Songs, Hymns & Music for Holy Name of Jesus (January 1 2025)

Numbers 6:22-27 
The Aaronic blessing

• AoV1-177 / GA441 / Online Resource May God Bless and keep you (Christopher Walker) Simple and inclusive Aaronic blessing that has words everyone can understand. I strongly suggest having a look at this one as an alternative to the standard Aaronic blessing. Sound sample & sheet music for download.
• TiS 776(ii) / AHB 572 The Lord bless you and keep you (various tunes, traditional words) The Australian hymn books have two settings for the Aaronic blessing. I prefer tune (ii) rather than the chant version. Oldy-but-a-goody.
• Iona (Love From Below) The Lord bless you and keep you (The Iona community). This is a very nice, but very tricky setting of the standard Aaronic blessing words. It’s more something you would ask your choir to sing, if you have one! 
• MV218 / GtG549 / STB315 May the love of the Lord / Wei yuan shen di ai (Maria Ling Poh Choo) Lovely alternative words to a simple Chinese melody. It will need to be taught, but is not too hard. Lyrics (on p7 of a PDF).
• CH796 The Lord bless you and keep you (Lowell Mason) Standard words to a tune by Lowell Mason.
• CH785 May god bless you (Aaronic blessing adapted) A nice alternative, and quite simple tune
• Iona (SBL) / CH787 / PH596 / G(II)413 / GC589 / CP661 / URW445 May the Lord Mighty God (Pao-chen Li) Many of these sources are quite masculine, but URW is very good. Sung to a traditional Chinese melody. Lyrics and lead sheet. Sound sample.
• AoV2-089 / Taize / MV086 / SFFS 2156 Give peace to every heart / Da Pacem Cordium (Jacques Berthier) A good, simple Taize chant. Sound samples, sheet music (not cantor lines though). 
• STB080 May the Lord gracious God bless and keep you forever / Yuan quan-neng zhu  shang-di (I-toh Loh) This is quite lovely, and when sung in two parts would be really special. You would need to teach it, or to have your musicians sing it often until the congregation get to know it; if someone can sing in Mandarin, that would be particularly nice. Sheet music sample.
  

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.

Galatians 4:4-7
Being adopted children of God

• Online Resource / TiS 465 / AHB 399 / ATA 115 / NCH279 / A&M271 / Iona (SBL) / CH116 / GA381 / Lau313 / StF004 Our God in heaven / Father in heaven / Loving Creator grant to your children (Daniel T Niles / Elena Maquiso) I really like this hymn, especially the Philippino folk melody to which it's set. Newer versions of the hymn from the Christian Conference of Asia have altered the lyrics to "Our God in heaven / Creator God" in the first verse. Other versions, such as CH4 have "Loving Creator / Parent and God". Older style lyrics, sheet music and sound samples.
  
• TiS 417 / AoV2-133 / ATW 448 / VU387 / StJ / WoV683 / ELW397 / AA94 / HPP237 / GtG293 / PH323 / CP657 / W&R135 / Cha244 / URW203 / StB220 / VF051 Loving Spirit, Loving Spirit (Shirley 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. Lyrics are here. New words to old tunes.
• MV157 I am a child of God (Bruce Harding) A simple song with powerful words. Good for kids and adults alike. Very easy to learn. Lyric video. Good for kids.
• CH329 / AA108 / CoC33 O little Love who comes again / Peace Carol (Shirley Murray) A lovely gentle and thoughtful Christmas song, which would also work for Epiphany and the Christmas season. It fits well with this reading. Lyrics.
• Online Resource / TiS 303 / AHB 227 / AoV1-171 / NCH144 / CH301 / UMH240 / VU048 / LBW060 / ELW270 / GA294 / HPP123 / PH031 / GtG119 / GC348 / GC(II)356 / G(3)424  / CP138 / CP(E) 53 / W&R185 / Cha150 / ZSS62 / Srce202 / 82Hml-087 / Lau155 Hark the herald angels sing (Charles Wesley)  One of those carols that we sing pretty much every year at Brunswick.  Lyrics, sheet music and sound sample. Oldy-but-a-goody.

Alternative Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11

• TiS 650 / ATA 191 / CH694 / A&M604 / NCH539 / VU595 / ELW659 / AA08 / SFFS 2222 / HPP442 / GtG727 / G(II)476 / GC683 / GC(II)661 / G(3)751 / CP500 / CP(E) 393 / W&R391 / Cha490 / SP263 / URW117 / StF611 / Lau924 Brother, sister, let me serve you / Won't you let me be your servant? (Richard Gillard) I think you all know this one. Lyrics. NCH has a nice turn on the lyrics with "Won't you let me be your servant?" as the first line.  Oldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 236 / AHB 178 / CH351 / UMH273 / VU570 / HPP157 / W&R634 Jesus' hands were kind hands (Margaret Cropper) Good old fashioned children's song. Lots of kids learn to play this on piano, so if you have some budding piano students in your congregation, it may be nice to invite one to play.  Sheet music & lyrics. Good for kids Oldy-but-a-goody.
• NCH590 / CH621 Spirit of Jesus, if I love my neighbour (Brian Wren) Challenging words of offering help from a position of privilege and seeking to be set free from the entrapment of possessions “If I am hugging safety or possessions, uncurl my spirit as your love prevails, to join my neighbours, work for liberation, and find my freedom at the mark of nails”. Could also be sung to the tune PERFECT LOVE if your congregation would have trouble with the newer tune. Sheet music & lyrics. New words to old tunes. 
• TiS 691 Faith will not grow from words alone (Elizabeth Smith) This is an excellent hymn about doubting and struggling in faith. The tune is familiar and I find the words very helpful for thinking and doubting Christians. Lyrics.
• 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 (Tom Colvin & people of Ghana) Lyrics. Good for kidsOldy-but-a-goody.
• TiS 174 / UMH194 / A&M544 / CP(E)259 / 82Hml-585 / StF012 Morning glory starlit sky (William Hubert 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". Not all sources are inclusive. The tune is not difficult, but will need to be taught to a congregation if not familiar. The lyrics could also be read as a poem, and challenges the image of Christ as monarch, but also affirms God's reign. Lyrics.
• TiS 721 / Iona (LFB) / URW431 / StF344 / Lau124 He became poor that we may be rich (Iona) 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. Sound sample (instrumental).
  
• Online Resource / MV155 Unbounded spirit breath of God (Brian Wren) Good solid words of commitment to faith and work; a communal song. Simple hymnlike tune. Lyrics & sheet music. 
• Online Resource / Walk as One Come come come come together (David MacGregor) A boppy song about working together - a good song for sending out the congregation. Lyric video. Sheet music for purchase.
• Online Resource / 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. Lyrics and sheet music. New words to old tunes   .
• AHB 168 / NCH166 / A&M675 / CP(E) 475 / MP328 Immortal love for ever full (John Greenleaf Whittier) Not all versions are inclusive. This is an older style hymn. A beautiful choral version with video (tune is different to hymnals, but the lyrics are the same). Thist would be nice to listen to!
• 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.
• TiS 341 / AHB 257 / NCH222 / CH399 / VU143 / A&M147 / WoV661 / LBW094 / ELW782 / SFFS 2083 / HPP329 / GtG209 / PH076 / CP184 / CP(E) 112 / Srce2-426 / 82Hml-458 / Lau752 / StF277 / MP478 My song is love unknown (Samuel Crossman) I really love this old and beautiful song. I prefer it sung to LOVE UNKNOWN. Lyrics. New words to old tunes  
• Online Resource / Worldmaking O Christ, Lamb of God (Richard Bruxvoort-Colligan) A more modern Agnus Dei, with Christ sharing our weakness. Lyrics and sound sample.
• TiS 242 / AHB 183 / AoV1-018 / ATN 27 / CH404 / UMH261 / VU352 / A&M667 / HPP163 / GtG157 / PH302 / G(II)481 / GC708 / GC(II)689 / G(3)796 / CP(E) 468 / W&R118 / Lau765 / StF247 I danced in the morning / Lord of the Dance (Sydney Carter). Lyrics and tidbits of info.You all know this one, right? For Passion Sunday, it may be best to stop this partway through, and sing the rest on Easter Sunday. Good for kids Oldy-but-a-goody.
• 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.
• Tune In / Online Resource O Spirit God to you we pray / In the shape of a cross (Dave Brown) A cry to God for help. Free downloadable songbook and sound samples.
• Online resource / MV047 Born in human likeness (Bruce Harding) A simple Christmas round. Sheet music. Good for kids. 

Luke 2:15-21
The angels sing; the shepherds arrive!
Here's a big list of Christmas carols to choose from.