Coming in September: Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship
This September, 2015, look for a new inclusive hymnbook! I’ve had the delightful experience of collaborating with composer Larry E. Schultz on this third collection of inclusive hymns.
This collection includes all new songs, many to widely-known tunes and some to new tunes. Many of the songs are appropriate for interfaith settings. A special feature of this new collection is the inclusion of multigenerational short songs for various parts of worship services, such as invocations and benedictions.
Here is one of the fresh, vibrant new tunes that Larry created for a song in this collection, along with the lyrics to stanza 1 and the refrain:
Follow Her Peaceful Ways
Follow Her peaceful ways; join Holy Wisdom,
changing the world with Her kindness and grace,
blessing all cultures, all genders and races,
welcoming all in Her loving embrace.
Refrain:
Follow Her peaceful ways! Follow Her peaceful ways!
Join Holy Wisdom to end all the strife.
She gives us power to meet every challenge;
follow Her peaceful ways, bringing new life.
Words © 2014 Jann Aldredge-Clanton
The title of this new collection, Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship, expresses our deep belief in the power of music to transform people and all creation. Music has great power to transform our world. Music stirs our spirits and embeds words in our memories. Songs with inclusive lyrics contribute to an expansive theology and an ethic of equality and justice in human relationships.
The songs in this collection name Deity as female and male and more to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image (Genesis 1:27). Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship will instill belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. The predominant themes of gender equality, racial equality, marriage equality, economic justice, care of creation, and peacemaking flow from the prophetic tradition in Scripture. This collection also includes songs for comfort, healing, celebration, and thanksgiving.