Congregational Songs

Showing 217–228 of 272 results

  • Psalm 80: Restore Us, O God!

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/restore_us_guitarchestra.mp3

    Eugene Peterson argues that we sanitize the Psalms. His Bible translation, The Message, attempted to restore some of the grittiness of the original Hebrew. If this is true in Bible translation, it’s even more true in the way we sing the Psalms–we edit out the difficult verses and sing the rest very piously. “Restore Us, O God!” has a folk music (almost Klezmer) feel that brings out the urgency of Psalm 80’s lament.

     

  • Psalm 81: Sing to God Our Strength

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/Ps081-sing_to_god.mp3

    Psalm 81 should be sung more often. In this song, the Psalm’s opening music images take center stage and the more Israel-specific latter verses are recast in a way that modern worshipers can sing them authentically. The song can be sung in both a pop/praise style and as more of a straight hymn, like it is in the demo above. If you’re interested in reading an article that includes this hymn, visit Call to Worship.

  • Psalm 82: Gathered in the Judgment Hall

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_82-gathered_COS.mp3

    Psalm 82 is fascinating. While it could be understood as an indictment of unjust people, in actuality, it appears to be a judgment against the high council of gods. Who are these “gods” over which God holds court? In the Psalmist’s time, it would have likely referred to the pantheon of gods who were believed to oversee weather, oceans, fertility, and every other aspect of life. I don’t think it would be inappropriate to recast these gods for modern times as “The Man”: The powers that be. The principalities. The forces (inequity, fear, racism, etc) that seem to control our world on some higher, untouchable plane. However, just like in the Psalmist’s time, these gods of our time are not, in fact, untouchable. They bow to the Almighty God.

  • Psalm 82: There Where the Judges Gather

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/psalm_82-there_where_the_judges.mp3"][/audio]

    After I led the Psalter Hymnal version of Psalm 82 one Sunday, I was told the tune that accompanied the text was too nice. What this psalm really needed was a tune that matched the text’s “stick it to the man” tone. This tune, appropriately enough, is called STICK IT TO THE MAN. Do punk rock and metrical psalms mix? You be the judge.

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

  • Psalm 84: Blessed Beyond Measure

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    [embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm084-blessed_-beyond_measure.mp3[/embed]

    Trinity Lutheran Church in Owatonna, MN commissioned this song and choral anthem for their centennial celebration. Their choice of Psalm 84 is perfect for such an event: the Psalm is full of wide-eyed wonder about God’s temple, but also trust in God’s presence on the journey of life. What a beautiful theme for a church that has journeyed for 100 years and is looking to its future!

    The song is what I often call a “blender.” That is, a song that can live comfortably in both traditional and contemporary settings: think “In Christ Alone,” “There Is a Redeemer,” etc. This demo leans toward the contemporary with guitars and drums, but the choral arrangement leans more traditional. Ultimately, I think it will be right at home in both Trinity’s weekly traditional and contemporary services.

  • Psalm 9-10: Rise Up, O Lord!

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    https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_009-010-rise_up_o_lord.mp3

    Though the verse melody for this setting of Psalms 9 and 10 is fairly straightforward, there are lots of harmonic twists and turns in the harmonies underneath it. This feels to me a lot like life: we may put on a good front, but there may be knots in our stomach and a prayer of anguish in our heads.

  • Psalm 98: Sing to the Lord a New Song

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    [audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sing_to_the_lord.mp3"][/audio]

    It seems like everyone has their own version of Psalm 98, but each generation needs a “new song” so I make no apologies for adding my voice to the fray! This song was chosen to be sung at COLAM 1999 (Conference on Liturgy and Music) at Dordt College as part of the Composition Competition.

  • Ready My Heart

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    I first heard “Ready My Heart” on Steve Bell’s CD Each Rare Moment a number of years ago and immediately fell in love with it. Lois Shuford has composed a unique Advent song, a devotional text in which we pray that our hearts would be prepared to cradle the coming Savior. Below is a video of Larry Figueroa and me introducing the song.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3aMobSfosM

  • Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/rejoice_ye_pure_in_heart.mp3

    What I like most about this hymn tune is that it twists, turns, and teeters on the edge of chaos without ever losing its melodic momentum. I would be very pleased to turn this into a festive choral anthem with organ and brass. If your church commissions it, you get to name the hymn tune! Alternately, if you want to write a new hymn text (6.6.8.6 with refrain) to this tune, I’d be happy to collaborate with you.

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

  • Renew Us, O God

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    http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/renew_us_o_god.mp3

    This song was commissioned for the World Communion of Reformed Churches 2017 General Council. It takes the council’s theme (“transformed and transforming; renewed and renewing”) and puts it in prayer form: “Renew us, O God.” This prayer serves as a refrain that can be sung joyfully, as on the recording, or introspectively, like a Taizé chorus.

    An Indonesian translation by Ivan Santoso is also available for download.

  • Rhyme or Reason

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    [audio m4a="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/woocommerce_uploads/2022/04/tice-rhyme_or_reason-jy2njz.m4a"][/audio]

    I wrote this tune for a somewhat irregularly metered hymn text based on Ecclesiastes. Since the text talked about stretching and striving, I thought this rising melodic figure (with a chromatically descending bass) fit the theme quite well.

    This is an orphan tune, waiting to be adopted by a text to call its own. If you write your own lyrics for this melody or pair it with an existing text, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense, and let me know how you’ve used it.

  • RUSTY

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    https://archive.gregscheer.com/sounds/RUSTY.mp3

    This is my homage to shape note singing. No, I won’t stack it against the timeless tunes of Sacred Harp or Southern Harmony, but it has a certain rustic charm that may be just right for your 8.6.8.6 text. It was first composed for Adam Tice’s text, “The Church of Christ Cannot Be Bound,” a rousing ode to the church’s mission outside its sanctuary walls.

    This is an orphan tune, waiting to be adopted by a text to call its own. If you write your own lyrics for this melody or pair it with an existing text, please let me know how you’ve used it.

Showing 217–228 of 272 results