From Brian McLaren:  "In the Lord's Prayer, we not only acknowledge our sins ("Forgive us our trespasses") but also our hurts ("those who trespass against us.")  These days we have many songs about our sins, but few songs that acknowledge our hurts.  That was my goal in this song."

From CMP: Brian McLaren was on a road Sabbatical for the first 8 months of 2016.  During this time away from the grind of constant travel and preparation for live events Brian wrote, rewrote, compiled, and recorded demos (not finished studio recordings) of 21 songs.  9 of these demos are currently available here on the CMP site, and we are in the process of creating lead sheets and piano arrangements for them.  If you would like to purchase this entire collection of Brian's demo's, lyrics, and some notes he wrote about each song (21 songs for $18), please email Bryan Sirchio, CMP Lead Designer, and he will send you a link you can use to purchase Brian's entire collection.

"All Belong Here" is a new kind of call to communion, a call to remember who we are, and how much we are loved. It is a song that sees the Lord's Table as a place where we all belong. It reminds us that the whole world is God's table, where we can eat and be filled, where we can drink in the grace. Learn More

We Are a People of Hope can be used as a gathering or sending forth song. It's powerful refrain is easy for congregations to learn and sing. We are ALL the children of God, and we are ALL welcome at God's table. Learn More

I originally wrote “Love For Enemies” for New Braunfels Presbyterian Church (USA) in the Texas Hill Country. I was coming through on tour, playing a concert and doing some guest worship leading. One of the lectionary passages for that Sunday was Luke 6:27-38. After some searching I realized that I didn’t know many songs based on that passage, so I decided to write one. We strive to love our enemies because Jesus loved us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). This is such an important part of Christianity, but it’s so hard to actually live out, especially in an election year! As we seek to do justice let’s not forget to love kindness and walk humbly with our God, even in 2020. They will know we are Christians by our love. Learn More

"All my Life" is a contemporary setting of Psalm 73 and offers a little bit of everything! Ken Medema uses funky rhythmic music for us to sing about the frustration of walking in God's ways while watching evil flourish, and he pairs that with contemplative music as we sing a prayer of gratitude for our salvation and for God's abiding presence. This song is best suited for a vocal solo but the opening verses also allow congregational participation. "All my Life" can be performed with piano and additional rhythm section instruments (guitar and drums). Look for these additional titles in this series of Psalm settings by Ken: "God, I am Beaten, Battered, and Bruised (Psalm 56)," "It's Good to Give Thanks (Psalm 92)," and "We Will Raise Our Eyes (Psalm 121)." Learn More

A wonderful new song based on the "Taste and See" text from Psalm 34.  This is widely used as an invitation to the Table and a song to sing during Holy Communion.
 

Another beautiful, singable, earth-honoring chorus. Easy to play on guitar. This song works well for outdoor worship, church camp, or any time you want to connect with the sacred around you. The song also turns the idea that God is somehow "up" on its head, using imagery of the Spirit rising from the ground. The song works well as a gathering song, introit, call to worship, prayer, or as a congregational hymn. Written by Dr. Christopher Grundy, Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship at Eden Theological Seminary. One License #CGHiTP2002 Learn More

The lyric sheet product is a chord chart with lyrics and chords. The lead sheet product bundles lead sheet, congregational melody line and songleader's guide. This song is licensed via OneLicense.net, CCLI and Worldmaking.net. This song is part of Richard Bruxvoort Colligan's intergenerational camp song album, "Branching Out: Neo Camp Songs." This song centers on Romans 8:38-39, a passage abot God's unfailing love. Verses unpack the nitty gritty, the refarin is a catchy reminder of the heart of the Jesus tradition. Great for camp, intergeneratial worship or a hymn of praise in a liturgical service. Learn More