Music

Songbooks in digital format can be purchased on Larry E. Schultz’s website.

Inclusive Songs from the Heart of Gospel

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Also available at Amazon.com

With the purchase of 10 or more copies of this book, unlimited permission to reproduce the songs is given. With purchase of fewer than 10, for permission to reproduce the songs please contact OneLicense.net.

Music has great power to spread the good news of peace, justice, liberation, and abundant life for all people. This new song collection proclaims this good news with lyrics inclusive in gender and race and with themes of social justice and peacemaking.

The title of this collection, Inclusive Songs from the Heart of Gospel, comes from our choice of gospel music tunes for most of our texts. This title is likewise appropriate for our songs set to other familiar hymn tunes because we draw from the meaning of the Greek New Testament word for “gospel,” euangelion, also translated as “good news.” We reclaim these gospel tunes and other tunes we love with inclusive lyrics to sound the good news that transforms our world.

The songs in this collection bring good news for all races and all genders, celebrating the sacredness of all people and all creation. They name Deity as female, male, nonbinary, and more to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image.

This collection includes all new songs for use in worship services, small groups, retreats, music camps, activist gatherings, and individual meditation. Many of the songs are appropriate for multifaith and multigenerational settings.

Review

Inclusive Songs from the Heart of the Gospel

Jann Aldredge-Clanton, with McKenzie Brown and Larry E. Schultz. Fort Worth: Eakin Press, 2022. ISBN 978-1-68179-236-1. 168 pages, 74·songs. $17.95.

Inclusive Songs from the Heart of the Gospel is a new offering from or­dained minister, adjunct professor, prolific writer and lyricist, Jann Al­dredge-Clanton, PhD, with con­tributions of words and music by McKenzie Brmvn and Larry E. Schultz. Aldredge-Clanton has taken her lifelong experience and education on the sanctity of “all genders, all races, and all creation,” and penned an expansive col­lection of powerful songs cele­brating divine feminine imagery, positive imagery of creative dark­ness, and a reimagined atonement theology.

Aldredge-Clanton grew up in a Southern Baptist church singing, in her words, the “bloody” hymns about Jesus, which she admits gave her nightmares as a child. In this innovative collection, she reuses many beloved gospel tunes, pre­serving the positive connotations of singing in community while of­fering new texts that speak to the loving, wise, generous character­istics of God. She explores many divine female names and images, as well as moving beyond traditional masculine pronouns to the use of “they/ them,” making this song­book useful in a wide variety of set­tings where people are discovering the inclusivity of the gospel. Her explanation of the need for femi­nine words for God is brilliant:

Genderless names and images of the Divine are not enough to deconstruct patriarchy and bring healing. Genderless language continues to allow socialized patterns of male dominance to shape values and actions. If all genders were valued and treated as equals, and if people perceived Deity to be female as well as male, nonbinary, and more, then genderless language could work. But all genders are not treated as equals, and this gender inequality has its foundation in prevalent exclusively male images of Deity. Just as the Black Lives Matter movement has taught us that, though all lives matter, we need to name that Black lives matter because they have not mattered enough in our culture, so we need to name females in the divine image, though all genders are in the divine image, because the Female Divine has not been named and valued. Justice and equity come from naming that which has been unnamed, demeaned, devalued, and oppressed.

A thorough set of indexes is available in the back of the book, greatly simplifying choosing among the many fresh selections. There is a detailed topical index; an index of scripture references; an index of composers, authors, and sourc­es; separate alphabetical and met­rical indexes of tunes; and finally, an index of song titles. All of these provide specific guidance and make this a very user-friendly songbook.

In a world in which some aspects of church life seem to be narrowing, Inclusive Songs from the Heart of the Gospel is a welcome breath of fresh air, offering new ways of thinking about the Divine and new ways of interpreting the sung gospel as good news for all people.

Lindy Thompson is a poet and lyricist who lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with her fam­ily. She is a layperson at Christ United Methodist Church where she volunteers with youth. Her work can be found at lindythompson.net.

https://www.larryeschultz.com/store/p99/Inclusive_Songs_from_the_Heart_of_Gospel_%5BDigital_Download%5D.html

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Hersay: Songs for Healing and Empowerment

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Hersay brings healing and empowerment through songs with lyrics inclusive of the Divine Feminine, drawing from the musical styles of Taizé and other chant traditions. Female names and images of the Divine heal the wounds of patriarchal oppression and violence, and empower us to create a just and peaceful world. Singing calms the mind and body, bridges cultural divides, and moves us to transform our world. Through singing multicultural songs inclusive of female names and images of the Divine, we bring healing to ourselves and our communities while giving birth to justice, peace, equity, and new life in our world.

This collection includes all new songs for use in multifaith, multicultural, and multigenerational communities, and for individual meditation. The songs in Hersay are simple and short, sung repeatedly and sometimes in canon.

Hersay will inspire individuals and communities to claim power in the Divine image and to bring healing and liberation to all.

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Inclusive Songs for Resistance & Social Action

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Also available at Amazon.com

With the purchase of 10 or more copies of this book, unlimited permission to reproduce the songs is given.  With purchase of fewer than 10, for permission to reproduce the songs please contact OneLicense.net.

Music empowers action for social change. Music stirs our spirits and embeds words in our memories. Words shape our values that drive our actions. Singing our beliefs in justice, peace, and equality will move us to transform our world. Inclusive Songs for Resistance & Social Action will contribute to gender, racial, economic, environmental, and other justice movements.

This collection includes songs for marches, rallies, and other activist gatherings to support movements such as Women’s March, Black Lives Matter, Human Rights Campaign, Poor People’s Campaign, and GreenFaith. Many of the songs are also for use in the worship services of faith communities, and some celebrate seasons of the year. Another feature of this new collection is the inclusion of songs that honor women leaders in Scripture and other prophetic women leaders.

The songs in this collection highlight the intersection of justice concerns, instilling belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. They name the Divine as female and male and more to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image.

This collection includes all new songs, most to well-known tunes and some to new tunes and fresh arrangements of familiar tunes. Many of the songs are appropriate for interfaith and multigenerational settings.

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Sing of Peace CD

Available at Amazon.com

Imagine Christmas carols you love but with lyrics that include the Divine Feminine to celebrate the sacredness of all people and all creation! Imagine Christmas carols that sing of peace for all people and for the earth. This new Christmas album, Sing of Peace, will bring inspiration, healing, and empowerment through new inclusive lyrics to familiar Christmas carol tunes, sung in sublime harmonies by Devi Vaani. Sing of Peace reclaims and amplifies the themes of peace, joy, hope, awe, and love that so much of the world associates with the Christmas season. It includes the experiences of women, minorities, and all oppressed people who are not directly referenced in traditional Christmas music. Including multicultural biblical female divine names and images, Sing of Peace affirms the sacred value of females throughout the world who continue to suffer from violence and abuse. This Christmas album celebrates the sacredness of all people and all creation. It weaves the magic and mystery of Christmas with urgent cries for justice, an end to suffering, and respect and dignity for all beings.

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Earth Transformed with Music! Inclusive Songs for Worship

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Also available at Amazon.com

With the purchase of 10 or more copies of this book, unlimited permission to reproduce the songs is given.  With purchase of fewer than 10, for permission to reproduce the songs please contact OneLicense.net.

Music has great power to touch the heart and change the world. Words we sing in worship shape our beliefs and actions. The inclusive songs in this collection will contribute to social justice, peace, equality, and expansive spiritual experience.

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.

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 equalty, 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.

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Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice

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Also available at Amazon.com or 800-843-4966.

With the purchase of 10 or more copies of this book, unlimited permission to reproduce the hymns is given.  With purchase of fewer than 10, for permission to reproduce the hymns please contact OneLicense.net  or CCLI.com.

Words we sing in worship have great power to shape our beliefs and actions. This second collection of hymns, like the first, will contribute to an expansive theology and an ethic of equality and justice in human relationships. Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice will empower people to take prophetic action on gender, race, interfaith cooperation, sexual orientation, ecology, and other social justice issues.

These hymns include female and male divine images to support the foundational biblical truth that all people are created equally in the divine image (Genesis 1:27).

Inclusive Hymns for Liberation, Peace, and Justice will instill belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. The predominant themes of social justice, peace, liberation, care of creation, partnership in relationships, and unity in diversity come from the prophetic tradition in Scripture. This collection also includes hymns of lament and hymns that celebrate special occasions. Many of the hymns are appropriate for interfaith settings. Most of the hymns are set to widely-known tunes, many with fresh arrangements.

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Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians

[ Reviews ]

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Also available at Amazon.com or 800-843-4966.

With the purchase of 10 or more copies of this book, unlimited permission to reproduce the hymns is given.  With purchase of fewer than 10, for permission to reproduce the hymns please contact OneLicense.net or CCLI.com.

The wide variety of biblical divine names and images in Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians will contribute to belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation.  Peace and justice flow from this belief.  This collection includes 116 hymns, notes and extensive indexes. These hymns draw from the prophetic, liberating tradition in Scripture.  Biblical themes, phrases, and images form the foundation for all the hymns.  Predominant themes of the hymns are peace, justice, resurrection, abundant life, liberation, new creation, and partnership in relationships.  This collection includes hymns that celebrate the seasons of the church year and other special occasions.

Balancing female and male divine names, Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians will lead to deeper understanding and experience of the Creator of all.  Some of the hymns resurrect female divine images, like Wisdom and Ruah, that have long been buried in Scripture and Christian tradition.  Bringing female sacred names into worship encourages the revaluing of the female so that the Gospel values of liberation and equality are realized.

Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians also supports the sacred value of people of color by changing the traditional negative symbolism of darkness.  These hymns symbolize darkness as creative bounty and beauty.  Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians will help churches and individuals in their journey toward freedom from racism, sexism, and other injustices.

For many of these hymns Jann Aldredge-Clanton draws from the rich tradition of hymn tunes, giving new expression to familiar music.  This hymn collection also includes original tunes and arrangements by composer Larry E. Schultz.  This new, vibrant music enhances the meaning of the texts.

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Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians CD

The 21 hymns recorded on this CD are selected from Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians. These hymns inspire justice and peacemaking. They empower women, men, and children of all races to become all they are created to be in the divine image. The wide variety of biblical divine names and images in Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians will contribute to belief in the sacredness of all people and all creation. Peace and justice flow from this belief. These hymns draw from the prophetic, liberating tradition in Scripture. Predominant themes of the hymns are peace, justice, resurrection, abundant life, liberation, new creation, and partnership in relationships.

Track 1

Track 9

Track 14

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Imagine God! A Children’s Musical Exploring and Expressing Images of God

[ Reviews ]

Available at Choristers Guild.

This musical offers children a multi-sensory approach to expressing numerous images of God as revealed in the Bible, the natural world, each individual, and relationships with others. Imagine God! teaches children that God is much greater than everything and everyone they know. Through a variety of female, male, and non-gender images of God, this musical invites children and adults to imagine a God who is both transcendent and immanent and to believe that the great Creator of the universe lives within them.

This musical includes female along with male divine names to instill the belief that girls as well as boys are created in the image of God, and that girls and boys are equally valued by God. Imagine God! contributes to an expansive theology of God and an ethic of equality and justice in human relationships.

Along with the music and narration in the score, the companion Imagine God! Production Guide provides ideas for creative art projects, dance and body movement, multi-generational participation, Bible exploration, and ministry activities that will enhance the learning and presentation of Imagine God! This musical works perfectly in any worship setting, music camp, or Vacation Bible School format. A demonstration CD is also available.

Track 1

Track 2

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We Thank You, God, for Animal Friends

Available at Choristers Guild.

This anthem of praise and thanksgiving invites all people to celebrate the gift of pets and animals. Ideal for use in animal blessing services or any service centered around God’s creation, this charming anthem reminds us that “all living creatures, large or small, are gifts from the Spirit, Maker of all!”

A winsome piano accompaniment and delightful melody creatively mirror the animated text that gives children a unique opportunity to thank God for their animal friends.

Intro

Track

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Sing and Dance and Play with Joy! Inclusive Songs for Young Children

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This collection offers a theologically rich and musically flexible resource for those who lead young children in music experiences in the church or at home. These songs include female and male divine images to teach the foundational biblical truth that male and female of all races are created equally in the divine image (Genesis 1:27). The music, teaching ideas, and activities can enhance the work of preschool church music groups and children’s choirs, and can be used in Church School classes, Vacation Bible Schools, daycare programs, music camps, and worship experiences for young children. The songs and activities in this collection teach children fairness, kindness, peace, sharing, helping others, and caring for the earth. Sing and Dance and Play with Joy: Inclusive Songs for Young Children comes with the hope that all children will learn an expansive theology of God and an ethic of equality and fairness in human relationships.

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Loving Friend of Everyone

Available at Choristers Guild.

This anthem is a prayer to the loving, gracious, and faithful Friend of everyone. Supported by a gentle, soothing melody, the prayer expresses gratitude for eternal, divine love and gives examples of how we should care for others. An optional descant on the final stanza may be sung or played by a C treble instrument.

Intro

Track

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Are You Good and Are You Strong?

Available at Alfred Publishing. Sheet Music | CD

This anthem seeks to express theodicy struggles as it presents honest questions asked by children of all ages during times of grief. The text provides an effective means of conversing with children and ministering to them in difficult situations. The theodicy questions conclude with the hopeful prayers that our Creator would “keep us safely from all harm,” and “rock us gently in Your arms.”

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