Songs, hymns and music for Easter 7A (May 21 2023)

This post replaces my first ever blog post, made for Easter 7A 2008! 15 years ago!

Acts 1:6-14
The Ascension: the promise of Christ’s return. The promise of the Spirit. The disciples get together to pray (constantly) before they commence their mission without Christ incarnate.
See here for songs with a focus on the Ascension

The theme of constant prayer makes use of a Taize (or similar) chant at various points through the service appealing. Some suggestions:

• Taizé / TiS 741 / AoV1-017 / ATE 282 / LBW368 / ELW751 / 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 (Jacques 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
• Taizé / GtG814 / CP563 / PfAS062D In God alone my soul can find rest and peace / Mon ame se repose (Jacques Berthier) A beautiful healing chant from Taize. Words and music and sound samples for learning the parts Good for kids.
• Taizé / MV075 / StS079 / SFFS 2118 / GtG284 / GC(II)479 / G(3)547 / SP99 / URW395 Holy Spirit Come to Us / Veni sancte spiritus tui amoris (Jacques Berthier) Best if you have a cantor, but works well if you don't, too. Sheet music, translations, sound samples.
• Online ResourceO Holy Spirit power of the weak (David Bjorlin / Lim Swee Hong) A beautiful, meditative four part song. It would be great to teach the parts to your congregation, and would work well whether you sing only one verse, or all four verses. If four parts is too challenging, you could also get your congregation to sing only the melody line in two parts in canon (i.e. a round, but ending at the same time); or in unison would also work, but would be less fun. Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options.  New words to old tunes.   
• Taizé  / TiS 730 / AoV1-152 / ATOK 387 / CH775 / UMH488 / WoV740 / ELW616 / GA308 / A&M838 / HPP214 / GtG227 / PH599 / G(II)293 / GC404 / GC(II)422 / G(3)510 / Cha569 / Srce387 / URW382 / Lau253 / StF777 Jesus remember me (Jacques Berthier) A beautiful chant, but we have not sung it often. Sheet music and sound samples.
  
• Traditional / StJ / GC(II)567 As I went down in the river to pray (African American Spiritual) The encouragement to pray together with each other is a good theme, and the song is a favourite in our congregation. Here's the clip from O Brother Where art thou, which made it so popular. Oldy but a goody.
• TiS 419 / NCH270 / CH592 / A&M252 / UMH544 / VU205 / WoV685 / ELW403 / HPP222 / GtG285 / PH314 / CP635 / CP(E) 185 / W&R327 / SP92 / 82Hml-513 / StF389 Like the murmur of the dove's song (Carl P Daw) Excellent words and a simple tune about Christian unity. Each verse ends with "Come holy spirit, come". Lyrics and sheet music.

Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
Let God arise and God's enemies be scattered. God cares for the poor.

• TiS 38 God In Your Goodness You Have Made a Home for the Poor (Rosalie Bonighton) Each hymnal has a different way of writing the verses, some need a cantor, but all could work well with someone reading the verses. Both versions of the refrain are very straightforward.
• VU787 / GA046 / G(II)63 / GC67 God In Your Goodness / You Have Made a Home for the Poor (Rory Cooney) I prefer the verses in VU, but the ones in the GIA publications are also nice. A more hymnlike version of the refrain. Sound sample (with an internal repeat that is not there in VU).
  
• Online Resource God In Your Goodness You Have Made a Home for the Poor (Marie-Luise Calvero) A lovely contemporary refrain with verses sung by a cantor; the verses are exclusively masculine for God, so if you want to avoid that, you'll need to use the refrain with a read Psalm. Lyric video. Free sheet music.
• Online Resource God In Your Goodness You Have Made a Home for the Poor (Francesca LaRosa) A lovely contemporary refrain. The psalm tone cantored verses (from ICEL) use exclusively masculine language for God - you could use another source (e.g. NCH Psalter) for the verses if you choose to have a cantor. Lyric video. Sheet music purchasing options.
• MV142 / SP&P209 Oh a Song must rise (Paul Svenson) A song that speakes of voices being raised from around the earth, from all people. A good song of unity. Quite straightforward to sing. Lyrics. Lyric video.
  
• MV221 I am walking a path of peace (Jean Tissandier) A simple song for the end of the service; words can be altered to paths of love, grace, hope, joy etc. Good for kids. Lyric video.
  
• NCH022 / VU221 Sing praise to God who has shaped and sustains all creation! (Joachim Neander / Madeleine Marshall) A new translation of Neander's classic hymn "Praise to the Lord the Almighty…". I quite like this. Sung to LOBE DEN HERREN. New words to old tunes. Lyrics.
  
• NCH039 / CH176 / UMH149 / WoV726 / GtG669 / G(II)375 / GC553  / W&R33 / Cha060 Creator God we sing / Cantemos al Creador / Cantemos al Senor / Let's sing unto the Lord (Carlos Rosas) Joyful song of praise with lots of Alleluias. NCH more inclusive language is better; some translations are very simplistic. Spanish language sound sample (video).
  
• AoV1-137 / ATOK 403 / GA306 / G(II)286 God Of Abraham lead us (Bernadette 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).  Good for kids.
• Emergent Psalter / PfAS068B Sing to God O kingdoms of the earth (Isaac Everett)  A good Psalm refrain, simple to sing, with nice chords. The Psalm can be read or chanted over an improvised vamp. Sheet music (click on the Downloads tab). 
• TiS 704 / AoV2-090 / NCH760 / Iona (M&G) / CH824 / VU431 / WoV786 / ELW846 / SFFS 2067 / GtG598 / G(II)369 / GC536 / W&R741 / ZSS56 / URW398 / StF770 Amen We Praise Your Name O God / Siakudumisa (South African) A simple and popular Amen. Not wild about the GIA hymnals English version. Sheet music sample. A choral version, which is very nice, but not very gutsy.  
• MV144 / SP&P073 / Online Resource Like a healing stream (Bruce Harding) Gentle folksy ballad with a lot of water imagery - healing stream, gentle rain, river strong and mighty sea. Would need to be introduced, but would catch on pretty quickly, I think. Sound sample, sheet music
• VU267 / W&R20 / A&M711 / SP288 / Lau897 / MP419 Like a mighty river flowing (Michael Perry) Lovely words of the presence of God in nature. Lyrics
• NCH005 / StB023 / VU243 Praise to God praise to God for the greenness (Nobuaki Hanaoka) Earth's beauty; sung to a simple and quite familiar Japanese tune (SAKURA). A good hymn for kids who can read. Good for kids. Lyrics (downloads a PDF).
  

1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11
Rejoice in suffering. Be disciplined. Be humble because God cares for you.

• Taizé / MV075 / StS079 / SFFS 2118 / GtG284 / GC(II)479 / G(3)547 / SP99 / URW395 Holy Spirit Come to Us / Veni sancte spiritus / Tui amoris (Jacques Berthier) Best if you have a cantor, but works well if you don't, too. Sheet music, translations, sound samples.
• Iona (M&G, T1AU) / MV099 / GC(II)673 / G(3)763 / Lau996 Stand O Stand Firm (Cameroon) I love having an excuse to sing this simple and powerful song. Very easy for your congregation. You can make up cantor parts too “Oh my sisters…. Oh my brothers… Oh my children….” or you can name countries you are praying for in your intercessions. Good for kids. Scottish sound sample. Lead sheet.
• Online Resource / Full of the Spirit When I carry the cross (Heather Price) A very singable song about how we are strengthened and strengthen each other through carrying each others crosses together. Sound sample and music for purchase.   
• TiS 590 / AHB 165 / AoVK-117 / NCH506 / UMH526 / VU663 / LBW439 / ELW742 / HPP408 / GtG465 / PH403 / CP532 / W&R473 / Cha585 / Srce 776 / StF531 / MP746 What a Friend we have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven) There is a bit of masculine language, but the song has so many other good things about it. I like both tunes. AOVK has different lyrics, written specifically for kids, which I think are worth singing. Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody. History.
• TiS 561 / AHB 467 / NCH494 / CH535 / LBW498 / A&M823 / CP(E) 621 / 82Hml-684 / Lau862 / MP224 Who would true valor see / valour see (John Bunyan) A lovely old hymn, with old-world imagery. I think it still works OK. TiS and NCH have inclusive language throughout. CH and CP(E) do not have inclusive language, even for humanity. I really like the tune MONK'S GATE. Particularly nice with light instrumentation. A violin / flute and a bodhran may be all you need for this. Inclusive lyrics.I quite like this version by Maddy Prior. Oldy-but-a-goody.

John 17:1-11
Jesus’ parting prayer on our behalf. God’s care for us. Prayer for unity.

• Tune In / Online Resource Shepherd of the night (Elaine Loukes) "Have you ever felt the velvet night wrap you in her warmth". A lovely song with a theme of God’s protection. This is tricky for a congregation, so you might want to ask the musicians to play this. Lyrics, sound sample and songbook.
• TiS 590 / AHB 165 / AoVK-117 / NCH506 / UMH526 / VU663 / LBW439 / ELW742 / HPP408 / GtG465 / PH403 / CP532 / W&R473 / Cha585 / Srce 776 / StF531 / MP746 What a Friend we have in Jesus (Joseph Scriven) There is a bit of masculine language, but the song has so many other good things about it. I like both tunes. AOVK has different lyrics, written specifically for kids, which I think are worth singing. History. Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 613 / AHB 546 / ATOK 405 / CH166 / LBW469 / ELW765 / A&M713 / SFFS2197 / HPP265 / GtG683 / GC578 / GC(II)560 / G(3)663 / CP506 / CP(E) 507 / W&R469 / URW179 / 82Hml-482 / Lau969 / StF526 / MP882 Lord of all hopefulness Lord of all joy (Jan Struther) Excellent straightforward Irish tune (SLANE), and beautiful words. Would be a good choice for the final song. Lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Worldmaking.net Brother Jesus right beside me (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) This is a great rock song, good for little kids and a favourite of much older kids too. We really rock it, though we haven't done it for ages. Slightly silly sound sample with lyrics. Great for kids.
• Tune In / Online ResourceFather of Earth, Mother of Sea (Dave Brown) A latinesque song about the Spirit being with those who are victims, prisoners and the sick, as well as present in our prayers. Lyrics, sound sample and songbook.
• Tune In / Online Resource / ATAR596 He comes with his arms open wide / The God that I know (Sheree Anderson) A ballad drawing on God’s strength and comfort; not easy if unfamiliar. Lyrics and sample and songbook.
• Tune In / Online Resource Like the sun upon my skin / God’s Mercy (Sheree Anderson) A beautiful ballad about identifying God's mercy in the beauty of creation. Lyrics, sound sample and songbook.
• TiS 411 / AHB 328 / NCH266 / UMH537 / VU194 / A&M633 / CP658 / CP(E) 425 / W&R331 Filled with the Spirit's power (John Peacey) Excellent inclusive words to a very well known hymn tune. I prefer it sung to WOODLANDS . Lyrics and sheet music.
• A&M504 / GC(II)644 / W&R577 / G(3)743 / SP167 / StF689 / Lau836 Summoned by the God who made us / Sing a New Church (Delores Dufner) Excellent words of Christian unity and justice to the well-known tune NETTLETON (TiS 392). Would be a good final hymn. Lyric video. New words to old tunes.
• AoV1-129 / CH665 / UMH620 / VU467 / ELW701 / HPP525 / A&M461 / GtG530 / G(II)599 / GC830 / GC(II)813 / CP073 / W&R689 / Cha393 / Lau832 One bread, one body (John Foley) A classic. Don't play it too slow or it takes forever!! Particularly appropriate if you are celebrating communion. Lyrics & sound sample.
• MV142 / SP&P209 Oh a Song must rise (Paul Svenson) A song that speaks of voices being raised from around the earth, from all people. A good song of unity. Quite straightforward to sing, and a good prelude to Pentecost next week. Lyrics.
• HPP498 / Cha495 / URW057 Weave weave (Rosemary Crow) A simple 6/8 chorus asking God to "weave us together in unity and love". Youtube.

Do you have some ideas? Please share them in a comment below!