We Will Serve the Lord (Cooney)

This is a soft-rock style hymn about serving God.  It was is inspired by Joshua  24:15, and uses very blunt language to describe aspects of the human condition (possibly too blunt for it to be suitable in some liturgical uses).  Cooney later described it as

very macho [trying] to conjure the spirit of Joshua and the tribe at Shechem with its martial cadences
"Simple Choices for Pastoral Musicians" by Rory Cooney, © 1997

It was written by American Roman Catholic composer and liturgical musician Rory Cooney (b 1952) in 1985 and first released in 1986 by North American Liturgy Resources.

The song is set to an unnamed tune, also by Cooney. This has a 2/4 time signature. In the key of Fm, the first few notes are C FFF AG GFEF F with accompanying chords Fm Db Bb Fm.

Downloads

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Choral arrangement by Cooney

Examples

Small choir with praise band:

Duet with band - professional recording:

Singers with small group - "softer" professional recording:

Instrumental - praise band:

Original composer performing with a band at a reunion concert:

Small group with piano accompaniment (live recording):

Lyrics

The lyrics are copyright so cannot be reproduced here. But they are currently available on this page. A rough outline is:

1 Wealth can be an idol, built of gleaming gold ...

2 Pleasure is a siren, promising the flesh,

Chorus
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,
we will serve the Lord, we will serve the Lord!
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,
we will serve the Lord, we will serve the Lord!

3 Power is a hunger, burning in the breast ...

4 Father of all mercy, giver of all life,

See also

• Rock-style hymns
• Hymns about service

KEEP IN CASE ORIGINAL IS REMOVED, BUT DO NOT DISPLAY
Wealth can be an idol, built of gleaming gold,
bringing dreams of paradise, futures bought and sold.
Some will choose to gather it, all that they can hoard,
but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

2 Pleasure is a siren, promising the flesh,
brief relief from emptiness, a hiding place from death.
Some will choose to chase it until it leaves them bored,
but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

3 Power is a hunger, burning in the breast,
to walk among the mighty and trample on the rest.
Some will chose to gain it by lie or guile or sword,
but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Father of all mercy, giver of all life,
here we speak our covenant above the noisy strife.
Hear us shout in glory above the pagan horde:
as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.