Happy are we who have work to do…

This Worship Outside the Box post offers a simple sung prayer response that can also be sung as a two-part round.

It works well as part of a covenant service at the start of the year.

Happy are we who have work to do,
Come and help us serve the Lord.

About this song

This piece started out as a song for our annual Covenant service at the start of February one year, but the tune and words for the verses that I wrote were not working, so I discarded them.

That left the refrain, which I felt was quite effective.

The word “happy” deliberately calls to mind “blessed” in the beatitudes.

Our life has a purpose – Hallelujah! – and we invite others to join us in serving God.

How to sing/perform the song

Sing with a guitar or unaccompanied.

As with Kindle a Flame, you can use this song as a sung response to prayer – either in a small group or with a larger congregation.

A leader offers a line of prayer and the people respond singing. I have used this pattern for small group devotions.

You could also simply repeat the song a few times as a gentle meditation.

It works well sung in two parts as a round (but not in four parts). The second part starts when the those singing the first part get to the second bar.

I suggest that each part sings the 4 bars 3 times through.

Click here or the image below for a compact PDF of the music suitable to insert into an Order of Service or PowerPoint

Free Downloads

Click these links to download:

  • a midi file of the melody – once through single part
  • a midi file of the melody – three times through in two parts
  • an mp3 file of the melody – once through single part
  • an mp3 file of the melody – three times through in two parts
  • a Noteworthy Composer (2.75) setting

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Click the link below to order the PDF eBook in which this song appears ($10.00):

Kindle A Flame: Songs, Prayers & Poems: Creative Worship Volume 1

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