The last five songs in the Psalter, with 147 nestled in the midst, are all songs of praise and thanksgiving, calling upon us to sing and, in some cases, break out instruments to blow, strum or thump. Saturated with the awareness that divine creativity is an ever-present, ubiquitous active and sustaining force in the universe, … Continue reading Psalm 147, 7 Feb 2021
Tag: history
historical aspect of music or psalm
Psalm 85, 6 Dec 20
‘Justice goes before God, and peace is a road for God’s feet.’ (13) What? Kanga on the keys on the Farrer oval? The first Australians have been conscious of and connected to the land in much stronger and deeper ways than more recent arrivals can comprehend. Their livelihood was far more intimately bound up with their … Continue reading Psalm 85, 6 Dec 20
Psalm 106, 11 Oct ’20
Without sounding too much like a cracked record, I must record that justice and equity as ideals and goals for both communities and individuals are major take-aways from Psalm 106, as well as 99 listed for the following Sunday. It only takes a few lines of this psalm before the word 'justice' leaps out of … Continue reading Psalm 106, 11 Oct ’20
Psalm 78, 27 Sep 20
This song continues the theme of the Exodus, the Hebrews escaping from slavery and refugee status into a wilderness experience on the way to a promised land. Again, the parting of the waters of the Red Sea and the provision of manna and water in the desert are taken as a parable from which, if … Continue reading Psalm 78, 27 Sep 20
Psalm 114, 13 Sep 20
Whoever chose Psalm 114 for the Lectionary for Easter must have been serious about it. It is the one and only psalm set for both Easter Sunday and Easter vigil services in all three years of the cycle. Why? This poem is all about the Exodus, the release from slavery in Egypt, and the transit … Continue reading Psalm 114, 13 Sep 20
Psalm 124, 23 August 2020
If God be for us, who can be against us? A song of ascent This well-known verse is found not in the psalms but in Romans 8:31. It contains the same message as Psalm 124, and in particular the last verse which has become a standard line in many liturgies: Our help is in the name of … Continue reading Psalm 124, 23 August 2020
Psalm 105(2), 9 Aug 20
Cover of the 1565 Huguenot Psalter, Les Pseaumes mis en rime, music by French composer Claude Goudimel Just two weeks later, up pops Psalm 105 again. We hear again the first 6 verses, which are common to all four occurrences of this psalm through to September. This opening section invites a song of praise in … Continue reading Psalm 105(2), 9 Aug 20
Psalm 105, a frequent visitor
Sing praises to God; tell of wondrous works.Psalm 105:2 Can Psalm 105 really be called a frequent visitor when it appears in Year A alone in the three-year Lectionary cycle? That seems a long time between drinks. Well, it makes up for its long absence by rocking up on four Sundays over the space of … Continue reading Psalm 105, a frequent visitor
Vive la Différence
The previous post declared our solidarity with those distressed by racism. It's also a time to rejoice, a time for ascent. Vive la différence, colours of the rainbow, tomahto tomayto, E pluribus unum, the spice of life, Bhinneka tunggal ika ... Variety is frequently mentioned in these pages, especially regarding styles of psalm singing from … Continue reading Vive la Différence
Ps. 68 again; old and bold
The psalms have been central to spiritual life for thousands of years. They entered Western liturgical use largely through the Roman rites, translated from Hebrew into Latin and other tongues. Early translation into Old English was from the Latin by learned monks or scribes, usually writing between the lines in the vernacular. Here, for example, … Continue reading Ps. 68 again; old and bold
Psalms in the South 