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This month’s newsletter features an unusually large group of hymns new to the StF+ website. They cover a wide range of themes but each one feels appropriate in its own way to our present times. They speak of God’s healing and constant presence in times of great change or challenge; they challenge us in our discipleship; and respond to the war and violence that is such a feature of our daily news.
Yet each text will be of value in a range of contexts – and there is a thread of thinking around healing and wellbeing that seems especially helpful, not least for World Mental Health Day (10 October). All the hymns can be found via our Recent Additions page. Find out more below.
As it happens, three of the authors are Canadian; another is South African, currently ministering in the UK. A small reminder of the internationalism of hymn writing and of the worldwide Christian community – as well as the internet!
A more important reminder of our interrelatedness is One World Week, which this year invites us to follow up on the profound indecisions of last November’s COP26 gathering in Glasgow. The week itself falls in October (17-24) with the theme: ‘Act now for our children’s world’.
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Hymns for our times
One member of the Hymns Submissions Group commented that We all gather here by Canadian musician Carl Goulding spoke to her of the Ukrainian refugees currently worshipping in her local village church – and of the great gift of being held in God’s love.
Sue Spencer also evokes the healing presence of God as she traces the activity of the Holy Spirit through scripture in For Moses’ fiery vision.
Meanwhile, Brenton Prigge subverts The Battle Hymn of the Republic, engaging in a kind of dialogue with the original words and reclaiming the tune in a striking way to proclaim that Love will be our Hallelujah: ‘the path of hate and violence only ever leads to more, but Love would change us all.’
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Go out with hope
What do we say to ourselves and each other when we transition from worship back into the workaday world, with all the joys and challenges that it presents? What are God’s words of blessing and our faithful words of praise?
David Kai’s take on familiar words from the prophet Isaiah speaks powerfully to times of great change. Fear not, for I am with you serves as both blessing and motivation.
Fellow Canadian Marco Adria’s New Doxology would be a fine way to close a service, but is also intended for use at other points in worship to respond to a reading or action. In the 150th anniversary year of the birth of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, Marco has set his words to VW’s beautiful melody, ‘The Call’.
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For those in need
Both Homeless Sunday and Prisons Sunday fall on 9 October this year – with Prisons Sunday marking the start of a week in which we are invited to think about those impacted in many different ways by the criminal justice system.
We have updated our Special Sunday pages and resources, including a list of suggested hymns for Prisons Week.
A range of resources are available to help us address issues of homelessness (including rough sleeping, which has more than doubled since 2010) and a lack of affordable housing. Among these are discussion topics, reflection materials and bible studies from JPIT, the ecumenical Joint Public Issues Team.
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World Mental Health Day
The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. This year’s theme, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, is ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’.
The organisers writer that, ‘for over 70 years, we’ve been working to make sure that mental health is treated on a par with physical health. Mental health problems exist in our lives, families, workplaces and communities, impacting everyone.’
World Mental Health Day offers a chance to talk about mental health in general, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to talk about things and get help if you are struggling.
Some of StF’s own thoughts and resources have been inspired by the life of the Victorian artist and Methodist lay preacher James Smetham. Among them, we are pleased to highlight Andrew Brown’s insightful 2019 hymn We pray for healing and for health, with its recurring prayer:
Restoring God, we look to you,
bring healing to all people here.
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And finally, from Resound Worship, a new album – Sing A Hymn. Older hymns have been chosen from the archives of hymn publisher Jubilate and set to new tunes. Most of the texts are from the mid to late 20th century, with one or two newer and one or two older (including May the mind of Christ my Saviour, StF 504).
The album was recorded in a village Baptist church in the East Midlands, where the producers say they took a ‘deliberately lo-fi approach’. ‘We wanted the hymns to have an authentic, congregational feel, complete with creaks from the piano pedal and the occasional rumble of a passing lorry. The resulting recording captures the vibrancy and intimacy of the sound of worshippers together.’
If you give the album a try, do let us know what you think. And, as ever, if you have comments or suggestions about anything you read in this newsletter or on the website, get in touch at stfplus@methodistchurch.org.uk.
With thanks –
Laurence
Laurence Wareing @ stfplus@methodistchurch.org.uk
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