Showing 73–84 of 114 results
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_028-my_god_my_rock-sandy-1.mp3
Kate Bluett follows the three-part prayer we find in Psalm 28, teasing out the image of God the Rock, as opposed to the stony silence of a god who doesn’t hear people’s prayers. I wrote two tunes for her text and simply couldn’t decide which I like better. The first tune (SANDY, sample above) is a jazzy melody that gives the song a mournful, prayerful character and brings out the pathos of Kate’s text. The other tune (ROCKY, sample below) is more rustic and forceful, which gives the song confidence in the midst of a trial.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_028-my_god_my_rock-rocky.mp3
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_029-the_voice_of_the_lord-ozone.mp3
Psalm 29 paints a picture of God and nature intertwined. But more than simply embodying God in the thunder and lightning, the psalm shows the world to be God’s very temple. God’s presence makes the earth, and all the ordinary stuff of life, sacred.
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
Psalm 3 is traditionally associated with King David as he fled from his son Absalom. Whether or not the Psalm was actually written while David fled for his life during a revolt, the Psalm is certainly full of fears and anxieties–with a side order of vengeance. But more than that, the Psalm is full of trust. Even though all hell is breaking loose, the Psalmist talks about going to bed: “I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. I am not afraid…”
In this setting of Psalm 3, “I shall rest in peace” becomes a repeated refrain throughout. “Rest” not only indicates peaceful sleep but “rest in peace” is a euphemism for death. It seems to me that many people who might read Psalm 3 or sing this song may be fighting the enemy of disease, age, or death itself. Even in death, we can rest in the Lord.
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.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/Psalm-31_-In-Your-Shadow.mp3
Psalm 31 has a place in Holy Week worship because Jesus quoted it from the cross: “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Though verses 9-13 give a glimpse into the terror of the cross, much of the Psalm focuses on trust in God’s deliverance. Kate Bluett has written a lovely setting of 31 which captures not only the heart of the Psalm, but also the structure, from plea for help to description of affliction to final words of hope. It is a great comfort to me to know that I can meditate and hope in the same scriptures that Jesus recited in his time of deepest distress.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_032-when_i_kept_silent.mp3
Psalm 32 is summed up succinctly in Doug Gay’s new versification: “I was forgiven. I was restored.” This understated Celtic ballad is a simple to sing Psalm of confession.
Psalm 33 is a songwriter’s dream: it commands us to sing a new song, mentions a variety of instruments, and admonishes us to play skillfully. This bright, joyous song helps us do just that while also allowing us to follow the Psalmist into themes of creation, judgment, power, and trust.
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
Psalm 37 is an acrostic Psalm with 22 sections built on each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This musical setting follows that pattern, with 22 connected “songlets.” The last four measures of each songlet can be sung in counterpoint to the first four measures of the next songlet, creating a 22-link musical chain. It sounds complicated and esoteric; just take a listen to the MP3 demo and everything will make sense!
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense. Download includes side-by-side Scripture and lyrics.
Psalm 4 is the lament of someone whose honor has been impugned. You can hear the theme of shame and honor recurring throughout. Ultimately, though, the Psalmist chooses to rest in the Lord. It reminds me of what Richard Foster says in The Celebration of Discipline—I believe in the section on silence—about not speaking in defense of yourself, but simply allowing your reputation to stand on its own. This lack of control is frightening, especially when your name is at stake, but ultimately we can’t control what others think of us. In this song, the lyrics and music turn the Psalm from an indignant defense (“Break their teeth, O Lord”) into a quiet prayer in the night.
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.
https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_041-blessed_are_the_weak.mp3
Psalm 41 is a prayer for healing–a prayer of hope though both enemies and friends are waiting for you to die. “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak; the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.” This is very similar to Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” God has always sided with the poor, the weak, and the outsiders. We should, too, knowing that God will side with us in our moment of weakness.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
Showing 73–84 of 114 results
The Nicene Creed
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Psalm 87: Glorious Things
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Psalm 32: When I Kept Silent
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Psalm 29: The Voice of the Lord
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