Music for the Fourth Sunday in Lent (year B)

Readings for the week (including Roman variations) can be found here.  The points of difference between the Common Lectionary and its Revised cousin are the first reading and the Psalm.

If you follow the Revised Common Lectionary, the sequence of readings emphasizes the connections between the brazen serpent being put on a pole in the desert, and Jesus's crucifixion.  This is all highly unified, and offers some easy choices.

If you use the Common Lectionary (see the full readings here), the first reading and the psalm are connected up with the exile in Babylon.

Both tracks of readings develop a broader theme for this stage of the Lenten journey, with a strong message about God's mercy following on from last week's turning over of the tables in the temple.

And -- not to forget -- it's also the middle of Lent, which means you will be looking at lightening the fast for a week, or trying to mark Mothering Sunday in some way.

Psalm Setting

Psalm settings for this week have to take account of the two options available.  Settings for both can be found in Together in Song.

• For the RCL, a responsorial setting of Psalm 107 by Jenny O'Brien can be found at number 67.  This lilts along in 6/8, with a through-composed melody for the verses to which the words are fitted.
• For the CL, a metrical version of Psalm 137 is provided at number 85.  Most of the tune is a series of melodic sequences, which would be picked up fairly quickly by a congregation used to singing conventional hymn tunes.  If you prefer a responsorial setting, then Richard Rice's version is probably the most user-friendly item in this week's selections from the Chabanel Psalm Project.

It's a pity Together in Song doesn't provide gospel acclamations for Lent.  If you dig around in a good hymn book you'll find something, or you can always compose something for yourself.  Respond & Acclaim provides an acclamation for each week if you're looking for something simple.

Selecting hymns

All suggestions here come from Together in Song.  Some hymns might work better with alternative tunes, depending on the sense of adventure among your singers and congregants.

Introit
We give immortal praise [118]
Lift high the cross [351]
God of mercy, God of grace [452]

Before the Gospel
O the deep, deep love of Jesus [232, alternative tune: Blaenwern 590]  
So God loved the people of the world [241 -- metre highly irregular, this is the only possible tune!]
There is a green hill far away [350]

Offertory
What shall I do my God to love [122]
Salvation now to us has come [195]
Dear Christians, one and all, rejoice [196]

My song is love unknown [341]
Father of mercy, God of consolation [472]

Communion
To Christ, the Prince of Peace [335]
Christ is the heavenly food that gives [522]
Forth in your name, O Lord, I go [571]

Other possibilities

A spendthrift lover is the Lord [676, alternative tune Arbridge 35, which has to be played twice per verse]
He became poor that we may be rich [721, used as a repeating chant]

Mothering Sunday
Fold to your heart your sister and your brother [587, although you may prefer to use the unaltered version in the Australian Hymn Book, 503] 


Instrumental/Choral music
God so loved the world from The Crucifixion -- Sir John Stainer
An Wasserflussen Babylon [BWV 653 or 653b] -- J.S. Bach
Jesusu Christus, unser Heiland [BWV 665] -- Bach