Songs, Hymns and Music for Lent 4B (10 March 2024)

Numbers 21:4-9  
The Israelites grumble, God sends serpents to bite them, they repent and are healed.
You might like to sing a Kyrie. 

• Online Resource Open my heart (Ana Hernández) A beautiful 3 part chant, which also works as a single part chant. Sheet music. Youtube of the song being taught and sung in 3 parts.  
• TiS 569 / AHB 478 / NCH18/19 / CH167 / UMH127 / VU651 / LBW343 / ELW618 / StF465 / A&M652 / HPP432 / GtG065 / PH281 / CP565 / CP(E) 455 / W&R501 / Cha622 / 82Hml690 / StF465 / Lau960 / MP201 Guide me O thou great Jehovah / Redeemer (William Williams) A rousing hymn of God’s presence and strength and making it to the other side. "Bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore." Sound sample and lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Online Resource / BUC Song Project Why do we listen and fail to hear / Lament - for a people with a people with a dulled heart (Shawn Whelan) This lament, and its wailing ooooh would fit quite well with this passage. Sheet music, sound sample, lyrics.  Good for kids.
• MV45 Hamba nathi (Zulu). There are a lot of translations of this song. Some translations and sheet music.Good for kids
• Online Resource / Tune In Save us in the time of trial (Shawn Whelan) Reflective chorus and verses about trying to follow Christ in the face of difficulties. Chorus is particularly straightforward and chantlike. Free downloadable song book and sound samples.
• NCH605 As Moses raised the serpent up (NCH) Simple words, sung to the familiar tune MORNING SONG. This song appears in other hymnals but the NCH version is most inclusive.
• CH568 When I’m feeling down and sad (Joy Webb) A great song for kids to remember when they are sad; speaks of God always being with us. Good for adults too! CH has two possible tunes, and both are very good, and quite different. The 2nd tune is easier to sing; the 1st is better for soloists, or if you have time to teach it. Slightly odd sound sample.  Good for kids.
• Online Resource / Tune In / NCYC '07: Forgive us now (Dave Brown) This is one of the best songs seeking forgiveness that I know, and suitably laid back for a quiet Ash Wednesday service. Free downloadable song book and sound samples.

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
A psalm about the Israelites coming through the wilderness and God hearing their distress 
See suggestions listed above for the Numbers reading.

• PfAS107A Give thanks to God who hears our cries (Ruth Duck) Excellent words of God hearing those in despair. Sung to the familiar tune MORNING SONG. It's got 6 verses, so it may be nice to have half the congregation sing to the other half, or alternate men and women for the central 4 verses. Lyrics. New words to old tunes..
• Global Praise 3 / StS094 (Cokesbury Press) Sithi Bonga / Give thanks (George Mxadana) A joyful song of thanks from South Africa. Lyrics. Sound sample.
• CH568 When I’m feeling down and sad (Joy Webb) A great song for kids to remember when they are sad; speaks of God always being with us. Good for adults too! CH has two possible tunes, and both are very good, and quite different. The 2nd is easier to sing; the 1st is better for soloists, or if you have time to teach it. Slightly odd sound sample.   Good for kids.
• NCH Psalter Consider the steadfast love of God (Marty Haugen) A simple refrain and good inclusive words for the cantor / reader.
• UMH416 / AAHH367 Tell me how did you feel when you come out the wilderness / I am leaning on the Lord (African American traditional) There are many versions of this song and it's great to improvise on. I like how it asks questions too! Partial sheet music and lyrics.
  
• TiS 67 Give thanks Give thanks to the Lord (Jenny O'Brien) A cantored Psalm with a response that is actually fun and happy! The verses could also be read, rather than cantored. 
• Taizé / MV016 / StJ / ELW528 / GA430 / SFFS 2157 / HPP410 / GtG466 / G(II)398 / GC570 / GC(II)550 / G(3)637 / CP402 / URW378 / Lau701 Come and Fill our hearts/ Confitemini Domino (Jacques Berthier) Can be sun in English as "Come and fill our hearts with your peace, you alone O God are holy. Come and fill our hearts with your peace, Alleluia". A good song of recommitment. Obviously if you don't sing Alleluias during Lent, this is not for you. You could replace the Alleluia with Hosanna if you really want to sing it. Sound samples and sheet music. 
• 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 (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.

Ephesians 2:1-10
Dead, but now alive in Christ

• Online Resource / Tune In Like the sun upon my skin / God's Mercy (Sheree Anderson) A beautiful ballad of healing: "Like the sun upon my skin, I can smile and take it in, and my wounds begin to heal, that's God's mercy". Free downloadable song book and sound samples.
• STB259 Christ our peace you make us one (CCA 9th General Assembly Worship Committee) This song has two parts; the men sing a simple chant while the women sing the verses. It would be fun to sing. You may like to select a few verses to sing - it's very hopeful. Sheet music sample.
  
• Online Resource / Tune In Spirit of the Father / Alive in me (Sheree Anderson) Catchy song about God’s spirit living in us. "Take hold of the hope that I give, trust in me, reach out for the love you can live, eternally”. Free downloadable song book and sound samples.   Good for kids.
• NCH581 /  HPP310 / G(II)523 / GC(II)718 / G(3)827 Lead us from death to life / World Peace Prayer (Satish Kumar / Marty Haugen) A different take on Christ's power over the forces of death. Quite simple to sing. This Anthem for peace has a really simple and stirring chorus, which would be excellent on its own, and for kids. Verses could be sung by a soloist or the whole congregation if you want to use them. For Lent, I would just use the chorus. Quite simple to sing. Sheet music sample. Slow keyboard sample.  Good for kids.
• A&M504 / GC(II)644 / W&R577 / G(3)743 / Lau836 Summoned by the God who made us / Sing a New Church (Dolores Dufner) Excellent words of Christian unity and justice to the well-known tune NETTLETON (TiS 392). Would be a good final hymn. Lyrics  New words to old tunes
• Iona (Love From Below) / CH317 / CP621 / Lau738 Before the world began (John Bell) It annoys me a bit that this uses exclusively masculine language for Christ when it speaks of the presence of Christ in creation, but if this won't bother your congregation, or you find other images to balance it out in the service, it is a very beautiful song. Lyrics
• NCH565 / LBW408 / ELW678 / GtG716 / PH422 / CP601 / W&R572 / Cha606 / URW091 God whose giving knows no ending (Rusty Edwards) Excellent more formal words of thanks for God's many good gifts to us. Can be sung to a range of tunes including BEACH SPRING, HYFRYDOL, AUSTRIAN HYMN, RUSTINGTON. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.
• CH401 / VU121 / R139 / ELW334 / GA307 / HPP174 / G(II)288 / GC397 / GC(II)401 / G(3)475 /  CP179 Tree of life and awesome mystery (Marty Haugen) Great words about the suffering of Christ, that is really very positive. "Tree of life and awesome mystery, in your death we are reborn; though you die in all of history, still you rise with every morn". Lyrics and youtubes.
• TiS 382 / AoV2-131 / ATN 15 / NCH238 / CH417 / UMH311 / VU186 / LBW280 / ELW570 / GA364 / A&M212 / HPP210 / GtG247 / G(II)318 / GC444 / GC(II)456 / G(3)534 / CP237 / CP(E) 153 / W&R311 / Cha230 / 82Hml-204 / Lau278 / StF306 Now the green blade rises (John Mcleod Campbell Crum) I love these words and this simple French folk tune. I particularly like this played to guitar, but TiS has an excellent piano arrangement too. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes.

John 3:14-21
Christ died to save the world. Yes, well…. you can sing lots of hymns for this one! 

• Online Resource / Tune In He left his home, fam'ly, friends / A grain of wheat (Sheree Anderson) Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it won't form roots and grow. A boppy song with deeply meaningful lyrics. Free downloadable song book and sound samples.  Good for kids & teenagers.
• Online Resource / Tune In O Spirit God / In the shape of a cross (Dave Brown) Puts our forgiveness in a global context. A cry to God for help and a call for God to enter our world. Free downloadable song book and sound samples.
• Online Resource / Tune In Our God who weeps (Kate Scull) Very simple folk-like tune and challenging and hopeful lyrics. Free downloadable song book and sound samples. A beautiful song and easy to sing.
• Online Resource God beyond our ways of knowing (Adam Tice / Randall Sensmeier) This hymn starts and ends with a verse seeking God's guidance, and the middle verse picks up the Gospel reading for each week of Lent in year B (that's this year). You may like to use it each week. Sung to a simple and catchy tune. Lyrics, sheet music sample and purchasing options. 
  
• CH348 / StS001 / LBW196 / ELW843 / A&M762 / G(3)625 / CP397 / W&R93 / SP304 / URW090 Praise the One Who Breaks the Darkness (Rusty 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. I will suggest this again next week! Sheet music and lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• GtB God is love and love is giving (Ross Langmead) A simple kids' song about God's love. A round. Sound sample. Good for kids.
• TiS 721 / Iona (LFB) / URW431 / Lau124 He became poor that we may be rich (John Bell) A simple chant. Timing is a little bit tricky, so you will need to take a little time to teach it initially. This has gorgeous parts if you have some singers."He became poor, that we may be rich, loving the world and leaving his throne; King of all kings, and Lord of all Lords, flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone". Sound sample. 
• STB047 Sarennam O the Divine Light / Sarennam Dhivya jyothi (Govada 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. Sheet music sample.
  
• 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. For Brunswick this year, this will be a nice reminder of Advent, when we sang this every week. Scottish sound sample. Good for kids.
• ATW 451 / SoG789 Jesus Saviour of the world (David Schubert / Sue Westhorp) Simple chant-like song. Article about it.
  
• TiS 174 / UMH194 / A&M544 / CP(E)259 / 82Hml-585 Morning glory starlit sky (William Vanstone) Quite formal words, but very very beautiful song of God's boundless love "Drained is love in making full, bound in setting others free, poor in making many rich, weak in giving power to be". The tune is not difficult, but will need to be taught to a congregation if not familiar; you could also sing it to VIENNA (thanks Jennie) or Jesus Lover of my Soul (thanks Merryl). The lyrics could also be read as a poem. Lyrics.
• ATA 145 / NCH223 / CH395 / UMH292 / VU147 / VU148 / LBW385 / ELW666 / HPP192 / GtG215 / PH085 / G(II)295 / GC627 / GC(II)614 / CP400 / W&R257 / Cha200 / 82Hml-439 What wondrous love is this? (Unknown) I just really like this old hymn, though it may not suit more progressive congregations (especially if you sing the "sinking down" verse! Versions vary widely in their inclusiveness; if you want inclusive language, use the New Century Hymnal. Here's an awesome bluegrass version.  Oldy-but-a-goody.

What will you be singing? Please share your ideas in a comment below!