• Psalm 121: Lift Your Eyes Up to the Mountains!

    Psalm 121: Lift Your Eyes Up to the Mountains!

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    This arrangement makes a beautiful Korean setting of Psalm 121 available to English-speaking congregations.

  • Psalm 131: Close to Your Heart

    Psalm 131: Close to Your Heart

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/close_to_your_heart-fellowship.mp3

    The song is short, simple, and heartfelt. My favorite thing about the it is the way the child/mother image places the child–and by extension, us–next to her mother’s (God’s) heart. That is not only a place of intimacy and comfort but a place where we can listen for God’s heart–God’s desire and will for us–turning the song from statement to prayer.

  • Psalm 132: Arise, O King of Grace, Arise (O Savior, Come)

    Psalm 132: Arise, O King of Grace, Arise (O Savior, Come)

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/psalm_132-o_savior_come.mp3"][/audio]

    Psalm 132 is not only one of the Psalms of Ascent, it is also one of the lectionary Psalms used in Advent. Isaac Watts teases out Christological imagery from the Psalm in a way that makes it a perfect Advent song, especially paired with the chorus, “O Savior Come.” However, it is not so Advent-specific that it can’t be used throughout the year, especially on Christ the King Sunday.

    PowerPoint slides for congregational singing are available from Digital Songs & Hymns.

  • Psalm 133: How Very Good and Pleasant

    Psalm 133: How Very Good and Pleasant

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_133-how_very_good.mp3

    My favorite setting of Psalm 133 is Barbara Boertje’s “How Very Good,” and this song adds solo verses between the congregational refrains. My study of the Psalm tells me that the oil represents–thinking broadly–the anointing that made Israel God’s people, and the dew represents God’s blessing through food and creation. Looking through New Testament eyes, we could interpret the oil as Jesus our anointed High Priest and/or the baptismal waters that set us apart as God’s people. The dew could become the bread and wine which are a foretaste of the eternal life promised at the end of Psalm 133.

    With that in mind–and with Barbara’s permission–I wrote 2 verses to go with the original song. The verses feel like they’re cut from the same cloth as the refrain and it expands Barbara’s original idea to include the text of the whole Psalm, without increasing the difficulty of the congregation’s part.

    Note: This recording is from a previous version of the song.

  • Psalm 134: Come, You People of the Lord

    Psalm 134: Come, You People of the Lord

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm134-come_you_people_of_the_lord.mp3

    Psalm 134 is both a call to worship and a benediction. Here it becomes a warm Gospel song that is easily accessible for congregational singing.

    Piano and vocal for congregational singing or unison choir. Purchase price allows you to print as many copies as you need for your ensemble.

  • Psalm 145: My Mouth Will Speak the Praise of the Lord

    Psalm 145: My Mouth Will Speak the Praise of the Lord

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_145-my_mouth.mp3

    The themes of God’s greatness, goodness, faithfulness, and righteousness in Psalm 145 are bookended by verses 1-2 and verse 21. In this musical setting, verse 21 becomes a refrain that follows two verses focused on God’s faithfulness and righteousness. Notice how the verse changes halfway through, with the lyrics switching from talking about God to praying to God. 

  • Psalm 149: Let God's People Sing a New Song

    Psalm 149: Let God’s People Sing a New Song

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm149-let_gods_people.mp3

    As the Psalter ends, it erupts into a chorus of Hallelujahs and Praise the Lords, naming a plethora of instruments that should be used to make the praise even more glorious. This song follows suit, with strings, brass, harpsichord, flute, accordion, and saxophone all joining in. Of course, you don’t need all the instruments featured on the recording; you lead this with a worship band, guitar, or the piano accompaniment that’s available below.

    The song was featured on the Cardiphonia album The Songs of the Psalter, Vol 5.1, part of a series that covers the entire Psalter.

  • Psalm 16: The Refuge of My Soul

    Psalm 16: The Refuge of My Soul

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    [embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_016-the_refuge_of_my_soul.mp3[/embed]

    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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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/bluett-psalm_2-blessing.mp3

    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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    [embed]https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/foothold_COS_07.10.16.mp3[/embed]

    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.