The Psalm Singer

I had a conversation with a twitter buddy a while back. Without going into the details my tweet was along the lines of 'Why don't you sing Psalms you heathen bunch?' His response was 'we do, you impatient ignoramus'. After all this is Twitter! Okay, maybe it wasn't quite like that and yes I know it's not Twitter anymore.  His point was that sometimes we sing lines from Psalms, sometimes we sing sections and sometimes we sing other parts of Scripture. Infact we sing lots of the Psalms, so we're covered when it comes to sing Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. It was late so we both called it quits and signed off for the night. However, is what he said true? Are we fulfilling that command to sing Psalms in taking sections of Psalms and building songs around them? Is that what is actually happening? I decided to dig a bit deeper.  The first port of call was the CCLI website and their top ten. Of course many churches don’t use a projector so there will be man...

This following blog is brought to you by artificial intelligence to the question what are the benefits of Psalm singing which is really weird! I did originally ask the question should Christians sing Psalms but didn't like the answer! There are many benefits to singing Psalms as a Christian, both in terms of personal spiritual growth and communal worship. Here are a few potential benefits: Expressing a range of emotions: The Psalms cover a wide range of emotions, from joy and gratitude to sorrow and despair. By singing these songs, Christians can express their own emotions and connect with the emotions of others in the faith community. Drawing closer to God: The Psalms are ultimately about our relationship with God. By singing these songs, Christians can focus their minds and hearts on God and draw closer to Him in worship and prayer. Learning from the past: The Psalms were written thousands of years ago, but they still speak to us today. By singing these songs, Christians can conn...

  I read a tweet last night.  If you were to write down a list of all the habits in your life right now, what habits are leading you closer to God @JamesmurrayAU I like reading twitter before bedtime which might be considered a bad habit! But it disturbed me because I don't think I can remember a time when I've ever felt close to God. Certainly not for a long time. Probably not since November 1975 when for the first few days after becoming a Christian I had this bubble of joy. My habits are pretty much standard, I read the scriptures daily, I pray, I read and sing the Psalms. The most onerous of these is prayer. Don't misunderstand me, I always pray but I've rarely found it rewarding, it's always been a challenge. I'm pretty disciplined with my Bible reading, the occasional headache stops me but the plan I use has catch up days so I’ve always completed it by the end of the year. I read the Psalms a lot, and I have a collection of Psalms on my phone which I sing ...

I am increasingly coming to the view that reading the Psalms as part of a reading plan isn’t enough.  Now, straightaway I must point out that whilst a reading plan is my preferred option it isn’t to everyone’s liking. There is no Biblical command to read the Bible in one year, two years, or three years. This isn’t the place to argue that point. Although if you disagree you’re wrong! Only kidding. My point is that throughout history the Church has engaged with the Psalter to a far greater extent than many do today. The well known Bonhoeffer quote resonates with me so much “Whenever the Psalter is abandoned, an incomparable treasure is lost to the Christian church. With its recovery will come unexpected power.” Quite what he meant by unexpected power is unclear and I wouldn’t begin to guess. I confess I’m not aware of it in my life or in my Church but I still like the quote, especially the first line. Nevertheless, I remain convinced that the majority of Churches in the West haven’t ...

One of my greatest regrets in life is not getting to grips with the Psalms until much later. Actually, that's probably not entirely accurate, unlike Frank Sinatra my regrets are not too few to mention.  But I digress. What I mean is that I wish the Psalms had been a staple diet in the Churches I attended both singing and reading but they played a tiny role, if any, in my upbringing. I wish I had decades of reading and singing the Psalter. Playing catch-up is difficult when you struggle to remember what you went into the kitchen for; so memorising these poems, songs and prayers is hard, really hard. But I've been wondering how can I help my church to love the Psalms?  The first thing is to preach on them. That's probably a given. The way I approach them is to preach mini series in-between other series,  with an occasional odd one thrown into the mix (okay not ideal as they have been deliberately arranged in order) and I deliberately cross reference from the Psalms as I pre...

 I really enjoy the Stuart Townend song Jesus is Lord. I particularly love the line  Jesus is Lord the tomb is gloriously empty!   Such a joyful expression. But , here we go, if it's a good tune it's fair game. So I've put the words of Psalm 6 to it, a Psalm for the miserable to sing, a different sentiment to the original song but I think it works. A song for those whose bones hurt and whose beds are flooded with tears. Here's an instrumental version to sing to  Jesus is Lord Psalm 6 Jesus is Lord O Lord do not rebuke in wrath or in your anger 2 Be merciful to me, for I am faint; O Lord, heal me, my bones they hurt, my soul knows anguish. How long, O Lord, please turn, deliver me Because your love it never fails, please come and save me 5 No-one remembers you when he is dead. Who praises from his grave?  I am worn out from groaning; All night I flood my bed, my couch with tears. 7 My vision blurred by grief; my eyes are worn with sorrow They fail because of...