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8 — Three Easy Sung Responses to Enrich Your Worship
In worship, sometimes a simple adjustment can deepen engagement and create a more memorable experience for the congregation.
Here’s a fresh approach to try in your next service: instead of a spoken prayer response, try singing it!
Sung responses add a sense of unity and reverence to communal prayer, allowing everyone to participate actively.
Here are three sung responses I’ve written and used in my services, along with tips for integrating them effectively into worship.
How to Use These Responses
After each stanza of prayer, invite the congregation to join in singing a response.
Alternate between spoken word and sung response to create a rhythm, drawing people into the moment.
These responses can be accompanied by guitar, piano, organ, flute, or any available instruments, but they also work well unaccompanied.
Here are some tips:
Learn the melody: You don’t have to be perfect. Set the pitch at a comfortable level for your voice.
Prime a couple of strong singers in the congregation who can lead the way, encouraging others to join in.
Try a meditative style by singing the response and allowing a full minute of silence before singing it again. Repeat this two or three times. This gives space for personal reflection.
Sing in rounds: For "Happy Are We," try a two-part round where one group starts, then another joins in a bar later. For a round everyone should sing the whole response at least four times. Singing in rounds adds texture and depth to the experience.
Modulate for variation: Sing the response once, then repeat it a tone or two higher. This will feel uplifting.
Interspersed prayer: Sing the first phrase, offer a prayer, and follow with the second phrase to weave sung response with spoken word.
Click here for a short video of me singing the responses:
https://youtu.be/jZVLJfJqyE8
Click here for the MP3 audio file of me singing the responses
1. Happy Are We Who Have Work to Do,
Come and Help Us Serve the Lord
In the Methodist tradition we have a Covenant Service early in the year to affirm the missional work we will do and commit to each other as a team of clergy and lay church members for the coming year. Typically this is the first Sunday in February when people are back from summer holidays and if there have been changes of ministers, the new clergy are in place, having moved during January.
For this service, I wrote a Covenant Song. After trying the song in a service, I wasn’t happy with the verses and set them aside. But the refrain is a cracker!
Sung as a round or on repeat, this response is a meaningful reminder of our shared purpose and commitment to serve together.
2. Lamb of God, You Take Away the Sin of the World,
Have Mercy on Us
Translated from the traditional Agnus Dei text in the Latin mass, this response brings an ancient reverence to modern worship.
Lean into the word “sin,” highlighting the sharpened note for drama and emphasis. This response is well-suited for a Prayer of Confession or Prayer of Approach, followed by Words of Assurance.
Wellington composer Jonathan Berkahn wrote a choral work, A Hopkins Gloria, for our choir Festival Singers, inspired by Gerard Manley Hopkins’ text. I adapted this response from part of his work.
[Buy a digital recording of A Hopkins Gloria here: Festival Singers NZ – A Hopkins Gloria]
3. Living God’s Love, Acting for the Common Good
This response is based on our congregation’s vision statement, crafted a couple of years ago by our leaders.
The tune I started with for the second phrase was boring, and Heather suggested the falling line you see now. Much better!
Let me know how it goes!
I’d love to hear about your experiences using these sung responses in worship.
Do they resonate with your congregation?
Do you have other favourite sung responses you’d like to share?
Leave a comment below – I’m always excited to hear how these ideas unfold in your services.
Blessings.
Philip
21 November 2024