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I wish there was a song about......
Stop me if you've done this one before......
I suspect we've all been there. Trying to choose songs for the next service, maybe there's an awkward theme, and you think "I wish there was a song about.....". But there isn't.
Perhaps it might be fun, and useful, to collect thoughts on where there are gaps in the large and growing canon of contemporary praise music. Are there themes or subjects that you think are not well covered by what is out there? Or, can you suggest good songs in these areas that people might have overlooked? Have you written a song that fits the bill?
Finally, I hope anything people might submit could act as a challenge to those song-writers out there... try writing a song about these things!
OK, to get the ball rolling, a couple of my own thoughts.....
First, an area where there are songs but (in my opinion) not enough. Subject: Resurrection - Jesus' resurrection in particular, but also the outworkings of it (e.g. our future resurrection). It seems to me there are many, many songs about Good Friday, the cross etc. - and there is nothing wrong with these, but it's only half the story. Often the resurrection is (at best) confined to a couple of lines in the middle of a hymn. Sometimes it's left out altogether ("Jesus Christ I think upon", and "Lord I lift your name on high" are great songs, I use them a lot, but they go straight "from the grave to the sky"). I think, perhaps, writing songs about the cross is easy, but writing songs about resurrection is harder - we are still not sure quite what to make of it 2000 years later. This lack of resurrection songs makes choosing songs for Easter Day and weeks after difficult, but I think we should celebrate it all year round. More Resurrection songs please.
Secondly - where have all the church family / fellowship / "one in the Lord" songs gone? There were quite a few in the 70s and 80s (Bind us together / As we are gathered / Jesus put this song into our hears / Jesus stand among us) but these seem a bit dated. And no-one writes them any more. Why not?
I hope this sparks a few thoughts. Sometimes, you just can't pick a song for the service theme. Here are our themes for the next month (we're doing a practical series on Sermon on the Mount):
How to live and act with integrity
How to avoid divorce
How to respond to evil people
How to love your enemies
I'm choosing songs tonight... wish me luck and inspiration.....
I suspect we've all been there. Trying to choose songs for the next service, maybe there's an awkward theme, and you think "I wish there was a song about.....". But there isn't.
Perhaps it might be fun, and useful, to collect thoughts on where there are gaps in the large and growing canon of contemporary praise music. Are there themes or subjects that you think are not well covered by what is out there? Or, can you suggest good songs in these areas that people might have overlooked? Have you written a song that fits the bill?
Finally, I hope anything people might submit could act as a challenge to those song-writers out there... try writing a song about these things!
OK, to get the ball rolling, a couple of my own thoughts.....
First, an area where there are songs but (in my opinion) not enough. Subject: Resurrection - Jesus' resurrection in particular, but also the outworkings of it (e.g. our future resurrection). It seems to me there are many, many songs about Good Friday, the cross etc. - and there is nothing wrong with these, but it's only half the story. Often the resurrection is (at best) confined to a couple of lines in the middle of a hymn. Sometimes it's left out altogether ("Jesus Christ I think upon", and "Lord I lift your name on high" are great songs, I use them a lot, but they go straight "from the grave to the sky"). I think, perhaps, writing songs about the cross is easy, but writing songs about resurrection is harder - we are still not sure quite what to make of it 2000 years later. This lack of resurrection songs makes choosing songs for Easter Day and weeks after difficult, but I think we should celebrate it all year round. More Resurrection songs please.
Secondly - where have all the church family / fellowship / "one in the Lord" songs gone? There were quite a few in the 70s and 80s (Bind us together / As we are gathered / Jesus put this song into our hears / Jesus stand among us) but these seem a bit dated. And no-one writes them any more. Why not?
I hope this sparks a few thoughts. Sometimes, you just can't pick a song for the service theme. Here are our themes for the next month (we're doing a practical series on Sermon on the Mount):
How to live and act with integrity
How to avoid divorce
How to respond to evil people
How to love your enemies
I'm choosing songs tonight... wish me luck and inspiration.....
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ben Atkins on -
I wish there was a song about...
A sword getting swallowed up in a fat kings belly - Judges 3:21-22.
Came up in a sermon series last term..
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Read on -
I think you may have found a niche.
(Chorus: Hallelujah, and it sunk right in, and it sunk right in (rptx4) )
Maybe not.
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Permalink Reply by Phil Williams on -
The funniest thing about this is that there IS a song about this...and it's on HMI!
Check out Matt Blick's profile page and listen to his song:
http://www.hemustincrease.com/profile/MattBlick
I found it hilarious when I first heard it!
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Permalink Reply by Gav on -
good post daniel,
thanks for mentioning it. infact there are far more songs about the ressurection than you might think. heres a few for starters.
Jesus Christ is risen today
The greatest Day in history
My redeemer lives
He is lord he is lord
See what a morning
Lost in wonder
Thine be the glory
Jesus Jesus holy and annointed one
Low in the grave he lay
All heaven declares
and loads of others that ive forgotten.
i would love to have some songs on the following subjects:
avoiding temptation
songs with humour in them
songs of repentence
songs about saving sex for marriage or even enjoying it in marriage
(mmm that would be atricky one to do well and not be embarrassing!)
songs about the church and politics
songs about who life doesnt seem to match up to the bible
theres loads of others aswell.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Atkins on
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hahahah that's such a genius song!
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Permalink Reply by Matt Blick on
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Thank you so much for your kind comments guys!
The song is from my forthcoming CD "Singalong Assasination songs for Kids.Vol 2". I'll post some of my more normal songs too.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Childs on -
Hi Daniel,
I find a good place to start with songs about Jesus' resurrection and our future resurrection is the songbook of Townend & Getty.
In his lyrics, Stuart Townend often tells the Christian story as a whole, including not only what has happened, but what is to come. For example:
In Christ Alone
See What A Morning
From The Squalor of a Borrowed Stable
When Love Came Down To Earth
Jesus is Lord
Joy Has Dawned
The Power of The Cross
You're The Word of God
Lord I'm Grateful
O Church Arise
All these songs could be used for this theme - and all from one writer (well two, but you know what I mean)!
This is a good topic as I often struggle with picking songs for certain topics - the indices in the books just don't seem to have any listed against the ones I'm looking at!!
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Permalink Reply by Paul Childs on
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Gav - you mentioned "songs about saving sex for marriage or even enjoying it in marriage"
Try this: Two Are Better than One by Jim Bailey.
Fantastic, beautiful song - suitable for all ages (it's on a kids' album). We did it during the signing of the register at a friends' wedding a couple of years back.
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Permalink Reply by Paul Kent on -
I'd love to hear a song that discusses the creationist/ evolutionist debate in detail... LOL
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Permalink Reply by Rob B on -
It could have a pantomine stylee chorus,
"Oh no He didn't!.....Oh yes He did!"
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Permalink Reply by Paul Childs on
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I wish there was a song about......
Whether life really does exist on other planets!
We could sing it to the theme to Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Permalink Reply by Paul Kent on
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b399t_6V_PU
snatch!
who would of thunk David Bowie would write such a profound* answer to prayer..
* - the word profound is interchangeable with 'freakin wierd', 'Drug induced', 'absurd' or 'non sensicle'
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Al Gordon, Worship Central
"An excellent resource for anyone involved in worship music. The video clips make for a more relevant and refined collection than you find on YouTube and there are plenty of diverse but interesting subjects being debated in the forum as well."
Marie Page, Director, Musicademy
"He Must Increase .com is the UK Worship Leader Network, with a UK worship forum, blogs, groups, videos, photos, set lists, discussions, UK worship events & worship music! Meet Christian UK worship leaders and musicians here."
Phil Williams, Founder, He Must Increase
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