Showing 61–72 of 90 results
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.
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.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_015-lord_may_i_dwell.mp3
Here, Psalm 15 becomes a sung prayer of devotion. The chorus is a prayer of aspiration, “Lord, may I dwell with you?” and the verses pray for the strength and guidance to live the godly life outlined in the Psalm. The music is in a simple, Taizé-like style, with verses chanted over the chorus. This also allows the chorus to be used independently as a scripture song, focusing on the deeper message of the Psalm: a desire to dwell in God’s presence, knowing God as a refuge and our true home.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_150-hallel_hallelujah.mp3
The exuberance and repetition in this Psalm text led me to compose a Taizé style chorus, but in a regal, rather than meditative style. You’ll notice that the song is built on a repeated 10 measure phrase. This is unusual–music is normally written in divisions of four–but the irregular phrase length keeps the repeats from feeling banal. Also keeping the song’s motion moving forward is the unresolved final chord.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_23-god_is_our_shepherd.mp3
Michael Morgan’s modest, beautiful hymn of trust is supported by a simple melody and unadorned harmonies. It is a song in the spirit of early American hymn tunes like those found in Southern Harmony.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
Psalm 24 is a processional Psalm, likely sung as worshipers approached the temple in Jerusalem. This song keeps that festive, processional feel in a music style that straddles traditional hymnody and contemporary praise. The song was commissioned in honor of Pastor Steven Schwier in thanksgiving for his ministry at Christ the King Lutheran Church, South Bend, Indiana.
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
The joyous leaps at the beginning of the song underline the exuberance of Michael Morgan’s version of Psalm 30. But each verse also contains a prayer; at this point, the harmonies turn to a minor key and a lower range, slowly rising from lament until they conclude with newfound joy.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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.
This meditative rendering of Psalm 40 won the 2017 Church of the Servant New Psalm Contest. You can read the whole story below.
This song is something of an homage to the Reformation. It is based on the same Psalm as Luther’s great “A Mighty Fortress” and can, in fact, be sung to that hymn’s tune. My tune uses a mixed meter like many Lutheran and Reformed tunes. The 2+2+3+3 pulse makes the hymn more challenging than most. If you’re up for the challenge, use a hand drum to keep the beat steady. If you’re not up to the challenge, try my song “O Lord of All, You Are Our Home,” which uses the same text set to a simpler tune.
My setting of Psalm 5, “Hear My Words, O God” is composed for two narrators and congregational refrain. It appears as Psalm 5C in the Psalms for All Seasons hymnal, but if you want the un-squished piano music and choral parts you hear on this recording you’ll only find it here. The above recording is just a rough read-through by the Choral Scholars which doesn’t include the scripture reading. The narration allows the whole Psalm to be heard and allows the multiple voices of the original text to come through, as you can hear from the live worship recording below.
[embed]http://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_5_hear_my_words.mp3[/embed]
If Casey Kasem were to do a count down of the Psalms, Psalm 52 would not be in the Top 40. But underneath Psalm 52’s prickly exterior lies a heart of gold: Though you can get ahead using deceit, treachery, and lies, in the end, our riches will provide no refuge in the face of death. So, the Psalmist says, it is better to live a life of trust in God’s steadfast love.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
Showing 61–72 of 90 results
Psalm 41: Blessed Are the Weak
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Everlasting to Everlasting
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Psalm 115: Not to Us
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Psalm 133: How Very Good and Pleasant
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