You can find a YouTube playlist here with many of the songs suggested below.
Gathering
The theme of all being welcome runs throughout the readings and would offer a good choice of opening songs such as God welcomes all (WGRG), Welcome everybody (Fischy), Vagabonds (CCLI) and Come one, come all (Gordon). For everyone born a place at the table (CH 685) and Jesus calls us here to meet him (CH 510) both speak of the diversity of those called together by Jesus. All are welcome (OCP) is less well known but is a great alternative to “Let us build a house”.
Word
There aren’t many settings of Psalm 133 but Miren qué bueno / How good it is when God’s will is done (CH 90) has become a very popular song ecumenically written in an Argentinian folk style. How very good and pleasant (PFAS 133C) is a chorus with a light gospel feel that’s better known in North America than the UK but would be easy to pick up and you could repeat a few times. How good and beautiful (Scheer) has a fairly robust folk feel with an interesting harmonic shift between the chorus and verses. If you want to sing the psalm responsorially then How good it is (Scheer) would work well as a refrain.
Response
There are many songs about healing which could link into the Gospel today, including Silence! Frenzied, unclean spirit (link), which can be sung to Ebenezer and was written to fill the gap of songs which speak about Jesus casting out demons as in this reading. When Jesus the healer (CH 350) is a lively song which looks at many different stories of healing in the Gospels while Jesus Christ is waiting (CH 360) has verses about different aspects of Jesus’ ministry which could be appropriate since this is the first public demonstration of it in Mark and in this lectionary year. Lord of life, we come to you (CH 782), O Christ the healer we have come (CH 717) and We cannot measure how you heal (CH 718) turn the focus onto our prayers for healing in ourselves and people we know.
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (CH 187 / MP 683) or His mercy is more (CCLI) would fit well with the theme of God’s mercy in the Epistle. You could also use a Kyrie eleison with a huge range of styles available for this including James MacMillan’s Lord, have mercy (CH 648), the Ukrainian Orthodox Kyrie eleison (CH 776), John Bell’s call and response Kyrie eleison (CH 777), Kyrie eleison, have mercy (MP 1321 / Townend) or Lord have mercy (Resound).
This is the second of two weeks looking at the story of Joseph and so you could consider repeating any of the new songs inspired by the story suggested last week such as Joseph was his father’s favourite (Carolyn), Joseph, who are these strange men (GIA) or When prison walls extend their reach (Jubilate). For this specific part of the story, songs which speak about reconciliation would also be appropriate such as Ososo / Come now O prince of peace (CH 275), When the bonds of love are breaking (CH 690), Christ our peace (GIA) or Oh how good it is (CCLI / Getty).
Sending
Some appropriate sending themes that run through the readings are unity and God’s love and mercy for all people and some songs which could link to these include We sing a love that sets all people free (CH 622), Through the love of God, our Saviour (CH 562), O love, how deep, how broad, how high (CH 354), We are one in the Father’s love (CCLI), Good, good Father (CCLI) and Same God (CCLI).
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