This songbook is the work of many people. It is a collection of 30 songs that have been joyfully offered by songwriters who are members of the Brunswick Uniting Church congregation. We acknowledge this gift first and foremost.

You can download the book here

  • Individual copies of the songs with reference recordings here.
  • Song words only here.
  • Scripture References here.

Foreword

Church is one of the few places left where people, regardless of age or ability, sing together. We sing, not to be the best singer, not to bask in the beauty of our own cleverness as singers, not even to listen to others who sing very nicely. We sing to worship God as one people joined in song. It is, in some ways, the simplest form of communal participatory worship that we know.

Songs are also part of Sunday’s worship that stays with us during the week. Along with a phrase or two from a prayer or sermon, a strain of melody will play itself over and over as we go about our daily work, reconnecting us to our faith community, reminding us of God’s presence, calling us to prayer.

And yet, we don’t seem to be happy to sing just one or two simple chants. Even after 2000 years since Christ, and many more years since Creation, the worshipping community still has this compulsion to write and sing new songs to our God. As we experience God in new ways, we keep finding new ways of expressing our relationship with God and our hope for God’s church and the world. This book is a collection of songs written by a group of churchgoers in inner-city Melbourne, that speak of our doubts and hopes, sorrows and dreams.

We know that our experiences of God and society are shared by others, and so these songs come from our community to yours. I pray that you will find as much meaning in them as we do, and that these songs will inspire you, comfort you, sustain you, and help you and your community to worship our Creator. I pray that you will join us as we join with Miriam and with David. Pick up your tambourine! Pick up castanets, lyres and cymbals, guitars, trumpets and saxophones! Sing and dance before our God with all your might!

Natalie Sims

Acknowledgements

The songs were first collected, printed and brought into regular congregational use in two draft editions, both compiled by Natalie Sims.

The published version (now out of print) arose from our desire to share the songs more widely.  A reference CD* was also recorded so that musicians and song leaders could use it as an aid to learning the songs. The worship committee and songwriters want to acknowledge with great enthusiasm the work of Chris Lees and Dave Brown for all their work on the publishing and recording project.

In particular we want to think Chris for all his work in engineering, mixing and producing the CD, and for his reworking of all the notations (and in many cases arranging the music) in piano/vocal format. We also want to thank Dave for his work in managing and overseeing the project, collecting and editing the song blurbs, and generally supporting and encouraging everyone involved.

The worship committee also wants to acknowledge the commitment of the songwriters to the project as they have sought to present their work in a highly professional manner, and of the additional musicians and singers involved in recording the CD.

We hope that all sing these songs feel as inspired and uplifted as we do!

Worship Committee, Brunswick Uniting Church, 2008

Copies of the reference CD are still available on request.