'Cross this land tonight" was commissioned for use at 2012's worship celebration of the founding of the Australian Inland Misson (now Frontier Services) by Rev John Flynn. It was sung by Ted Egan and especially recognises the 'mantle of safety' Flynn sought to spread across the outback of Australia.

(Words Colin McRae, music John McRae) This song is dedicated to the memory of Beth McRae, wife of Colin and mother of John, who used to say, “Life is minute by minute living and loving”. It has been used at funerals as well as regular worship. It can be used as a solo, congregational song or for a SATB group. The chords are a simplified version of the four-part harmony and are best used with unison singing.

This was one of my earliest songs, written in 2005 for the singing group at Koornang UC, and has since become a Christmas favourite of the congregation.  The rhythm and use of repetition is intended to create a sense of anticipation as events unfold. The message is of hope coming in unexpected ways.

Reflection on the work of the Trinity in our world and our response. Stylistically a modern hymn. This was written to fit with a congregation’s new byline, ‘Where faith inspires life’ – a lyric which features in both this song and in ‘People of Eternity’.

A friend’s birthday inspired this song. My friend works as a chaplain with the elderly, but has also worked in prison ministry. In her personal life she has overcome many personal difficulties and challenges, yet she always has a smile and loves talking about Jesus and the gospel. Her love for the Lord and passion to share the gospel is an inspiration to me. All Glory celebrates the gospel we proclaim and the love, joy and hope that are made available to us through Christ (Rom.1:16).

In September 2006 I’d just got back from my first international trip, a four-week whirlwind tour of New York, Helsinki, London, Paris and Tokyo.  In the first few days after getting back I sat down at my piano and out tumbled this tune.  I remember that I was blown away by how the big the world was and how many experiences there were to be had.  Yet all of this is held in balance by the God of creation and the vastness of its glory is cupped in the palm of God’s hand. Four years later my wife’s birthday present was a tattoo on my right wrist of the Alpha and Omega symbols, a constant reminder that God is the beginning and end; God is the reason that we’re all here in the first place. I’ve used this song in a variety of ways from solo to full band.

While on holiday in Sabah, Malaysia, I had been reflecting and meditating on words in Revelation chapter 21. During a time of singing in a church service while there, I had a wonderful momentary vision of the glory of God. It was life-changing in the sense that I realised that the glory of God is far above and beyond anything that I can fully comprehend or imagine and, as a result, I realised anew the incredible love, mercy and undeserved grace of my Lord. Alpha Omega was written in response to this experience and scriptural truth.

This is an Easter song written after contemplating the meaning of the cross of Jesus. It has been used during Lent and for Good Friday. Some of the thoughts were influenced by the writing of NT scholar Walter Wink.

This version of the “Apostolic benediction” (2 Corinthians 13:13) began as an exegesis assignment when I was in my second year of training at Trinity College, in Brisbane (1979). I’d spent several weeks working on those great Pauline words charis (grace), agape (love) and koinonia (fellowship) – essentially a summary of the Gospel that had stopped St Paul in his tracks on the way to Damascus and given him the marching orders for the rest of his life. After spending a lot of time exploring the depth and complexity of those words I just wanted to find a simpler, more direct way of translating them. So in the little chorus I wrote it became “kindness”, “love” and “friendship” – familiar, ordinary, but still profound.

I was the chaplain to a childrens’ camp at Alexandra Park that summer, and taught the kids the song to use in our evening prayer time. A couple of months later I recorded a concert with a band (our first performance) at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. (My live album, “I’ve Got Eyes” was recorded that night.) After a few of hours we’d played every song we knew – some twice – but the packed audience were still calling for an encore. The only thing I had left to play was the Benediction. So I came out on stage again by myself. I sang it through once to thank and bless those lovely friends and bid them good night. As I started to go through it a second time people began to sing along softly. Their voices gathered and strengthened as they realised that somehow they already knew by heart the song that they’d just heard sung for the first time. It was a graced moment as we settled into the final “…be with us”.

I was participating in a song-writing workshop with renowned composer Robin Mann. Taking with me about the gospel reading of the week – John 3:1-17 – with its story of the encounter between Jesus and Nicodemus, I went outside with my keyboard to get creative. However, the wind made things a challenge, blowing my papers about – as God’s wind is inclined to do. And so this song was born...

This song was written in late 2006, just as I was about to commence my ordination studies. It is a plea for the sacramental life of the church to inform and inspire the missional life of the church.
I was struck that, in my tradition at least, Communion can be perceived to be an act that embodies scarcity (tiny pieces of bread and little glasses of juice) and exclusion (limited to those who ‘understand what they are doing’).
It occurred to me that Communion is actually about abundance and inclusion. In Cana, Jesus makes more than enough wine. In feeding the five thousand and the four thousand, there is a lot left over. And at the very first ‘Last Supper’, Jesus willingly broke bread and shared wine with a denier (Peter), a doubter (Thomas) and even a betrayer (Judas). You see, abundance and inclusion.

 

This song encourages us to bring hope and the good news about living the Jesus way to those most in need and hurting in the world. It also acknowledges the challenge of living in a changing world and the hope for a better future for all.

This song was inspired by John 1:43-51; acknowledging firstly that Christ was most certainly something good from Nazareth AND that we go beyond our prejudices and look for Christ in those whose ways and views differ from our own. Bit of a jazz/blues feel.

Before writing this song I noticed people around me who were going through tough times. Some suffered depression, some were grieving the loss of someone close, and some people were searching for their place in life and felt lost. Having been through some of these experiences myself, I know the frustration of not wanting to live this way. I also know of the healing that can take place and the feeling of being ‘carried’ through life by our Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This song takes you on that journey from despair to freedom, from darkness to light. This song works well with PowerPoint images of people in need to people who have been set free. It can also work well with images from developing countries showing images of those in need; to those who have been helped by organisations like UnitingWorld.

Among all that we celebrate at Christmas, right at the centre of things, we praise God for God’s gifting of Christ – Emmanuel – God with us.

It was 1992, and I had just finished watching the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games at Barcelona. I was so inspired by what I saw, that I went straight to the piano and started playing the chorus riff of Celebrate. Before I knew it the chords for the verses followed. I was attending a particular Church at the time. The church had predominately new Christians that were still discovering their faith, and exercising it in all sorts of ways in their local community. With a Sunday School of over 60 children, it was an exciting place to be and to witness. For this reason I wrote the phrase ‘People of the King’ and not ‘Children of the King’ to motivate and encourage the Congregation in their faith journey, as they reached out and built bridges with the local community.

This song is rocky and works well with a full band, and is one where everyone can let their hair down. With a full band, the bass really drives this song. In the congregations I have been in, we have not had full bands available, so piano with confident song leading also works well. Congregations appear to pick up this song well, and there is not anything complicated in the melody to throw people. The song seems to work best in the Key of F (as written) with the highest note being the D (4th line of Treble Clef) which is at the beginning of the Chorus.

It is with great pleasure that the 2012 UCA Assembly Song Writing Competition for Alison Campbell Rate's song Child of Light came a close second, runners up.  Congratulations Alison!!

This song was written in 2011 to fill a need in the parish I serve as Minister of Word and Sacrament. For some time I have used St Patrick’s Breastplate as a devotional tool, or more accurately, what I could remember of St Patrick’s Breastplate. It is this ‘remembering’ that has informed this song.

This song celebrates the Incarnation, the truth of a God who has invaded this world and made it his own. In the chorus, it goes on to flesh out this reality, that if God is here, then ‘every bush is on fire’, as Jean Calvin put it, and all ground is ‘holy ground.’

The verses, with their simple variations of ‘Christ before me’, ‘Christ before you’ and ‘Christ before us’ enable us to proclaim this truth for ourselves, on behalf of others who may not know it or believe it, and together as God’s people.

Written in the aftermath of the Brisbane/Queensland floods in January 2011 and from personal experience, the song celebrates the compassionate presence of Christ in those who, in a sense, are Christ’s hands, feet and voice, amid those who lament and cry out. Allusions to Matt 25 – parable of the sheep and goats. – “I was hungry and you fed me, naked and you clothed me…”

This song was written with a specific purpose in mind – a modern day Christmas carol. It touches on issues not usually raised in Christmas songs. It looks at the ‘silly season’ that we all face every year; the end of year functions, the rush, the list of things to do before Christmas. It also reflects on the reality that, for some, Christmas brings with it happy ‘family and friends’ gatherings, but for others it can bring difficult times, for example, those who have lost someone or those who are away from home. We wanted this song to give the message that slowing down and taking time to be still over the Christmas season may refresh our outlook on Christmas and all its trimmings, and reveal the true message of Christmas. This message is one of Hope and Peace, the true gifts of Christmas.