You can find a YouTube playlist here with many of the songs suggested below.
Gathering
The psalm is a good starting point today with the wonders we see in the sky above us calling us to recognise the glory of God throughout the day and the night. There are some wonderful older hymns which are rooted in these themes such as The spacious firmament on high (CH 148), Awake my soul and with the sun (CH 210 / MP 804) and Jesus shall reign where’er the sun (CH 470 / MP 379). More contemporary options include Indescribable (MP 1170 / CCLI) and God of dawn, each day’s renewal (Hymnary / Hope) which can be sung to Abbot’s Leigh. Let everything that has breath (MP 1001 / CCLI) and From life’s beginning (Let praise resound) (Resound) would more generally pick up the theme of praising God the creator.
Word
The stars declare his glory (CH 10) is a great example of reimagining a psalm in contemporary language while The heavens tell Your glory (Grace) is another option for a metrical version. God’s glory fills the heavens (PFAS 19B) is an arrangement of the music from Haydn’s “The heavens are telling the glory of God” to make it singable as a hymn tune. This is probably not something you would learn from scratch but would be brilliant for a congregation where a lot of people were familiar with the original. Nature shines with beauty (Resound) connects this psalm with other scripture passages about creation.
It’s worth noting that Psalm 19 ends with a verse that is often spoken before a sermon and you could consider a sung version of this such as May the words of my mouth (WGRG), May the words of my mouth (CCLI) or Psalm 19 (CCLI).
Response
The Gospel most strongly links to songs which speak of Christ as the cornerstone or the foundation such as Christ is made the sure foundation (CH 200 / MP 73) and The Church’s one foundation (CH 739 / MP 640). The classic hymn My hope is built on nothing less (MP 473 / Hymnary) would also link as do two great reworkings of it - the Kenyan song Kwake yesu nasimama (GSW 34 / GIA) and the popular worship song Cornerstone (MP 1334 / CCLI) and they are also possibilities for the Epistle.
The themes of the Epistle such as confidence in Christ, what we are called to give up for him, and the living a Christian life in this world leading to eternal life, can be found in many popular songs such as And can it be that I should gain (CH 396 / MP 33), How deep the Father’s love for us (CH 549 / MP 988 / Townend) and What grace is mine (CCLI / Getty), sung to the Londonderry Air, and worship songs such as Yet not I but through Christ in me (CCLI) and You alone can rescue (CCLI).
I have brought you out of Egypt (Carolyn) gives an opportunity to sing the Ten Commandments to either Nettleton or Beach Spring. This is something we often do with other core formational texts from Scripture and which was common after the Reformation but which has fallen out of practice. Rather than singing the scripture passage you could respond with words from the psalms which celebrate God’s law such as How blest are those who do not stray (CH 1), When God speaks (Satellite), or the beautiful Thai song Happy are they who walk in God’s wise way (PFAS 1C).
Sending
Building our lives and the church upon Jesus would be a good sending theme and you could use many of the songs suggested for the Gospel or the Epistle for this as well as Be thou my vision (CH 465 / MP 51), At the name of Jesus (CH 458 / MP 41), Son of God, eternal Saviour (CH 468), In Christ alone (MP 1072 / CCLI / Getty) or Build my life (CCLI)
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