Congregational Songs

Showing 145–156 of 261 results

  • Psalm 127: Wait for the Work of the Lord

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    We have a strange relationship to work. Some of us are workaholics. Others are “working for the weekend.”

    Of all the Pilgrim Psalms, Psalm 127 provides us a theology of work. As Eugene Peterson points out in A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, the first thing the Bible tells us about God is that God created–God worked. Work is at the core of who we are as creatures in God’s image. Unlike God, however, we have limits to what we can achieve with our work. Psalm 127 tells us that we can keep watch, but only God keeps us secure. We can plant, but only God can give the harvest. Peterson compares frantic activity on the one hand and detached laziness on the other. In between those extremes is work that is full of joy and meaning, that trusts the Lord for the miracles of life and food, and that rests securely in the Lord when work is over.

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

  • Psalm 128: Bless Us, O Lord

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    The idea of “blessing” runs throughout the Pilgrim Psalms, coming to full bloom in Psalm 128. The heart of this Psalm’s message is “Serve God, work hard, and God will bless you.” While this may sound like “works righteousness,” I would suggest a much simpler conclusion: God is very fond of us and wants to shower us with good things!

    “Bless Us, O Lord” sticks close to the theme, with the people singing only those four words in response to a leader’s verses.

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

  • Psalm 129: We Won’t Stay Down Forever

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    Our journey through the Pilgrim Psalms has covered a lot of emotional terrain, but Psalm 129 is still surprising: a fight-the-man screed sung by the scrappy underdog who’s waiting for vindication. What better way to express the pent up anger and down-but-not-out camaraderie of the Psalm than with the music of a full-throated sea chanty?

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

     

  • Psalm 13: How Long?

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

    Psalm 13 is the loneliest of Psalms. It begins with the famous words, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” In this song, I cast the “enemy” named in the Psalm as depression. The clues are all there: endless sorrow, feeling forgotten, emotional turmoil–even the lethargy and over-sleep that often accompanies depression. The Psalmist poignantly prays to be seen: “Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.” Certainly, we’ve all felt some of this at some point.

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

  • Psalm 130: From Down in the Depths

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    Psalm 130 ranks as one of the best-known Psalms of confession, second only to Psalm 51. Like all my Pilgrim Psalms, this song focuses on simplicity. The call and response format means the leader can “feed” new lines to the people. After singing it a few times it should be pretty easy to remember, even without music or words.

  • 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 131: Wait for the Lord

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    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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    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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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_134-bless_the_lord.mp3

    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.

Showing 145–156 of 261 results