Songs for Ordinary Time

Come late November, the seasons of the Christian calendar will begin to recycle themselves. Advent will bring hopeful waiting and preparation, followed by the celebration of Christmas, identification with Christ’s suffering during Lent, redemption of Easter and the fulfillment of Pentecost. Yesterday we celebrated the promised gift of the Spirit of the Trinity. Today, we start counting Ordinary Time.

Ordinary Time…

The time of growth…

The time of day to day clinging to the vine and working out our faith with fear and trembling…

The time of going beyond the hopefulness, the waiting, the celebrating, the preparing…

The time of fleshing out what it means to be the Church and bring the Kingdom here on earth as it is in Heaven.

Ordinary time is when the Body of Christ stops staring up into the sky and starts living as the type of community that becomes the hands and feet of God toward a watching, waiting world.

Ordinary time deserves a soundtrack of its own.

Christmas gets entire sections of music stores devoted to it, and its such a tiny sliver of a season in comparison.

For the purpose of continuity, I’m using Pentecost as a jumping point, since the tracks came together in the midst of that focus.

Please feel free to suggest additions to the list… there’s no rule that says they all have to fit on one disc.

1. Joel – Daniel Amos

   I’ll pour my Spirit on all flesh, your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions… they will return to me.
   

2. Holy Spirit Come – Kate Miner

   Holy Spirit come. Holy Spirit dwell. Fill your Church with joy overflowing and peace overflowing and love overflowing in all of your Glory. Come.
   

3. Bhajo Naam – Aaradhna

   (This is an interpretation… the song is in Hindi… another tongue…)
   Sing His name, chant His name, the beautiful name, Jesus’ name…
   

4. Peace – Robbie Seay Band

   We can feel you move, and cannot stay the same. The winds are blowing strong. God of heaven come. Breathe peace. breathe your peace on us so we might breathe you deep.
   

5. Take to the World – Derek Webb

   Go in peace to love and to serve, and let your ears ring along with what you have heard, and may the bread on your tongue leave a trail of crumbs to lead the hungry back to the place you are from. And take to the world this love, this hope and faith. And take to the world this rare, relentless grace. And like the Three-in-One, know you must become what you want to save, ‘cause that’s still the way He takes to the world.
   

6. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah – Randall Goodgame (original hymn: William Williams)

   Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but thou art mighty; hold me with thy powerful hand.
   

7. Section 13 – The Polyphonic Spree

   Don’t fall in love with diamond rings or tragedy will somehow find its way in all that you hold true. Keep ‘em amazed with your mild devotion to majesty… keep the light on in your soul.

8. Said & Done – Speed the Plough

   On the way to work, I rush past people just like me. We’re really not alone, we’re just living life so separately… I could reach out for your hand and I am really not alone.
   

9. You Don’t Love God (If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor) – Rhonda Vincent

   Oh, you don’t love God, if you don’t love your neighbor, if you gossip about him, if you never have mercy, if he gets into trouble and you don’t try to help him, then you don’t love your neighbor, and you don’t love God.
   

10. Ben Franklin Must be Proud – Eric Hurst
    
    Hallelujah for the great American way, Ben Franklin must be proud - make all your money, then you throw it all away on a life that keeps you down. And I would never trade my life, and I would never give back time, and I would never trade my life… oh, I love the simple life.

11. On Time – Victoria Williams

    There once was a man with a clock on his hand, sour note in his heart, a tight grip on his plan. One day he awoke, back to hard times and spoke, “How long have I been blind to the fact that you’re always on time?”… They say no one will know the day or the hour. They say to just watch and pray and walk in His power. Because if you’re ahead, or lost way behind, then how will you know that you’re always on time?
    

12. Hush – Waterdeep

    When you feel like the days just drone on and on and on, and you feel like the nights seem quickly gone, and on the inside, you feel like your heart’s just gaping wide, and on the inside you feel like no one’s on your side… well, I AM.
    

13. Pass in Time – Beth Orton

    So much stays unknown till the time you are strong. Did you imagine you could ever feel so strong, and all your pain just turns into relief? All your doubt becomes your own belief? So come on now, come on now, child. You’re here just a while. You might as well smile, ’cause tomorrow, you just don’t know. It will pass. It’s gonna pass.
    

14. Tarantella – Madison Greene

    Come oppressed and broken child, serve around the firelight, sleep not a moment now, be not tempted by the night. Come abandon hopelessness… arouse your limbs with hope. The Drum, it calls you “dance!” There is life within you yet!
    

15. Past the Wishing – Sara Groves
    
    I’m gazing in these deep well waters, where the pennies of my life have all been cast, and I’ve decided I am going to save my money and do something that lasts. And you’ve shown me my “man of Macedonia”, you’re calling me further on. And I’m tired of saying “It’s a nice idea… I wish it could be done.”

Photo by clickykbd

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