Progressing the Journey: Lyrics and Liturgy for a Conscious Church

By Susan Jones

About this book:

Are you looking for fresh, original hymn lyrics and liturgy for your church?

Would you like to celebrate diverse ways of being fully human in a loving faith community?

Is your church ready to explore current ideas about God – not just male, not up there, but down here with us – creation, Jesus & theology?

Then these 42 hymns, 70 gatherings, affirmations, and blessings; along with poems & reflections, will provide a valuable resource to support your worship ministry.

Susan’s lyrics, that can be sung to well known tunes, have been used at a Presbytery inauguration, in communion, at anniversaries, for baptisms and for a same sex wedding. They have featured in Pride services, Transgender Day of Remembrance commemorations, during Bible Month and throughout the Season of Creation.

Susan’s kitset hymn ln our world we find delight, written for original music by Vivien Chiu, covers the whole Season of Creation 3-year cycle.

Her lyrics and liturgy mark the seasons of the church year in unusual ways as well as celebrating: questioning, rainbow themes, faith stages, the cosmos, diverse orientations and identities, gender equality, 21st century reformation, interfaith connection, prodigals, postmodern church, endangered species, and the importance of finding the Self by going deep within.

Praise for Progressing the Journey:

“Lively congregations and alert leaders will welcome this collection of new hymns and original liturgies by a confident and experienced writer.

The songs have a quiet eloquence, their language is simple and direct, and they deal with many of the real life issues which confront us in the ‘new normal’ world. That they are set to well-known tunes will make it easy to absorb them into a singing congregation’s vocabulary of praise.

The liturgies are fresh and vital in thought and language: a useful alternative to the sleepy long-established formulas which still clog our much-changed religious world.

I strongly recommend Susan Jones’ Progressing on the Journey and her deeply contemplated and whole-hearted expression of distinctive New Zealand themes and images; this is a very rich new spiritual resource for troubled times.”
Colin Gibson, Hymnwriter, Composer & Lay Preacher

“This book speaks deeply to me in Aotearoa about the variety of our people. Through these words, different races, genders, and sexual orientations are all welcomed as part of the beauty of God’s world.

I love that Susan’s taken old hymns and provided new words. She takes seriously what we’re doing to the land and each other.

These lyrics and liturgies speak deeply to me about the God I know, the God I see in the Bible but also in the land; its beauty, the mysteries of creation and those around me.

I wish I’d had this book when preparing services each Sunday. Now, it takes me deeper into God as part of my morning prayer. Thank you, Susan.”
Very Rev. Marg Schrader former Moderator, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

"...Jones has a concern for the dignity and inclusion of LGBTIQ people in church and community. She has written several prayers on this theme and for occasions such as Pride month and Transgender Memorial Day. I applaud her prompting us to be truthful, honest and respectful about the variety of human experience.

Finally I applaud her courage. She asks readers if they cannot use the whole of a prayer or hymn as written, then why use it at all? Worship leaders often self-censor. I recommend this brave and poetic work.”
Reviewed by Rev David Poultney in the October 2022 issue of NZ Methodist newspaper Touchstone

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philip Garside
• Release date: Feb 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9781988572956

Susan Jones

Susan Jones is a mother, wife, writer, and Sunday school teacher at her local church. She lives with her family and two dogs in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.

Book preview

Progressing the Journey

Lyrics and Liturgy for a Conscious Church

Susan Jones

Table of Contents

Title

Introduction

Abbreviations used in the hymns section

Hymning the Journey — New words, familiar tunes

A donkey walks his burden

A safe stronghold we may seek still

A wise poet wrote one day

All people that on earth do hear

Ancient words ring through the aeons

And did those feet in former times

As we meet

Celebrate the Life we’re given (1)

Celebrate the Life we’re given (2)

Celebrate the life we’re given (3)

Each Lent we journey with a much-loved friend

For all the saints (1)

For all the saints (2)

For all the saints (3)

From ancient times the stories flowed

Great is the glory of this newborn day

Guide me now to climb the mountain

I sing a song of the saints of God

In our world we find delight

It takes us effort

Letters written to the churches

Let us reach down deep inside us

Now comes the bridegroom, the kingdom is near

O when I see the awesome world

On our life’s journey

Onward sacred pilgrims

Our delight is in the broadness

Rainbow God

So many times

The church needs a foundation

The Treaty came here for the signing

The woman came

The year is ever turning

Through the crowds

To the wilderness so hostile

We bring thankful hearts

We give praise for the river’s flow

We thank the men and women

What does it mean?

When I walk through the bush so green

When we were young our God was huge

When life is filled with logic

Where can we learn greater loving?

Work for the night is here

Hymn Indexes

Topics and Themes

Bible References

The Church Year

Tunes

Wording our Worship — New words for new ideas

1 — Responsive Gatherings

Gathering for the First Sunday in Advent

Gathering for the Second Sunday in Advent

Gathering for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Gathering for Christmas Eve

Gathering for the Third Sunday in Lent

Gathering for the Fourth Sunday in Lent

Gathering for the Fifth Sunday in Lent

Gathering for Palm Sunday

Gathering for After Easter Day

Gathering for Pentecost

Gathering to Consider Grace

Gathering to Consider Action

Gathering to Consider Spirituality

Gathering to Consider Faith

Gathering to Consider the Inner Journey

Gathering to Consider Life’s Rhythm

Gathering for Creation Month

Gathering for Cosmos Sunday

Gathering for Reformers’ Sunday

Gathering in an Inclusive Church

Gathering for Transgender Sunday

Gathering for Transgender Day of Remembrance

Gathering of a Welcoming Church

Gathering of an Inclusive Church

Gathering for Pride Sunday

Gathering for an Inclusive Service

Gathering for Pride Week

Gathering on Communion Sunday

Gathering on Communion Sunday

Gathering for Refugee Sunday

Gathering During Bible Month

Gathering During Bible Month

2 — Pairs of Responsive Gatherings and Affirmations

Gathering After a General Election

Affirmation for a New Era

Gathering for a Questioning People

Affirmation of Faith

Gathering During Pride Month

Affirmation for an Inclusive Church

Gathering for Palm Sunday

Affirmation of Faith for Palm Sunday

Gathering for Pentecost

Affirmation at Pentecost

Gathering on Disability Sunday

Affirmation for Disability Sunday

Gathering for a Series on Compassion

Affirmation for 1st Sunday in Series of Four on Compassion

Gathering for the Second Compassion Sunday

Affirmation of Faith said as an Offering Prayer

Gathering on the Third Compassion Sunday

Affirmation

Gathering on the Fourth Compassion Sunday

Affirmation Of Faith said as an Offering Prayer

Gathering for Wilderness Sunday, Creation Month

Affirmation of Faith said as the Offering Prayer

Gathering for a Service Where We Consider Power after a General Assembly

Affirmation Of Faith

Gathering Prayer for Wilderness Sunday

Confession

Prayer for Ourselves and Others for Wilderness Sunday

3 — Creeds

Creed for an Easter People

Creed about Love

Creed from South Canterbury, New Zealand

4 — Affirmations

Affirmation for Advent Sunday

Affirmation for the Second Sunday in Advent

Affirmation of Prophets for the Third Sunday in Advent

Affirmation and Recognition of Faith Found in Epiphany

Affirmation of Wilderness for the First Sunday in Lent

Affirmation Under a Fig Tree for the Third Sunday In Lent

Affirming the Waste of Perfume on the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Affirmation of Faith for Easter

An Easter Affirmation on Being Human

An Anzac Affirmation of the Work of Peacemaking

An Affirmation and Lament for Relationship on Trinity Sunday

Affirmation of the Feminine

Affirmation of the Word for Bible Month

A Wondering Affirmation

An Affirmation which Celebrates a Different Way

An Affirmation of Water at a Baptism

Affirmation of Faith on the Fault line

Affirmation of Faithful Inclusion

Affirmation of Faith on an Anniversary

Affirmation of Compassion

Affirmation of Faith for a Learning Church

Celebration of Faith

5 — Pairs of Responsive Gatherings and Blessings

Easter Day

Gathering

Blessing

Gathering

Blessing

A Musical Service

Gathering

Blessing

Gathering

Blessing

Gathering

Blessing

Creation Month

Gathering For Planet Sunday

Blessing

After The Christchurch Massacre, March 2019

Gathering

Blessing

6 — Prayers

Lord’s Prayer

Offering Prayer

Prayer of Adoration and Confession

7 — Lament and Litany

Thanksgiving and Lament

Litany of Thanksgiving

8 — Communion Liturgies

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Season of Creation

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving for Peace and Justice

Communion Liturgy from the South Pacific

Great Thanksgiving for World Communion Sunday

9 — Responsive Blessings

Blessing on Matariki

Blessing for Wilderness Sunday

Blessing for Those Who Journey

Blessing for the Third Sunday in Advent

Blessing for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

10 — Poems

Advent

The Door

Midnight

Christmas

Morning After the Night Before

Lent

Brought to Tears

There’s not much beautiful about being broken

Easter

Unseasonable journey

Today

Pentecost

Spirit Wind

Aotearoa Pentecost

A ‘Silent’ Pentecost

11 — Reflections from a New Perspective

Truth and Factuality: Babies and Stardust – a Reflection for Christmas Day on Luke 2

The Storm on the Lake – Mark 4:35-41

Different kinds of waste – Luke 15:11-32

About the Author and this Book

Description

Copyright

Recent & forthcoming books by Susan Jones from Philip Garside Publishing Ltd

Introduction

Welcome to new ways of speaking about and singing the journey.

This book comes out of 25 years of worship. As I led congregations over those years, I discovered that available hymns and liturgy no longer fitted the new ideas we now wish to reflect upon.

One discovery was particularly stark. I eagerly embraced the Season of Creation lectionary format. Looking for hymns to sing the first Season, I turned to Creation sections of conventional hymnbooks. Imagine my dismay. All their Creation hymns were about harvest – what we could get from the earth rather than what we could give to the earth. It was a symbolic moment. I realised that religion has contributed to the environmental fragility of our world. I found no hymns in conventional hymnbooks which were pro-environmental care. The New Zealand Hymnbook Trust has since redressed this imbalance.

Our understanding of the cosmos is no longer limited to the sun, moon, and stars. Black holes and bosons, quarks and dark matter are part of our everyday language. Communication methods now include Twitter, and texting. Saints may ride skateboards or study in science labs, not just be shepherdesses on the green.

The hymns and liturgies in this book reflect elements of our New Zealand landscape; tussocks, scree slopes, braided rivers, volcanoes and the Aurora Australis. Now, in the right season, we can sing our own metaphors.

Few conventional hymns name the reality of being LGBTQI. Rainbow communities need to be named and celebrated, just like other communities in our land.

I have found that people want to keep singing familiar tunes. We don’t, however, want to cringe at the words or have to madly translate them on the fly all the time. I hope you enjoy the blend of old tunes and new words.

Our liturgies need updating too. New words are needed to describe the re-enchanted spiritual journey. Few liturgies express the realities of Disability Sunday and Pride Week, or offer a Communion liturgy with ideas about God and Jesus other than atonement theology. I want to name different types of power, the beauty of the cosmos and describe how to fit compassion more fully into our lives.

The lyrics and liturgy in this book can be used