Keeping worship fresh and the worshipper engaged can be as easy as selecting a favorite hymn lyric to create a short litany or responsive reading. It’s so easy to do, remembering these three simple guidelines:

1. Find a hymn lyric that SPEAKS to you and others in your congregation. This may not be the best way to introduce new hymnody, but I certainly wouldn’t automatically rule it out.

2. Find scripture passages RELEVANT to the hymn topic. You’ll find most hymns are well-substantiated by a number of Old and New Testament scripture passages.

3. Select scripture passages that AMPLIFY, ECHO, and REITERATE the hymn lyric – especially if the lyric contains archaic language, you’ll want to amplify it for renewed understanding.

Come, Ye Thankful People, Come
Henry Alford (1844)
A responsive reading by John Parker (ASCAP)

Leader:​​ Come, ye thankful people, come

Congregation:​ We enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise!

Leader:​​ Raise the song of harvest home

Congregation:​ With Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in our hearts to God

Leader:​​ All are safely gathered in

Congregation:​ God has covered us with His feathers, and under His wings we find refuge

Leader:​​ Ere the winter storms begin

Congregation:​ I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

Leader: ​​God, our Maker doth provide

Congregation:​ Every good and perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights.

Leader:​​ For our wants to be supplied

Congregation:​ Our God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus

Leader:​​ Come to God’s own temple, come

Congregation:​ I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

Leader:​​ Raise the song of harvest home

Congregation:​ For we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Leader:​​ Come, Ye thankful people, come

All:​​ Come, give thanks to the Lord and sing!

Suggested related anthems:

IN THE SEASON OF OUR PLENTY (Parker/Patterson)​
IT IS GOOD TO GIVE THANKS (Parker/Pethel)​