• Psalm 16: The Refuge of My Soul

    Psalm 16: The Refuge of My Soul

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    This song chronicles a life from birth to death under God’s care.

    At first glance, it may seem like the song has little to do with the Psalm 16. It uses none of the “protect me, God” or “path of life” phrases that other settings of this Psalm use. Instead, it goes a layer deeper, into the Psalm’s structure.

    Samuel Terrien proposes that Psalm 16 is made up of 6 strophes, with the first three mirroring the last three. In broad strokes, the Psalm begins its focus on things of earth and moves toward heaven. As I meditated on the Psalm it suddenly struck me that it closely follows the span of human life. It is very clear in the last two strophes, which focus on the grave and eternal life. Working your way backward, you can see further life milestones: the growth of wisdom (strophe 4) and earthly blessings (strophe 3). The first two strophes are less clear, but with a bit of imagination, I recast the first strophe’s protection and refuge as the womb and the sacrifices to false gods in strophe two as the sins of youth. It’s easier to understand when you see the Psalm and my song side by side as in this PDF.

  • Psalm 20: Blessing

    Psalm 20: Blessing

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    Kate Bluett’s beautiful rendering of Psalm 20 is simply called “Blessing.” She has recast the language of the Psalm in a way that speaks powerfully into our own context. For example, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses” becomes “Some trust in arms and some in power.” In my estimation, this is exactly the kind of “transplanting” that should take place in modern Psalm songs.

  • Psalm 25: Foothold

    Psalm 25: Foothold

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    Debra Rienstra won the Fuller Seminary School of Psychology Fortieth Anniversary hymn competition with this hymn text based on Psalm 25. Originally paired with the hymntune KINGSFOLD, I wrote a new tune in a jazz ballad style that brings out the more prayerful, pleading, and melancholic aspects of the words.

  • Psalm 26: Upheld

    Psalm 26: Upheld

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_026-upheld.mp3

    Many Psalms talk about God putting them on solid rock, but only Psalms 26 and 143 use the phrase “level ground.” It echoes the words of Isaiah 40: “Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” This image tells us that God is making a way, clearing a path for us.

  • Psalm 31: In You, Lord, I Refuge Take

    Psalm 31: In You, Lord, I Refuge Take

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    Wendell Kimbrough’s setting of Psalm 31 is simple, but also profound, translating the desperate prayer of the Psalm into fresh language that sings well. I have written an SATB version, a choral descant, and a flute descant.

  • Psalm 31: In Your Shadow Is My Refuge

    Psalm 31: In Your Shadow Is My Refuge

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    Psalm 31 has a place in Holy Week worship because Jesus quoted it from the cross: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Though verses 9-13 give a glimpse into the terror of the cross, much of the Psalm focuses on trust in God’s deliverance. Kate Bluett has written a lovely setting of 31 which captures not only the heart of the Psalm, but also the structure, from plea for help to description of affliction to final words of hope. It is a great comfort to me to know that I can meditate and hope in the same scriptures that Jesus recited in his time of deepest distress.

     

  • Psalm 4: I Rest in You

    Psalm 4: I Rest in You

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    Psalm 4 is the lament of someone whose honor has been impugned. You can hear the theme of shame and honor recurring throughout. Ultimately, though, the Psalmist chooses to rest in the Lord. It reminds me of what Richard Foster says in The Celebration of Discipline—I believe in the section on silence—about not speaking in defense of yourself, but simply allowing your reputation to stand on its own. This lack of control is frightening, especially when your name is at stake, but ultimately we can’t control what others think of us. In this song, the lyrics and music turn the Psalm from an indignant defense (“Break their teeth, O Lord”) into a quiet prayer in the night. 

  • Psalm 40: I Will Wait Upon the Lord

    Psalm 40: I Will Wait Upon the Lord

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    This was written for Cornerstone University Ministry at the request of Henry Knapp. I chose Psalm 40 because I felt that the image of the feet being placed on solid rock could be appropriately updated to refer to the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone of our faith.

  • Psalm 40: Patiently

    Psalm 40: Patiently

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    This meditative rendering of Psalm 40 won the 2017 Church of the Servant New Psalm Contest. You can read the whole story below.

  • Psalm 46: O Lord of All, You Are Our Home

    Psalm 46: O Lord of All, You Are Our Home

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    Psalm 46 offers comfort and hope in times of trouble. It doesn’t promise that we won’t experience hardship, but that God will be with us in those times.

    In Martin Luther’s famous setting of Psalm 46, “A Mighty Fortress,” he focused on themes of strength and battle. In my setting, I highlight the Psalm’s images of God as a refuge–God’s stable presence among us in a chaotic world–concluding each verse with an affirmation of hope: “The Lord of all is with us.”