Church Music

This a song from 2021 by David MacGregor based on John chapter 1. It could be used as an entrance and would be fine in Advent. It’s a lovely song that goes a bit high for me in the chorus.

The sheet music is free at David’s website.

1. The Word as world is waking
   The Word was One with God
   All was made, created
   The Word spoke, and Life was born
   Light for all creation
   Darkness cannot reign
   Light comes to the broken
   Light and love to reign

You are one with us
You have come to us
You have lived with us, O Lord
You have died for us
Christ, You rise for us
Emmanuel,
Living Word

2. Light and Life is coming
   The Word takes human form
   Making home among us
   In God we are reborn
   We have seen his glory
   Glory of God’s Son
   Grace and truth forever
   Praise You, Holy One!

You are one with us
You have come to us
You have lived with us, O Lord
You have died for us
Lord you rise for us
Emmanuel,
Living Word

You are one with us
You have come to us
You have lived with us, O Lord
You have died for us
Lord you rise for us
Emmanuel,
Living Word

CODA
God, we come to You
God, we live for You
Emmanuel,
Living Word

David MacGregor
© 2021 Willow Publishing
from John 1

This is quite the production:

This backing is more restrained:

This is a reggae song based on Micah 6:6-8 that David MacGregor contributed to the National Council of Churches “Decade to Overcome Violence” in 2004.

The sheet music can be downloaded for free at his website.

BIAB can do reggae too.

1. How shall we come before the Lord our God
   How shall we worship God on high
   What does God desire?
   What does God require?
   What shall we give in offering?
   What shall we give in offering?
   What can we give, but …

Do justice
Love kindness
Walk humbly with our God
Do justice
Love kindness
Walk humbly with our God
Walk humbly with our God
Walk humbly with our God

2. What shall we bring before you: Lord our God,
   to offer, repentant of our sin
   You say what is good
   You say how we should
   give of ourselves in offering
   give of ourselves in offering
   What can we give, but … Do justice …

© David MacGregor 1999; from Micah 6: 6-8

David MacGregor has a lot of songs suitable for children. This is a charming rewrite of the ten commandments for children that swings along nicely.

The sheet music is free at David’s website.

I made backing with BIAB ukelele.

Got to do it right
Brother, sister, father, mother
Do it God’s way each to another
Do it right through ev’ry day
Let’s do it right
Do it right
Let’s do it right ….. God’s way!

1. One let’s worship God alone
   Two don’t worship things we own
   Three keep God’s name from all evil things
   Four keep the seventh day for holy things
2. Five respect your mum and dad
   Six murder’s out! it’s life that’s rad!
   Seven love the one you’re married to alone
   Eight stealing stuff simply isn’t on! ….
3. Nine don’t accuse someone wrong unfair
   Ten don’t be greedy: it’s not your’s but their’s!
   Commands from God to help each day
   live our life God’s loving way! ….

© David MacGregor 1994

This is his version:

I am still in the huge archive of songs written by David Macgregor.

This one is a reflective sung prayer in search of closeness to God through finding meaning by action in the world as God’s heart, hands, and voice.

The sheet music is free at his website.

1. Deeper into you, Lord
   seek me, journey
   All my life a prayer God
   joined with you
   Deeper into you, Lord
   you are life and meaning
   Deeper, deeper, deeper
   Deeper into you
2. Spirit, take my weakness,
   words unuttered, you
   take my feelings
   joy long quelled by pain
   Deeper into you
   to join in deep communion
   Deeper, deeper, deeper
   Deeper into you
3. Deeper into you, Lord,
   call us outwards
   In you, to be your heart
   your hands, your voice
   Deeper into you, Lord
   you’re our life, our meaning
   Deeper, deeper, deeper
   Deeper into you

David MacGregor
© 2009 Willow Publishing

David MacGregor is not scared of using titles used elsewhere. He is careful to note his lyrics come from St Richard of Chichester and presumably not from Godspell. The tune is delicate and exquisite in its simplicity.

The sheet music is free at his website.

May I know you more clearly
Love you more dearly
Follow you more nearly
Day by day

May I know you more clearly
Love you more dearly
Follow you more nearly
Day by day

Praise to you, Lord Jesus
For all you’ve won for me
Every pain and every shaming
You’ve borne it all for me

May I know you more clearly
Love you more dearly
Follow you more nearly
Day by day

May I know you more clearly
Love you more dearly
Follow you more nearly
Day by day
Day by day
Day by day

Lyrics (adapted from) St Richard of Chichester: 1197-1253
Music: David MacGregor
© 2023 Willow Publishing

This is a lovely song of challenge that could be used as a recessional. It is by David MacGregor – and I have finally got to the ‘D’s in his huge archive of songs.

The sheet music is freely available at his website. You can hear his version there as well.

Sing along with my backing to learn it.

Daring God, you call us as your people
You gift us as community in Christ
to be a church at mission
to be a church at praise
no count of cost, disciples
in all we do and say

Dare to discover
dare to dream
journey the footsteps
where Christ has been
building communities of grace
people alive in hope, in faith
daring to live God’s life, God’s dream

Holy Spirit, dare us – journey onwards to
new horizons beckoned by the Word,
to risk the way of Jesus
whatever that might mean.
We dare to be so faithful
We dare to live God’s dream

David MacGregor
© 2007 Willow Publishing

This is an interesting song that was written for a specific occasion by David MacGregor. It was the Frontier Services Centenary Song of Praise. Growing up a Presbyterian we were taught about Flynn of the Inland who set up the “mantle of safety” which was the Flying Doctors and wireless communication. The Inland Mission was allocated to the Uniting Church after the Presbyterian split in the seventies in Australia, which might account for David writing this song as a Uniting Minister.

I can’t see a liturgical application but it is a specifically Australian story being told in song.

The sheet music is freely available at MacGregor’s site.

I made a backing.

Here’s a story
birthed by pioneers
By Flynn, McKay and more
The sharing of Christ’s love
with inland’s heart
By air, by road, at station home
across this great south land
Frontiers touched One hundred years so far

Right across this sunburnt country
Marked by droughts and flooding rains
with faces, places off the beaten track:
in mercy’s name
God’s outback mission keeps on
bringing hope and health and light
God’s “mantle of safety”
‘cross this land tonight

It’s the story of special people
resilient; of rugged hope
Yet times come
when resilience struggles too.
When remoteness seems to overwhelm;
community comes hard
“Flynn of the Inland’s”
legacy shines through

Right across this sunburnt country …

And the story journeys onwards
Join hundreds serving now
We offer hand and heart and voice; God’s grace
With the outback people we will stand
With their spirit, we rejoice
We celebrate the nation’s frontier voice

Right across this sunburnt country …

David MacGregor © 2011 Willow Publishing

This is David MacGregor‘s take on Psalm 51, from his huge archive of music.

You can get the sheet music there for free.

His instructions say this song is to be played reflectively with a light reggae feel. I got one out of two in my backing. I ignored the second vocal line.

Create … in me a clean heart
(Create in me a clean heart)
Create … in me a clean heart
(Create in me a clean heart)
Create … in me a clean heart
(Create in me a clean heart)
and renew a right spirit in me

Chase me not away from you, God
and take your Spirit never from me
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
sustain a willing spirit deep in me

Create … in me a clean heart …

Help me, Lord to speak and I will praise you
Off’rings, sacrifice you don’t desire
It pleases you: a heart that knows repentance
The kind of sacrifice you, God require

Create … in me a clean heart.

David MacGregor
© 2010
from Psalm 51
Willow Publishing

In neither of his versions do I detect even the hint of reggae. I call foul!

Entrance: Praise To You O Christ (Farrell) AOV 1/28

Psalm 22 (McKenna)

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

Gifts: The Lord is My Shepherd (Boniwell) AOV 1/26

Communion: Hymn to Christ the King (Hart et al)

Recessional: Lord, the Light of Your Love (Kendrick) AOV 2/59

Entrance: Christ Light, Shining in the Darkness (Grant) CWBII 468

Psalm 127 (McKenna)

Happy are those who fear the Lord.

Gifts: Bless Our Gifts (Grant) AOVD

Communion: One Body In Christ (McKenna) AOV NG 102

Recessional: Shout to the Lord (Zschech) AOV NG 114