Songs and Psalmody
The Shorey Psalter
It was the spring of 1990—about 31 years ago at this moment. I was recovering from a bout with viral meningitis that would leave me with what is now a 31-year-long headache (about which you may read in my book, 30/30 Hindsight: 30 Reflections on a 30-Year Headache). While recovering from meningitis, I was too feeble to budge very much from my big chair, but my mind wanted to worship. That was when I tried my hand at something I had done little to none of before: putting Scripture to music. Specifically, I wanted to help my church learn to sing the Psalms (since, after all, they form the original hymnbook of the church). But in order to sing the Psalms, they needed to be put to familiar music. So I began to write lyrics which followed the words of each Psalm pretty closely, setting them all to familiar tunes. My efforts led to a complete “Shorey Psalter” which our church sang through twice. No one will ever read or sing… Read More
Latest Psalms
Psalm 18 – An Introduction
Today’s Reading: Psalm 18:1-50/focus on Psalm 18:1-6 (Sorry: no Spurgeon quote today) Cardiphonia:* We come today to the first of the longer prayer-songs in The Book of the Psalms. For the...
Psalm 17 – “I Shall Behold Your Face”
Today’s Reading: Psalm 17 Spurgeon Comments: “…To behold God's face and to be changed by that vision into his image, so as to partake in his righteousness, this is [the psalmist’s] noble...
Psalm 16 – Pleasures Forever
“Who is Psalm 16 about? We are not left to human interpreters for the key to this golden mystery, for, speaking by the Holy Ghost, Peter tells us, ‘David speaks concerning him’ (Acts...
Psalm 15- “Who May Climb Your Holy Hill?”
“‘Yahweh, o high and holy One, who shall be permitted to have fellowship with you, who are a consuming fire?’ A humble sense of God’s glory and holiness awakens the theme of Psalm 15 in...
The Psalms: Who Are They About and For?
Interrupting Our Regularly Scheduled Post [The following is excerpted from a longer article, “Seeing Christ in the Psalms”. This is offered today in place of our next Psalter installment...
Psalm 14 – “From Out of Zion”
“You will find this same psalm over in Psalm 53, with hardly any alteration. Why is this? Did the Holy Spirit take such special notice of the sayings and deeds of a fool, that one...
Psalm 13 – How Long O Lord
“[Psalm 13] was, doubtless, more than once the language of [David], that much tried man of God, and is intended to express the feelings of the people of God in those ever-returning trials...
Psalm 12 – “Help Lord, Your Saints Come to an End”
“‘Help, Lord’ [is a] short but sweet, suggestive, seasonable, and serviceable prayer; a kind of angel's sword… to be used on all occasions. [T]he word rendered ‘help’ is largely used for...
Psalm 11 – In the Lord I Take My Refuge
“When [David] penned [Psalm 11] he was [very likely] under persecution from Saul, who sought his life…his timid friends were alarmed for his safety, and recommended him to flee to some...
Psalm 10 – A Cry of the Oppressed and Poor
“To the tearful eye of the suffering [psalmist] the Lord seemed to stand still, as if he calmly looked on, and did not sympathize with his afflicted one. Nay, more, the Lord appeared to be...
Psalm 9 – Giving Thanks for Defeated Enemies
“With a holy resolution the songster begins his hymn; I will praise thee, O Lord. It sometimes needs all our determination to face the foe, and bless the Lord in the teeth of his enemies;...
Psalm 8 (and Hebrews 2): The Majesty of God and Man
“Unable to express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation. ‘O LORD, our Lord!’ We need not wonder at this, for no heart can measure, no tongue can utter, the half of...
