Songs, Hymns & Music for Proper 22B / Ordinary 27B / Pentecost +20 (October 6 2024)

Job 1:1, 2:1-10 
Job's troubles start, and he remains faithful

• Online Resource / AoVK-28 / ATOK 376 Faith hope and love (Trish 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. Sound sample, purchasing options.  Good for kids.
• AoVK-58 We wait in hope for the Lord (Nathaniel Ford) Simple acapella 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". Lyrics (downloads an order of worship) Good for kids.
• TiS 103 / AHB 8 / TOSB002 / NCH439 / CH454 / UMH110 / VU262 / LBW228 / LBW229 / ELW505 / HPP382 / PH259,260 / GC607 / GC(II)594 / G(3)687 / CP(E) 366 / W&R507 /  Cha065 / Srce2-27 / URW271 / 82Hml-687 / StF623 / MP002 / LUYH776 A mighty fortress is our God / A safe stronghold our God is still (Martin Luther) Old words, lots of devils in this; could work if you did a poetic reading of it. Translations are very varied; the only words I would enjoy singing myself are in NCH and Chalice hymnal. Lyrics and story. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Taizé / CH276 / VU22 / GtG090 / ELW262 / GA283 / A&M053 / G(II)256 / GC332 / GC(II)340 / G(3)406 / CP094 / W&R166 / PfAS037B / SP28 / URW396 / Lau088 Wait for the Lord (Jacques Berthier) "Wait for the Lord whose day is near, wait for the lord, keep watch, take heart". A lovely simple Taizé chant. Some older versions are not inclusive. Sheet music, translations and sound samples. 
• TiS 262 When pain and terror strike by chance (Brian Wren) Excellent words to a very familiar folk tune.(KINGSFOLD). Thanks to James Douglas for this suggestion. Lyrics and sheet music sample. New words to old tunes.

Psalm 26  
Test me God, and I'll be faithful

• ATW 423 Lord of every mystery / Examine my heart (Robin Mann) This is a bit tricky, but if familiar to your congregation would be great to sing. Lyrics (loads a pdf)
• NCH Psalter Your steadfast love is before my eyes (Elaine Kirkland) A beautiful and simple refrain to a cantored or read Psalm.
• PfAS026A Your love is before my eyes (John Becker)  A simple Psalm refrain.
• ATOK 414 / Iona (LFB, Common Ground) / CH501 / GA485 / A&M788 / G(II)480 / GC673 / GC(II)655 / SP311 / StF513 / Lau850 Take this moment, sign and space (John Bell) A fairly well known favourite. Simple melody and beautiful words. Lyrics (includes a very skinny picture of Jesus).
• NCH312 We love your realm O God (Timothy Dwight adapt. Lavon Baylor) Excellent words to the traditional hymn tune ST THOMAS. An update to the older hymn (I love thy kingdom Lord). New words to old tunes.
• Emergent Psalter I've set my eyes on your love (Isaac Everett) A really nice refrain to the Psalm which can be read over an instrumental vamp. Sheet music (refrain only - click on "Downloads" tab).
• AoVK-40 / NCH524 / UMH585 / ELW677 / A&M808 / HPP466 / G(II)358 / GC514 / GC(II)514 / G(3)591 This little light of mine (Harry Dixon Loes) The AoVK version has excellent verses that actually make the chorus make sense, but will need to be practiced. Check them out if you have a copy. In the meantime, watch Bruce Springsteen sing it here. It's amazing... Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody. 
• Taizé / TiS 747 / ATE 214 / Iona (M&G) / GtG842 / PfAS027A / URW393 The Lord is my light, my light and salvation (Jacques Berthier) A simple and very popular Taizé chant. Note that this is really easy on recorder if you have a kid in your congregation who is learning it. Good for kids. Youtube.
• Online Resource Bring us Justice (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) A great song for older kids and teenagers; this will need to be taught. The verses would work well sung in two parts by the congregation, with one half singing the 1st and 3rd lines while the other half sings the 2nd and 4th, then everyone joins on the chorus. Good for older kids and teenagers. Lyrics, sound sample and sheet music.

Alternative Hebrew Scripture: Genesis 2:18-24
God makes a partner for Adam; first God tried animals, but Adam really needed a person!

• Recorded music Man gave names to all the animals (Bob Dylan) There are a lot of recorded versions of this fun song for kids (and adults). You might enjoy playing it as part of the service. Sound sample and lyrics. Good for kids.
• VU490 Our God creation's loving source (Joy Patterson) Lovely words celebrating God's love and love for each other sung to the familiar tune O WALY WALY. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• TiS 654 / NCH362 / UMH643 / VU489 / WoV749 / G(II)628 / GC865 / GC(II)856 / G(3)966  / W&R612 / Cha499 / StF607 / Lau416 When love is found and hope comes home (Brian Wren) Lovely words to the tune O WALY WALY celebrating loving relationships through all their changes. While this is often sung at weddings, I think it would also work in the context of a standard service. Lyrics and sample sheet music. New words to old tunes.
• Online Resource People of the earth come tremble (Hannah Brown) Excellent words about the complex glory of creation, the damage we have done, our responsibility to care for it, and the joy we find in its beauty. Can be sung to the known tune PLEADING SAVIOUR or to a new tune by Benjamin Brody. Sheet music sample, lyrics and purchasing options. New words to old tunes.
• MV031 Pure Love (Linnea Good) I think this song would be good for reflecting on God as the source of all love. Very simple and beautiful. Sound sample.  Good for kids.
• Seeds of Faith Do you know that I am your friend? / I’m Gonna Stick With You (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) An excellent and fun song for kids. Lyrics, sound sample. Good for kids.

Psalm for the Genesis reading: Psalm 8
How majestic!

• Emergent Psalter O God our sovereign (Isaac Everett) A lovely simple Psalm response and read Psalm over an instrumental backing. Sheet music (refrain only - click on "Downloads" tab) 
• AoVK-50 / ATW 430 / NCYC'99 Come let us praise our God / A voice is heard (Trisha Watts) Excellent and energetic. Lyrics and synthesizer sound sample.  Good for kids.
• Online ResourceHow Great is your name! (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) A fun Psalm refrain for kids with a cantor part. Good for kids. Sound sample and sheet music.
• 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.
• PfAS008E O Lord Our Lord how majestic is your name (Alfred Fedak) Psalm response. Sound sample (includes plainchant cantor part).
• Online Resource As rivers flow from a distant spring (David Bjorlin / William Beckstrand) Beautiful words using imagery of creation to inspire us to lives based in God's love that care for others, including the earth. Not easy to sing, so maybe better to have a soloist sing it. Sound sample. Book available to purchase and download here.
  
• CH005 / PfAS008D / URW231 / StF112 O Lord our Lord throughout the earth (John Bell) A lovely hymnlike version of the Psalm, set to a traditional Scottish tune. I like the questioning nature of this hymn. Sound sample. New words to old tunes.
• ATW 462 When I consider God's design (Hand in hand) (Norm Habel) Good words of all creation celebrating together. Tune is good, too, but will need to be introduced, perhaps by asking your musicians to sing the first verse and inviting the congregation to join in. The verse about "Black and white" could probably be updated a bit to reflect a greater diversity of cultures. Lyrics.
• VU730 / URW229 God our God your glorious name (William Sherwin) Inclusive paraphrase of the Psalm with a joyous chorus. Lyrics (old version).
  
• AoVK-113 Thank you O Lord for this world of ours (Barr) A good kids song in two parts.  Good for kids.
• AoV1-003 / HPP258 / GA394 / G(II)342 / GC497 / GC(II)495 / G(3)576 / Lau693 / StF803 / MP648 The heavens are telling the glory of God / Canticle of the Sun (Marty Haugen) Energetic waltz of cosmic praise with great lyrics "Come dance in the forest, come play in the field, and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord". Sound sample. Lyrics and sheet music sample.
• VU732 O God our God how glorious is your name (Michel Guimont) Inclusive responsive paraphrase of the Psalm with a simple refrain.
• TiS 90 / AHB 44 / UMH60 / VU867 / GtG806 / PH253 / A&M673 / CP346 / CP(E) 473 / W&R79 / Cha20 / PfAS146A / 82Hml-429 / StF079 / MP320 I'll praise my Maker while I've breath (Isaac Watts) A great classic hymn. Most sources are not inclusive; Voices United and Chalice hymnal are! Lyrics and sheet music samples. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• NCH Psalter008 How majestic is your name in all the earth (Lee Dengler) A very simple refrain and chanted Psalm.
• Online Resource The Heavens Tell of Your Creative Glory / Los Cielos Cuentan la Gloria de Diosome (Horacio Vivares transl. David Bjorlin) An excellent folk song. Best for Spanish-speaking congregations, but works in English too. Sound sample. Songbook for purchase.
  

Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12
God has spoken through the prophets and through Christ, who is superior to angels, and though we are a little less than angels we are brothers and sisters of Christ 

• NCH462 / UMH109 / VU265 / WoV757 / ELW684 / PH134 / GC580 / RS711 / CP410 / W&R32 / Cha335 / URW067 / 82Hml-384 Creating God Your Fingers Trace (Jeffery Rowthorn) A good Trinitarian hymn about Creating, Sustaining and Redeeming God. There are many possible tunes. I like PRESENCE best. Lyrics and sheet music.
• >HPP28 / GtG023 / PH285 / W&R24 / URW083God You Spin the Whirling Planets (Jane Parker Huber) Excellent words to a very familiar tune (TiS 772). Really good for the final hymn or response to the sermon. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• NCH087 / UMH679 / VU413 / LBW271 / GtG666 / PH474 / CP(E) 7 / W&R144 / PfAS1030 / URW211 / 82Hml-005 O splendour of God's glory bright / The father's light (Ambrose of Milan) Some books use SOLEMNIS HAEC FESTIVAS for this but I prefer a more plainchant tune like PUER NOBIS NASCITUR. I quite like this, and it's mostly inclusive, but it depends on the version you have. Lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Taizé / TiS 747 / ATE 214 / Iona (M&G) / GtG842 / PfAS027A / URW393 The Lord is my light, my light and salvation (Communauté de Taizé) A simple and very popular Taize chant. Note that this is really easy on recorder if you have a kid in your congregation who is learning it. Good for kids. Youtube.
  
• TiS 721 / Iona (LFB) / URW431 / StF344 / 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. Lyric video. 
• 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. Lyrics. AOVK has different lyrics, written specifically for kids, which I think are worth singing.> Good for kids. Oldy-but-a-goody. 
•  UMH592 / HPP548 / W&R555 / Cha470 When the Church of Jesus shuts its outer door (Fred Pratt Green) Strong and challenging words to a familiar tune (KINGS WESTON). Lyrics (and an alternate tune).  New words to old tunes.
• Worldmaking.net Brother Jesus right beside me (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) This is a great rock song, good for little kids and much older ones too. Lyrics and a very silly sound sample that does no justice to the song at all. Great for kids

Mark 10:2-16 
The Pharisees try to trick Jesus with questions about marriage and the afterlife. Jesus welcomes the children.  There's not many songs about those tricky Pharisees.

• ATW 475 Come to the banquet there’s a place for you (Fay White) An excellent song of God's radical inclusion. Good if you are celebrating communion, but would also work well as an opening song. It also welcomes men and women, so would fit with the Proverbs reading too. Lyrics.
• Online Resource / Tune In: Kingdom Come (Matthew Lees) A song about how things are not what we expect in God’s kingdom. Lots of words and good images; Good for older kids. Sound samples, lyrics and free downloadable songbook
• STB260 Hope For The Children (Lynda Katsuno) Lovely hopeful words for peace and justice for the world's children. Sung to a simple Taiwanese-style tune. 
• TiS 229 / AHB 166 / AoVK-46 / NCH327 / CH564 / UMH191 / VU365 / ELW595 / HPP143 / PH304 / GtG188 / W&R437 / Cha113 Jesus loves me this I know (Anna Bartlett Warner) This is not a favourite of mine, but I know that it is very meaningful for many, so am listing it. This is a particularly comforting song for older people. Lyrics.Oldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 640 / AHB 561 / ATE 310 / NCH498 / UMH432 / VU593 / WoV765 / ELW708 / HPP446 / GtG203 / PH367 / G(II)296 / GC409 / GC(II)429 / G(3)505 / CP504 / W&R273 / Cha600 / URW116 / 82Hml-602 / Lau241 / StF249 Jesu Jesu fill us with your love / Kneels at the feet of his friends (Colvin & people of Ghana) Lyrics. Good for kids
  
• 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 (Joyce Torrens aka Jan Struther) Excellent straightforward Irish tune (SLANE), and beautiful words. Would be a good choice for the final song. Sound sample. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• CH265 / StF527 Pray for a world where every child (Ruth Duck) A good song about praying about things that are difficult to name, including domestic violence. Sound sample.
  
• Online Resource I will sing of your love, love, love (Christopher Grundy) This is just so joyfully happy, and very catchy. Sheet music for purchase and sound sample. Good for kids.
• FFS22 Gentle is the way of Jesus (Shirley Murray) Good words about the victory of gentleness over selfishness. A nice tune too, which should be picked up quite quickly. Lyrics, and an alternate tune which is pretty groovy.
• VU366 / SFFS 2092 / HPP86 / W&R162 / Cha133 Like a Child love would send (Daniel Damon) Simple song with lovely words about Christ as a child, and Christ's likeness in all kinds of children. Sheet music
• Online Resource God give me faith like a child (Adam Tice / Sally Ann Morris) Excellent words seeking a wondering, questioning and child-like faith, hope and love. Sheet music sample, sound sample and purchasing options.
  
• Worldmaking.net Blessed be children (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan). Sung to BUNESSAN (Morning has broken) this song recognises the openness of children and is a prayer that we may be more like them. Can also be sung to RAABE (ELW 374) Lyrics and sound sample. New words to old tunes.
• TiS 491 / AoV1-024 / ATN 4 Father welcomes all his children (Robin Mann) I know this is not gender inclusive for God, but it's really good for kids and really catchy and just right for this reading. If you're feeling radical you could change a chorus to "Mother welcomes all her children", but I think most congregations would struggle with that more than it's worth. Lyrics  and mp3 Good for kids.
• Unknown source Jesus loves me all the time (Janie Beale) A great call and response rhythmic song for kids. This is really catchy. Good for kids.
• Worldmaking.net Brother Jesus right beside me (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) This is a great rock song, good for little kids and much older ones too. Lyrics and a very silly sound sample that does no justice to the song at all. Great for kids 
• W&R629 / Cha511 Strong Gentle Children, God made you beautiful (Daniel Damon) The words to this are excellent. Very slow sound sample. Sheet music and lyrics.
  
• CH342 / StF510 Says Jesus Come and gather round (Leith Fisher) Good words that talk, not just about this reading, but the need to continue asking questions, just as children do. Set to a quite lovely French carol tune. Sound sample.
• Online Resource / MV157 I am a child of God (Bruce Harding) A simple song with powerful words. Very easy to learn. I would just sing the first verse this week, as a round. Sheet music and sound sample. Good for kids.

What ideas do you have? If you have some suggestions for any of the above readings, please join the conversation and post them in the comments below. I'd love to know what you're singing (or would like to sing...)