Congregational Songs

Showing 145–156 of 251 results

  • Psalm 131: Wait for the Lord

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/psalm_131-wait_for_the_lord.mp3"][/audio]

    Many of the Pilgrim Psalms include the admonition “Wait for the Lord,” but Psalm 131’s waiting is centered on a contented, child-like trust. In keeping with the Psalm’s mother/child image, I wrote it as a lullaby.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

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

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    [embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/o_savior_come.mp3[/embed]

    This text teases out Christological imagery from the Psalm in a way that only Watts can do, making this song perfect for both Christ the King Sunday and the season of Advent.

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

  • Psalm 132: Dwell in Us

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/psalm_132-dwell_in_us.mp3"][/audio]

    Psalm 132 is a Messianic history psalm. It tells the story of David vowing not to rest until he had built a house in Jerusalem for the ark of the covenant. God, in turn, honors David’s devotion by promising that one of his descendants will forever occupy the throne in Jerusalem. Today we understand this promise to be fulfilled in Jesus.

    I chose to tease out the Advent overtones of the psalm, inviting God to make a dwelling place in our hearts. “Dwell in Us” is unique among my Pilgrim Psalms in that it features chant, which allows the whole story to be sung.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

  • Psalm 133: How Good and Beautiful

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/psalm_133-how_good_and_beautiful.mp3"][/audio]

    Psalm 133 is the quintessential ode to the unity of God’s people. I have set Psalm 133 to music three times in the past, but for the Pilgrim Psalms, I wanted to write something rougher and more muscular. Why? Because it takes a lot of work–even fighting–to achieve the kind of unity that Psalm 133 describes.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

  • Psalm 133: What Wondrous Joy

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/what_wondrous_joy.mp3

    This setting of Psalm 133 by Michael Morgan was included in a book celebrating the career of Emily Brink: One Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church: A Scrapbook of Worship Resources for the Worldwide Church. The grande dame of congregational song, she retired in 2014. Of course, I was happy to add a tune to Michael’s text and a contribution to Emily’s collection.

  • Psalm 134: Bless the Lord!

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/psalm_134-bless_the_lord.mp3"][/audio]

    The biblical Songs of Ascents, and my Pilgrim Psalms song series, conclude with Psalm 134. It is a fitting conclusion, with the people blessing God and God blessing the people. What better way to capture this volley of blessings than with a ten-part round?

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

  • Psalm 135: I Know the Lord Is Great!

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_135-i_know_the_lord_is_great.mp3

    Hunter Lynch’s lyric based on Psalm 135 is an exuberant ode to God’s might. It is accompanied by a funky gospel tune. It is likely more complicated than most congregations could tackle, but it would be perfect for Jazz or Gospel choirs.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

     

  • Psalm 137: So Far from Home

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/08-So-Far-From-Home.mp3"][/audio]

    “So Far from Home” is a setting of Psalm 137, which includes the imprecation: “Blessed is he who dashes their babies against the rocks.” What is an imprecation if it’s not a curse? In this case, I decided to recast Psalm 137 in a modern context, replacing harps with guitars and the Psalms oppressors with the modern forces of human misery: slave traders, pimps, and wars.

    This song is mentioned in Greg’s podcast, “Russians.”

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to OneLicense.

  • Psalm 141: O Lord, I Call to You, Please Hear Me

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/Psalm-141_-O-Lord-I-Call-to-You.mp3

    A jazz Psalm is out of the sweet spot of many congregations, but this might be a good place to start. A one-note refrain is paired with straightforward metrical verses. If I were leading this in a congregation, I’d likely have them sing that simple eight-measure phrase only, leaving the verses to a soloist until it became familiar.

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

  • Psalm 143: O Lord, Hear My Prayer

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_143.mp3

    One doesn’t usually associate jazz with responsorial Psalms. But as you can hear, this song has everything a good responsorial Psalm needs: a quickly learnable refrain, verses that can expand or contract to match the length of the text, and clear harmonic movement to support the chant. Give it a try!

  • 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 146: Praise the Lord!

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_146-praise_the_lord.mp3

    Charles Freeman wrote this text for Psalm 146, an exuberant Psalm of trust and praise. When I sat down at the piano to write the music, I immediately heard Black Gospel. I wanted this song to sit comfortably between Andraé Crouch’s “Bless the Lord” and James Moore’s “Taste and See.”

    This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.

Showing 145–156 of 251 results