You can find a YouTube playlist here with many of the songs suggested below.
Gathering
General gathering songs which also pick up the theme of love from the Epistle would work well with options including classic hymns such as New every morning is your love (CH 214 / MP 480) and Great God, your love has called us here (CH 484) and worship songs like I could sing of Your love forever (CCLI) and Hallelujah / Your love is amazing (MP 1143 / CCLI). Some lesser well known options worth considering are God is love: let heaven adore him (CH 123) and I will sing a song of love (GWA 148 / WGRG) which are both wonderfully lively and energetic.
Word
There are a range of decent metrical settings for today’s psalm with To You, O Lord, I come for help (Grace) sung to Dundee a helpful option as it has just the verses for today’s reading while God, my help and hiding place (PFAS 71B) is a wonderful combination of a contemporary paraphrase with a Japanese melody which is very singable as it’s written in the pentatonic minor. In you, O Lord, I put my trust (PFAS 71A) sung to Wareham and Lord, in You I've taken refuge (Grace) sung to Ebenezer are both worth considering as well, with the latter tune in particular suiting the tone well. Although not based directly on this psalm, Faithful one (MP 825 / CCLI) could be an option for a worship song which links strongly to it.
Response
The Gospel passage continues on from last week and we hear about Jesus being driven out of his hometown. They raged at Jesus' sermon (Carolyn) is one of the few hymns which links directly to this story while Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended (CH 381) and O carpenter, why leave the bench (Hymnary) both have a Holy Week focus but can link Jesus’ wider life into his rejection by the people of Nazareth.
The Epistle is one of the most famous passages in all of scripture and often used at weddings so there are some great songs directly inspired by it such as Love is patient, love is kind (Love goes on) (GWA 39 / OCP), If I speak words of wisdom (Resound), Si yo no tengo amor / If I do not have love (GIA), Love never fails (CCLI) and What are the words that can express (Jubilate) which can be sung to O WALY WALY. God, give me faith like a child (GIA) is interesting as it focuses on passages we find throughout the New Testament about being like a child and linking these to v13. You can also consider more general songs about love such as Love is the touch of intangible joy (CH 115), I will sing a song of love (GWA 148 / WGRG), Let our vocation be love (GIA) and Jesu, Jesu, fill us with your love (Hope).
Lord, speak to me that I may speak (CH 542 / MP 444) would be a great song for the Old Testament as it captures some of Jeremiah’s response to God while I have called you by your name (Hope / MV 161) would give a sense of God’s response. You could also use In ages past the mighty Lord (Song of the Prophets) (GWA 29 / CCLI) vv.1,3,18 to introduce the book of Jeremiah and what it means to be a prophet, Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders (CH 606) to explore where we hear God calling us, O God, you search me and you know me (CH 97) to link to the imagery of being formed in God’s womb, or use songs of dedication such as Take my life, Lord, let it be (CH 502 / MP 624) or Take this moment (CH 501).
Sending
One option for sending is to link to God’s call to Jeremiah and to use a song about dedicating ourselves to mission such as As a fire is meant for burning (CH 252), You are called to tell the story (CH 680), Here and now we’re bound together (GWA 82 / Jubilate), Jesus, you have called us (GWA 166 / Resound) or Build your kingdom here (GWA 129 / CCLI).
Alternatively you could use songs which link more to the Epistle and sing about how we show the love of God in the world. We sing a love that sets all people free (CH 622) is a good contemporary hymn about showing God’s love through our actions while Build my life (CCLI) and We are one in the Father’s love (CCLI) are good options for worship songs.
Comments