Category: Psalms

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.

When a Psalm starts with, “The Lord is a God who avenges,” you know it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Indeed, Psalm 94 does not disappoint. It is a tirade against the proud and powerful, decrying their lies and schemes against the defenseless.

Sound familiar? See, that’s the thing about the Psalms, they seem hopelessly anachronistic until you suddenly find them giving words to the moment you’re living in. I’ve been so frustrated with the state of the world lately that it was with great glee that I wrote lines like “shut their filthy, snickering mouths” and “corrupted kingdoms will collapse.”

As this Psalm points out, God sees all. We don’t know when it will happen, but God, our Refuge, will set things right. We pray with the Psalmist that it won’t be long.

Oh, it won’t be long.
It won’t be long.
It won’t be long.
No, it won’t be long at all.

1. Rise up, O God, and show your power
to shut their filthy, snickering mouths.

2. They crush the weak beneath their feet.
They laugh and say that you won’t see.

3. But you, who fashioned ear and eye,
know every plan of humankind.

4. O God, do not forget your own.
We’re almost down, rise up, once more!

5. From misery’s chains we’re free at last.
Corrupted kingdoms will collapse.

6. For every wrong will be made right.
The sun will rise and scatter night.

Psalm 93 speaks of God’s majesty. The first two verses are what you might expect–the Lord reigns, is strong, is on the throne, and is eternal. But verses 3-4 take it up a notch, portraying the sea and crashing waves as praising God’s majesty. But wait… as mighty as the sea is, God is mightier still. It’s really breathtaking imagery.

I decided a modal, somewhat Medieval style would fit the majestic message of this Psalm. I especially like the “lifted up” section with its melody climbing higher and higher.

1. The Lord God reigns,
in majesty adorned;
in majesty and power, our God is robed.
Forever sure,
the world is ever sure;
forever sure when God is on the throne.

Lifted up,
the sea has lifted up;
the sea has lifted up its mighty waves.
Higher still,
still higher is the might;
still higher is the grandeur of our God.

2. The Lord God reigns,
in holiness adorned;
in holy light has decked the temple courts.
Forever sure,
your word is ever sure.
Forever sure, the mighty word of God.

Like Psalms 96 and 98, this is a “make music to the Lord” Psalm. You would think this would make it easy to make music out of it, but it’s actually pretty daunting: how do you say something unique with such a frequently used phrase? Added to that is the fact that the Psalm begins so cheerfully but quickly turns to evildoers flourishing for the moment before being destroyed forever.

Contrasting a G major chorus and an E minor verse gave me a little wiggle room with the emotional range of the Psalm. I especially like the turn to F# minor halfway through the verse; it’s enough of a curveball that the chorus feels extra joyful when it returns.

For some reason, verses 12-15 struck a chord in me. Earlier, we heard how the wicked sprout up quickly, then fade away just as quickly. Here, the psalmist compares that to the life of the righteous, who will grow and flourish like trees that bear fruit into old age. Or, as one commentator put it, “like trees that are fresh and full of sap”!

Morning and night, I sing your love.
O God, most high, my song pours out.
The harp is alive, each string resounds
with the tune of your great name,
morning and night.

1. Your works have made me glad;
my joy is in your hands.
Your wonders spring from wells so deep,
my mind can’t comprehend.

Though those who trust deceit
spring up like summer’s wheat,
they wilt and bow into the ground
while God remains the King.

2. You bless my arm with power;
anoint my head with oil.
My eyes have seen the victory;
my ears, the song of joy.

I’ll flourish in your house–
a tree within your courts–
still fresh with fruit until I die
with praise upon my tongue.

Michael Joncas made Psalm 91 famous with his song, “Eagle’s Wings.” You know who else made Psalm 91 famous? Satan.*

And therein lies the difficulty of setting this Psalm to music: the Psalm can range from sweet sentimentality to a grab for power, protection, and control. My song tries to find a middle ground that is honest about the real dangers of this life while trusting God’s love and providence. I chose the repeated phrase “I remain secure” because while bad things can and do harm us, we can trust that the ultimate fate of our lives and souls is in God’s hands.**

My song follows the basic outline of the Psalm’s verses:
1-2 Chorus
3-8 Verse 1
9-13 Verse 2
14-16 Verse 3

Musically, it’s a bright pop tune that doesn’t know what key it’s in. Okay, it’s actually in D major, but because it begins on a G chord and quickly moves to a C, it feels like the key of G. That tension continues throughout the song. I would tell you more riveting tales of tonal ambiguity, but it would take far too much time. Which is exactly what I was thinking about this demo after 8 hours of recording and mixing!

Because I dwell in the shelter of the Mighty One,
and I rest in the shadow of the highest throne,
because I trust in the refuge of a loving God,
I remain secure.
I remain secure.

1. I am surrounded by the snares that have been set.
Dear God, deliver from disease, disaster, death!
I will not fear the terrors of the night.
I will not fear the dangers to my life.

2. You are my refuge, you’re my home and dwelling place.
I rest secure for you are with me all my days.
I will not fear the lion’s crushing might.
I will not fear the serpent’s poisonous bite.

3. I know you love me like a parent loves a child.
You will protect me from the dangers of this life.
I will not fear, in God I am secure.
I will not fear, in God my hope is sure.

_{*Matthew 4:1-11 The temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.}

_{**I don’t say this in a glib #faithoverfear sort of way. Providence and prayer are ongoing discussions in my head. Please let me know if you figure it out.}

A number of months ago, I sent Linda Bonney Olin a list of 40-some Psalms for which I still need to compose music, asking if she would contribute some new Psalm texts. She responded within days, attaching four of her lyrical creations. This is the third song from this recent collaboration, and I think it has turned out swimmingly!

Psalm 64 portrays the author as being hunted down by the wicked. Not only that, the hunters are arrogant, asking themselves, “Who will see it?” The Psalmist assures us that God will see it, and will ultimately punish them for their evil deeds. Now, this kind of final justice makes for exciting movie plots, but doesn’t necessarily sing well. And it isn’t likely to inspire warm spiritual fuzzies.

Linda does a great job of faithfully transforming the Psalm into a modern song. She begins with a cry for refuge–haven’t we all been there?–and ends with praise for God’s unfailing help. In between, she is honest about the damage wicked schemes can do, but she focuses on the ultimate justice and protection God gives us. This is a message we need to hear now more than ever. In a time that we’re all swimming in a sea of lies and malice, it is important to remember that God stills sees our deeds and judges our hearts fairly.

1. I lift my voice to you, O God.
   My help and refuge be!
   Defend me from the enemies
   who seek to ruin me.
   They wield their tongues like sharpened swords.
   Their words like arrows fly.
   Protect me from their secret plans.
   My God, please hear my cry!
2. Without a scruple or a fear,
   the wicked ones attack.
   Their ambush falls so swift and sure,
   their prey cannot fight back.
   So cunningly their snares are laid
   to trap the blameless one,
   they boast that none will ever learn
   the vicious things they’ve done.
3. But God knows all their spiteful thoughts,
   unravels all their schemes.
   The evildoers, God brings down.
   The just ones, God redeems.
   Rejoice in God’s unfailing help,
   you innocent of heart!
   The world will see and be amazed,
   for God will take your part.

If you need a musical setting of Psalm 72, you can’t do much better than Isaac Watts’ “Jesus Shall Reign,” in which he recasts the messianic king of the Psalm in the person of Jesus. What more can be added to his triumphant text set to the fanfaric tune, DUKE STREET?

Linda Bonney Olin took a very different tack in setting Psalm 72 to verse. Instead of interpreting the royal blessings of “Endow the king with your justice” and “may he defend the afflicted,” as the future deeds of a messianic monarch, she interprets them as acts that all of God’s people can, and should do–right now. And her hymn prays to that effect: “Hear our prayer for the ones you’ve called to rule, to judge, to guard, and to govern. Not to get all political, but I wish today’s leaders–especially the Christian and Jewish ones–would take this to heart. That they would focus on wisdom, mercy, humility, and defending the oppressed.

1. Hear our prayer, O Lord our God,
for the ones you’ve called to rule,
that your power and your wisdom they may share.
As a withered meadow blooms in a sweet, gentle rain,
may your people grow and flourish in their care.
Hear our prayer.

We lift them up to you, O Lord our God.
We lift them up to you.
Hear our prayer.

2. Hear our prayer, O Lord our God,
for the ones you’ve called to judge,
that your righteousness and mercy may prevail.
May they spare the friendless poor and defend the oppressed, weighing justice on a true, impartial scale.
Hear our prayer.

3. Hear our prayer, O Lord our God,
for the ones you’ve called to guard,
who protect the world from enemies of peace.
Give them courage; give them strength to stand up for the weak
till all violence and senseless bloodshed cease.
Hear our prayer.

4. Hear our prayer, O Lord our God,
for all those that you entrust
with authority to govern and to guide.
May they humbly seek to lead in the ways you command,
that your name alone, O God, be glorified.
Hear our prayer.