with all your heart … music score

Hi

The former Love the Lord your God – now With all your heart now has a full piano/leadsheet score.

Take this link

David

 

love the lord your God (with all your heart)

Hi folks

Been reflecting on this Sunday’s gospel: Mark 12:28-34.  As I’ve done so, I’m drawn back to the great words from Deuteronomy 6 – the Shema, which Jesus quotes from, as well as from Leviticus 19:18. I remember, in Old Testament Pentateuch studies almost 10 years ago back at college, doing a decent-length assignment on the Shema.  Its imperative for all of us in Christian Education with not just kids but all ages never leaves me.  Have I been brilliant at it, including with my own now-adult kids.  I’m sure not.  But the words of scripture don’t call me to attain the heights of a VHA with all of this, or a High Distinction.  The call of God is to love God with all of our being; but then to not leave it at that – to express this love relationship in our daily encounters and relationships in the world and to be intentional about teaching this to our children of all ages.

So … I’ve just written a somewhat-reflective song.  Couldn’t find an appropriate song to end my sermon this Sunday night. Didn’t want to use the old, hand-clapping round from the 1970s. So, as so often happens, the Spirit inspires me to write something.  Still a bit of a work in progress.  I’ll post a lead-sheet later today, but for now, here’s Draft 1 of Love the Lord your God (with all your heart)

• each line is echoed/repeated; either using the cantor – congregation pattern OR a male/female thing.  Your call.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart
Love the Lord your God with all your mind
Love the Lord your God with all your strength
and with all your soul

Love your neighbour as you love yourself
Love your neighbour as you love yourself
Love your neighbour as you love yourself
with the love of God

Teach it to your children through each day
Teach it to your children through each day
Teach it to your children through each day
and your whole life long

Love the Lord our God with all our heart
Love the Lord our God with all our mind
Love the Lord our God with all our strength
and with all our soul
and our whole life long
… as the Kingdom comes

David MacGregor
© 2009  Willow Publishing
Inspired by Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Mark 12:29-33

accordions, community, music & marvellous memories

Michael Hawn

I’m sitting in railway station,
Got a ticket for my destination …

Well … sort of; exception that it’s an airport lounge in Canberra. Dale and I have been down here for almost three days at Wesley Music Centre’s & Wesley Uniting’s Celebrating our Faith seminar on word and music in worship. 200 folk from around Australia, and three superb international speakers: Michael Hawn (USA), John Bell (UK/Scotland/Iona Community) and Colin Gibson (New Zealand). One of the best music/worship conferences I’ve been to in a long while!

I particularly appreciated the great teaching, humour, encouragement, challenge and music from Hawn and Bell. They are a great gift to the world church.  Often people are so attracted to the music that John Bell writes, sources and leads (usually in congregational 4-part harmony) that one forgets how excellent a teacher, preacher and storyteller he is.

I had read a  bit of Hawn’s writing over the years – he offers much to the wider church in the area of world.multicultural music and worship.  Did a lot of wonderful justice songs too – a real encouragement and challenge for me. Also a wonderful comedian – as last night’s concert extravaganza proved – Michael doing this wonderful standup comedy act with a piano accordion – all about (very much tongue-in-cheek) accordion evangelism.  He had us all in stitches.  John Bell was behind me- he was cacking himself.

John Bell

It was great having several Queenslanders there – including Cliff, Wendy and Eric from my home church.  They all gained much from the weekend. Dale and I were invited (almost 3 years ago) by Gregor Henderson (ex-UCA President) and local UCA minister there, to lead an elective next time around. As already blogged, this was on Contemporary Australian Worship Songs. We were happy with the way our two elective sessions went.  In a church known for its high quality classical and choral music – to kick off an elective session with Reuben Morgan’s “For all you’ve done” was a bit risky. But hey!  If you’re talking Oz worship music, you’ve got to mention Hillsong — a shame you’ve got to filter the wheat from the cahff, though.  We were able to use five of my songs over the weekend:

• Holy Spirit come
• Deeper into you
• Celebrate Emmanuel
• Sing with joy to God
• Jesus- healing man

We also played tourist – Friday morning at the National Gallery; this afternoon at old Parliament House.  Yes, I stood on the very place where Gough Whitlam uttered those memorable words at his dismissal back in 1975.

Now we board in about 45 minutes.  Can’t wait to get home. More special music around the corner: next Sunday’s Reformation Sunday services with a special Bach tribute amid our 10 am service; with more than a nod to Calvin too.

Soon … homeward bound.  Cheers

D.

getting ready for canberra

Hi!
I’m still around – it’s been forever since I last blogged. Busier than I’d like it to be. Lots of weekends away (Emmaus Community and family) combined with all systems go at my church has meant not enough relax time. I could be reading anything, but to sit down at times this past week with Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” has been massively appreciated!

I’ve just self-published a new collection of worship songs – “Deeper into you”.

The impetus for this has been our trip to Canberra next weekend – yes, another weekend away – for the “Celebrating our Faith” national UC seminar on word & music in worship, for which we’re elective leaders.

Our elective: “Contemporary Australian Worship Songs” has presented a challenge – what is around beyond Hillsong… and even Robin Mann.

As it turns out we’re using material from Hillsong, Jared Haschek, Michael Mangan, Monica O’Brien/Gina Ogilvie, Robin Mann, Fiona Fraser, Colin Buchanan, Craig Mitchell, Elizabeth Smith … and maybe some others.

Eric from my church is going; he writes. Need to ask him. Let’s see

I’ll blog a bit on the seminar in a week’s time

Cheers
David

Make a joyful noise! … now with leadsheet

I’m currently on ministers retreat at the “James Byrne Centre” just outside Toowoomba, Australia. It’s an absolutely glorious day to usher in the first day of the Oz spring. Just prior to settling down to finally finish Brian McLaren’s “Everything Must Change” I drove 5 minutes down the road to get the newspapers – creature of habit that I am!

Driving back – totally out of the blue the words of Psalm 100 came to mind, along as is invariably the case a matching melody line. And so, a new song is born. Thanks God. Haven’t written all that many overt praise songs over the years – thanks to the psalmist, there’s no doubt about this one. Music score will be there once back is Brissy this Thursday – if I can’t help myself before then. Here it is:

CHORUS
Make a joyful noise to God
Sing it, all the earth
Worship God in shouts of praise
Sing with joy to God

1. You alone are God
We’re fruit of your creation
We belong to you
The sheep of your great pasture

2. Lord, with thankful hearts
We come within your presence
You are goodness. grace
Your faithfulness forever

BRIDGE:
make a joyful noise to god (rpt)

(C) David MacGregor
From Psalm 100

leadsheet