Psalm-Roaring

About four times a year Providence Church (CREC) in Pensacola,FL gathers for a special time of singing. In fact, we call it a “Psalm-Roar” to reflect the intense biblical fervor Christians should have when they sing Zion’s songs. We sing from five selected Psalms, eat and drink, and conclude with five more psalms. If you come from a Christian background where Psalm-singing is not practiced and are curious to experience it, we welcome you to join us at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Pensacola, Fl. We will begin at 5:30 PM on Friday (8th of June). If you would like to join us, please let me know. We would welcome you to roar with us! #20thwineandpsalmroar

Lots of Resources for Psalm-Singing (Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs)

My article entitled 10 Reasons Why You Should Sing the Psalms received a lot of attention and several days later it is still on the front page of The Christian Post. I am grateful for all the e-mails I received from pastors and parishioners alike seeking to benefit from the psalms for their own spiritual edification and the maturation of their own congregation.

In order to provide those resources to a broader audience, I will list many of them here and hope to update them occasionally.

I’d encourage you to visit the Genevan Psalter website. It will provide music and lyrics and a host of links to articles on the Genevan Psalter. This is my favorite Psalter.

You may also wish to visit this site, which will give you some ideas and a general introduction to psalm singing.

Another way to benefit from sung psalms is to simply start listening to psalms on your ipod or computer. For a more contemporary rendition of the Psalms, this CD by Greg Wilbur with Psalms and Hymns published by Ligonier is quite good. Nathan Clark George has done some beautiful versions of the Psalms with guitar accompaniments.

If you want to listen to some beautiful Scottish Psalmody, go here on Groove Shark.

One indispensable selection of psalms put into music is from a dear brother, Jamie Soles ( a CREC elder). Jamie has a wonderful gift of bringing psalms into easy and memorable tunes for children, but I confess I listen to them myself often.A great hymnal to get you started is Psalms for Singing. You can find audio samples on-line. You can also purchase the Cantus Christi, which is a Psalter-Hymnal. The Cantus includes about 75 psalms of the 150 (with several chants).  If you would like to hear some of the psalms sung and harmonized, you can purchase this CD. You can also find samples of some of the Psalms on the Cantus Christi:

Psalm 117 – Youtube

Psalm 98 – Youtube (Christ Church, Moscow, ID)

Psalm 148, Psalm-Roar – Youtube

Psalm 42, Audio Only (sung at Providence)

Psalm 45, taught and sung at Providence

Psalm 22 (audio only, Psalm-Roar)

Psalm 122 (Youtube, Christ Church)

Finally, for an award-winning website with more information on the Psalms and psalm-singing than you will ever need has been compiled by the saints of Trinity Presbyterian in Birmingham, AL.  called The Psalm Project.

NOTE: If you find any additional resources, please let me know.

The Joy of Christian Roaring

555023_10151808379239899_1163756403_nAs Jim Jordan makes his way to his piano bench, he looks at us and with youthful excitement asks: “Are you ready to roar?” We all exclaim with one voice Roaaaaarr! It seems rather infantile, but in reality we are made to be roaring creatures. We either roar in triumph or in sorrow. The Christian roars together with His Lord. Our Lord’s roar causes evil to shrink back in fear. Satan’s roaring pales in comparison to the Lion of Judah.

As we joined last night with three churches to do what may seem a peculiarity to the surrounding culture, we roared. We journeyed through the psalmic dance of lamentation and jubilation. We roared because sometimes the bulls of Bashan surrounds us with vicious famine. But we also roared because the Son of God goes forth to war on our behalf.

What happens when 150 gather to sing Yahweh’s hymbook? We are mutually encouraged and foe and enemy are discouraged. Discouraged because their cause is so temporal. Discouraged because singing David’s hymns calms God’s people just as David calmed Saul’s spirit with his music.

It appears to be such a simple activity, but this is how God works. He tears down human wisdom  and silences the enemy’s roaring by the simple Alleluias from the mouths of babes and infants.