Songs, Hymns & Music for Proper 6C / Ordinary 11C / Pentecost +3 (June 12, 2016)

1 Kings 21:1-10, (11-14), 15-21a
Jezebel and Ahab kill Naboth, take his land, and Elijah prophesies against Ahab

A Kyrie would work well - there are lots to choose from - here's a long list!  

• Tune In / NCYC'07 Forgive us now (Brown). “As we forgive may we be healed, as we reach out….” An excellent ballad. Lyrics and sound sample.
• Iona (SBL) / MV068 / G(II)405 / GC581 / GtG578 / PfAS009A  Kyrie Guarany / On the poor, on the poor  (Sosa) A simple Kyrie from Paraguay; This is our current favourite at Brunswick. The English translation varies depending on the source (we don't sing On the Poor). Sound sample (track 12). Good for kids. 
• Tune In Cover us with love (Loukes) This song may not be easy for congregations to sing, but it is great to listen to. “Be our vision Lord, in a world that’s filled with greed”. We have not sung this in a while... Lyrics, sound sample, and songbook
• Tune In Our God who weeps (Kate Scull) Very simple folk-like tune and challenging and hopeful lyrics. "When death has taken those held dear"... Reference recording, lyrics and songbook.
• FFS13 E te Ariki (Lord have mercy) (Render) A Maori Kyrie to a beautiful relaxed tune. Needs to be sung in Maori, and this would not be hard.

A good Sunday to acknowledge the violence by which land was taken from Native peoples in Australian and American history (Australian song suggestions follow).

• Online ResourceCreator God you made this land (Pearson) Words of reconciliation from the United Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress. "Great Spirit in this ancient land, speak in the stillness deep within. Remove all prejudice and fear, give life to all, new hope begin. Then help us gently walk as friends, while on this land your peace descends". Sung to the familiar tune ST PETERSBURG (TiS375). Lyrics (downloads a pdf). New words to old tunes.
• Recorded Music Special treatment (Paul Kelly) This song could work well during a prayer of confession; Archie Roach has recorded it too; I like his version better. Youtube. Lyrics

Psalm 5:1-8
A cry for God to listen and lead; God's hatred for deceit

• Online Resource Listen God please pay attention / Psalm 5 (The Porter's Gate) This is a great modernisation of this Psalm. Not a congregational song, but it would be great to listen to. Sound sample.  
  
• PfAS005B Give ear to our words O Lord (Hyder) Excellent chorus which works on its own or as a response to the Psalm. Highly recommended. Sound sample.   
• PfAS005C Hear my words O Lord (Scheer)  Quite simple, but longish, Psalm refrain, which would work well on its own. 
• PfAS005A Hear O Lord my urgent prayer (Post) Straightforward metrical hymn-like Psalm.
• Taizé / TiS 741 / AoV1-017 / ATE 282 / LBW368 / ELW407 / GA431 / SFFS 2200 / GtG471 / G(II)410 / GC586 / GC(II)566 / G(3)666 / W&R484 / Srce519 / URW390 / Lau929 / PfAS013A / PfAS102A / MP908 O Lord hear my prayer (Berthier) A simple and very well known Taizé chant. Works well during intercessions. You could read the Psalm between repeats of this chant, or just use as a chant as is. Sheet music samples. Good for kids 
• SiS Give ear to my words, O Lord An old chorus, which may be familiar to many. A basic paraphrase with old language. I'm not sure of a source for this - I suspect it's in Scripture in Song. Chords and lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• AoV1-137 / ATOK 403 / GA306 / G(II)286 God Of Abraham lead us (Farrell) This one is great. Just don't try to sing all 17 verses! Choose what you like… I love this energetic call and response with the response "Lead us to your kingdom". You can sing with a cantor and response, or you could split your congregation in the middle doing half and half, or you could just have people singing all the way through. Lyrics (and a slow sound sample). Sound sample (listen to the whole thing and see how they build it up).
  
• Online resource In the Morning You Hear My Voice (Harding) Simple and quite lovely Psalm refrain. Sample pdf.
• VU728 / URW226 As morning dawns, God hear my cry (Marrier) or Lead me God, lead me in your righteousness (Wesley) Two simple and quite different refrains which can be used with a responsively read Psalm.
• StJ / WoV777 / HPP346 / Srce308 / URW111 In the morning when I rise (Give me Jesus) (African-American Spiritual) I don't normally suggest "Jesus" songs to go with Psalms, but I think this one is worth bending the rules for. There are many possible ways of singing this. I like this version by Myrna Summers. But it's also often sung like this (Fernando Ortega). 
• Online Resource Give ear to my words, O Lord (Kohlhase) Just stumbled on this on Youtube and thought some of you might like it. Very catchy and quite lovely. I'm not sure if he has sheet music available. 
• NCH Psalter005 Lead me O God in your righteousness (McMane) A very simple refrain and chanted Psalm.

Alternative Hebrew Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15
Nathan confronts David about his greed. David confesses.
You might like to sing a Kyrie, or see the suggestions for Psalm 32, below.

• Tune In / NCYC '07 Forgive us now (Brown) An excellent ballad. Lyrics and sound sample. "Forgive us now, O mother love for all the idols we have built, For all the time we’ve worshiped there in company of dark despair. Forgive us mother of all hope”.
• FFS19 For the hurt I create (Murray) Beautiful tunes (there are two) and words. Tune (ii) is most simple, so use that if you will sing it as a congregation, but tune (i) is also worth using if you have some good musicians who can sing it for your congregation. If using tune (ii) you may like to suggest to your congregation that they simply join in on the "forgive me, Lord, forgive" line, but make sure you teach it to them first, because the third one is different to the other three. "For the hurt that I create.... for the evil I condone... for works of peace I do not do... for hope and help that I refuse... forgive me Lord, forgive"
• FFS20 Forgive forgive us Holy God (Murray / Gibson) Very easy tune for a congregation to sing (and there are 5 verses to learn it in!). The words focus on our desensitisation to violence and our greed, so a nice fit for this week's reading. The final verse has a focus on communion, but still makes sense if you are not celebrating the eucharist this week. Lyrics and free sheet music. 
• TiS 693 / AoV1-031 / GA212 Come as you are that's how I want you (Browne) This song is beautiful, gentle, simple, and very well known. Lyrics (search for "come as you are"). Slow and mushy Youtube sample. A good song to start the service. 
• AoVNG55 / Taizé / G(3)959 / SP323 / Lau221 God is forgiveness / Bóg jest miłością (Taize) "God is forgiveness, love and do not fear". A simple Taize chant which seems to suit this reading quite well. Sheet music, lyrics in many languages, sound samples. 
• BUC Song Project Why do we listen and fail to hear / Lament - for a people with a people with a dulled heart (Whelan) This lament, and its wailing ooooh would fit quite well with this passage. Sorry this is not available outside the congregation yet.  Good for kids

Psalm for the Samuel reading: Psalm 32
Honest confession forgiven by God. Identity.
You could sing a Kyrie (lots listed here). Some of them are good for kids.

• Tune In / NCYC '07: Forgive us now (Brown). “As we forgive may we be healed, as we reach out….” An excellent ballad. Lyrics and sound sample.
• Tune In: Making things new (Sheree Anderson). A groovy one. Great for kids, and lots of fun. Sound sample, lyrics and songbook.
• BUC Song Project Broken (Loukes) This song seeking God's open arms at the end of a dry journey fits this reading well.  
• Cha739 Be glad in God and rejoice (Smith) Responsive psalm with joyous sung refrain.
• MV095 How deep the peace (Bauman / Good) Simple song. Would work particularly well as words of assurance after the prayers of confession.
• G(II)42 / GC44 I Turn to You in time of trouble (Cooney) A quite nice inclusive cantor and response. Lyrics and sheet music. Sound sample.
• TiS 417 / AoV2-133 / ATW 448 / VU387 / StJ / WoV683 / ELW397 / AA94 / HPP237 / GtG293 / PH323 / CP657 / W&R135 / Cha244 / URW203 / StB220 Loving Spirit, Loving Spirit (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. Free sheet music and lyrics. 
• Emergent Psalter Show me which way to go (Everett) Simple refrain. Sheet music (refrain only).
• StS066 / PfAS032C While I keep silence (Wright) A very mournful song based on this Psalm. Best for a meditative service; this will not suit all congregations, but there is something quite compelling about it, and maybe particularly good for Lent.
• TiS 754 / SFFS 2055 / HPP457 / Cha554 / PfAS032B / Srce2-686 / MP793 You are my hiding-place (Ledner) Very mushy, but somehow very satisfying and soothing. Particularly mushy sound sample and lyrics.Good for kids.
• SoG 790 / ATW 463 / Iona (T1AU) / ELW721 / SFFS 2219 / A&M835 / GtG750 / GC(II)451 / G(3)528 / W&R296 / URW436 Goodness is stronger than evil (Desmond Tutu / John Bell) Words from Archbishop Desmond Tutu. "Victory is ours, victory is ours, through him who loves us". Some congregations change the last line to "Compassion is ours, compassion is ours...". It depends on the context in which you sing it, I suppose. Sound sample. Good for kids. There is also a very moving choral version of these words and more from Desmond Tutu, arranged by Tom Keesecker. Available here (sound sample there too).

Galatians 2:15-21
Justification through faith, not law. An implication that if you sin by trying to follow Christ then it’s really not so bad. A call to live by faith.

• 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. Good for kids & teenagers.
• TiS 691 Faith will not grow from words alone Excellent strong words of a questioning faith to a familiar hymn tune.
• TiS 414 / NCH294 / CH616 / UMH192 / VU582 / HPP134 / PH433 / GC550 / CP(E) 198 / Cha257 / StF398 There's a Spirit in the Air (Wren) A good song of getting the business of following Christ done. Speaking out, caring for others, being changed. Good, joyful tune too. Lyrics and a sample of one tune that you could use.  
• AoVK-28 / ATOK 376 Faith hope and love (Watts) This is so easy, and so cool. If you have some groovy musicians, this can even be a very funky rock song. Very easy, and great for kids and non-readers. This remains my son's favourite church song. Good for kids 
• God Gives 2: Faith is like a muscle use it and it will grow This is a great song for kids. And grown ups who like to be silly. Good for kids 
• GGives 2 Don't just think about faith / Do it, do it, do it, do it (Boucher) Groovy kid's song about taking action. Lots of repetition so great for kids and non-readers. Good for kids
• AoV2-023 / GA393 / G(II)339 / GC492 / StF496 / Lau686God beyond all names (Farrell). Excellent words. The verse can be tricky – lots of words to fit in, so don’t take it too fast. You may like to use a cantor, soloist or small group for the verses and ask the congregation to join in the chorus “All around us we have known you, all creation longs to hold you, in our living and our dying we are bringing you to birth”. Lyrics.

Luke 7:36-8:3
The woman bathes Jesus' feet at the Pharisee's house, and a listing of many faithful women.

• NCH206 A woman came who did not count Tune is tricky, but quite beautiful and haunting when you know it. It's worth the effort. Terribly out of focus video, but the sound is good. 
• Online Resource As evening fragrance fills the air (Mary Louise Bringle) Beautiful words reflecting on the women who bore witness to Jesus' anointing and death. Particularly apt for an evening service. Sheet music sample, lyrics and purchasing options. 
  
• TiS 748 / GtB There once was a man as mean as could be (Digby Hannah) Good song for kids and great for this passage. Good for kids
• TiS 696 / VU590 / CP463 / W&R585 A prophet-woman broke a jar (Brian Wren) Celebrates many women's stories in the Bible. Tune is not immediately singable, but worth learning. Lyrics.  I also quite like the setting of these words to a lovely folk-like tune by Douglas Simper, available in his book Singing the Journey.
• TiS 693 / AoV1-031 / GA212 Come as you are that's how I want you (Deidre Browne) This song is beautiful, gentle, simple, and very well known. Lyrics (search for "come as you are"). 
• Tune In: God’s Mercy A beautiful ballad about recognising God's mercy in the everyday. Lyrics, sound sample, songbook.
• WoV692 / ELW419 / GtG324 / RS885 For all the faithful women (Hermann Steumpfle) Great words of the faithfulness of women, including Hannah, Mary, Mary Magdalene, Deborah and Miriam. Sung to a very familiar tune (AURELIA). You could choose just the verses you want so it's not too long, (but all the verses are good). Some words are a bit odd (like the bit about saving "our race" could unfortunately be easily misconstrued). Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• Online Resource Nothing is wasted (David Bjorlin) A simple gospel-style chorus, which fits well with the idea that even pouring a rich oil on someone's feet is not a waste. Sheet music sample and purchasing options. Sound sample. This could be sung much more slowly if you are looking for something more meditative. 
  
• Online Resource A woman knelt where Jesus sat to eat (Adam Tice) Excellent words to a contemporary tune which is quite straightforward to sing. This particularly focuses on the imagery in Luke's version of this story. Sheet music sample, lyrics, and purchasing options.  
  
• Online Resource / Recorded Music For our mothers of faith (Malcolm Gordon) A good song about mothers and other women who have "mothered" us in the faith. Very simple chorus which would be great to sing along to. Sound sample, lyrics, and lead sheet available here.  

Got an idea? Share it in a comment below!