Watch and Pray (Derek Parker) has followed up on the small congregation (conventional church, house church, worship group, the latter perhaps associated with the UUCF) worship book idea I mentioned earlier.
To his list of four liturgies, I would add a service of welcoming new members (to be used within another service) and a brief service upon hearing of a death, perhaps one flexible enough to be used in times of disaster.
The doxologies he mentions would be nice I assume he means GENEVAN PSALTER 100, but perhaps not and tunes could vary based on the ethnic and social background of the congregation.
Ditto the “easy to sing hymns” which will be the key. I think forty hymns, and another forty psalms and canticles (better and more properly described as “songs from the Bible”) would really help.
Now, from whence the content?
A starting place.
Link: Core Hymnody, including the list of 150 hymns, compiled by the Consultation on Ecumenical Hymnody.
Another link: An Analysis of Traditional Ecumenical Hymnody: Why the Great Hymns of the Past Are Still Being Sung Today
– As far as GENEVAN PSALTER is concerned, yes I mean GENEVAN PSALTER 100. As far as other doxologies are concerned, I can also think of a few “Alleluias” and “Amen” doxologies that are also easy to sing.
With regards to core hymnody, I would also look at some of the Quaker and Shaker hymns. These were often designed to be sung with only the voice. Traditional Hicksite and Wilburite Quakers had (and sometimes still have) an aversion to any church music that is not “plain” (plain = no piano or organ). Right now I’m specifically thinking of the Quaker’s “My Life Flows On In Endless Song”, and the Shaker’s “Tis A Gift To Be Simple”.