95 is a popular Psalm, especially if you grew up in the “Come, Let Us Worship and Bow Down” era. Still, I hope I can add something to the repertoire with this new setting.
First, let’s start with the Psalm itself. It is a two-part Psalm, with verses 1-5 praising God for creation and verses 6-11 turning the focus inward to God’s relationship with his people. One commentator described the first section as starting with “Oh come,” and the second part with “Come in.” I shaped my song along those lines.
Sometimes in Psalms like this, you’ll be tracking along with beautiful images of God forming the seas and dry land, then suddenly the brakes screech and you’re in a section like “don’t harden your hearts like you did at Meribah.” It may cause cognitive dissonance for us, but for Israel, these are two sides of the same coin. The God who creates also relates. Verses 8-11 call Israel to confession using an example from their hard-hearted past.
In my original drafts, I intended to write this as an anthem for children’s choir. However, as my work continued, it turned into an upbeat Gospel song. It feels like it matches the energy and joy of the Psalm.
1. Oh come, come let us sing;
come let us shout aloud for joy.
Oh come, come with thanksgiving to
our Rescue and our Rock.
Oh come, come let us sing;
come let us shout aloud for joy.
Oh come, come let us praise our God
with music and with song.
For the Lord, our God, is great;
the King above all gods.
from the farthest reaches of the earth,
where the mountains touch the sun.
For the Lord, our God, is great;
the King above all gods.
And with his own hands, he poured the sea
and fashioned the dry ground.
2. Come in, come in and kneel;
come let us bow before our God.
Oh, come, come let us fall before
our Maker and our Lord.
Come in, come in and kneel;
come let us bow before our God.
Oh, come to the Good Shepherd
who is leading his flock.
And our God is speaking still,
as in the wilderness
where the people had ungrateful hearts
and they put God to the test.
And our God is calling us
to bow down and confess.
For the ones with open ears and hearts
will find his promised rest.