Unseasonal Update to the Carol Tune Christmas Mass

Looking back through the blog posts I realise that I never updated the info on the metrical mass setting for Christmas.

The version I posted before - the whole Mass setting to the tune IRIS - I discovered in practice went on for blooming ever and made me want to scream. Now the wonderful Metanoia people who do Rock Mass all over the place (but now mainly at Holy Nativity Mixenden) took my little idea and added to it and turned it into a huge Christmas rock mass thing which was absolutely awesome. Even better because the genre of the music is different it doesn't get infuriating - it just builds and builds - suits it.

However - for those of us in a more traditional setting - I updated it so that each element of the Mass is to a different carol tune - which means that those once a year folks who want to hear their favourite carol have got a significantly higher chance of hearing it either at Midnight Mass or on Christmas Day.  It also means that if your choir aren't there for Midnight you've still got a chance of some hearty singing of the setting.  So this is it.  Hope some folks might find it helpful.

Gloria:

Glory be to God in heaven!

Peace be over all the earth!

Hear the song of angels singing

as we celebrate Christ’s birth.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Glory be to God in heaven!

May the warring earth be healed.

He who takes our sin upon him

God incarnate is revealed.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis.

Gloria, hosanna in excelcis. (Angels from the Realms)

Sanctus:

Holy Lord, Blessed Lord, God of power, God of might

Earth and heaven are full of your light

Born this Glorious Christmas night

Ho-san-na in the highest

Ho-san-na in the height. 

Blessed Lord, Holy Lord, God of power, God of might

Coming now to show the way

Born this glorious Christmas day

Ho-san-na in the highest

Ho-san-na in the height.  (Silent Night)

Agnus Dei:

Lamb of God, Holy child, you take our sins away.

Lamb of God, Holy Child, born to us on this day.

Lamb of God, grant us peace,

and fill us with your light

Lamb of God, grant us peace

born on this holy night. (Born in the night)

Advent Update - God rest ye merry Advent wreath

I've just been updating this.  I've tweaked it so it's more obvious how it scans to the tune (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen). I've also updated the Christmas Day bit to reflect a little something of what the Christ-light might mean. It works if you're doing patriarchs/prophets/John/Mary in your themes. I even popped in a little peace/joy/hope/love in the final verse if those are going to be your themes.  I'll try something jolly for death/judgement/heaven/hell another year.

As always if this would help your church please use it, but please do credit where it comes from.

Advent 1:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

The mothers and the fathers of our faith all point the way.

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 2:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

The prophets foretold long ago that bright and glorious day

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 3:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.

“The Kingdom now is close” said John, “Believe, repent today!”

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

Advent 4:

We light an Advent candle now to show us all the way

to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay;

For Mary mother of our Lord her “yes” to God did say

          Refrain:   O glory to God in heav’n and peace,

                             peace on earth, O glory to God in heav’n.

 

 

Christmas Day:

 

We light our Christ-light candle now

to show us all the way

And we have found the Christ child

in a manger on the hay;

And now we raise our voices

with the angel host to say

O glory to God in heav’n and peace, peace on earth

O glory to God in heav’n.

 

We carry now the Christ light

for this day and every day.

In homes and hearts we celebrate

the Christ who is our Way.

In peace, in joy, in hope, in love

Christ help us always stay

O glory to God in heav’n and peace, peace on earth

O glory to God in heav’n.

When will it stop..... God rest ye merry Advent wreath

I'm going to stop doing this. No really I am.  but I may spend the evening leafing through Carols for Choirs....... another Advent candle lighting song - to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
The mothers and the fathers of our faith all point the way.
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
The prophets foretold long ago that bright and glorious day
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay.
“The Kingdom now is close” said John, “Believe, repent today!”
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light an Advent candle to show us the way
to find the Christ child waiting in a manger on the hay;
For Mary mother of our Lord her “yes” to God did say
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.
 
We light our Christ-light candle to show us the way
And we have found the Christ child in a manger on the hay;
And now we raise our voices with the angel host to say
O glory to God in heav’n and peace on earth
O glory to God in heav’n.

In case I hadn't made this obvious I'm happy for people to use these if they are of any help at all.  I'd appreciate being credited if you do use any of the words on here. 

Sing Something Simple 2 - Away in a Christingle

Lots of Christingle songs are very long - and set to very bouncy (sometimes stompy) tunes.  Now I know everyone does Christingle differently - but for the last few years I've combined it with a crib service, twice, on Christmas Eve.  I don't know about you but when we've just revealed the nativity, arrived with awe and wonder at the manger - stompy and bouncy aren't the mood I'm after.  We used to light our candles, turn down the lights and sing "Hope of Heaven".  The grown ups didn't know it the first year we used it.  I could feel the wave of disgruntlement as I played the intro on the piano and they turned to look at words they didn't know.  The thing was, the children at our local Infant School had learned it. It was quite a thing as the children began to sing their hearts out.  You can find that here https://shop.childrenssociety.org.uk/digital-christingle-hymns-songs.html 

After a few years though the school's Christmas repertoire changed - and on the basis that I didn't want to be the only one singing the Christingle song, I couldn't find one online I liked, and I wanted to give the disgruntled some familiarity back - I wrote this to sing to Away in a Manger. 

Christingles are shining they show us the way

to understand all God is doing today.

They light up our darkness and teach us to give

that the blessings we know can help everyone live.

 

The world is the orange, creation God gave

for us to take care of and nurture and save.

The fruit and the sweets all good things the earth gives

to share all together so everyone lives.

 

The ribbon is Jesus, the life that he gave

He loves us so much he came back from the grave.

His love is a challenge to care for the poor

to pray and act always if we can do more.

 

Christingles are shining they show us the way

to understand all God is doing today.

They light up our darkness and teach us to give

that the blessings we have can help everyone live.

Sing Something Simple - The Advent Candles

Back into lockdown for the second time - and back to focussing on pre-recording worship to broadcast on YouTube and Facebook live. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDnuuwT-yGPu8EbkjpxlcWg?reload=9 

Planning our Advent liturgy I suddenly realised I needed a song for the lighting of the Advent candle that was simple, easy for folks to follow/pick up even if they aren't looking at a service sheet, and that I wouldn't feel like a complete fool singing on my own as I record the services on my own.

So there's going to be a few. This one is set to "Be still and know" which has an 888 metre. I've tried to keep it simple while making it week by week specific too (Patriarchs/Matriarchs, Prophets, John, Mary).  In another context I think I'd just sing one stanza a couple of times - or encourage singing is as a round. 

Advent 1
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
The fathers and mothers of our faith
Declare the Lord is on the way
Declare the Lord is on the way.
 
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
Advent 2
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
The prophets told the Christ would be
A king of peace for you and me
A king of peace for you and me
 
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
 
Advent 3
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
Believe, repent, the Kingdom’s near
Baptiser John told what is here
Baptiser John told what is here
 
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
Advent 4
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
For Mary mother of our Lord
You carried Jesus, Saviour, Word,
You carried Jesus, Saviour, Word.
 
We light a candle on this day
We know the Lord is on the way
We know the Lord is on the way.
 
Christmas Day
We light Christ’s candle on this day
We celebrate this Christmas Day
We celebrate this Christmas Day
 
With angels now we sing our praise
One with us yet born to save
One with us yet born to save
 
The bright star shines to show the way
The longed-for Lord is here today.
The longed-for Lord is here today.

More to follow - as I have just found last year's Christingle song to Away in a Manger!

Must stop talking to that bloke

Been chatting to Rev Changing Worship again - about a) much modern worship music being thematically monochrome (Oh God, you are so great and amazing) b) there being a particular lack of recent songs with a social justice theme or the space to lament c) there being a need for clearer theology (we'd kind of like N.T.Wright to revisit each of his books and re-edit them as poetic song lyrics).

With this lurking in the recesses of my mind I sat down on the end of my kitchen table, lit a candle and started to read Morning Prayer for today.  Got as far as the Jeremiah reading (9.23,24) then had to go get a pen and paper.  I don't claim brilliance - or wisdom as the words say - and it certainly doesn't meet all the challenging criteria mentioned above - but if anyone wants to use it to write a nice worship song - you're welcome to.


Tho I'm not strong or mighty
I invoke God's strength in me
So i can break the chains that bind
set captive pris'ners free.
Tho I can't boast of wisdom
I've a longing to be wise
a desire that the scales will fall
show jaded human eyes


Love, justice, righteousness
so I can act and move
to know and grow and show delight
God's living presence prove.


Our riches are of this world.
Weak, we covet, judge and lust.
With words we sing of loving
tho our actions breed distrust.
God help us work for common good
our selfish thoughts replace
with one heart, one soul, one common goal
your Kingdom we embrace


Love, justice, righteousness
so we can act and move
to know and grow and show delight
Your living presence prove.

Prayer for Today

Just been to a wonderful day seminar at the Mirfield Centre with Dr Paula Gooder. Below is one of the many things (including half a dozen sermons at least) I have come away from the day with - a creative and poetic translation of the Lord's Prayer from the Aramaic taken from by Neil Douglas-Klotz 'Prayers of the Cosmos'. It's one of several such translations - there are a couple of others here.

O Silent Sound,
whose shimmering music pulsated
at the heart of each and all,
Clear a space in us where thy melody
may be perceived in its purity.
Let the rhythm of thy counsel reverberate through our lives,
so that we move to the beat of justice, love and peace.
The, our whole being at one with thy song,
grant that the earth may be filled 
with the beauty of thy voice.
Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share
what each being needs to grow and flourish,
And give us courage to embrace our shadow with emptiness,
as we embrace others in their darkness.
But let us not be captive to uncertainty,
nor cling to fruitless pursuits.
For from thee springs forth
the rhythm, the melody, and the harmony,
which restores all to balance, again and again. Amen.

The Work of the People

As someone who ventures occasionally to call themselves a liturgist I have repeatedly used the term 'work of the people' in countless essays and conversations over the last few years.  This afternoon I led a funeral for a lovely family whose mum had died aged 52.  Funeral liturgy in the modern world is a minefield, balancing between being clear and intelligible and culturally apt and maintaining the theological meaning and integrity of the event.  On more than one occasion I have taken funerals which felt more like the work of the clergy and the spectating of the family and friends.  Some of that is my own fault, I'm still learning, but some of it has to do with a lack of confidence amongst the populace at large to express themselves in a faith context. I'm not going into that now - I just wanted to say this afternoon that I've just been part of a funeral that was the work of the people in every sense. Beautiful and dignified, but honest and modern in the church, then boots on and shovels out at the graveside with spontaneous stories, prayers and singing, before grave all filled we shared the final blessing.  I love it when real people teach me how liturgy works.

If God is a DJ

OK - perhaps a shallow chat this evening - but bear with me.  I am a big fan of liturgical structure.  My sending incumbent indoctrinated me with the belief that you can do anything as long as it has intergrity within the liturgical structure.  He used to put together great "charismatic liturgical" evening services - if I remember rightly mainly because the diocese needed to take people on the local ministry course to experience some charismatic worship and there wasn't anyone else doing it in a 'safe' C of E context at the time. Back then I used to get to be the one who stood by the piano warbling - happy days.

This evening though talking to my bass player (sic. husband) we came across Morrissey's Angel, Angel Down We Go Together and thought it would make a good addition to Changing Worship's Alternative Hymnal.  Then as I thought this through I started to think about liturgical structure and the way a DJ structures music on a dance floor - creating atmosphere, inviting people onto the floor with the fmailiar and the comfortable (but fun), building the tempo to that part of the night when it seems only the strange and disconnected are not moving and dancing as one - swept away by the rhythm and joy.

I am torn as to how I feel about this  - I've been to some terribly manipulative worship where they obviously really got the DJ thing.  But are we learning enough from those who can fill a dance floor?

Or if the strange and disconnected are marginalised by such experiences - how can it express the gospel anyway?

Thou shalt not..... some new commandments?

Recently a friend of mine posted on fb about how language works with children - namely that using negatives doesn't work, because the 'don't' or the 'not' isn't heard.  So for example when your child is hanging from a tree branch you shouldn't scream "Don't fall" because all said child hears is "Fall" - you should couch your advice in positive terms  - so it's "Hang on tight to the branch!".

With this in mind I have twice in the last week faltered as I have read the Ten Commandments as part of the Penitential Rite at the start of our Lenten liturgy. (I should note that the use of this particular material was at the request of lay members of our worship vision group!)  The first bit is OK, but then we get to the "Thou shalt not"s.  Each time I read I picture myself and half of humanity falling out of a tree.  So I began to wonder what some of those thou shalt nots might look like creatively and positively re-framed.  I imagine there are creative liturgists and pastoral practitioners up and down the land who've done this already - but here's my first two - and feel free to comment with some of your own ideas below.

Thou shalt not commit adultery - Live and love in trust and faithfulness

Thou shalt not murder - Honour and cherish human life

Togetherness

Have been to a Churches Together meeting this evening - which was lovely - they always are round here.  Genuine and smashing bunch of people who are involved in all sorts of amazing and dynamic projects like Street Angels, CICs, our local food bank and many many more.  Came away feeling a bit wrong footed though somehow.

The majority of churches involved, though of many denominations, are of the evangelical tradition, and I always end up feeling like a bit of a trad old stick in the mud.  I got really excited when we talked about some kind of flash mob last supper event - some friends and I had been looking at some kind of flash mob nativity but didn't get our act together so this really tuned me in.  Problem came when everyone insisted it should happen on Good Friday.  I know this makes sense in some ways but I thought some of them might, like me, be busy with stuff like the Good Friday Liturgy? Frustrated because I want to join in and do more with this group but feel like the rhythms and practices of the more middle of the road Anglican amongst us are ignored or viewed with gentle scorn.

I want to sing beautiful music at the foot of the cross, to me moved by the sound and the silence of the Good Friday liturgy as I always am - but I also want to go out onto the streets and share something of the Passion with people who may never consider darkening our door.  Why would anyone imagine that I and plenty of others wouldn't like the opportunity to do both?