Journey to resurrection

A new collection of hymns/songs is out today from Jubilate – I’ve contributed a set of words, but posting here the link to the whole collection, which includes songs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. From the Jubilate website you can download the words, and also purchase lyric videos of individual songs for use in church, a songbook for if you have live musicians, reflective commentaries on the words, and even a CD of the whole album.

The whole collection: Journey to Resurrection

My song, with music by the wonderful Joel Payne: Drop, slow tears

As with all my Jubilate hymns, you’ll need to put this one on your CCLI return:

1 Drop, slow tears of anguish, sing of love unknown;
watch as in the garden Jesus weeps alone,
seeking strength to finish what he has begun:
“Through this cup of suffering let your will be done.”

2 Peter, at the fireside, weep your bitter tears;
give up to your Saviour all your shame and fears.
He will still forgive you, Christ who freely gave;
let him take your failures with him to the grave.

3 Shed your tears of sorrow: Christ hangs on the cross;
Mary, standing by him, weeps her love and loss.
See the blood and water, balm distilled from pain:
by his wounds he heals us, bringing life again.

4 Wipe our eyes, O Saviour, in the darkest night;
as we long to see you in the dawning light.
When the world feels broken, trapped behind a stone,
raise us up, and teach us songs of love made known. 

words © Ally Barrett / Jubilate
music © Joel Payne / Jubilate
admin. Jubilate Hymns Ltd
copyrightmanager@jubilatehymns.co.uk

Coronation-friendly hymn

A while back I compiled a hymn for the birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, and have now shortened, adapted, and repurposed it in case it might be useful, and because I am keen both on recycling and on providing non-nationalistic material for the upcoming festivities. The hymn more functional than beautiful (and while it’s less clunky than the original, it’s not completely unclunky) but is offered here in case it’s of any use. Tune: Praise my soul the king of heaven.

Praise the Lord for faithful service,
offered through each passing year;
hear our prayer, ‘May God preserve us’
through the times of joy and fear.
Bless our king, and in God’s Kingdom
Give us strength to persevere.

Praise the Lord for faithful vision,
guide us as we watch and pray,
make us wise in each decision,
all we think and do and say.
Bless our king, and in God’s Kingdom
We will play our part each day.

Praise the Lord for faithful living:
sharing faith in deed and word,
trusting, hoping, still believing
all that we have seen and heard.
Bless our king and all God’s Kingdom,
as we love and serve the Lord.

Do not be overwhelmed…

I don’t often write music, but yesterday I sat down and wrote this very short setting of one of my favourite texts, which I believe is from the Talmud:

Do not be overwhelmed by the enormity of the world’s grief:
walk humbly now, love mercy now, do justly now.
You are not expected to complete the work
but neither are you free to abandon it.

You can listen to a computer generated audio of the music
and click below to download the sheet music.

Christmas things

Now it’s almost advent, here are some Christmassy things (NB see also my other post on Advent things) that might be useful. Sorry it’s a bit of a jumble of things all together. Please do feel free to use any of the pictures in any way that’s helpful. I’ve marked whether the words can just be used freely or if they need to go on your CCLI return.

Could be any shed, really
This is Mary and Joseph, just after Joseph wakes up from the dream in which the angel tells him they have to leave everything and run to Egypt.
Another family at Holy Innocents
Another mother at Holy Innocents
image
image
image
Flight into Egypt

Some more clipart-y images:

advent wreath
annunciation
angel choir
christingle
euch-angels
euch-nativity
mother and child

people in church doorway
praying
DSC_1392
candle clipart

A simple Christmas carol to the tune of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy:

Little baby, sweetly slumbering,
Cradled and cuddled in Mary’s loving arms.
In the sky are angels gathering,
but for now, here below, all is still and calm.

Little baby, our Emmanuel,
God with us, one of us, born to be our king.
Little baby, while you slumber,
Far above you angels sing.

We know you came to save us all…
But how can God become so small…?
For God so loved all he had made
He sent his Son the world to save……

Little baby…

An easy Christmas song for children to sing
The tune is ‘Here we go round the mulberry bush’.

Sing of the time the angel came, the angel came, the angel came,
Sing of the time the angel came to bring the news to Mary.

Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem,
Sing of the birth at Bethlehem, the baby in the stable.

Sing of shepherds from the hills, from the hills, from the hills,
Sing of the shepherds from the hills, who came to worship Jesus.

Sing of the brightly shining star, the shining star, the shining star,
Sing of the brightly shining star, that led the kings to Jesus.

Sing of the love of God on earth, God on earth, God on earth,
Sing of the love of God on earth, that brings us close to heaven.

Star of wonder (Tune: Sing Hosanna) – Christingle song for Epiphany

We give gold for a king, keep us serving,
We give gold for a king today,
As we give, it is Christ we are serving,
We’ll keep serving Jesus every day.

Star of wonder! Lead us onwards,
Show the way to find the world’s true light.
Star of wonder! Lead us onwards,
Shine around us through the night.

We bring incense today, keep us praying,
We bring incense to him today.
For the needs of the world, keep us praying.
Keep us praying to him every day.

Star of wonder…

We bring myrrh to remember his passion,
As he shared in his people’s pain,
In our lives we will show his compassion,
As we live for Jesus every day.

Star of wonder…

The easiest paper nativity scene ever – instructions and template

And a couple of links to things I’ve come up with for Christingle: 

The original ‘Sparkly Christingle Talk’ (the one with the iron powder)

How to make a Christingle: some prayerful reflections

Looking slightly further ahead: 

The Epiphany Game

A Very Simple Epiphany Song (to the tune of Sing Hosanna)

A hymn about light (that might do for Epiphany if you really squint)

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Simple version of the traditional spiritual, with thanks to my son for recording, editing, and mastering the audio, and for producing the video. Please feel free to use it in your digital worship (if you use it on Good Friday you may wish to pause it before the last verse).