Music - Sunday, 19 March 2023 – Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A

Introduction

There are many music choices available each week. You will find music suggestions for each reading drawn from the Lutheran Hymnal, the All Together song books and Together in Song. In addition, we have selected the Top 4 Public Domain hymns, the Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright and the Top 4 Contemporary Music suggestions each week. You may like to mix and match from these lists to suit your context.

Top 4 Public Domain

If you enjoy traditional hymn singing or your congregation does not have a copyright license, here are our recommended Public Domain hymns for the week:

If a title is hyperlinked, that means that modernised lyrics are available. MP3 backing tracks have been recorded for you to use.

LHB 168 O blessed Sun whose splendour - Backing track
LHB 222 Thou whose almighty word - Backing track
LHB 335 Just as I am - Backing track
LHB 127 Come Holy Spirit come - Backing track

Top 4 All Together and LHS songs under copyright

Copyright information for the following suggestions has been provided. Please ensure that you are reporting the use of any material under copyright.

AT 315 (red) Drawn to the light (One Licence)
AT 623 Shine on us (CCLI)
LHS 789 My Lord, you wore no royal crown (CCLI, One Licence)
AT 389 (red) Light of the nations (CCLI, One Licence)

Top 4 Contemporary Music Suggestions

The following songs have been carefully reviewed, and are recommended for use in congregational worship, primarily because they point people to Christ and proclaim the message of his word in music and song for this Sunday in the lectionary cycle. They also fit well with other selection guidelines as highlighted in Tips for song selection and Fact Sheet 6: Music in Worship. While the use of a particular song by a band or organisation is not necessarily an endorsement of that group or the entire body of their work, we recognise that any scriptural song is a Spiritual song that can be used to complement a rich diet of worship for God’s people.

Please note, the hyperlinked Youtube clips are provided to give you a sense of how music can be performed or for personal use. You must always obtain permission from the creators of the music videos and the creators of the song before using clips in worship, unless permission is explicitly stated beneath the video.

Only a Holy God - CityAlight - CCLI by Dustin Smith, Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, Rich Thompson
Shepherd - CityAlight - CCLI by Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, Nathan Singh, Rich Thompson
Be Thou My Vision - Keith & Kristyn Getty - CCLI by Eleanor Henrietta Hull, Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, Mary Elizabeth Byrne
Wake Up Sleeper - Austin French - CCLI by Austin French Ben Glover Colby Wedgeworth

Song/Hymn suggestions based on the Lectionary readings

Some LHS hymns have modernised lyrics. Click on underlined hymns to see the new lyrics.

Please click here to go to the Modernised Hymns page.

G3, G4 . . . = Guitar chords available in the Music Package 3, 4 . .ro.; GS = Guitar chords in the Supplement to LH

Click here for some additional Lenten Hymns.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

LHS

789 My Lord, you wore no royal crown G6 (CCLI, One Licence)

AT

529 God’s excellent adventure (CCLI, One Licence)

TIS

–

Second Reading: Ephesians 5:8-14

LHS

168 O blessed Sun whose splendour G4
202 Help us to conquer, Thou prince everliving* G3
222 Thou whose almighty word G6
265 How blest are they who hear God’s Word* G3
525 Awake, my soul, and with the sun G9

AT

126 The light of Christ (CCLI, One Licence)
214 The Lord is my light (contact Taize – see Copyright Listings)
275 In our darkness (One Licence)
313 Christ, be our light (One Licence)
315 Drawn to the light (One Licence)
389 Light of the nations (CCLI, One Licence)

TIS

107 Sing praise and thanksgiving
447 Lord, your almighty word
496 Strengthen for service, Lord, the hands
557 Awake, my soul, and with the sun
622 Holy Father, God of might

Gospel Reading: John 9:1-41

LHS

117 Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire
127 Come, Holy Spirit, come* G4
131 Holy Ghost, with light divine*
222 Thou whose almighty word G6
306 I heard the voice of Jesus say G7
335 Just as I am, without one plea G9
750 When Jesus lived among us G7 (CCLI)
792 They came, knew his name GS (CCLI, One Licence)
796 When to our world the Saviour came (CCLI, One Licence)
851 Amazing grace GS (Public Domain)

AT

23 The blind man (Public Domain)
43 How shall I call you (CCLI, One Licence)
128 I am the light of the world (CCLI, One Licence)
131 Amazing grace (Public Domain)
137 I heard the voice of Jesus say (Public Domain)
188 Reaching out (One Licence)
263 Singing all praises (CCLI)
344 The New Road (vv 1-4,8) (Public Domain)
362 I believe, I do (One Licence)

TIS

129 Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
396 Come, Holy Spirit, our souls inspire
447 Lord, your almighty word
548 Eternal light, shine in my heart
579 The blind man sat by the road
584 Just as I am, without one plea
585 I heard the voice of Jesus say
633 Lord, we are blind

Psalms

Psalm 23

The following metrical versions of the psalm may be used:
The Lord’s my shepherd (LHS 387*, TIS 10) OR
The King of love my shepherd is (LHS 391*, TIS 145)  *Modernised version available OR
My shepherd is the Lord (TIS 11) OR
Geoff Strelan’s song Psalm 23 in Praise for All Seasons no 62 OR
The Iona collection Psalms of Patience, Protest and Praise contains a metrical version of Psalm 23 that could be used on this day (page 12)
Note that the Iona Community is willing to allow a church or worship assembly to reproduce the words only of a song from these publications on a service sheet or screen that is to be used once only on a non-commercial basis, provided that the title of the song and the name of the copyright holder is clearly shown.

OR David Schütz’s version sung to the tune ‘Shalom, my friends’ ATA 195:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,
Shalom, shalom.
He makes me lie down in green pasture land,
Shalom, shalom.

He leads me beside the slow-running streams,
Shalom, shalom.
My soul he restores; he leads me aright,
Shalom, shalom.

And though I should walk through death’s valley dark,
Shalom, shalom,
there’s nothing I fear, for you, Lord, are near,
Shalom, shalom.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me,
Shalom, shalom.
You set me a place before all my foes,
Shalom, shalom.

My head you anoint, my cup overflows,
Shalom, shalom.
To me you always are loving and good,
Shalom, shalom,

My dwelling shall be the house of the Lord,
Shalom, shalom,
for all of my life, for all of my days,
Shalom, shalom.

Music Resources Vol. 3– Psalm settings: Psalm 23 p35 , Psalm 23 p36 , Psalm 23 p38

Advice for Musicians

Advice for Congregations Without Musicians

Other Music Resources

LCA Music Resources

Downloadable Hymnal Resources (including downloadable backing tracks and lyric PPTs)
Modernised Hymn Lyrics
Hymnal Index (by tune and scriptural link) 
All Together Index (by tune, scriptural link and theme)
Five Songs of Faith

For further Music Resources click here.

OTHER HELPFUL WEBSITES FOR CHURCH MUSIC

While the LCA does not necessarily endorse the content of these websites, you may find them helpful in your worship planning.

Together to Celebrate: lectionary based song and hymn suggestions from a variety of sources.
Singing from the Lectionary: has song and hymn suggestions based on the RCL from other hymnals.
Song Select: catalogues CCLI licensed music. You can search for more contemporary songs by theme. If your congregation has a paid subscription you can also download sheet music and other resources.
Hymns Without Words: mp3 downloads of hymn tunes.
Metrical Psalms by Dale Schoening : Psalms set to well known hymn tunes.