BUILD UP | ...In Love Worship Series, week 1
August 5, 2018

The following selections are congregational songs (most of which are chosen from this week’s Hymn Suggestions) with notes on key, tempo, and instrumentation, along with some practical and creative considerations in singing.

There’s a Spirit of Love in This Place

Source: Worship & Song, 3148
Recommended Key: E♭
Tempo: 60-64 bpm
Instrumentation: Piano, organ, band, or rhythm section
Notes: This song by Mark Miller would make a great theme song for the entire “...In Love” series. Singing this work would be fitting at any point during the worship service, but it would be especially poignant as the last song of an opening worship set to put the language of love and peace on the mouths of the gathered community near the beginning of the service.
Resources: There's a Spirit of Love in This Place Hymn Study »

They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love

Source: The Faith We Sing, 2223
Recommended Key: Em–Fm
Tempo: 92-136 bpm (quarter note)
Instrumentation: Organ, piano, solo guitar, strings, or any band ensemble (rock, jazz, etc.)
Notes: Another option for a theme song for the series, I would wager this is one of the most widely sung works across worship styles throughout the church. The unity expressed in the text and the immediately recognizable tune make this a congregational favorite, even across generational lines. As indicated in the tempo suggestion above, it is possible to sing this in a variety of ways, whether slow or fast, and across genres. Experiment with the accompaniment, and be encouraged to sing boldly!

In Unity We Lift Our Song

Source: The Faith We Sing, 2221
Recommended Key: C
Tempo: 100-108 bpm
Instrumentation: Organ or piano
Notes: Written to Martin Luther’s well-known tune EIN’ FESTE BURG, this text calls us to embrace unity within community, and the tune further supports the image of a fortress (a la “A Mighty Fortress”) as one that strongly unites.
Resources: History of Hymns: "In Unity We Lift Our Song" »

Make Us One

Source: Zion Still Sings, 93; The Faith We Sing, 2224
Recommended Key: C
Tempo: 48 bpm
Instrumentation: Piano, organ, rhythm section
Notes: This is a very short, slow chorus that can be used liturgically at different points throughout the service to reinforce the spirit of unity. Three-part (and possibly four-part) gospel harmonies are included in the Singer’s Edition of these resources.

One Bread, One Body

Source: The United Methodist Hymnal, 620
Recommended Key: G
Tempo: 84-90 bpm
Instrumentation: Guitar, piano, or organ; wind or string instruments can also play on melody
Notes: Originating from popular folk traditions in the 1960s and 1970s, this congregational song is always a great choice on Communion Sundays. It includes text that addresses the open table–Christ’s table–in which all people who repent of their sins and seek to live in peace with one another are welcome to dine.

We Are One in Christ Jesus (Somos Uno en Cristo)

Source: The Faith We Sing, 2229
Recommended Key: Em
Tempo: 90-94 bpm
Instrumentation: Guitar, piano, percussion
Notes: The Spanish text of this song is fairly easy to learn, so we encourage you to sing it in Spanish. If you are using the pew songbooks, the translation is there for those who need it. If you have a license to reprint the words on the screen, put the Spanish and English translations together. Keep the instrumentation light, the rhythm bouncy, and the atmosphere celebratory!

Perfect Us in Love

Source: See Resources link below
Recommended Key: D
Tempo: 88-92 bpm
Instrumentation: Piano, guitar, or organ
Notes: This work was created for use in Discipleship Ministries’ worship series by Taylor Burton-Edwards, and it is a combination of two Charles Wesley texts, “Jesus, United by Thy Grace,” and “Try Us, O God.” Language of “building up” is included, along with a text that lifts up the doctrine of Christian perfection.
Resources: View and download the "Perfect Us in Love" Musical Score »