These words by New Zealand hymn writer Shirley Erena Murray (1931-2020) speak to both the over-burdened holiday season plus our current political. May they help you to center this week.

Come and find the quiet center

in the crowded life we lead,

find the room for hope to enter,

find the frame where we are freed:

clear the chaos and the clutter,

clear our eyes, that we can see

all the things that really matter,

be at peace, and simply be.

Silence is a friend who claims us,

cools the heat and slows the pace,

God it is who speaks and names us,

knows our being, touches base,

making space within our thinking,

lifting shades to show the sun,

raising courage when we’re shrinking,

finding scope for faith begun.

In the Spirit let us travel,

open to each other’s pain,

let our loves and fears unravel,

celebrate the space we gain:

there’s a place for deepest dreaming,

there’s a time for heart to care,

in the Spirit’s lively scheming

there is always room to spare!

Words © 1992 Hope Publishing Company  

New Project Underway!

The WSMP Board has approved a project to commission a collection of anthems for children, teens, and amateur adult choirs. While the song "He's got the whole world in his hands" may be fun to sing, what does it teach our children? Our hope is to find new gender-inclusive language for The Holy One and share it in musically accessible songs and anthems. We have applied for a grant and are exploring creative ways to fund the project, such as working with the composition department at the Curtis Institute of Music and Wildflower Composers. The cost of a single 3-4 minute anthem is approximately $500-1000 depending on the composer. Would you like to donate a song??

Thank you for your support! 

Since 1995, the Women’s Sacred Music Project has been advancing women’s achievements in sacred music

Discovering a broad range of sacred music by women, much of it unpublished.

Publishing women’s sacred music in Voices Found, Leader's Guide to Voices Found, and Resounding Voices.

Commissioning works by women addressing themes of women in Sacred Scriptures.

Presenting concerts of sacred music by women of various religious traditions.

Educating individuals and communities in the rich resources of women’s sacred music.

This article appeared in the recent Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians. It is the second in a series offering hymn suggestions by women.

Resounding Voices

Resounding Voices is a collection of 70 new hymns and songs published in 2023 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Voices Found Hymnal.  It can be downloaded for free on The Hymn Society website here. Read our blog and learn about the individual hymns and songs by going to the Projects tab here.