• BACK
• Click Here Cultural Resources
• Click Here Lectionary Commentaries

ANTI-DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SUNDAY

MUSIC & WORSHIP RESOURCES

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Nolan Williams Jr., Lectionary Team Liturgist and Sylveta Brown, Assistant Liturgist

Worship Planning Notes

• This Sunday provides a wonderful opportunity to connect worship with community outreach and in-reach. In preparation for this observance, make contact with local agencies and shelters that intervene on the behalf of battered women or children. Invite persons from these agencies as special guests for worship and reserve seating for them to sit together.
  
  
• Encourage members of your congregation who have experienced domestic violence to come forward. Empower them to assist in planning for this Sunday. Create ways for them to share their stories. This sharing can be in writing or through videotaped interviews. Once compiled, a special pamphlet could be published and distributed on this Sunday highlighting survivor stories of your membership, or a special video could be produced and shown with footage from the interviews.
  
  
• Another idea for community in-reach is to have each survivor bring one object that symbolizes their survivorship. For one their symbol may be a book from their freshman year at college—a time when they were finally free from their violent home environment. For another their symbol may be a directory from a local shopping mall where a spouse publicly embarrassed them for the last time—it was from this experience they gained the courage to leave their abusive partner. Once gathered, place all of the items together in the church narthex much like an art exhibition. Dress the table upon which the items sit and, if possible, shine a spotlight on the exhibit. The goal is to arrest the attention of worshippers as they enter the church. A note of explanation can be placed in the bulletin concerning the meaning of the Hope Exhibit.
  
  
• Finally, connecting in-reach with outreach, plan a special dinner for members who have come forth as domestic abuse survivors and your special guests who have come from the social service agencies, so that they can meet and fellowship following worship.

1. Call to Worship, Centering Prayer, and Litany
Call to Worship
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:22-27, NIV)

Litany

Leader:	Let us pray for our sisters and brothers who are discounted, defamed, and ridiculed…
ALL:	And for our sisters and brothers whose gifts are denied.
Leader:	Let us pray for our sisters and brothers who are experiencing the pain of family and societal violence…
ALL:	And for our sisters and brothers who are economically exploited.
Leader:	Let us pray for our sisters and brothers whose color, language, or other precious gifts make them targets of abuse and neglect…
ALL:	And for our sisters and brothers who are not with us today.
Leader:	Beloved, we acknowledge that violence exists in families in our land, and we commit ourselves to exposing that violence and to freeing those who suffer such violence from its crippling effects.
ALL:	Therefore, let us pray without ceasing…
Leader:	For children who suffer pain, degradation, and rejection from those responsible for their care,
ALL:	Grant them safety and protection, O God.
Leader:	For parents who suffer the anguish of their failures as parents,
ALL:	Grant them insight and healing, O God.
Leader:	For women and men who are abused and battered by those who profess to love them,
ALL:	Grant them strength and courage, O God.
Leader:	For women and men who batter those they love,
ALL:	Grant them the repentance which can change their lives, O God.
Leader:	For all those who suffer violence in their families,
ALL:	Grant them love, solace, and healing, O God.
Leader:	For all Christians and people of good will,
ALL:	Grant them openness to and compassion for those who suffer family violence, O God.
Leader:	God of Love and Creator of the Universe, restore all families to your loving care. Teach them calm strength and patient wisdom that they may overcome arrogance and division as well as anger and violence, that they may resolve conflicts without violence, and nurture one another in the spirit of love and peace.
ALL:	Amen.

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) I Will Trust in the Lord. Spiritual. Tune, (TRUST IN THE LORD), arr. by Jeffrey Radford and Nolan Williams, Jr.

(b) Just a Little Talk with Jesus. Text and Tune, (JUST A LITTLE TALK), by Cleavant Derricks

(c) Walk with Me. Traditional

(d) You Better Mind. Arr. by John Work

3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray. Traditional

(b) I Know I’ve Been Changed. Traditional

(c) God Said He Would Be. By Isaiah D. Thomas

(d) Get Me Out, Jesus. By John Boyd and Valerie Boyd

4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Authority. By Karen Clark-Sheard, Israel Houghton, and Aaron Lindsey

(b) Moving Forward. By Israel Houghton and Ricardo Sanchez

(c) I Will Trust You. By James Fortune and Terence Vaughn

5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) When Sunday Comes. By Donald Lawrence

(b) Work on Me. By Anthony C. Williams II

(c) Wailin’ to Dancin’. By Donald Lawrence

6. Anthems
(a) Those Who Wait on the Lord. By Craig Courtney

(b) Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted. By John Ness Beck

(c) My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. By Craig Courtney

(d) Let Me Hide Myself in Thee. By Craig Courtney (based upon “Rock of Ages” hymn)

7. Modern Songs
(a) I Am Not Forgotten. By Israel Houghton and Aaron Lindsey

(b) Set Me Free. By Myron Butler

(c) Corinthian Song. By V. Michael McKay

8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Just a Little Talk with Jesus. Text and Tune, (JUST A LITTLE TALK), by Cleavant Derricks

(b) I Smile. By Kirk Franklin

(c) I’m Going to Live So God Can Use Me. Traditional

(d) Shake Yourself Loose. By Auntun Foster, Bernard Haley, Kaija Hayes, and Vickie Winans

9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) God Will Take Care of You. Traditional. Arr. by Aretha Franklin

(b) Prayers of the Righteous. By Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, and Adrian Lindsey

(c) Intercession. By V. Michael McKay

10. Sermonic Selection
(a) I Speak Life. By Donald Lawrence

(b) For Ev’ry Mountain. By Kurt Carr

(c) Glory after This. By Sigmond Moria

(d) The Altar. By Kirk Franklin

11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) In Times Like These. Text and Tune, (IN TIMES LIKE THESE), by Ruth Caye Jones

(b) I Surrender All. By Judson W. Van De Venter. Tune, (SURRENDER), by Winfield S. Weeden

(c) I Need You to Survive. By David Frazier

12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) Lord, Make Me More Holy. Arr. by Roland M. Carter

(b) I Need You to Survive. By David Frazier

(c) Hold Up the Light. By Donnie Harper

Cites and Additional Information for Music and Material Listed

1. Call to Worship, Centering Prayer, and Litany
Litany
Adapted from Violence in the Family: A Workshop Curriculum for Clergy and Other Helpers, by Rev. Marie Fortune and members of the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence (Cleveland, OH: Pilgrim Press, 1991). Online location: http://www.ldrny.org/TOPNEWS/materials/litany.pdf accessed 1 February 2011

2. Hymns and Congregational Songs
(a) I Will Trust in the Lord. Spiritual. Tune, (TRUST IN THE LORD), arr. by Jeffrey Radford and Nolan Williams, Jr.
Location:
(b) Just a Little Talk with Jesus. Text and Tune, (JUST A LITTLE TALK), by Cleavant Derricks
Location:
(c) Walk with Me. Traditional
Location:
(d) You Better Mind. Arr. by John Work
Location:
3. Spirituals or Traditional Songs
(a) I Couldn’t Hear Nobody Pray. Traditional
Location:
(b) I Know I’ve Been Changed. Traditional
Location:
(c) God Said He Would Be. By Isaiah D. Thomas
Location:
(d) Get Me Out, Jesus. By John Boyd and Valerie Boyd
Location:
4. Gospel Songs for Choirs, Ensembles, or Praise Teams
(a) Authority. By Karen Clark-Sheard, Israel Houghton, and Aaron Lindsey
Location:
(b) Moving Forward. By Israel Houghton and Ricardo Sanchez
Location:
(c) I Will Trust You. By James Fortune and Terence Vaughn
Location:
5. Liturgical Dance Music
(a) When Sunday Comes. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
(b) Work on Me. By Anthony C. Williams II
Location:
(c) Wailin’ to Dancin’. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
6. Anthems
(a) Those Who Wait on the Lord. By Craig Courtney
Location:
(b) Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted. By John Ness Beck
Location:
(c) My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. By Craig Courtney
Location:
(d) Let Me Hide Myself in Thee. By Craig Courtney (based upon “Rock of Ages” hymn)
Location:
7. Modern Songs
(a) I Am Not Forgotten. By Israel Houghton and Aaron Lindsey
Location:
(b) Set Me Free. By Myron Butler
Location:
(c) Corinthian Song. By V. Michael McKay
Location:
8. Offertory Song or Instrumental
(a) Just a Little Talk with Jesus. Text and Tune, (JUST A LITTLE TALK), by Cleavant Derricks
Location:
(b) I Smile. By Kirk Franklin
Location:
(c) I’m Going to Live So God Can Use Me. Traditional
Location:
(d) Shake Yourself Loose. By Auntun Foster, Bernard Haley, Kaija Hayes, and Vickie Winans
Location:
9. Song or Instrumental for the Period of Prayer
(a) God Will Take Care of You. Traditional. Arr. by Aretha Franklin
Location:
(b) Prayers of the Righteous. By Israel Houghton, Aaron Lindsey, and Adrian Lindsey
Location:
(c) Intercession. By V. Michael McKay
Location:
10. Sermonic Selection
(a) I Speak Life. By Donald Lawrence
Location:
(b) For Every Mountain. By Kurt Carr
Location:
(c) Glory after This. By Sigmond Moria
Location:
(d) The Altar. By Kirk Franklin
Location:
11. Invitational Song or Instrumental
(a) In Times Like These. Text and Tune, (IN TIMES LIKE THESE), by Ruth Caye Jones
Location:
(b) I Surrender All. By Judson W. Van De Venter. Tune, (SURRENDER), by Winfield S. Weeden
Location:
(c) I Need You to Survive. By David Frazier
Location:
12. Benediction Song or Instrumental
(a) Lord, Make Me More Holy. Traditional. Arr. by Roland M. Carter
Location:
(b) I Need You to Survive. By David Frazier
Location:
(c) Hold Up the Light. By Donnie Harper
Location:

• Click Here Cultural Resources
• Click Here Lectionary Commentaries