Songs, Hymns & Music for Epiphany 2C (January 16 2022)

Isaiah 62:1-5
Restoration of Israel's relationship with God. God rejoices. Abundantly!

• Traditional / ATA 124 / SLW42 / UMH494 / GtG472 / PH338 / W&R487 / Cha590 / PfAS079A Kumbaya, my Lord (African American Spiritual) I think this song is really beautiful sometimes. Sometimes it’s really awful too, unfortunately. If we sing this as a song from an enslaved community seeking the presence of God, it is much more meaningful than if we sing it as a 1960s folk song. My thoughts and some helpful links.
• Online Resource / Tune In / NCYC '07 Forgive us now (Dave Brown) An excellent ballad. "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”. Free downloadable songbook, sound samples, lyrics.
• MV020 God of still waiting (Carl Daw) Good words about God waiting for us and the promise brought by the Spirit. The tune is quite beautiful, and will need to be taught at least a little. Lyrics.
• Online Resource / AoVK-124 Shout to the Lord for joy all the earth (Nathaniel Ford) A fun three part song. I found it hard to find a song that would be appropriate for kids for this reading, but thought that the idea of not keeping silent, and speaking out might be a good theme. Perhaps this song would fit. Sound sample and purchasing options. Good for kids.  
• StJ / GC(II)670 / G(3)772 How Can We Be Silent? (Michael Mahler) An energetic song about speaking up about the good news of Christ. The refrain can also be used as a round, so you could do both, or just use the refrain if you want something simple. Sound sample. Sheet music sample. Good for teenagers, or for kids if you use only the chorus. 
• Online Resource / AoVK-44 / GGives1 / StF614 God loves you and I love you (Traditional Togo and Ghana) Good old kid's song, probably very tacky, but it's good for littlies to know that God's loving. AoV version is good.  Sound sample and purchasing options. Good for little kids. 
  
• Online Resource / Tune In All will finish well (David Brown) "You, in all our darkness, you offer peace.”…. a simple anthem of hope. Free downloadable songbook, sound samples, lyrics. 

Psalm 36:5-10

The wicked are wicked and God is steadfast

• TiS 181 / AoV2-032 / GC(II)497 / G(3)577 / CP589 Come O God of all the earth / Sing Out Earth and Skies (Marty Haugen) Another big favourite. Sheet music, lyrics. Sound sample.
• MV214 May God's sheltering wings (Judith Snowdon) A nice simple blessing and benediction, which may be sung about a feminine or a masculine God. Lyrics. Video with actions from BUC.
• TiS 47 / AHB 46 / AoV1-175 / NCH25 / CH161 / UMH117 / VU806 / LBW504 / ELW806 / GA459 / A&M746 / HPP1 / GtG687 / PH210 / GC614 / GC(II)588 / G(3)688 / CP528 / CP(E) 537 / W&R84 / Cha067 /  Srce2-441 / URW200 / 82Hml-680 / PfAS090B / Lau955 / StF132 / MP498 O God our help in ages past (Isaac Watts) A good solid very well known hymn! The surprising thing about this one is that the language is inclusive for God in most sources. Not all sources are inclusive for humanity, so check. Lyrics and sheet music. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Music by Heart 62 God your people seek shelter (Ruth Cunningham) A nice repeated one bar ostinato (a-ah) with a short refrain for the congregation to sing in response to a cantor part. That explanation sounds it sound complicated but it's not. It would be good to involve kids in this. Sheet music sample. Good for kids.
• Emergent Psalter All may take refuge (Isaac Everett) A longer than usual refrain, but lovely and pretty straightforward to be sung with a read Psalm. Sheet music (refrain only) 
• VU762 Your steadfast love O God (Eleanor Daley) A very simple Psalm refrain that would work well with children. You can use Psalm refrains to keep the children's attention if you have an appropriate tale to tell. Good for kids.
• TiS 558 / NCH100 / CH223 / UMH682 / VU440 / GtG675 / LBW278 / ELW565 / CP025 / CP(E)14 /  PfAS1046 / URW213 / 82Hml-043 / StF142 / MP176 All praise to thee my God this night / All praise be yours my God this night / All praise to you O God this night / Glory to you my God this night (Thomas Ken) A classic evening song. Translations vary widely so make your own decision - NCH is the most inclusive. Lyrics & sheet music. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• PfAS036A How precious is your unfailing love (David Lee) A quite contemporary and lovely Psalm refrain. It would also work as a (longish) response to intercessions.  Sound sample (Youtube). 
• CH242 Is this the way you made the world? (Douglas Gay) Wow! This song has a great tune, and wonderful wondering words. Will need to be taught. Sound sample. 
  
• PfAS036B High in the heavens eternal God (Isaac Watts) Good hymn to a familiar tune with quite inclusive lyrics, and only one old fashioned word. Lyrics.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11
All different gifts, all one body
Note that this reading continues next week, so if you'd like to sing a new song this week, you can sing it again next week and it will still elaborate on next week's reading too!)

• Iona (Heaven Shall Not Wait) When our Lord walked the earth (John Bell) Familiar and easy tune, excellent words. Chorus is “God became our neighbour, granting with his fabour, Power to speak and heal, grace to know what’s real, wisdom, insight and faith, love and understanding.” to the folk tune PERSONENT HODIE. Sound sample. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• TiS 671 / AoV2-121 Made in God's Likeness (Patricia Lewis) Excellent Australian imagery. This is one of my very favourite songs. It is not difficult if you have a good musician at the helm. If it is new to your congregation, they will be able to join in on the verses by the time you get to the 3rd one. The change in tone with the verse really lifts this song. Lyrics and synthesizer sound sample.  Good for older kids.
• TiS 421 Where the Spirit is there's freedom (Per Harling) Fun and good; excellent fun for the pianist! Can be sung with the congregation in two halves singing each part, which is not too hard once they have the hang of singing it in unison. I cannot understand why this is not in other common hymnals! Lyrics.  Good for kids.
• TiS 412 / AHB 324 / ATE 251 / G(II)328 / GC468 / CP651 / W&R130 God sends us the Spirit to befriend and help us / Spirit Friend (Tom Colvin & the people of Malawi) I like this song, but the lack of inclusive language for God in some versions drives me a bit crazy. In Tom Colvin's book "Come Let us walk this road together" he uses more inclusive language. That is, he writes “God sends us the Spirit” instead of “God sends us His Spirit” and "Spirit of our Maker" rather than “Spirit of our Father”. Lyrics and sheet music.
• Online Resource / Tune In Spirit of the Father / Alive in me (Sheree Anderson) Catchy boppy pop song about God's spirit within us and within the world. Free downloadable songbook, sound samples, lyrics.
• AoV1-130 / SFFS 2223 / HPP495 / GtG300 / G(II)533 / GC735 / GC(II)728 / G(3)835 / W&R595 / Cha494 We are one in the Spirit / They’ll know we are Christians by our love (Peter Scholtes) A classic 60's song of unity and being an example to others. It's still pretty groovy, I reckon. Older version are really masculine. We often syncopate it a bit at Brunswick. Note that the 3-6 Sunday School class learned this song this term, so would be good to use. Lyrics and pretty silly sound sample. Good for kids.   
• AoV2-003 / ATOK 313 / CH543 / StJ / GA404 / A&M042 / ELW715 / GtG314 / GC(II)512 / G(3)590 / SP13 / URW114 / Lau883 / StF706 Longing for light we wait in darkness / Christ, be our light (Bernadette Farrell) One of my favourites, especially if someone can sing or play the descant line in the later verses. Sound sample and lyrics. Good for kids.  
• Online Resource / Tune In We will sing a new song to the world (Dave Brown) An energetic song about the gospel, about singing all the new tunes and rhythms that God provides and creating a new earth. A good sending-out song. Free downloadable songbook, sound samples, lyrics.
• AoVK-148 / ATOK 388 There is one body (Trish Watts / Monica O'Brien) A good energetic song of unity. Good for kids.
• 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 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.Oldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 414 / CH616 / UMH192 / VU582 / HPP134 / PH433 / GC550 / CP(E) 198 / Cha257 / StF398 There's a Spirit in the Air (Brian 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 sheet music.  
• 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 Michael Talbot) A classic. Don't play it too slow or it takes forever!! Particularly appropriate if you are celebrating communion. Youtube sample (the original! It's very slow!). Lyrics.
• MV141 We are all one people (Joseph & Violet Naytowhow) This Native American song really gets stuck in my head. I think it's really good. Might take some work to get your congregation going with it, though. Sound sample & story.  
• GtG768 / StJ / GC(II)645 / Online Resource We Are the Body of Christ / Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo(Jaime Cortez) Bilingual verses and choruses. Will be good for a congregation where both languages are spoken. Sound samples and sheet music.
• Online Resource / AoV1-086 / G(II)530 / GC733 / GC(II)727 / G(3)834 We are many parts, we are all one body (Marty Haugen) I like the chorus much better than the verses, but they are really okay too. The chorus would work on its own. Lyrics (scroll to bottom). Sheet music sample. 
  
• MV177 This is my body naked before you (Daniel Damon)  Excellent words about Christ's body being both the broken people, and we who can help the broken. The tune is not easy. Maybe best sung by a soloist at first. Sheet music and lyrics.
  
• NCH177 / UMH114 God of change and glory (Al Carmines) A simple song about diversity and God's endless creating power. Sound sample.
  

John 2:1-11
Wedding at Cana

• LBW648 / ELW312 / CP437 / A&M102 / W&R669 / SP28 / URW085 Jesus come for we invite you (Christopher Idle) Excellent words to a well known hymn tune. This picks up themes of the Wedding at Cana, the transformative power of Christ to energise our faith. "Jesus,come! surprise our dullness; Make us willing to receive More than we can yet imagine, All the best you have to give: Let us find your hidden riches, Taste your love,believe,and live!". It's set to the tune UNION SEMINARY, which is not in that many hymnals. You could also sing it to WESTMINSTER ABBEY (TiS 432) or to SICILIAN MARINERS. Lyric and sheet musicNew words to old tunes.
• AA027 Come to the celebration (Marnie Barrell) Joyous simple tune (CANA) and great words of the feast at Cana, the bridegroom's invitation. Lyrics.
• ATW 447 Thank you Jesus for ordinary miracles (Robin Mann) Sometimes I like this song, and sometimes I don't. Maybe you'll like it for this week. Fun tune. Lyrics. Good for older kids.
• Online Resource In Cana at a Wedding Feast (Carolyn Winfrey Gillette) Good story-telling words to the tune ELLACOMBE. Lyrics. New words to old tunes.
• Iona (T1AU) / MV166 / URW425 Jesus Christ Jesus Christ son of God among us (John Bell) A simple short song. Good for the Christmas season. Good for kids. 
• CH336 / A&M97 / SP26 Christ is our light! the bright and morning star (Leith Fisher) Good words to the tune HIGHLAND CATHEDRAL. Majestic. Lyric video. New words to old tunes.
• Recorded Music The Wedding (Michael Card) This is quite a pretty folksy song. I think it would be nice to sing the chorus only (rather than playing the recording), either at speed for a celebratory song, or more slowly and reflectively. I really like the line "Turn the water of lifeless living to the wine of gladness we pray". Youtube. Lyrics. 
• Recorded Music Water into Wine (Bruce Cockburn) This recording might be nice to use during a time of reflection. Thanks to David Frey for sharing this suggestion. Sound sample (Youtube)
• Online Resource / Recorded Music He Turned the Water into Wine (Johnny Cash) This reflection on the miraculous would be a simple song to sing, or you could play a recording. Youtube. Chords and lyrics. Good for kids.
  
• Online Resource Some friends of mine got married / Cana Wine (Gordon Light) This contemporary song could be useful - it takes the role of an attendee at the wedding to tell the story, and then has a chorus about being filled with "Cana Wine". Sheet music. Instrumental sound sample. 
  

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...)