Proverbs 1:20-33
Wisdom; Listening to wisdom brings security - she's not hard to find...
Cosmic praise. God's laws are perfect; God's commands are sweeter than honey;
Strength when people mock you
Thanksgiving; A vow to the Lord, and lifting the cup of salvation…?
Watch out for that tongue of yours! I'm having trouble finding songs for this passage; suggestions welcome!
Who do you say that I am? Jesus predicts his death, Peter rebukes him, those who lose their lives, those who are ashamed of me and my words… Um, there's quite a lot in this passage!
Wisdom; Listening to wisdom brings security - she's not hard to find...
- ACS971 / MV010 / GtG174 / URW099 / VF060 Come and seek the ways of wisdom (Ruth Duck) This song is more about the personification of Wisdom, but would work very well as a gathering song in the context of this reading. The tune in ACS, MV and GtG is a joyful 6/8 tune, but not familiar, so if it seems difficult, you could sing the same words to PICARDY (TiS 497). VF has a more challenging tune, which may be a bit tricky for a congregation. Lyrics. New words to old tunes (if you want).
- Online Resource / GA183 Come Holy Spirit, the spirit of Wisdom (Christopher Willcock) Good song. It's in 7/8 so you can't go wrong, but also makes it a bit challenging! It will need to be taught. The words are also excellent about God-with-us and the coming of the Spirit. This is also in New Song in an Ancient Land Vol 1 (in the Liturgy Library at BUC). Sound sample, sheet music samples, and purchasing options.
- NCH510 Grant us wisdom to perceive you (Rae Whitney) A hymn with great words seeking wisdom in perception, faithfulness in prayer, diligence in action, courage in evangelism. Sung to an old German carol tune which is not too hard. Could also be sung to other tunes if you like. Lyrics. New words to old tunes
- Online Resource / VU892 / CP392 / Cha258 Who comes from God as word and breath, Holy Wisdom
(Patrick Michaels) Solid words about the place of wisdom in the Godhead. "Who
lifts her voice for all to hear? Joyful Wisdom.Who shapes a thought and
makes it clear? Truthful Wisdom: Teacher, drawing out our best,
magnifies what we invest, names our truth, directs our quest. Wisest
one, radiant one, welcome, holy Wisdom!". Lyrics & sheet music.
- Online Resource / Tune In Alive in me (Sheree Anderson) “Spirit of the Father, spirit of my brother, spirit of the living one alive in me. Spirit of the Mother, tenderhearted lover, wisdom to discover alive in me”… etc. A good upbeat song. Lyrics, sample and free downloadable songbook.
- Online Resource / CH604 Holy wisdom lamp of learning (Ruth Duck) Great words seeking wisdom, judgement, and celebrating a searching faith. Sung to a good joyful and easy hymn tune (IN BABILONE). Could also be sung to BEACH SPRING. Sound sample, sheet music samples and purchasing options. Lyrics. New words to old tunes
- Online Resource When the galaxies were forming / Wisdom (Helen Wiltshire) Great words about wisdom from the start of creation through to Wisdom leading us in our daily lives. Free book download.
- HiOS156 Wisdom be our guide (Shirley Murray) Inspiring lyrics of peace and being grounded and inspired by Wisdom. Lyrics.
Cosmic praise. God's laws are perfect; God's commands are sweeter than honey;
- TiS 187 / AoV2-130 / CH149 / StS122 / A&M539 / SP247 Let all creation dance (Brian Wren) I just love the imagery of this one, and it's a very joyous and familiar hymn tune too. LyricsNew words to old tunes
- CH172 / URW062 / StF116 Sing for God’s glory that colours the dawn of creation (Kathy Galloway) Beautiful poetic words of creation (first verse), release (2nd verse), justice (3rd verse) and saints (4th verse). Would be a good song to open worship. Sung to a very familiar hymn tune, LOBE DEN HERREN (TiS 111). Lyrics. New words to old tunes
- PfAS019C Through the witness of creation / Lord You Have the Words (Gregg DeMey or Dohms) Two possible refrains to a chanted, read or cantored Psalm. The first (DeMey) is a lovely lilting refrain. I think this is really nice; be sure to lead it clearly or teach the congregation during the service. The second (Dohms) is simpler, and can be used as a round.
- MV31 Pure love (Linnea Good) A simple two-part chant that picks up the Psalmist’s idea of the purity of God’s law “Pure love, pure truth, pure justice, God”. Would be great if you can teach it to some of the congregation before worship starts. Lyrics. Good for kids.
- Emergent Psalter The heavens declare (Isaac Everett) A simple and quite good Psalm refrain. Everett also suggests using: ATA 117 By the rivers of Babylon (Frank Farian, George Reyan, Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton) as a refrain for this Psalm. This is the Boney M version. It's not really very mournful. I can't resist though... here's a video. It was originally recorded by The Melodians. Sheet music (refrain only). Good for kids
- TiS 156 / AHB 91 / AoV1-135 / ATA 123 / CH212 / UMH145 / VU409 / ELW556 / GA537 / A&M545 / HPP267 / GtG664 / PH469 / G(II)546 / GC756 / GC(II)748 / G(3)855 / CP003 / W&R35 / Cha053 / URW186 / 82Hml-008 / StF136 / Lau671 / MP467 Morning has broken (Eleanor Farjeon) This song makes me smile every time. Here's Yusuf Islam (when he was Cat Stevens) in 1976 (love those green boots). Oldy-but-a-goody.
- GC(II)21 Words of Everlasting Life / Palabras de vida Eterna Simple bilingual (English / Spanish refrain) and cantored verses in either English or Spanish (or I guess you could alternate if you have a bilingual congregation). Sound sample. Sheet music sample.
- 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. TiS and other more modern sources are more inclusive. 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
- TiS 7 The sky tells the glory of God (Howard Hughes) Excellent and simple cantor and refrain. could easily use the refrain with the Psalm being read also. Don't forget that these Psalm refrains are also great for smaller kids - they can join in without reading. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- Online Resource / AoVK-50 / ATW 430 / NCYC'99 Come let us praise our God / A voice is heard (Trisha Watts) Excellent and energetic. Lyrics. Sound sample. Good for kids.
- AoVK-113 Thank you O Lord for this world of ours I like this kid's song. Really fun and interesting with two parts! Good for kids.
- HPP28 / GtG023 / PH285 / W&R24 / URW083 God 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
- 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.
- ATW 462 When I consider God's design / Hand in hand (Robin Mann / Norman Habel) Good words of all creation celebrating together. Tune is good, too. Lyrics.
- TiS 166 / AHB 102 / GA398 / StB035 Sing a new song sing a new song (James McAuley) Excellent inclusive words. The last verse annoys me a bit, but the rest is excellent. Lyrics.
- Online Resource / AoV1-019 / CH151 / GA397 / G(II)340 / GC493 / GC(II)498 / G(3)575 / W&R039 All You Works of God (Marty Haugen) Joyful cantor and response with a rousing chorus. Also good for kids. Lead sheet and lyrics. Lyric video. Sheet music available.
- VU888 / LBW558 / ELW731 / PH458 / RS681 / CP358 / W&R642 / 82Hml-412 Earth and All Stars (Herbert Brokering) Fun words of cosmic praise - great for the start of a school year or term. I thought this tune was pretty straightforward, but my congregation struggled a bit with it. I really like the "boiling test tubes" bit, although this verse is not in all hymnals; the lyrics vary between sources, and not all are inclusive. One example of the lyrics. Good for kids, especially if sung with some humour.
- ELW561 / G(II)552 / GC762 / PfAS1040 / Lau12a Joyous Light of Heavenly Glory (Marty Haugen) Excellent words of light and darkness, sung to a simple hymn tune. Sheet music sample.
- MV010 / GtG174 / URW099 / VF060 Come and seek the ways of wisdom (Ruth Duck) This song is more about the personification of Wisdom, but would work very well as a gathering song in the context of this reading. Tune is joyful, but not familiar, so if it seems difficult, you could sing the same words to PICARDY (TiS 497). Lyrics.New words to old tunes
- VU892 / CP392 / Cha258 Who comes from God as word and breath, Holy Wisdom (Patrick Michaels) Solid words about the place of wisdom in the Godhead. "Who lifts her voice for all to hear? Joyful Wisdom.Who shapes a thought and makes it clear? Truthful Wisdom: Teacher, drawing out our best, magnifies what we invest, names our truth, directs our quest. Wisest one, radiant one, welcome, holy Wisdom!". Lyrics and tune sample.
- HiOS156 Wisdom be our guide (Shirley Murray) Inspiring lyrics of peace and being grounded and inspired by Wisdom. Lyrics.
- UMH112 God grant to us your wisdom (Harrell Beck) Responsive refrain to reading of Wisdom of Solomon 7:15-30. I'm not sure if it's good because I don't have this book.
Strength when people mock you
- TiS 636 / VU272 / WoV715 / LBW250 / ELW533 / GtG453 / PfAS078C / PfAS078D / URW076 / 82Hml-536 / Lau472 / MP182 God has spoken to his people Alleluia / God has spoken to the people Alleluia (Hasidic traditional) In many versions this song is not inclusive for God, or uses specifically Christian lyrics (which is odd, since it's a Jewish hymn). VU, PfAS GtG and WoV have gender inclusive language for God: "God has spoken to the people (Alleluia), God has spoken words of wisdom, Alleluia". WoV and PfAS also have the traditional Hebrew chorus of "Torah ora torah ora hallelujah" which means "The Lord is light" which would be great to sing and are the original words! PfAS078D simply uses the first two lines of the first verse as a psalm refrain. The chorus is good for kids. New words to old tunes One version of the lyrics.
- 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.
- Iona (One is the Body) / ATAR601 / MV103 Ka mana'o 'i 'o (Joe Kanoelehua Camacho) Hawai'ian song. Fun to sing and good words. The chorus is not too hard to sing in Hawai'ian if you teach it. Nice with guitar and/or ukelele. Lyrics (slide show).
Thanksgiving; A vow to the Lord, and lifting the cup of salvation…?
- GC109 I Will Walk in the Presence of God (Garry Daigle) A simple lilting refrain. Inclusive verses. This could maybe be used as a chant on its own. Sheet music & lyrics. Sound sample.
- Unknown Source Psalm 116 (Linnea Good) is particularly beautiful and simple “I love you God; I know you listen. You listened on the day I cried. When I called out to you in anguish, you were my presence and my guide”. I think this is in our folders at church. I cannot find it online. Good for kids.
- URW311 I love you Lord you hear my cry (Isaac Watts) A simple song with two verses, or PfAS116D uses it as a Psalm refrain. It would be pretty amazing if you can sing it in 4 parts, I reckon. The 2nd verse could be quite appropriate on its own during intercessions. Older versions are not inclusive. Lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
- TiS 71 / VU617 / G(II)97 / GC108 I will walk in the presence of the Lord (Richard Proulx) A beautiful cantored Psalm. The refrain is very simple. Doesn’t make sense without the cantor. Lyrics (in an order of worship).
- 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
- TiS 709 / Taizé Chuyo chuyo (Jacques Berthier) A Korean hymn, appropriate for an intercession response. Not hard for non-Koreans! It means "Lord hear us".
- TiS 727 / SiS361 / ATE 208 / CH121 / AA70 / PfAS022F In the presence of your people (Brent Chambers) A good Yiddish tune - lots of fun for kids and adults. Good to get fast and dance around on this one. Good for kids. Or you could try: VU745 which uses the refrain only for singing with a reading of a different Psalm, but it would also work for this one too. Lyrics (3 verses, but I only ever sing the first one).
- GC(II)755 / G(3)864 O the weary world is trudging / The trumpet in the morning (Rory Cooney) Song of release of prisoners and the trumpet's blast. Sound sample. Lead sheet.
Watch out for that tongue of yours! I'm having trouble finding songs for this passage; suggestions welcome!
- TiS 549 / AHB 456 / CH538 / A&M642 / VU430 / CP(E) 439 / 82Hml-694 / Lau914 God be in my head and in my understanding (Walford Davies) I like these words From the Book of Hours. It could be sung just before the sermon, or for a period of reflection. If this is new to your congregation, I think it would need to be taught, but it is very short so could be sung a few times. "God be in my mouth, and in my speaking" I'm going to suggest this again next week, so you could sing it two weeks in a row so people can get to know it better. Lyrics and sheet music. Susan Bloomfield, a reader of this site has also offered this fun tune which makes it pretty Good for kids. Please contact her through her website if you use it.
- PfAS120A O Lord deliver me from liars (June Fischer Armstrong) This work includes a read reflection, the song and a prayer. It could be quite powerful. It is not a congregational song, it's more for listening and reflecting on.
- Online Resource/ ATOK 323 / Iona (Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise) May the words of my mouth (John Bell) I like this one. Purchase options for sheet music.
- Online Resource / HiOS028 Everything that has voice (Shirley Murray) I would sing just the first verse. There are two possible tunes. HiOS has a tune from Colin Gibson, but there is also a simple happy tune from Marty Haugen. Both are available to download here.
- TOSB132 / NCH531 / CH542 / UMH463 / VU589 / LBW403 / ELW676 / A&M718 / HPP372 / GtG722 / PH426 / CP(E) 512 / W&R593 / LUYH754 / MP444 / VF098 Lord speak to me that I may speak / God speak to me that I may speak (Frances Havergal) Old fashioned hymn, with words of evangelism, and a reminder of the Israelites escape from Egypt with the mention of "feed thy hungry ones with manna sweet". Easy to sing and good, only slightly dated, words, depending on the hymnal. Lutheran sources have "Speak to us". Thanks Shaun Cloonan for this suggestion. Lyrics. Oldy-but-a-goody.
Who do you say that I am? Jesus predicts his death, Peter rebukes him, those who lose their lives, those who are ashamed of me and my words… Um, there's quite a lot in this passage!
- TiS 607 / AoV2-126 / ATN 95 / CH528 / VU684 / StJ / A&M725 / SFFS 2171 / HPP406 / GtG753 / G(II)524 / GC726 / GC(II)721 / G(3)828 / CP(E)519/ W&R587 / Srce 462 / Lau898 / StF707 / MP456 Make me a channel of your peace (Sebastian Temple). Lovely. Nice if you can just start a capella... Youtube video of Sinead O'Connor singing it and lyrics
- TiS 473 / NCH314 / W&R615 / Cha655 / StF681 Community of Christ (Shirley Murray) Beautiful words to a traditional Hebrew synagogue melody (LEONI). Easy to sing. Lyrics and tunes (look for the pdf symbol for the tune; scroll down for the lyrics). New words to old tunes.
- NCH204 Take up thy cross the Savior said (Charles Everest) This is a good strong rewrite of an old hymn. I think that it loses none of the original meaning. Lyrics (older version). New words to old tunes
- 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. Reference recording, lyrics and free downloadable songbook.
Good for kids & teenagers.
- CP075 / W&R691 With the body that was broken (Carl Daw) A more traditional hymn. I'm struggling to find hymns that fit this passage well and that I like, but this one is pretty good. The tune is not familiar to me, and is OK, but I think I would prefer it sung to ST THOMAS. Lyrics and sheet music.
- 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.
- Tune In / Online Resource Our God who weeps (Kate Scull) Very simple folk-like tune and challenging and hopeful lyrics. A beautiful song and easy to sing. Reference recording, lyrics and free downloadable songbook.
- Tune In / Online Resource 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. Reference recording, lyrics and free downloadable songbook.
- 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
- TiS 248 / 82Hml-603 When Christ was lifted from the earth (Brian Wren) Powerful words of Christ's sacrifice and acceptance of all people, without the cultural imperialism of some similar hymns. New hymn tune is a bit tricky, so will need to be taught. If you need an alternative, simpler tune, I think WILTSHIRE would work (TiS 112). Lyrics.
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