in worship – new song backing track

Hi again.

Been working on a sample backing track for my new worship song: In Worship.  I blogged about it yesterday.

Here’s some files:
backing track

score
lyrics

Blessings, David

in worship … new song

Yes, been doing much reflecting on worship these times.

What with attending the Uniting Church’s Transforming Worship conference less than a fortnight ago and our congregation working our way through Malcolm Gordon’s wonderful The Journey of Worship DVD teaching series this month … I just can’t get away from worship.

Nor should I as a Christian. Famously, humankind’s chief purpose is said to be about glorifying God and enjoying God for ever. Got me thinking especially about worship together as community of faith. It’s not just about praise. There’s much more – confession, engaging the world, the sacraments, and then worship that is all of life!

So … I’ve written In Worship – a teaching song of sorts, modulating melodically along the way, but importantly for me, including a chorus/bridge which praises our holy God. Not too many of my songs until now have allowed time for that! Backing track in pipeline. Hope you enjoy the song in your worship.

David

lyrics

score

God, we bring our praise to you in worship
All our joy and thanks for all you are
In your holiness and your wonder, Lord
Take the praise we bring to you

God, we bring our pain to you in worship
All our brokenness, both near and far
Jesus take our sinful, suffering hearts
Take the pain we bring to you

X2 You alone are holy
You alone are holy
You alone are holy
Living, loving God

Lord, we bring our world to you in worship
Jesus’ face in ev’ry troubled soul
Take them deep into your loving heart
God, we trust you make things whole

X2 You alone are holy
You alone are holy
You alone are holy
Living, loving God

God, you feed us deep by word and table
Born of water, spirit we are raised
Open wide our ears; hear again your word
May our mouths declare your praise
… may our lives declare your praise

David MacGregor
© 2017 Willow Publishing

Put on Love in Perfect Measure

A songwriting first … well I think so!   lyrics
This past four days, I’ve joined 18o folk from around Australia at Transforming Worship (click for video highlights) the Uniting Church’s national worship conference – with guest speakers: Ruth Duck (USA), Mark Pierson (NZ) and Stephen Burns (Melbourne, but originally UK). Its been an enriching conference in so many ways.

Ruth Duck is one of the world’s foremost hymn writers and has been for decades.  Ruth writes wonderful new words to (mostly) well-known tunes.  I mostly write new tunes and words, occasionally a new tune to exisiting words but perhaps never new words to an old tune.  That is, until these past days. I chose to go to a three-session writing workshop with Ruth. I appreciated her insight, facilitation and encouragement.

By yesterday morning, to the tune of Hyfrodol (yes, mispronounced as you know what), I’d written a paraphrase of Paul’s classic “put on love” passage in Colossians 3:12-17. Hyfrodol is a well-known tune for such hymns as Wesley’s Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.

I initially resisted using the phrase “put on love” … memories of a kids song by that title many decades ago 🙂 I tossed between writing a broad reflection in song on that passage OR a closer paraphrase.  I settled for the latter.  We workshopped it in a group setting yesterday.  I enjoyed that. In some ways it’s still a work in progress. Perhaps I’ll add in something about God “wrapping us up” in God’s love.

For now, this is my take on that passage. Not sure how often I’ll do this.  Somehow I think the “new tunes … new lyrics” approach suits me best.  Anyhow, feel free as always to not only use the song but also make suggestions for improvement!  Blessings – David

Put On Love in  Perfect Measure

Put on love in perfect measure
Chosen people, holy, loved.
Clothe with kindness, God’s compassion
Tol’rance, each one God’s beloved.
All forgiven, all forgiving
In the grace of Christ our Lord
Bound as one in perfect measure
Above all
we put on love

Put on love and patience, gentleness
Modesty, wear all around
In our hearts let peace rule deeply
Peace our call; within, without
Ever thankful as your body
May Christ’s peace dwell deep in our heart
Bound as one in perfect measure
As your people
each playing our part.

Let the word of Christ dwell richly
Teach each other on the way
May our doing, saying, living
Be in Jesus’ name, we pray
Giving thanks to God, Creator
Singing psalms and songs in praise
Bound as one in perfect measure
Clothed with love
through all our days

David MacGregor
© 2017 based on Colossians 3:12-17
Willow Publishing.  Tune: Hyfrodol

“I belong to you” – 40 years on – reconciliation

Hi. Just had a lightbulb moment.  Yes – a song: an old, old song. You see, I’m finalising my planning for our local church celebration next Sunday (16 July) of the Uniting Church in Australia’s 40th birthday. A significant thing to celebrate, as hopefully an impetus for moving forward.

I find myself reflecting on what I’ve valued in my 40 years in the UCA (not to mention the 22 Presbyterian Church years beforehand). One word pops out more than any other – reconciliation.  I can’t escape Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:19

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting our sins against us, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation

 

I find myself impacted more and more with the truth that reconciliation is about breaking down the barriers, it’s about bringing people together, it’s about seeing the face of Jesus in the other through the eyes, hands and heart of compassion.  About dealing lovingly with difference.

That’s it.  Whether it’s First and Second People’s coming together, people of different cultures, faiths and denominations coming together, people across the political or socio-economic divide coming together, people across the generations coming together in worship or community service, people coming together at God’s Table … for me, this is reconciliation in some way or another.   And I’m glad to be part of a church, a movement actually (so often imperfect, so often …. ) that’s sought to live out the reconciliation God not only offers through Jesus, but as importantly calls us to as disciples.  This strange church I belong to keeps on committing itself to bringing people together.  I’m so glad.  So what about the song.

“No Other Hands” – a discipleship song

A new song … No Other Hands

You see, I’m just back last night from an enriching Emmaus Walk, which I helped lead. The Emmaus movement has enriched and stretched me over 25 years, though I’ve been less involved in recent years.

Time and time again over the three days, as pilgrims and team refocused on so many things to do with faith and discipleship, in a special community of grace, I kept on coming back to 16th century words attributed to Teresa of Avila, though her authorship is disputed.

Many of you will know these well …

Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world. Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.

On Saturday, as people around tables discussed much about faith and discipleship … what it means to follow Jesus, somewhat surprisingly (because spare time was at a premium) I found myself penning a song based on these words.  I chose to keep it simple, and somewhat repetitive.  It’s called No Other Hands.  Didn’t seem right to share it on the walk (the walk is for the “pilgrims”), so I’m sharing it now.

For now, I’ve put together the most basic of backing trackhttps://dmacgreg1.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/no-other-hands-backing-demo-c.mp3

as well as piano score. Vocal recording some time later 🙂
Here’s the lyrics. Feel free to use, as a song of discipleship.

Blessings, David

Christ has no other hands but your hands
no other hands but yours
No body now on earth but yours
… no other hands but yours
… no other hands but yours.

Christ has no other feet but your feet
no other feet but yours
No body now on earth but yours
… no other feet but yours
… no other feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes for Christ’s compassion
the eyes for Christ to see
To look out on a hurting world
… the eyes for Christ to see
… the eyes for Christ to see

Christ has no other hands but our hands
– no other eyes to see
Ours are the feet to do God’s work
… the ones by whom God blesses
… the ones by whom to bless

David MacGregor
© 2017 Willow Publishing
based on words traditionally attributed to Teresa of Avila