You can find a YouTube playlist here with many of the songs suggested below.
Gathering
The theme of God’s love from the Epistle is probably the best suited to gathering and There’s a wideness in God’s mercy (CH 187 / MP 683) or Hallelujah / Your love is amazing (MP 1143 / CCLI) would both pick up the idea of being vast and all-encompassing. Other songs which pick up this theme and work well as invitations to worship include Great God, your love has called us here (CH 484), I could sing of Your love forever (CCLI), I love you Lord (CH 770 / MP 287) and Let his praise be on our lips (Satellite).
Word
There aren’t many settings of today’s psalm but there are two decent metrical versions to choose from. The foolish claim, “There is no God” (link) is a fairly loose paraphrase in contemporary language and the suggested tune is very singable but some appropriate alternative tunes which are perhaps better known could be Athchuinge or O waly waly. The God who sits enthroned on high (Grace) is a stricter paraphrase but the language may be a little dated for some. Oh, that your salvation and your rescue (PFAS 14A / Lee) is also worth mentioning for those with a good choir. The music is based on the Advent plainchant Rorate Caeli and is relatively tricky for congregational singing although the congregation could sing just the refrain with a choir or soloist taking the verses.
Response
The Gospel features two different miracles and both of them are mentioned in Praise the one who breaks the darkness (CH 348). You could link to the feeding of the 5000 either through songs about sharing food together such as Let us break bread together (MP 414 / Hymnary), Come to the table of grace (Hope) or the chorus of Bread of life (CH 663), or else consider songs with a social justice angle such as When the hungry who have nothing / Cuando el Pobre (CH 258), God Bless To Us Our Bread / Bendice, Señor, Nuestro Pan (WGRG) or Until all are fed. This latter song is hard to track down the sheet music for but is worth it if you can as it does specifically reference this passage. The other miracle is Jesus walking on the water in the storm and songs which relate to this could be Eternal Father, strong to save (CH 260 / MP 122), When the storms of life are raging (CH 570) or Oceans (Where feet may fail) (CCLI).
Songs which link to the “breadth and length and height and depth” of Christ’s love would be a good response to the Epistle and these can range from classic hymns such as O love, how deep, how broad, how high (CH 354) and Just as I am, without one plea (CH 553 / MP 396) to songs in a range of contemporary styles including How deep the Father’s love for us (CH 549 / MP 988 / Townend), I will sing a song of love (WGRG), How infinite your love (Satellite / link) and Here is love (MP 987 / Hymnary / CCLI) which can be sung either as a Victorian hymn or in the worship song version by Matt Redman.
The Old Testament passage is really challenging and A woman named Bathsheba (Carolyn) tries to respond to it directly. Other songs which lament and pray for situations where power is abused could also be appropriate such as There is a longing in our hearts (CH 720), We lay our broken world (CH 721), Christ’s is the world in which we move (CH 724) and God weeps (CH 168 / MV 78), with the tune in More Voices being my preference for this text.
Sending
Songs about God’s love could also work well for a sending song. We sing a love that sets all people free (CH 622) is a good contemporary hymn text set to a well known tune. Some more general options could be Love came down (MP 1237 / CCLI), Through the love of God, our Saviour (CH 562), We are one in the Father’s love (CCLI) and God loved the world so much (WGRG) which is an excellent text set to one of the best known Sacred Harp melodies.
Comments