Dwellings Worship Series, week 2 — VICTORY
November 11, 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.

Better Is One Day

Source: CCLI #1097451
Recommended Key: E
Tempo: 72-76 bpm
Instrumentation: Full band, piano, or guitar
Notes: One of the most popular CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) songs to have come from the 1990s, Matt Redman’s classic has been adapted across cultural lines and in different styles. We recommend this song of adoration as a possible theme song throughout the “Dwellings” series. Keep the rhythm of the accompaniment simple while the congregation sings the chorus, which resembles a rhythmic chant.

Soon and Very Soon

Source: Songs of Zion, 198; The United Methodist Hymnal, 706; Come, Let Us Worship, 385
Recommended Key: F–G
Tempo: 64–76 bpm (half-note)
Instrumentation: Full band, rhythm section, piano, or organ
Notes: This well-known gospel song of the late twentieth century is another suggestion for a theme song for this series, especially considering the hope found throughout these scriptural narratives, beginning with All Saints and ending with the Reign of Christ. The wide tempo suggested is based upon the variety of contexts in which it can be used.
Resources: History of Hymns: "Soon and Very Soon" »

Dwell in Your House

Source: CCLI #3001637
Recommended Key: A
Tempo: 92–100 bpm
Instrumentation: Full band, guitar, or piano
Notes: Another suggested theme song, this work from Hillsong turns the image of “dwelling” into where we may dwell with God. Inviting the congregation to sing the entire song or just the chorus are both appropriate approaches to this modern worship song.

Lord Reign in Me

Source: CCLI #2490706
Recommended Key: B♭–C
Tempo: 92–96 bpm
Instrumentation: Full band or guitar with percussion
Notes: The final suggested theme song for this month, this text brings together the images of God’s dwelling place and the Reign of Christ into one song. The rhythmic, memorable chorus will “dwell” in your ear long after the sending forth is concluded. Using a percussion instrument with whatever is used for pitched accompaniment will help make the rhythmic syncopation throughout the song more accessible for the congregation.

I’m So Glad Jesus Lifted Me

Source: The Faith We Sing, 2151
Recommended Key: G–A
Tempo: 72–78 bpm
Instrumentation: A cappella, organ, piano, or rhythm section
Notes: This spiritual is easily learned and sung, although the rhythm often varies from what is included in The Faith We Sing. The second measure, for instance, often contains a sixteenth note and a dotted eighth on the second beat, creating a more syncopated and rhythmic feel. Clap on beats two and four (not one and three!).
Resources: Piano accompaniment (McIntyre) »

Hallelujah! What a Savior

Source: The United Methodist Hymnal, 165
Recommended Key: B♭
Tempo: 100–112 bpm
Instrumentation: Organ or piano
Notes: From the gospel-era pen of Philip P. Bliss (the composer of the tune VILLE DU HAVRE, which is paired with “It Is Well with My Soul,” UMH 377), comes a hymn that addresses the atonement and the wonder at the gift of salvation. Sing with a sense of direction that always leads in intensity toward the last phrase of each stanza, “Hallelujah! What a Savior!”
Resources: History of Hymns: "Hallelujah! What a Savior" »

My God, I Love Thee

Source: The United Methodist Hymnal, 470
Recommended Key: F
Tempo: 88–96 bpm
Instrumentation: Organ or piano
Notes: Known by many church musicians as the text to Jane Marshall’s “My Eternal King,” this hymn represents a personal statement of love from the singer to God. It is written in a traditional chorale format, and it is accessible to both choirs and congregation. For choirs singing this in four parts, the bass part is the most challenging.

The Wonderful Cross

Source: CCLI #3148435
Recommended Key: D
Tempo: 88 bpm
Instrumentation: Full band, guitar, or piano
Notes: Chris Tomlin, J. D. Walt, and Jesse Reeves have taken the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and written a chorus to be paired with it that focuses upon Christ’s crucifixion and the atonement. Found on the green list of Discipleship Ministries’ CCLI Top 100 Vetting Project, this hymn appropriately addresses the atonement through the language of love and salvation, while making sacrifice and resurrection a current reality, not just a past event.
Resources: History of Hymns: “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” »