Church Music

This is also Australia Day.

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

Psalm 18 (McKenna)

Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.

Your words, Lord, are spirit and life.

Gifts: Blessed Be Our God  (McKenna) AOV NG 13

Communion: A Blessing Hymn for Australia (Herry) CWB II 655 THAXTED

Recessional: One Bread, One Body (Foley) AOV 1/129

Entrance: A Place at the Table  (Shirley Erena Murray – Lori True) AOV NG 1

Psalm 95 (McKenna)

All proclaim God’s marvellous deeds to all the nations.

Gifts: One Body (O’Brien/Watts) AOV 2/146

Communion: From the Many Make Us One (Huck/Alonso)

Recessional: Sing a New Song (Schutte) AOV 1/80

I’m in a run of children’s songs by David MacGregor from Brisbane, Australia.

It a sweet song of reassurance for bad times, urging trust in God.

The sheet music is one of his older ones that are hard to link to, so converted it to pdf and posted it below.

Chorus

When the going’s tough,

and it’s kinda rough

You’ve gotta … got to be trusting.

When you’re full of doubts

and there’s no way out, in Jesus

you’ve got to be trusting.

1. When it seems like you’re at your end.

Problems face you at ev’ry bend.

All you want is a trusting friend.

Put your trust in Jesus.

2. When your world’s just about to fall.

Friends don’t want you around at all.

Oh, to hide in some corner … small.

Put your trust in Jesus.

3. Jesus’ love keeps the fears at bay.

Know his love with you ev’ry day.

Look to Jesus to show the way.

Put your trust in Jesus.

© David MacGregor 1997

I’m slowly working through David Macgregor‘s music and I’m still only up to “G”.

I’m looking on this one as a recessional – an uptempo song he suggests to be played “moving along.” They key change after the bridge takes it higher than is comfortable, so I’d take it down a few notches. The last verse has optional echoes – quite the production really.

The sheet music is at his site.

1. God’s Word, God’s World
   Our life, we live within it
   We serve, we praise
   the Christ – the risen One
   Journeying his suffering way
   Share his hope, his light this day
   God’s Word, God’s World
   In God, our life is found.
2. God’s Word, God’s World
   Our call is lived within it
   Transformed, enlivened
   by God’s Spirit hand
   Speaking out for truth and faith
   Facing Jesus’ hungry face
   God’s Word, God’s World
   In God, our call is found.

And through it all we pray Lord,
your church, in faith would be
compassionate disciples
so the world – your grace might see

3. God’s Word, God’s World
   We meet you, Jesus, in it
   Your power to heal
   makes new through time and space
   Binding every broken soul
   Freeing the prisoner, making whole
   God’s Word, God’s World
   In God, our faith is found.
   In God, our hope is found.
   In you, our love is found.

David MacGregor © 2006

David MacGregor must be a fan of reggae music, as many of his songs have this style. I think this is a song for young people but is a sung prayer for us all really.

The sheet music is at his site.

Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh

God, you make room
Room in your heart
A heart of love
Heart open wide
You welcome all
No matter who
Your heart finds room there 
As love must do

Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh

So Jesus come and make your home
Your home in me, Lord, do!
Yes, Jesus come and make your home
Be born in us anew

God, you make room
Room in your heart
A heart of love
Heart open wide
You welcome all
No matter who
Your heart finds room there 
As love must do

Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh
Oh-oh

Your heart finds room there
As love must do

David MacGregor
© 2023 Willow Publishing

This is a timely song for Baptism, with the Baptism of the Lord celebrated tomorrow. It is another from David MacGregor‘s inexhaustible trove. It has the feel of a traditional hymn.

The sheet music is at his site. There is also a SATB arrangement that would be great to hear performed.

God of life

of Living water

Loving Spirit

flow through us

We’re restored to life forever

Through the waters bring new birth

Loving Spirit

flow on freely

Quench our thirsting

Fill, renew

Washed and cleansed

We rise with Jesus

Called and sent and

for serving you

God of life

of Living water

Loving Spirit

Bless this one

Bless this water

Bless new birthing

Dying, rising with the Son

May they come to live your likeness

May they walk in Jesus’ Way

In the praise of God all Holy

in your light for all their days


David MacGregor
© 2023 Willow Publishing

This is a more recent “kid friendly” song from David MacGregor.

Simple tune, repetitious lyrics, a fair definition of God – what’s not to like.

The sheet music is at his site. This another with a “boppy” instruction.

God is love
God is love
God is love
God is love
Deep and high and
wide and long
Our God is love!

You can love
I can love
We can love
The world needs love
We can love as Jesus loves
As Jesus loves

God is love
God is love
God is love
God is love
Deep and high and
wide and long
Our God is love!
Our God is love!
Our God is love!

David MacGregor
© 2022 Willow Publishing

This is another children’s song from David MacGregor from even further back in 1988. Like many Australian church music composers, it looks like he started out making songs for the youngsters before branching out.

His instructions are “boppy”, which is a term insufficiently used on church music. The sheet music is at his site.

God’s given me everything
God’s giving me life
God’s given me everything
God’s giving me life.

Let’s take a little time
to give our God
all that He deserves
Our money, our gifts,
our lives we bring.
It’s you, O Lord, we serve.

God’s given me everything
God’s giving me life
God’s given me everything
God’s giving me life.

© David MacGregor 1988

This gentle children’s song from David MacGregor goes all the way back to the 1990s and has lyrics for both Christmas and Easter.

The echoed lyrics make learning it easy for the young ones.

The sheet music is at his site.

Christmas

Big kids (big kids)
Little kids (little kids)
God gave Jesus for us all
Grown-ups (grown-ups)
Ev’ryone (ev’ryone)
God gave Jesus for us all.

God we thank you
at Christmas for your love;
for Jesus – born a baby boy.
God is with us;
He lives, he shows the way.
Jesus, we sing our songs of joy!

Big kids (big kids)
Little kids (little kids)
God gave Jesus for us all
Grown-ups (grown-ups)
Ev’ryone (ev’ryone)
God gave Jesus for us all.

© David MacGregor 1991

Easter

Big kids (big kids)
Little kids (little kids)
God gave Jesus for us all
Grown-ups (grown-ups)
Ev’ryone (ev’ryone)
God gave Jesus for us all.

God we thank you
at Easter for your love;
for Jesus – died to save us all.
He is risen!
He lives! He shows the way
Jesus, we sing our songs of joy!

Big kids (big kids)
Little kids (little kids)
God gave Jesus for us all
Grown-ups (grown-ups)
Ev’ryone (ev’ryone)
God gave Jesus for us all.

© David MacGregor 1996

A lot of David MacGregor‘s songs are suitable for young people, and this Christmas / Advent song is another.

My backing tries for the country rock feel he suggests. It is call and response so easy to learn.

Get ready, get ready,
Get ready for Christmas (echo)
Get ready, get ready,
‘cos Jesus comes (echo)
Jesus – he comes to us
As a baby (echo)
Jesus – he comes to show
God’s love (echo)

1. Time to get together
   To live God’s kind of way
   To walk in step with Jesus
   In all we do and say … Get ready …
2. Time for sayin’ “sorry”
   To put the past behind
   As forgiven friends with Jesus:
   Be more loving, be more kind …
   Get ready …

CODA: Jesus – we want to show your love!

© David MacGregor 2000
based on Luke 3:1-6

This is another of his older songs that I had trouble downloading from his website, so I converted it to a pdf.