Favorites... in Context

My 16 month old son loves books. He can't read of course, but he likes the pictures and voices and sounds that his mother and I make when we read to him. Usually, though, he has a favorite page. Sometimes he'll pick up a book and turn right to his favorite. He wants to look at a particular page's drawing or hear my elephant impression. There's been times that we've been reading a book and once we've passed his favorite page, he'll turn back the page to "re-play" his favorite part. If I don't let him go back he'll wiggle out of my lap to find a different book or toy. If it's not his favorite, he doesn't want to hear or look at it!

I find that in many ways my son is like me. The saying goes, "like father, like son". I have my favorites. This can be especially true of Psalms. Looking back at my practices over the last few years, I tend to sing the same familiar selections during family worship. Perhaps I'm not the only one who does this. For a recent post I was looking up the lyrics to Chris Miner's "God be Merciful to Me (Psalm 51)". I was reminded as I compared it to the ESV translation that verses 16 to 19 were omitted. In a sense, I think this is understandable. Even at only 6 stanzas, its a long song. Perhaps the last four verses were meant to be sung as an accompanied selection. But there's the problem: where is it? If I didn't know better (and for a long time I didn't) I'd have thought that I knew all of Psalm 51 when in fact I was missing some of the larger picture; I was missing the rest of the story.

All this to say that the little book, Singing the Songs of Jesus has made me thirst a little bit to know the context. I think as my son grows up he'll learn more of the stories I read to him. That doesn't mean he won't still love that favorite drawing or laugh when Daddy does the elephant impression. Perhaps the drawing will take on more meaning as he realizes what it means to the plot. Perhaps he'll like the elephant impression because it helps him to feel like he's part of the story. Perhaps that what I want, too.

The Words Change Us

I'm gearing up to do a Psalter review soon: The ARP Psalter. Reading the preface by Rev. David Vance and Dr. Gabriel C. Statom, though, I was struck by the following words which contrast the Psalms of the bible with other songs.

When we sing other songs, we feel at times that the words should change. But something very different occurs when we sing the psalms. The words do not have to change. We have to change. The words change us.

Wow. I don't think I'd ever thought about that. It reminds me to a conversation I had in college. During my days at the University of Missouri - Columbia (go TIGERS!) I attended RUF (Reformed University Fellowship). It was through this ministry that I made my deepest friendships and learned much of how to be a Christian and college student. I remember one time after the RUF large group meeting one of my friends wrestling with something. We had just sang "God, Be Merciful To Me" during the time of praise. My friend was offended at what he took to be an error in the song. Particularly, he didn't like the first lines of the last stanza:

Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee ...

He said, 'that's arrogant, how can I sing about others as sinners needing to return to God when I'm a sinner?' It was a well meant question; my friend was truly aware of his sin. What I didn't realize at the time, though, was that the whole song is taken from a Psalm. The verse my friend wrestled with was first penned not by Christopher Miner but by King David. This Psalm of repentance gives us a look at David's sorrow over his sin with Bathsheba. But he, himself, says after crying out to be purged, regenerated, and restored, "Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you." (Psalm 51:13) Had I made this connection at the time I would have had something better to encourage my friend with.

1) David is right to ask for this. David is not merely crying out as a sinner. He is crying out as a mediatorial king who is a sinner. Not only will David suffer for his sins, but His people will also unless one more righteous than he stands in his place. This Psalm points us forward to Christ. Christ must be our King. When David asks that transgressors (sinners) be taught, He's referring to the teaching that comes from someone redeemed. Once he, David, receives the forgiveness that's found only through Christ, he desires that this example of God's forgiveness be granted to others who can then be enfolded in the flock (i.e. "sinners will return to you").

2) It is right for us to ask this. I think sometimes when I sin I am so conscious of my own sin and my own need of forgiveness that I forget that God has plans for people other than myself. God wants to forgive through Christ... but that is often so that His forgiveness is shown to others who have not yet experienced it. Looking at this Psalm in this way gives us an awareness of others that many hymn writers overlook. God forgave David not just for David's sake but also for ours. God may forgive us now not just for our sake but for the sake of His people He's not yet called to Himself. Again, it underscores the point of the ARP Psalter preface: "the words do not have to change. We have to change. The words change us". Vance and Statom continue, "The words enter our hearts, our very being, and they teach us how to be men and women after God's own heart. They are a perfect model of devotion and a mold which gives proper form to your Christian experience."

David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). As we sing the Psalms of David, the Psalms do not conform to us, but by God's grace our hearts are conformed to Christ, David's greater son.

Singing the Songs of Jesus - A Review

Book Review

Title: Singing the Songs of Jesus - Revisiting the Psalms
Author: Michael Lefebvre

Binding: Paperback

Pages: 160

Cost: $12

Review:

About two weeks ago I got a copy of this book. Even the title caught my attention. It's an easy read and is well written. Having read it I now find myself wanting more. Don't misunderstand me! There is nothing missing from Lefebvre's book. It actually has everything I could hope for in addressing how the Psalms are Jesus' and that they are meant to be sung in the Christian Church. The problem is that this book has opened my eyes to the fact that even though I've been singing the Psalms in worship for the last 4 years (and to some degree my whole life), there's so much more to them that I've missed. Here's just a short list of the more that this book, Singing the Songs of Jesus, has brought (and I expect will continue to bring) to Psalm singing in my life.

More of Christ's Kingship - In this little book, especially the latter half of chapter two and all of chapter three, I was exposed to a role of The King that I had never thought of: worship leader. Lefebvre rightly identifies the executive leaders of Israel as not just war heroes but leaders of the people into the worship of God. This isn't just for Israel, though. It is for the Christian Church. Christ is our King and as such He leads us into the worship of God the Father and He does so using His songs. As Christians sing the Psalms in worship, King Jesus sings to God the Father. King Jesus sings to His people and He leads them to sing with Him to The Father and to one another. I'd be putting it lightly to say that this is revolutionizing my understanding of corporate praise. Even this paragraph doesn't do justice Lefebvre's treatment in this little book.

More Union with Christ - Lefebvre anticipates some of the difficulties that those unfamiliar with the Psalms encounter. Among these are imprecatory, lament, and penitential Psalms. Can a Christian call for judgment on the wicked or moan about the state of the fallen world? Does Christ, who was without sin, confess His sins in penitential Psalms? Using vivid analogies and even working through tough exemplary Psalms, Lefebvre shows that the Psalms thrust us out of our comfort zone. We cannot sing them outside of having Christ lead us in singing them. They also show us the degree to which Christ identifies Himself with us as our sin-bearer.

More Meditation - In Singing the Songs of Jesus, Psalms are contrasted with non-inspired hymns as having the Spirit-inspired ability to bring the Christian worshiper to heart felt praise. Though Psalms can and do declare praise for God (as most hymns do exclusively) they have an added element which stirs the emotions of the soul. They do this by meeting the believer where they are: living in a fallen world, often suffering, wrestling with doubt, dealing with sins of others but also their own sins. The Psalms lead us to glory, but they follow the path God has prescribed. Ultimately they bring us to the meditations of Jesus. These truly are His songs.

So to wrap things up...

If you are a Christian, I recommend this book to you. It will show you how to better see Christ in your worship. It will help you to better understand the 150 Psalms of the bible. If your experience is anything like mine, it will excite you to worship God. Whether in personal devotion or as an 8 lesson group study (7 chapters + epilogue/closing), this book is well worth $12.

If you are a Psalm Singing Presbyterian, I recommend this book to you. If you feel you know everything you need to know to sing the Psalms, read this book. I truly believe there's something in here for everyone; whether a long time student of the Psalms or just a beginner. Michael Lefebvre is able to tackle deep topics but to do so in a way from which anyone with a basic understanding of the Bible can benefit.

Psalm Shaped Liturgy

This morning I worshiped with the saints at Grace Church in Gibsonia, PA. One of the things about the worship service that stood out to me was the congregational singing. We sang Psalm 104. We sang all of Psalm 104. If you're not familiar, this is a long Psalm. It is 35 verses in length; five separate selections from the Book of Psalms for Singing. It took the whole worship service to sing it. When I think about it, though, this is appropriate. Here are some thoughts:

Psalm 104, like the many wonders of Hebrew poetry, has a great structure to it.

1-4 - God is majestic, exercising dominion over the elements.

5-9 - God has appointed the foundations and boundaries of the earth that cannot be thwarted.

10-15 - God sustains his creation from necessities of food and water to extravagances of wine and oil.

16-18 - God has provided shelter particular to the needs of each of His creatures.

19-23 - God marks the time for seasons and days; setting the sun and moon in their orbits.

24-30 - God is praised for the variety of His creatures and their continual dependence upon Him.

31-35 - A declaration of praise to God; He is to be feared.

I recall interacting with a friend who was taking a ministry of worship class at a local Southern Baptist Seminary. He said that the professor was instructing them in what I will call "Psalm Shaped Liturgy". Basically in class they studied the structure of a Psalm. They looked to each part and tried to supply a corresponding worship element. For example, if the Psalmist is expressing repentance then a corporate confession of sin might be read in unison. If the Psalmist is expressing praise to God, then a sermon on that topic would be appropriate. These ideas that my friend experienced in his class impressed me. It really reminded me that the Psalms are tools God has given to meditate and ultimately to lead our hearts to worship. My friend made a good point, 'it's not just some arbitrary order of service; it's a reflection of how God wants us to worship Him. The worship leader is submitting to God's instruction through the Psalm.'

Anyway, this morning's worship service reminded me of this concept. As we returned to the same spot in our Psalters 5 times it really impressed me that the Psalms are each a literary whole. We gain more from them by seeing their progression, their structure. In Psalm 104 in particular, the Psalmist moves from point to point underlining again and again God's majesty as creator and sustainer of the world. By the end we can do little else than praise Him!

His Emotions

I'm just three chapters into Singing the Songs of Jesus, and I have to say that this book is amazing. This last chapter in particular, "Recognizing Christ in 'Praising Conversations'" has left me meditating upon a conversation I had a few months back with a friend.

My friend leads in a praise band in a local church. He was telling me the tension going on in their worship. The new worship director desires to see some new praise choruses while my friend has had a growing appreciation for historic hymns. He voiced one of his complaints with the contemporary worship songs similar to this, 'you sing the same phrase 10 times... how many times can you say that you're happy and how happy you're happy?' I remember my contribution to this conversation. I told my friend that the Psalms have great depth of emotion. They remind us that we have emotions (happy, sad, angry, doubtful) and that God intends for us to bring these emotions into His praise. John Calvin has called the Psalter "The Anatomy of all the Parts of the Soul". (I forgot to mention that the closest thing the Psalter has to a repeated praise chorus is Psalm 136.)

Looking back on what I told my friend, there's something I feel I should have added. Seeing Michael Lefebvre's point, that the Psalms are conversations between Jesus, God the Father, and us, I feel that I was missing a huge point. The Psalms don't only tell us emotions we experience. The Psalms tell us the emotions He experienced. Jesus was full of emotion. He was fully human. In a way, the Psalms give us a deeper view into His emotions than the gospels do. I realized that I've been oblivious to this, but now I see so much of what I've been missing. By His grace, as today's Christians come to appreciate and use the Psalter we will better understand not just our own emotions, but also His.

A Window into Jesus' Humanity

While running some errands with my friend, Paul, he mentioned to me something I'd never thought about. He said, 'The gospels give you a view of Jesus' divinity; his miracles and so forth. The Psalms is where we turn to learn Jesus' humanity.'

I'd never really thought of it like that... and I think it's still worth pondering. I do know that there is a depth of Jesus' emotion that we find in the Psalms. More to follow...

The Songs of Jesus

I'm about to begin reading Singing the Songs of Jesus by Michael Lefebvre. Though I haven't read past the cover yet, something already stands out to me. Have you ever thought about the songs Jesus sang? What words comforted Him when He was sad? What poetry did He meditate on? The Psalms aren't just songs about doctrine, about theology, or even about Christ. They are more. They are also Christ's songs. He sang them. He meditated upon them. He lived them.

There are two passages that have made me think about this. One is Matthew 26:30.

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

What song did they sing after the first Lord's Supper? There can be little doubt that they sang from one (or more) of the Psalms. Many of the Psalm headings in the Septuagint use the word "hymn". And what would be better fitting for Jesus and his disciples to sing during the Passover season than the songs that feastgoers had sung for generations?

The second passage is Hebrews 2:11-12.

11 ... That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."

The "he" in this passage is Jesus. The quotation is ascribed to Jesus. It is something Jesus is "saying". But notice the words... it is Psalm 22:22. The writer to the Hebrews is saying that Psalm 22:22 is Jesus' words. Now notice what Jesus says, "in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise". Jesus sings with the congregation! He sings the Psalms in the midst of His people. This is what excites me about "the songs of Jesus". They are His songs, but because we are His they are our songs, too.

Psalm Singing Church Map

Check out this map of congregations that sing the Psalms exclusively:


View Exclusive Psalmody Churches (North America) in a larger map

A special thanks to Tim from www.exclusivepsalmodychurches.wordpress.com for his efforts to create and keep this map up to date. If you haven't tried singing Psalms, check the map for an opportunity near you!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and songs of the Spirit, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. - Col 3:16

Dynamics

Heard a great choir concert Saturday night... and the members of the choir joined us for worship this LORD's day. It left me thinking...

Have you ever listened to a piece of choral music that begins so softly that you are straining to hear? The unison vocals start softly and slowly but in time divide into harmonies. The music gains speed and volume and suddenly you begin to think, "that's loud". Then the song approaches its climax where all voices are almost to a shout...

I think sometimes it's good to think about the dynamics of music. Often I find that every song I sing on Sunday is the same volume; the same intensity. It's days like today, when the sheer number of voices singing praises to God doubles that I realize that worship can be louder. I was even tempted to think, "this is what worship should be like..." But then it struck me. Today's worship turned up the volume... but it doesn't even compare. My mind can't even fathom the singing of heaven, when we will join all the saints as one voice together with angels... singing praises to our God!

Reasons why I love the Psalms 002

I am part of the psalm-singing church. Most (if not all) Christians have sung psalms. A familiar one to many is psalm 23 (The Lord is my Shepherd). As I've been further studying the psalms I've come to love them.

One of the reasons I love the psalms is that we are told to sing them. I lead a weekly bible study that's been going through Colossians and here's what I discovered in Colossians 3:16:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

(16) "and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly"... This is a command. The Colossians are to let Christ's word dwell in them. He also tells them how this is to happen:

• teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
  
  This sounds a lot like preaching. Paul says that one way for the Christ's word to live within these Colossians is for them to preach to one another. What are they to preach? Paul isn't specific here, except saying that they are to do so in all wisdom. The proverbs are an excellent source of wisdom, and speak to how to give a wise word.
  
  Consider also the union with Christ we've seen Paul claim. He sees his suffering as Christ's suffering. He would also see his preaching as Christ preaching. Considering this, what better way to have Christ's word richly dwell within us, than to be preached to by Him?
  
  
• singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
  
  The second way for Christ's word to live within them is for them to sing. What are they to sing? Paul says literally "psalms, hymns and songs spiritual". Are these 3 different types of music? Does "spiritual" refer only to songs?
  

What would psalms, hymns, songs spiritual (ψαλμοῖς, ὕμνοις, ᾠδαῖς πνευματικαῖς) mean coming from Paul's mouth? (See also parallel in Ephesians 5:19). What did Paul have in mind? "Psalms" (ψαλμοῖς) would instantly make his audience think of the psalms in the Old Testament. They would be most familiar with the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation from the Hebrew. In the Septuagint translation of the Psalms, there are headings, many of which title themselves as "psalms". Interestingly enough, some of the psalms are also called "songs" or "odes" (ᾠδαῖς) in their title. (18, 30, 47, 48, 65, 66, 68, 75, 76, 83, 87, 88, 92, 98, 108). Consider also the title of Psalm 76 (in the Septuagint, psalm 75):

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments (= "a hymn"). A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐν ὕμνοις ψαλμὸς τῷ Aσαφ ᾠδὴ πρὸς τὸν Ἀςύριον

Psalm 76 is described in the Septuagint as a psalm, a hymn, and a song! As seen in the translation, "hymn" originally meant something similar to "to pluck a stringed instrument". It's meaning changed over time. Psalm 76 is not alone, many other psalms are referred to as "hymns" in the Septuagint, including 6, 54(53), 55(54), 61(60), 67(66), 76(75). We also see hymn used to refer to a group of psalms in the note found in Psalm 72:20:

Psalm 72:20 (numbered in the Septuagint as 71:20)

The prayers (= "The hymns") of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

ἐξέλιπον οἱ ὕμνοι *δαυιδ τοῦ υἱοῦ Iεςαι

In Psalm 72:20, Hymns were synonymous with prayers. Hymn later came to mean the words of a psalm. The meaning of the word changed yet again as it is commonly used today.

See the examples above for yourself at: http://www.septuagint.org/, also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalms#Numbering

The most natural meaning for Paul saying "singing psalms, hymns, and songs" would be the the 150 psalms of the Old Testament. (See also Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, Acts 16:25, 1 Corinthians 14:26, James 5:13) Paul is emphasizing his point by saying the same thing in three ways (Like, "Friends, Romans, Countrymen"). If this is His meaning, what an incredible gift we have in the 150 psalms! These are the word of Christ that we may sing to one another... the same words Christ himself sang.

What about "spiritual" (πνευματικαῖς)? The adjective comes at the end of the list of words, and thus can describe all three "psalms", "hymns", and "songs". "Spiritual" for Paul usually means having to do with the work of the Holy Spirit. In this case, it would probably mean "psalms, hymns, and songs" (i.e. the whole psalter) which is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Notice the union between the word of Christ and the work of the Spirit.

And how are we to teach and sing? In what manner are we to let Christ's word dwell in us? With thankfulness in our hearts. Thus I am thankful for the psalms. They are a means God has given us to let the word of Christ dwell within us! As we sing the psalms we hear the word that Christ inspired by the Holy Spirit. We learn of how to express deep emotion with the very words God has given for that purpose.

Reasons why I love the Psalms 001

I was just watching this video on a new revision of the psalter. The psalter is, of course, a copy of the book of psalms but arranged to be sung. At my church, we sing the psalms. I realized somewhat recently that I love singing the psalms. I love them. So, let me share with you a reason why.

As Duncan Lowe (the elderly gentleman) points out in the video, "sometimes the psalms can be bold in saying certain things... that a hymn writer wouldn't have the right to say." Pretty profound. I think immediately of psalm 13. Consider the first 2 verses:

Psalm 13:
13:1 How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

These are words that God led David, the man after His own heart to pen. These are words specifically meant for God's people to sing. I'll be honest, if it weren't for God giving me these words to sing, I wouldn't be able to express this emotion. And this gets to my point: I see so much of praise music these days focused on expressing emotion. It seems that there is a general feel that if things aren't flowing with free emotion that the Holy Spirit isn't working. Are modern praise choruses, written by men, capable of expressing a feeling that God has forgotten me? Can they express without blasphemy that I'm overcome with sorrow all day? Should they?

I'll stick to the psalms. I love the psalms.