 / VU79 / StS030 / WoV652 / LBW652 / ELW314 / PH411 / GtG744 / W&R231 / URW138 Arise your light is come! (Duck) Good general words of Christ coming to bring justice to the familiar tune ST. THOMAS (TiS 271).
- STB047 Sarennam (Dyvasirvadam) This song from India will need to be taught, but I think it's worth it. Quite nice; the English translation is very poetic.
- 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.
- Music by Heart 61 Arise shine for your light has come (Cunningham) A simple two-part chant, which can easily be taught before, or during, the service. We used this last year.
- GtG467 / STB058 Give Us Light / Jyothi dho Prabhu (Vas) This song in Hindi or English is simple and repetitive and could be sung in either language (with a little teaching time). You could sing all 5 verses or just a few. It might also work during Advent as a candle lighting song.
- BUC Song Project We are love (Anderson) This is one of the new songs collated in 2009 at Brunswick Uniting. It's got a quite anthemic chorus "We are love, made in the image"....
- TiS 156 / AHB 91 / AoV1-135 / ATA 123 / CH212 / UMH145 / VU409 / ELW556 / GA537 / A&M545 / HPP267 / GtG664 / PH469 / G(II)546 / GC756 / GC(II)748 / G(3)855 / CP003 / W&R35 / Cha053 / URW186 / 82Hml-008 / Lau671 Morning has broken (Farjeon) This song makes me smile every time. Here's Yusuf Islam (when he was Cat Stevens) in 1976 (love those green boots).
- TiS 447 / AHB 61 / CH112 / VU313 / LBW400 / ELW673 / A&M810 / CP560 / CP(E) 267 / 82Hml-371 / Lau887 God whose almighty word / Lord your almighty word chaos and darkness heard / Thou, whose almighty word A good hymny hymn, very familiar, with the memorable “Let there be light” line at the end of each verse. TiS lyrics are fairly inclusive, but VU is better. Lyrics.
- TiS 477 / Iona (LFB, Common Ground) / CH510 / StJ / GA529 / A&M450 / CP059 / SP218 / URW056 Jesus calls us here to meet him. Good words and a rollicking or gentle Celtic tune (depending on how you play it!). Lyric video with flutes and oboes and a choir. 4th verse (not in TiS, but in Iona sources) leads to communion.
- Online Resource Praise the Source who sang creation (David Bjorlin) The "singing Trinity" brings forth the cosmos. Excellent lyrics to the well known tune NETTLETON. Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options. Sound sample. New words to old tunes.
- Iona (M&G) / ATAR609 / CH359 / MV033 / GtG137 / ZSS54 / StJ / ELW253 / GA293 / SFFS 2085 / G(II)276 / GC370 / GC(II)364 / G(3)429 / CP368 / W&R402 He came down that we may have love/ Jesus came bringing us hope (Traditional Cameroon) A lovely simple song - you can make up words and have a lot of fun with this if you also use some drums. Lyric video. Good for kids.
- WoV768 / ELW737 / CP456 / W&R412 He comes to us as one unknown (Dudley-Smith) Great words to a very familiar hymn tune (REPTON).
- W&R104 / URW102 Hidden Christ Alive for Ever (Wren) Wonderful and inspiring words of Christ in all things. Can be sung to HYFRYDOL or HOLY MANNA, so would be easily sung by most congregations. A good song for just after the sermon. Lyrics and sheet music.
- StS028 / WoV638 / A&M067 / G(II)275 / GC369 / GC(II)354 / G(3)443 / W&R199 / Lau148 Holy Child within the Manger (Haugen) Lovely words and a simple gentle tune. Lyrics.
- TiS 666 / AoV2-113 / AoVK-126 / ATOK 409 / NCH526 / Iona (Common Ground, Freedom is Coming) / CH516 / VU646/647 / WoV650 / ELW866 / A&M483 / SFFS 2235 / HPP153 / GtG853 / G(II)357 / GC513 / GC(II)516 / G(3)594 / Cha442 / SP235 / Srce737 We are marching in the light of God / Siyahamba / Caminando (South African) A very popular chorus, with possible alternate verses, depending on your source. Sometimes people get anxious about the word "marching", but remember that this song comes from apartheid-era South Africa, where people were protesting so that they could vote in their own country. And the marching is toi-toing, much less militaristic than what you may imagine. Good for kids.
- Iona / CH317 / CP621 Before the world began (Bell/Maule) Excellent words from John Bell.
- TiS 242 / AHB 183 / AoV1-018 / ATN 27 / CH404 / UMH261 / VU352 / A&M667 / HPP163 / GtG157 / PH302 / G(II)481 / GC708 / GC(II)689 / G(3)796 / CP(E) 468 / W&R118 / Lau765 I danced in the morning / Lord of the Dance (Carter / SIMPLE GIFTS). Lyrics and downloadable accompaniment tracks. You all know this one, right? Good for kids
- AoVK-123 / NCH3 / Iona (M&G) / UMH148 / VU308 / WoV794 / ELW837 / GtG021 / PH271 / G(II)338 / GC499 / G(3)911 / CP407 / W&R26 / Cha58 / URW232 / 82Hml-385 span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">Many and Great O God are your works / Wakantanka Taku Nitawa (Lacquiparle) Good words. Simple tune. Sounds great accompanied by a good Native American-style drum beat, which is a great way to get people (especially kids) involved in music-making. Lyrics here.
- AA016 Christ is our peace (Murray) Wow. This one is excellent. Would also be good for the offering. Very simple Irish traditional tune.
- NCH401 / GtG308 / W&R388 O god in whom all life begins (Daw) Excellent words of living as a community of faith. Sung to a simple English melody.
- NCH111 O loving founder of the stars (Latin 9th Century) Lovely words, to a plainsong-like tune. Plainsong is not as hard as people think....
- CH348 / StS001 / LBW196 / ELW843 / CP397 / W&R93 / SP304 / URW090 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 and sheet music.
I'd love to hear your ideas! Please add a comment below if you have something to share.
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