Psalm Songs
Showing 97–108 of 109 results
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Psalm 69: Have Pity, My God
$0.00 Add to carthttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_69-have_pity_my_god.mp3
David Diephouse wrote the text for this song, and he shares its origin story, of sorts:
I recall hearing my mother relate a family legend about her grandfather, who was a trawlerman on the Zuider Zee. One day, his boat got caught in a sudden squall that left it capsized. While waiting to be rescued the crew kept up their spirits by singing the opening lines of Psalm 69. The story may or may not be partly apocryphal, but I like it.I love to hear stories about how people have used the Psalms in everyday life. It’s easy to see why a person adrift in the sea would recall the lines of Psalm 69, because they are the cry of a person drowning–fighting a flood of sorrow, betrayal, and fatigue.
This hymn is a free download. If you sing this song in your church, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 7: Arise!
$0.00 Add to carthttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_7-arise.mp3
Isaac Watts described Psalm 7 as “God’s care of his people and punishment of persecutors.” Indeed, the Psalmist makes some pretty explicit suggestions about how God might bring vengeance on enemies. But it is also full of vivid language like “save me or they will tear me like a lion” and “he who is pregnant with evil and conceives trouble gives birth to disillusionment.” So, while this is unlikely to be my big hit, I think my Psalm 7 song does a good job of letting the text speak. Or as I like to say: This is not the best song you’ve ever heard, but it’s probably the best Psalm 7 song you’ve ever heard.
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 77: We Will Remember
$0.00 Add to carthttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_77-ham-we_will_remember.mp3
Psalm 77 is an interesting case study in lament. It begins like many lament Psalms: “I cried out to God for help.” It wistfully remembers the good old days, then asks the pivotal question: “Will the Lord reject us forever?” The Psalm then turns to hope as the Psalmist remembers God’s mighty works in the past, stilling the waters of creation and parting the Red Sea. Lyricist Travis Ham, with whom I collaborated on this song, took the Psalm’s remembering one step further by recalling Christ’s work on the cross. Because Christ suffered for us, died, and was resurrected, we can endure our hardships, questions, and doubts.
This leadsheet is a free download. If you sing this song in your church, please report its use to CCLI or OneLicense.
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Psalm 78: People Of The Lord
$0.00 – $10.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[audio mp3="https://gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/people_of_the_lord-cantor_and_choir.mp3"][/audio]Who would have thought that a Genevan Psalter-style setting of Psalm 78 in 7/8 time would become my biggest hit? After it won the Calvin09 hymn contest, the song was translated into a half dozen languages and sung from Switzerland to Brazil. It is included in a number hymnals, including the Presbyterian Glory to God and CRC/RCA Lift Up Your Hearts. Your church can get in on the fun, too, by downloading the music here at www.gregscheer.com.
Read the whole story of the song here: People of the Lord
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Psalm 8: How Often in the Deep of Night
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttps://musicblog.gregscheer.com/wp-content/uploads/psalm_8-how_often.mp3
One would think that the Psalm 8 well had long ago run dry, but Linda Bonney Olin has written a new setting of the Psalm that is full of child-like wonder, bringing a fresh sense of awe to our hearing of the Psalm. She includes the theme of creation care in verses 2-3, a timely interpretation to be sure.
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Psalm 80: O Faithful Shepherd
$0.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[embed]https://musicblog.gregscheer.com/psalm_80-o_faithful_shepherd.mp3[/embed]Psalm 80’s vine imagery is connected with Jesus’ words, “I am the Vine,” giving new life to an overlooked, but beautifully singable Genevan tune.
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Psalm 80: Restore Us, O God!
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttp://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.
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Psalm 81: Sing to God Our Strength
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttps://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.
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Psalm 82: Gathered in the Judgment Hall
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttp://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.
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Psalm 82: There Where the Judges Gather
$0.00 Add to cart[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.
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Psalm 84: Blessed Beyond Measure
$0.00 – $35.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page[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.
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Psalm 9-10: Rise Up, O Lord!
$0.00 – $5.00 Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product pagehttps://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.
Showing 97–108 of 109 results