From time to time I visit a blog called Reformation 21. An archived article that caught my attention was on the singing of psalms. For a little over three years I directed the music at a reformed Presbyterian church that emphasized the singing of the Psalms. On Sunday and Wednesday evenings we would sing from the “old green book” of psalms. I found it edifying and eye opening. Having said that, this particular collection of psalms was not always set well metrically. In other words, the text underlay lacked something to be desired -- placing stress on unstressed syllables, etc… Nevertheless, psalm singing is a terrific way to learn and soak up scripture.Tomorrow, Union College will hold its Spring Convocation in Conway Boatman Chapel. I have chosen one of my singers, Chelsi Deweese, to sing “Lead Me, Lord” by Samuel Wesley. The text is from Psalm 5:8 and 4:8, respectively. It reads:
"Lead Me, Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness; Make Thy way plain before my face. For it is Thou, Lord, Thou, Lord only, That makes me dwell in safety."If you would like to read the archived article about the lost art of psalm singing, go to
www.reformation21.org. In the search box type in “Rediscovering the Psalms” and the article by Joe Holland will be pulled up. Enjoy!